Taking care of your scalp is just as important as taking care of your skin. When styling, many people often put several layers of products on their hair and then add more products to freshen throughout the week. It’s no wonder that by the end of the week flakes and build up can appear on the scalp.
Shea Moisture offers an African Water Mint & Ginger Hair collection.
The African Water Mint & Ginger Detox and Refresh Hair and Scalp Gentle Shampoo is a revitalizing formula that removes impurities and buildup while re-hydrating and soothing the hair and scalp.
First off, the collection smells absolutely amazing. You might want to take the top off the shampoo bottle and leave it sitting in your bedroom so the scent can permeate around the room.
Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
To understand why this shampoo is so effective, let's take a look at some of its key ingredients:
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
- Water (Aqua): Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized, meaning that almost all of the mineral ions inside it are removed. Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water is usually the main solvent in cosmetic products.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine: A very mild cleansing agent with a dense and luxurious foam and an elegant after feel. It also has excellent water solubility and thus good rinsability. It's a super common ingredient in all kinds of cleansing products like face and body washes, shampoos, and foam baths. Number one reason for its popularity has to do with bubbles, as everyone loves bubbles. Cocamidopropyl betaine is great at stabilizing them. The other reason is that it’s mild and works very well combined with other cleansing agents and surfactants.
- Fragrance (Parfum): Nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what’s really in it. Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend, as it’s the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. A real oldie but a goodie, it's the generic term for nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice.
- Shea Butter: Unless you live under a rock you must have heard about shea butter. But it's not only a simple emollient, it regenerates and soothes the skin, protects it from external factors (such as UV rays or wind) and is also rich in antioxidants (among others vitamin A, E, F, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate). Shea butter that's considered to be a magic moisturizer and emollient.
- Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is one of today’s magic plants. It does have some very nice properties indeed, though famous dermatologist Leslie Baumann warns us in her book that most of the evidence is anecdotal and the plant might be a bit overhyped. What research does confirm about Aloe is that it’s a great moisturizer and has several anti-inflammatory (among others contains salicylates, polysaccharides, magnesium lactate and C-glucosyl chromone) as well as some antibacterial components. It also helps wound healing and skin regeneration in general. The famous aloe vera.
- Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract: The extract coming from the popular garden plant Calendula or Marigold. According to manufacturer info, it's used for many centuries for its exceptional healing powers and is particularly remarkable in the treatment of wounds.
- Menthol: As for skincare, menthol seems to be a mixed bag.
- Tetrasodium EDTA: A chelating agent that helps to preserve cosmetic products by neutralizing the metal ions (especially iron) in the formula (that usually get into there from water).
- Caprylyl Glycol and Phenoxyethanol: The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel.
- Tocopherol: Pure Vitamin E. Great antioxidant that gives significant photoprotection against UVB rays. Works in synergy with Vitamin C.
Unclog Hair Follicles to Stop Shedding & Boost Growth | Scalp Detox Tips That Work!
Personal Experience
After adding the shampoo to hair and lathering, I immediately noticed a delightful tingling sensation on my scalp caused by the mint and the ginger which are both great for circulation. After washing my hair, I follow up with the African Water Mint & Ginger Detox and Refresh Hair and Scalp Gentle Conditioner.
I followed up with the African Water Mint & Ginger Detox and Refresh Hair & Scalp Leave-In Detangler. This product had a pretty good slip, and I was able to detangle my hair without any problem, though I do most of my detangling with my fingers while shampooing. I’ve used this as my leave in conditioner twice, and I’ve found that mixes well with my other butter and gels without leaving a white residue.
While the smell totally won me over I must say I love the way my scalp and hair feels while and after using this particular collection from Shea Moisture.
Since it is a Detox collection, I will probably use these products every other week.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
