V. ALTERNATIVE/SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS 

This chapter is to be used in conjunction with the Six-Week Regimen (Chapter IV) and Daily Hair Care (Chapter VI) chapters. If for some reason you are unable to find the recommended products, or you want to do some “fine-tuning” to the regimen, you may substitute products from this chapter into the appropriate steps of the regimen. Also, if you are already using or are satisfied with different brands of shampoos, conditioners, reconstructors, oils, etc., you may replace the products recommended in the regimen with your favorite products. However, you should make sure you follow all manufacturer directions and warnings.  

As you select products, remember that no one hair care product can guarantee perfect hair. Healthy, gorgeous hair is achieved through the use of quality products, a consistent hair care program and a qualified hair professional if chemical products are used. To get you started in your search, I have listed some tips for selecting alternative/substitute products: 

  1. Never use hair care products intended for “white hair” (“white hair” refers to the hair of white women) or the hair of women from other ethnic backgrounds (Ex., Latino, Oriental, etc.). Don’t believe the claims of products that say they are designed for hair of all types. How can one shampoo/conditioner work for all types of hair? Black hair gets drier with each day that passes; whereas white hair gets oilier – so how can the same shampoo add moisture as well as remove oils? It is impossible! I am not saying that manufacturers of white hair care products cannot produce products that work for black hair, because many of the products I recommend in this book may have been produced by white hair care companies. However, I am saying that you should avoid products that are not specifically designed for black hair and your particular hair type (dry, damaged, etc.). As with any rule, there are always exceptions, like some Paul Mitchell and Nexxus products that I mention later in this chapter. However, with any questionable products, always read labels carefully to determine what types of hair the products were designed for. If they don’t say (many labels don’t specify), and you are in doubt, only use products that are highly recommended by a trusted, professional hair stylist or someone that you know with a similar hair type. Look for products that fit or describe your hair’s texture (Ex. dry, oily, damaged, over-processed) or condition (Ex. relaxed, color-treated, etc.).
 

  1. Select products that are specified for home use, avoid “professional use only” products. This is really important if you perm or color your own hair.

 

 

  1. Don’t assume that expensive hair care products are always better than less expensive ones. I have tried expensive, as well as inexpensive products, and I can honestly say that the cost of the products used does not determine the success of your hair care regimen or how good your hair looks.
 

  1. When selecting conditioners or oils, look for products containing jojoba, rosemary, chamomile, olive oil and other herbal extracts, as well as vitamin E.
 

  1. Do not use sprays, mousses or gels that contain alcohol – they can dry hair, and cause breakage. One gel that seems to improve the condition of the hair as well as provide style control is Let’s Jam! Pudding. This gel is alcohol free, wax free and grease free. It contains silicone as well as herbal extracts (aloe vera, chamomile, rosemary, etc.). When selecting sprays, choose silicone-based products for maximum shine.
 

  1. Try products from the Motions, Revlon, Dark & Lovely, All Ways, Fantasia, ApHOGEE and tcb lines. You will notice that most of my recommendations in the regimen are from these product lines. In fact, I absolutely love, and only use, the Motions relaxer. However, it is only sold to hair care professionals, so talk to your hair stylist about trying it.
 

  1. When selecting hot-oil treatments, I suggest you try tcb Naturals Hot Oil Treatment over the other hot-oil treatments available. Most of its competitors have water as the first ingredient; whereas, tcb does not even list water as one of its ingredients. This fact leads me to think that the others may be a little watered down, in comparison – more water, less oils and herbal extracts.
 

  1. When you deep condition your hair, warm olive oil can be used with your normal conditioner or with the conditioner recommended in the Six-Week Regimen (e.g., it could be used instead of the hot-oil treatment in Week 2).
 

  1. Instead of the Dark & Lovely Ultra Cholesterol Conditioning Cream (mentioned in Week 5), you may also try Wella Kolestral Concentrate. I have tried it, and it appears to give a lighter conditioning than the Dark & Lovely product, which makes it optimal if your hair does not need an intensive conditioning treatment.
 

  1. If you are experiencing major dryness, you may periodically substitute the Nexxus Humectress Moisturizing Conditioner for the conditioner mentioned in step 2 of the Six-Week Regimen (or your own favorite conditioner). My hair stylist occasionally uses this on my hair when I get a semi-permanent hair color put in right after I get a re-touch.
 

  1. Also, during the summer, or any time you are swimming a lot (pool or ocean), you may want to try Ion Anti-Chlorine Swimmer’s Shampoo. This product claims to keep hair chlorine-free and to moisturize and protect hair from sun damage.
 

  1. If you suffer from scalp conditions such as dry scalp, dandruff or psoriasis, or your scalp has been burned or damaged, you may want to try Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Special Shampoo. My hair stylist used it on my hair once when my scalp was burned during a re-touch, and it was the most refreshing shampoo my scalp has ever had. My scalp literally tingled! My hair stylist recommends it to customers who have chronic scalp conditions, such as dandruff, flaking, itching or dryness. If it alleviates or corrects your scalp condition, you may want to substitute (periodically or permanently) it for the shampoo specified in the Six-Week Regimen (or your regular shampoo).
 

  1. You may also oil your scalp with All Ways Natural Herbal Super Gro Conditioning Hair Dress instead of Wild Growth Hair Oil. However, because the All Ways product is petrolatum-based, I would not use it as liberally or as often as I would the Wild Growth Hair Oil. Unlike an oil, it is heavier, and could make hair greasy.
 

  1. When working with virgin hair that is not very coarse, especially for young girls, or on relaxed hair that is in very good condition, you may want to try the Crème of Nature shampoos and conditioners. If they work better for you than the Motions/ApHOGEE products, you can substitute them in the appropriate steps of the Six-Week Regimen.
 

  1. If you continue to blow dry your hair frequently (more than once a month), it might be wise to try Thermasilk products (shampoo, conditioner and mousse) by Helene Curtis. These products are supposed to be activated by heat, causing the hair’s condition to improve as you blow dry or hot curl it. I am skeptical, but it is worth a try.
 

  1. Also, if you absolutely insist on continuing to blow dry your hair, you may also want to invest in a “sensor dryer”. These blow dryers detect when your hair is dry and begin to cool down or reduce heating temperatures automatically so your hair is protected from unnecessary heat damage. The Phillips SensorCare Dryer is currently on the market – go to www.sensorcare.com or call 877-736-7672 for details on price and stores where the dryer is sold. This blow dryer is a great tool for color-treated, relaxed or damaged hair, which is more susceptible to dehydration and heat damage.
 

  1. For those deciding not to use the Wild Growth Hair Oil, I have heard a number of people mention that massaging the scalp with a small amount of olive oil works as a great scalp conditioner. You could try olive oil in place of the Wild Growth Hair Oil for night-time or pre-shampoo treatments. Ironically, olive oil just happens to be one of the many wonderful ingredients in Wild Growth Hair Oil. This makes me definitely think that the olive oil will work well, but I believe the Wild Growth Hair Oil will work better. So, if you can get it, go for the Wild Growth Hair Oil.
 

  1. When drying your hair naturally (as suggested in the Six Week Regimen), you may spray on Volumizer Extra Shine Spray-On-Shine by Jheri Redding and/or rub on Shine Silky Set PRO Super Conditioning Hair Dress (also known as Black ‘n’ Sassy Super Conditioning Hair Dress & Shine) in place of Wild Growth Hair Oil. These two products may help your hair dry straight with lots of shine. Although they may not work as well as Wild Growth Hair Oil for this purpose, they are a close second. I have used both of these products when my hair was wet, in addition to using the Wild Growth Hair Oil. All of these are excellent products, but the beauty of this regimen is that you can experiment until you find what products and combinations work best for you.
 

  1. For braided styles, you might want to try tcb Naturals Hair & Scalp Conditioner to soothe your scalp and give relief from the initial tightness of new braids. You may also use tcb Naturals Designing Spritz for style control and tcb Naturals Oil Sheen Spray for shine.