Qhemet Amla and Olive Heavy Cream

Get it here.

I think Suburbanbushbabe said it best when she described Qhemet’s Amla and Olive Heavy Cream as ‘rain in a jar’. It was her rave reviews and Teshon’s on naturallycurly.com that prompted me to try it (among other products, lol). Like Teshon, I’m a fine haired, protein sensitive curly. I need heavy moisture to maintain health and retain allllll of my length 😀

This product is outstanding…depending on what you’re using it for.

I wore the low stress Mane and Chic bun and high bun for about 4 months straight (the beginning of 2008). During that time, I was relying heavily on AOHC to provide moisture and to protect my ends. My hair FLOURISHED. Seriously. Between keeping my ends hidden away 24/7 and the rich buttery goodness of AOHC, my ends didn’t split, break or knot!

Once I grew tired of the buns and began doing my beloved Twist-n-Curl, I realized that the AOHC was wayyyy to heavy for ‘out’ styles. If you have fine strands like mine, the sheer weight of this butter will pull that curl right out. My hair also felt a little greasy once dry…something I hadn’t noticed before because my hair was tucked away. For me, greasy hair= undefined hair. Something about oil breaks my curls up completely and leaves me with a frizzy, greasy, mess. This is why I use Shea Butter instead of oils such as coconut, sweet almond and olive (all of which I’ve tried). Shea isn’t greasy…in my opinion.

Moral of the story: if you want to retain most, if not all of your length for a few months, bun and use AOHC. If you wear your hair out and about, this may not be the product for you.

Product Description: “This ultra thick and luscious creamy butter contains Amla, Brahmi and African Aloe, premium Afro-Indian botanicals used for thousands of years to nourish the scalp and strengthen hair. MSM sulfur nurtures follicles and encourages growth, Olive oil delivers softness and emollience and Castor oil delivers shine, humectancy and helps thicken hair. Our nourishingly rich blend of old world oils, organic herbs and natural humectants leaves coarse, dry and brittle hair extra soft, healthy and supple!

A perfect all-in-one for moisturizing and softening afro’s, coils, curls, pony puffs, two strand twists, braids, cornrows, fades, chemical and color processes, softening new growth and restoring softness and elasticity to dry brittle ends. Also helps weigh down kinks and coils.”

Ingredients: Castor (Ricinus Communis) Oil, Olive (Olea Europa) Oil, Distilled Water, Organic Amla (Phyllanthus Emblica), Organic Aloe (Aloe Ferox) Africana, Organic Brahmi (Bacopa Monniera), MSM (Methosulfonylmethane), Vegetable Glycerin, Vegetable Emulsifier, Vitamin E, Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexyglycerin (Mild, Food Grade Paraben-free and Formaldehyde-free Preservative), Fragrance.

Pros:

• RICH
• ‘Rain in a jar’- SBB
• Wholesome ingredients you can feel good about!
• Delicate smell- not overwhelming and definitely doesn’t linger
• Will protect your hair from brittleness and breakage
• No need to seal with an oil…its a moisturizer that seals, lol

Cons:

• On-line purchase (I can’t get it on the ground in my area, and it takes a while to get it, since they whip it up after you place your order…which is a pro)
• Price- It’s a little pricey, but a little goes a looonnnnnng way
• Can leave you with greasy hair if not used in moderation