For those of us who dread the blow-dryers and flat irons during the summer months, here are some leave-in conditioners to check out! These are best for when you want to do the “wash-n-go” look or if want an manageable way to style you hair while dry.
1. Sedal Ondas Definidas: This is a Spanish brand that works as a protective coating on my hair. It locks in moisture and holds my natural curl pattern. It has a creamy consistency and goes onto the hair lightly, similar to how regular conditioner feels.
I usually run it through my hair while it’s wet and it holds the shape I make while styling. As it dries, my waves are prominent, and do not frizz throughout the day. I can also use the leave-in while my hair is dry.
The real steal comes if you can buy this from Dominican Republic, it’s $3 and they last pretty long, stock up if you ever go! Also, Sedal offers products for color-treated hair that are sold for about $8-$9 at your local beauty supply store. While Sedal is written in Spanish, there is usually a sticker on the back translating the ingredients and benefits in English.
Just as an extra tip: Sometimes I use the regular hair conditioner from Sedal collection as a leave-in and it works just as well, great for daily use.
2. Kinky Curly Original Curling Custard: This is a bit pricey ($39) but worth it if used the right way. I was introduced to it last summer. I won it from a blogger’s giveaway contest in 2009 and my tub finished this past December; that’s over a year that it lasted. This product is not exactly a leave-in because it has the consistency of a gel. It does not have alcohol in it like gel normally does, but it dries and lightly hardens in a way that wears off throughout the day.
The trick that I found beneficial is to use it is as a coating, a light glaze over the hair to catch and style edges. Kinky Curly is a watery custard and takes a long time to dry if using a lot. Whenever I use it, I use no more than a dollop as a finishing touch. Wearing it as a bonus is the tip that will make it last longer and dry faster.
3. African Pride Olive Miracle Leave-In Conditioner: I was able to grab a bottle in the office a few weeks ago and first tried it on my hair when it was lightly dampened with water.
Remember: styling natural hair works best when damp. Do not fight with your tresses when they are dry, that causes severe breakage. After using Olive Miracle for the first time I thought it worked well and had a sweet smell also. However, when I used it as a “wash-n-go” product, it did not work as well, but when I used the product for a “braid-out” it worked great.
To do this look, I washed my hair and parted my hair in about six parts and added a small amount of the leave-in on each section I braided. I repeated this throughout and when my hair dried, I unbraided my hair and lightly fingered it and got compliments all day from the results! Use this for specific styling such as a “braid-out.”
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