Is It Worth It? — Carol’s Daughter
Most of you who’ve been reading Afrobella for a while now know — I love me some Carol’s Daughter. I love what the product line stands for, and I’ve openly admired the efforts of brand creator Lisa Price even in my earliest days of Afrobella, in fact, Lisa and I met almost two years ago when Afrobella had just, just begun. I was SO excited. Her story — from stove top stirring to the shelves of Sephora — inspired me to dream that someday my little new blog could be bigger than I ever thought it could be.
I fell head over heels for most CD’s hair and body products as soon as I tried them (with the notable exception of Khoret Amen anything. That smell is not my fave, to say the least). But the Black Vanilla Leave In conditioner was an instant fave, and the Hair Milk remains one of my go-to styling products. Since then I’ve tried and loved many more CD products — I use the Gelee de Soleil browning oil every time I go to the beach — it’s the sexiest sunscreen out there, IMO. Keeps the legs shiny shiny and protected, too.
The latest object of my Carol’s Daughter affection is the Tui Hair Smoothie, it left my hopelessly tangled coils smooth, soft, and smelling like a tropic dream. My husband didn’t want to get his nose out of my hair, I swear! An 8 oz tub is $19. And these things are flying off the shelves like hot cakes. A recent trip to my neighborhood Sephora revealed a CD section mostly depleted of their hottest products. Carol’s Daughter is doing big biz these days. So when I read a review titled Not Anymore on one of my new fave beauty blogs, Product Junkie Diva, it got me wondering — do I see this brand through rose colored lenses because I love what CD stands for, or do I stan for these products because I genuinely adore them?
Product Junkie Diva’s post begins by saying, “I am sure you have been there before, the point where you realize you no longer like a product that you once enjoyed. My latest “I don’t like you anymore” product is Carol’s Daughter Black vanilla Leave-In Conditioner for Dry Hair,” and the comments revealed a range of products that had fallen out of favor with the beauty loving crowd — some of whom admitted that they were never fans of CD to begin with. After reading all of them, I had to question — is Carol’s Daughter really worth it?
Well, it ain’t cheap — but you don’t walk into Sephora expecting to find cheap cosmetics to begin with. I was skeptical when I first bought a bottle of Hair Milk (which I believe was $16 for 8 oz a few years back). But my curls loved it like no other product, back in those early days of my transition. As a bella who indiscriminately switched between drugstore-quality petrolatum and mineral oil-laden products and all-natural, often pricey, sometimes unrefined hair treatments, I was thrilled to find a high quality, mid-priced, beautifully scented hairdress laden with the oils I knew I should be using on my natural tresses. It remains a keeper.
Even though the 8 oz bottle has gone up two bucks, I continue to repurchase whenever I run out of Hair Milk. But is it my ultimate, if I was stuck on a desert island and only had one product, product? No. But it’s definitely my I’m going on vacation for a week and need some good moisturizers to keep my fro looking fly product. It’s in my top five hairstyling faves right now, alongside Miss Jessie’s, Curls Milkshake, Creme of Nature, and the latest discovery that will be the focus of a big upcoming review. Keep your eyes peeled, bellas — it’s coming soon!
I still also regularly use Lisa’s Hair Elixir, especially on those days when my hair is extra-dry and feels brittle and hard. This minty-fresh hair oil makes my scalp feel refreshed, and it gives my hair just the right amount of moisture, especially if I slather it on right after a shower. My bottle has lasted me over a year — a little goes a long way with this hair oil. Will bellas who love mixing their own hair oils agree with me that it’s worth it? Maybe not — but I am not a hair-product chemist, as much as I’d like to be, I tend to go for convenience. Hair Elixir FTW.
If you’re a bella on an especially tight budget, I can see where some Carol’s Daughter products might not seem worth it. I’ve retired my bottle of Rosemary Mint Shampoo with Sea Moss — my curls didn’t love it as much as I hoped they would. This shampoo had the same clumping effect as Aveda’s Rosemary Mint shampoo to me, and my hair kind of hates both of them. So this seems to be an ingredient thing for me to take note of. I love the smell of Mimosa Hair Honey, but it isn’t a crucial part of my hair care regimen. I like this product, but I don’t love it and need it. I do like how it melts in my hand and into my hair — bellas with relaxed hair who need a good shine product for their ends would most likely love this stuff more than I do. And the Black Vanilla leave in that PJD mentioned still smells like heaven to me, but over time, my year-old bottle isn’t quite as nourishing to my hair as it used to be. Now I use it just as a scented refresher for any dry looking curls after I’ve applied a thicker moisturizer.
In my opinion, Carol’s Daughter still rocks. I still love what Lisa Price has done, and I’ll certainly always try my best to review their newest additions to the product line. But for any bella who isn’t sure if it’s worth it, take my tidbit of shopping advice — read lots of reviews, and don’t buy online if you don ‘t have to! Get yourself to a Sephora, where any well-meaning salesperson can squeeze out some product into a little jar for you. I’m a big believer in try before you buy, and it’s great that CD is at the stage where they can compete with the big dogs in a store that does that.
What say you, bellas? Are Carol’s Daughter products overrated, or just fine?
** PS — I discovered Product Junkie Diva’s blog thanks to my homegirl Natalie the Frugalista! Thanks, girl!
** PPS — I wanted to let you all know, the folks at Carol’s Daughter are reading this! So if you have any constructive criticism or advice, definitely share it in the comments. Also, Carol’s Daughter isn’t only at Sephora — Lisa Price will be on the Home Shopping Network next Monday and Tuesday. Tune in to see her discuss the brand in person.
Category: Hair, Product Reviews
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I really love this site and the feedback it inspires. I’ve tried various CD products and I’ve been underwhelmed. The Milk doesn’t do anything for my hair and the Black Vanilla Leave In made my scalp itch something terrible–it was ridiculous. Now the stuff is sitting with the rest of my buy-try-don’t like it-don’t know what to really do with it items. Currently I’m using Beyond the Zone’s Noodle Head for my natural. It works pretty good, but I’m certain I’ll move on to something new. I may try some of the items mentioned by the other bellas. Until then…ciao.
You know, I have to come in and talk about hair for a minute. First, I have to say, bella, you got me into the creme of nature clover and rosemary shampoo. I love it!!! I’ve been transitioning to natural from relaxed and that combined with olive oil deep conditioning packets, my hair is getting back to that state from my youth.
But yea. I went to the John Freida free consultation/styling thing they had touring the U.S. And I can say that I was already a fan of their frizz ease serum, however, when used in conjunction with the non-chemical relaxer creme, you can finger twist hair and let it air dry (well, she sped the process up with a diffuser to set it…but she let it damp dry), my hair came out in beautiful tiny spirals that looked almost like twists.
I think her products are overrated but what I’ve learned from trying different CD stuff is you just have to find what works for you. My first intro was with hair milk. I had a short fro (textured like cotton) and it was always dry and brittle. I started reading and hearing firsthand that hair milk was the truth and that I should try it because it wouldmake my hair soft and supple. That wasn’t the case. My hair remained brittle but with a greasy film on top (however my friend still swears by it). Then, I tried the rosemary mint shampoo which was cool (nothing to rave about), but I use way too much shampoo at a time to keep shelling out damn near 20 bucks for suck a small bottle so I just stick with my castille soap. I also tried the mimosa hair honey which I didn’t like in my hair but it works wonders in my niece’s hair and finally, now that I have locs, I’m using loc butter which I love (and I don’t mind dropping 15 bucks on it). As far as the body products I think her lotion is overrated but I absolutely love her body oils (ecstasy is my fav). So yeah, that’s my long drawn out experience with Carol’s Daughter products. I say just try different products and see what works.
gangstarrgirl.blogspot.com
I find it very interesting that this post came up very recently after a discussion was started on Natural Hair group on Facebook.I take it as a sign… Here is what I wrote:
Hair Milk: Just kinda okay alone, too thin for me
Kizzi Stay Put: Amazing smell works better when combined with Milk for flat twists
Khoret Amen Leave-in: Dried out my hair
Khoret Amen Shampoo: Only use it once a month and apply it only to my scalp. No issues- can be replaced with baking soda clarifier
Lisa’s Hair Elixir: LOVE IT! Not for a hot oil treatment, my hair hates it over night, but my edges have grown long and strong from applying this nightly with a massage. So only to my temple and hairline area and not my whole head.
I feel guilty about this because my mother spent so much money buying it for me then shippnig it all the way to South Korea for me just for me to not use the products anymore. But out of guilt I have used them and finished them. Except for the shampoo. That’s an emergency back up.
My hair is not a fan of the products and I am glad I hear that I am not the only one that has dry hair AFTER using the LIC’s. A lot of the products just really left me so dry and “crunchy”. I agree Bella a little Elixir on my temples can go a long way but that is the only product I think I will repurchase. Maybe. But Aveda (Rosemary Mint condish for the cowash and Damage Remedy Intensive treatment DC oh and Sap Moss Serum for baggy method )has proven that it loves my hair and my hair loves it. It is worth the money to me CD unfortunately is not. I am still looking for a good moisturizer that also defines my curl pattern and I can flat twist with. That I can buy in a physical store.
But to end my comment on a positive note I agree with all the sistahs out there who support LP in what she has accomplished and what she is currently doing. She presents a wonderful role model to those aspiring to go above and beyond with their companies no matter what industry.
Long time lurker here!
I’ve been curious about CD products but never bought any. I’ll cosign with those who said you get what you pay for when it comes to hair products.
I have a relaxer and use Pantene, TIGI Bed Head and Tressame products on my hair; sometimes I spend a good grip (especially on the Bed Head stuff) but my hair is thick and shiny and I feel PREEEETY!
I’ve been a Carol’s Daughter customer for coming up on 4 years now, and I agree with some of the other comments: When CD went mainstream, the product formulations changed a bit, and I tend to be less happy with them. For example, the body cleansing gels went from a thin, castile soap consistency to a thicker, goopier gel-lotion feel. I checked the labels on my old bottle versus the new, and yes, the ingredients changed. I used to love their pineapple-watermelon scent, the rose & honey massage oil, the baby-scented shea-butter based moisturizing oil, and the nutmeg nectar and Lisa’s Ocean Rain scented body sprays and tiny roll-on fragrance oils (Ecstasy, Groove, Ocean, etc.), but as the brand went national, these products, along with Ocean body jelly, and many of the hair products and moisturizers, were discontinued or reformulated and retired. Boo. I bought the hair milk as what i thought would be a good moisturizer for my relaxed hair, but it tended to make my hair feel heavy and oily, as did the khoret amen smoothie. The leave-in conditioners tended to dry out my hair, and the shampoos didn’t agree with me either.
But there ARE a few CD products i will swear by: The Love Butter smells amazing, the Leg Gel is great, the Tui hair oil and Lisa’s elixir oils have done my scalp worlds of good, and the bottles seem to last forever. The Marguerite’s magic cream works great for me, and the Ocean and Groove fragrances still have people stopping me in the street asking WHAT IS THAT DIVINE SMELL?!
All in all, it disappoints me that so many of the great CD products and scents have disappeared, but i chalk it up to the brand going mainstream. Now, instead of keeping a membership to CD.com and making my once-frequent purchases directly through the company, i just run into Sephora much less often, for my single-product Carol’s Daughter fix. I still have major love for Lisa Price and her brand, though!
comment part 2….
you know I was thinking about it and Carol’s Daughter came out at the beginning of what to me was the communal transition from relaxed to natural. I think that since the start of her company more women have gone natural and this is opening us up to more textures and combinations of hair types that is causing for more research.
So for the constructive crit I have for those at Carol’s Daughter listening….I say for the hair products research the different types of hair we have. Our hair is diverse as we are and I think that for the most part the products may cater to a certain type of hair texture. There are a lot of customers suffering from dry hair after using some of the products and we all know that moisture is the key to the health of our hair. I thnk that unscented products would be great too.
I STILL LOVE CD! I use the hair balm regularly and the black vanilla leave in almost daily. It’s interesting…. our hair is all different, and what works for me (making hair soft, shiny, etc) might not work for Afrobella. I agree with her when she says try things out and that you get what you pay for. I looked at Ellin Lavar Textures and it’s full of cones… go figure. I also use Pantene Relaxed and Natural and Curls Whipped Cream… maybe I should become a beauty blogger… this trying stuff is getting expensive. Thanks for our blog, Bella. It’s always good to know that companies are listening to what their customers think and that your blog is the platform for that.
When CD first came out, I was in LOOOOVE…
Now that I make a lot of my own products, I find her stuff to be too greasy. Depending on which Sephora you go to, the stuff is sometimes rancid and messy. I still use her loc butter because it makes my hair super soft and the two strand twists really fluffy, but because it’s so heavy, it attracts a lot of dirt easily. The smell is also a bit overpowering. I love her almond cookie stuff, but too much of that can get overwhelming too.
Overall, I really admire what she’s done and will probably continue to buy one or two things from her, but I think that now that she is mass marketing, she should refine her core products and maybe introduce lighter scents and textures.
LuckyAnaiya — thanks for reminding me about the Natural Hair facebook group!! I am a member but rarely visit — just saw the thread you were mentioning. I’m off to read more. and I cosign with your comment part 2 — products that address the variety of natural hair textures would be a good look for CD. And obviously, unscented products would be a smart move as so many here have expressed concerns about the scents.
I don’t think the price of CD’s products is the problem. The problem is that they either completely don’t work for me or they’re just ok and I have other products that do the job better (and sometimes cheaper too). I also don’t like that the main ingredients are often cheapish oils (soybean or corn oil, as opposed to coconut oil or evoo) and they contain heavy fillers such as emulsifying wax or beeswax, which can cause buildup over time.
I tried the hair milk, healthy hair butter, mimosa hair honey and lisa’s hair elixir. The only one that actually worked was the healthy hair butter, but I have lots of products that work better if I’m looking for a moisturizer. Qhemet and oyin FTW! Qhemet’s products moisturize my hair like nobody’s business (and generally use better oils and no heavy beeswax) and oyin makes great conditioner (honey hemp) and styling products. Compared to these products, CD just seems like a cheap (expensive!) imitation. For those who are interested in trying CD products, I recommend buying them from Sephora. They have an excellent return policy, so if it doesn’t work you can just take it back.
I used to go to the Dekalb store ALL the time! I stopped going because they discontinued a scent I loved. I started with her hair products mostly. I kind of outgrew those but I’d always go in to get this body spray and I’d of course be tempted to pick up new products etc. But after they stopped carrying my body spray, I slowly stopped going. I think I even sent them an email asking to bring it back LOL! Inconsistency is the one thing that really annoys me about certain businesses. You get hooked on something and they take it away. I was really excited about her products though and really love her story. Carol’s Daughter please bring back “N0. 1 The Beginning!”
While my hair has been Au Naptural
for almost 3 years, it wasn’t until the end of last year when I began my quest for natural hair products. I figured why not start with CD. I’m not sure if my hair has changed (texture, length, moisture requirements), but the products just aren’t working for me any more. Last year I purchased the Saturday Morning set that included: Rosemary Mint Shampoo with Sea Moss, Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner, Tui Hair Oil, Hair Milk, Mimosa Hair Honey, and Kizi Stay Put Pomeade. I also picked up the Loc Butter. The only product I have re-stocked is the Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner.
Maybe the VIC would be better marketed as a Hair Perfume with added conditioning agents? I have better results using a homemade water, veggie glycerin, and castor oil spritz. I still use the VIC, but only for the scent – I’m a Vanilla junkie.
Also, in reading many of the ingredients in the CD products I wasn’t sold on them being all that natural or any healthier for my hair than non natural products. The Loc Butter was a big No No for me. The beeswax made my two strand twists attract much dust and look very unkempt despite my best maintenance efforts.
I’ve since learned to make my own natural hair products. They don’t smell as heavenly as CD’s, but they work wonders on my hair. I love the concept of CD and appreciate its roots, but I can no longer justify spending that much money on something that doesn’t satisfy my needs.
I’m on the fence with Carol’s Daughter. There are a couple of things that I love (Almond Cookie Sugar Scrub) but for the most part I find the products a little sub-par. I was especially disappointed with the hair products which I felt left my hair very oily. I do like what the overall product stands for but it just seems like there’s a ton of hype surrounding it.
Thanks for bringing this topic up–Good post!
N-
Hi Bella,
As a Brooklynite, I’ve been using CD for over 12 years. I remember Lisa Price vending at the festivals and when she opened the flagship store. I moved from NYC over 9 years ago and back then each and every trip I took home I made the trek to CD…and I hate that walk from the D train:-) I stocked up on my favorites and always found news beauty gems.
Sadly, today, I don’t buy as much of CD. Also, sadly she discontinued some of my favorite items. Lisa if you’re reading: PLEASE bring back Empress Nemesia salt scrub and Cotton Candy body products.
What I do still use is Groove perfume and body butter and Koret Amen hair oil, which has always made me locs feel and smell great. I’ve embraced Tui oil for the summer and the sage foot cream is marvelous. I will always love CD! I just miss my oldies but goodies.
I recently began using CD’s Hair Balm, Lisa’s elixir and deep conditioner fot the hair. I have to say I love them all. I wear my hair in a natural fro’ and need all the moisture I can get. All the products don’t work for me, but I don’t expect them to. I also use whipped creme from “natural curls, as well as their curls quencher. I have also tried “knot today”, and “kinkly-curly” custard. I feel I have to switch up every now and then because my hair just gets used to the same product and doesn’t seem to respond in the same way.
I love Oyin products , kinky curly curl gel, and sheago’s stuff. These natural hair products use high grade shea butters and food grade oils. Carl’s daughter uses soy oil, amongst other filler ingredients and I called the company to find out if it was organic/ non GMO. Did not get an answer about this. The prices don’t reflect the quality of cheap ingredients. Something to consider when buying pricy hair stuff.
I am not a brand-whore, per se. I just use what works. That said, there are a few Carol’s Daugter products that I absolutely adore. The Hair Milk is a staple for me. I haven’t found anything better to moisturize my rebellious curls. It’s not too heavy or too thin, it has a nice neutral-ish smell and it works. Lisa’s Hair Elixir is also a keeper. I love the smell (and so does the hubby) and smell is really important when you are rockin’ a big fro. My husband and I both use the Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner (which is EXTRA funny because I’m black and he’s white) and the Rosemary Shampoo is an excellent detangler. As far as deep conditioners (one of the most important steps in my hair routine), I’ve found other products that work better than CD stuff. To each his/her own though. Oh and I totally agree with you about Khoret Amen, Bella. That stuff smells like a musty forest.
Love this blog!
Once I got interested in using natural products–I have sensitive skin, and have found that artificial stuff usually makes me break out–I became a huge CD fan, and one of the people who told friends and family about her stuff. Like many others here, I was one of the people who shopped at the original Brooklyn store before LP started hooking up Jada and Mary J. (remember those beautiful hinged mason jars everything came in?). Once it got pricier, I stepped away from the body products, and then only used the hair products, as they were the only thing that did the job on the various twist (comb, 2-stranded) and locked styles I’ve had for the past 9 years. However, once her stuff got pricier, and more natural alternatives became available, I lost my loyalty.
Now, I make my own hair oil, which I use rather sparingly (once you are set up with a supply of essential oils, adding a couple drops of whatever you choose to the base oil of your choice isn’t too pricey). As other natural bellas have said here, CD’s prices aren’t that insane in the context of natural beauty products, but since hair oil is so easy to make at home, I don’t bother to buy it. I’m also on the the whole no-sulfates train, and have found that using shampoos w/o them (including my latest sampling of Chagrin Valley bar shampoos–the Anita Grant ones were just too pricey for me after shipping, and CV has a babasu bar as well) has made more of a difference for me than any conditioner.
That said, I think I’d still be buying CD’s hair stuff if I hadn’t found other products that work better for my hair. My hair is type 4–kinky, locks easily, holds petite 2-strand twists easily, etc–actually seems to do better with stuff that isn’t quite as heavy w/butters and oils, and has more water, aloe, honey, & other moisture attracting ingredients mixed in. In other words, Oyin’s Shine & Define works better for me than CD’s Loc Butter. CD’s Hair Milk and Hair Balm does do wonders for my curly-haired niece, though.
While we’re talking natural hair and black businesswomen, does any one know what happened to “Inky Loves Nature?” I was hoping to try out the scalp butter, but it is no where to be found, the website is out of commission, and I haven’t seen news of their officially going out of business.
I have used CD’s hair products on my children since they were little. I have consistently used Hair Milk and the Vanilla leave in, in an effort to keep it pretty close to natural- i.e. no mineral oil, no vaseline… My children are mixed with lots of curls. My son has an extremely dry patch that is going to eventually have to be cut off… but not until he is talking
All that being said, my daughters hair used to drink this up. it always looked nice and healthy. In the last couple of weeks, her hair seems to be drying up, and my sons is just in an out and out rebellion. I agree with most posters that some, if not all of the products need to be less scented. Khoret Amen should maybe be unscented… however I am wondering if the products just no longer work on them… any suggestions for something new and as natural as I can get… I am falling out of love with CD. I still love mimosa hair honey though. it helps with the sleek looks.
oh, and the new Tui hair detangler is a no go… it made my daughters curls go from beautiful ringlets to straggly z shaped curls- if that makes sense. I left it on very briefly…
My friend absolutely loves carols daughter products. even though one order was lost in the post to the uk some time agao she still buys. unfortunately they do not ship to the uk so I am unable to try them. My friend has friends and family buy her products when they go abroad – so they must be doing something.
It would be nice if there was uk distributor though I know that means the price would be even higher as the pound is strong and companies never sell cheaply over here.
there are not many people catering for us natural sisters outside the usa. thankfully anita grant has products but I have only one fave.
I hope and pray one day I can try CD products unless I find something else or ebay.
Beth, I remember those hinged jars! There was something so sweet and quaint about them…
When it comes to body products, cosmetics, hair stuff, I want value–the highest quality possible + the lowest price possible. I first bought Carol’s Daughter body products at the flagship store in Brooklyn when I lived in the city several years back. I never really got into the hair products because I was loc’ed at the time and didn’t want to put a lot of stuff in my hair. Back then a trip to CD was always “special” for me, kind of like boutique shopping… plus I felt warm-n-fuzzy knowing I was supporting a blossoming black- and woman-owned business. I pretty much alternated between CD and the Nubian Heritage store, which was just a few minutes away.
Fast forward eight years. I’m no longer in the city, so I do a lot more product shopping online. Since January when I cut my locs and decided to go free-form natural, I’ve discovered many different hair and body products which I consider to have comparable (or better) value than CD. My Curls by Sisters Smith just arrived in the mail and I love it! I’m also fond of the Kinky-Curly line. I’m also making some of my own stuff now with the help of MotownGirl and so many other friendly naturals at various web boards. From a business AND consumer perspective, this is a totally different marketplace (but surely there are some well-paid MBAs at CD who have clued them in to the ins-and-outs of this already).
I’m not just going to buy CD because of Lisa, lovely and brilliant as she is; there are many sisters and brothers with stories similar to her own making suitable substitutes. I do agree with some of the comments made already re: CD customer service, as it seems to have receded in recent years. I also wish they would bring back the Ocean body jelly — my Mom adored it and I used to buy it every year for her birthday.
I used to be in made love CD products. I went natural in Sept 07 and the healthy hair butter and hair milk helped greatly with the scab hair. But after my hair started growing out and my scab hair has gone my hair doesnt really like it at all. I realized when i stoped using her products and started using Oyin handmade I didn’t have to wash my hair every three days. I have thick hair and washing it every 3 days was fine when it was only 2 cm longs but at 4-6 inches stretched thats a pain in my tush. It takes deep conditioning and pre-poo for me to have soft hair soo I dont need the butter anymore.
My biggest turn off was when my Hair Butter melted in the mail! I did notice a big quality and texture differenence whn they moved to Sephora. it seems like the products are oilier but it could be do to my scab hair being cut off.
Hi A,
You asked for some other natural beauty lines. I’ve tried these:
Oyin Handmade
http://oyinhandmade.com/oyin/index.php?main_page=index
Their products are definitely lighter than those from CD, although the range is much smaller. They also have unscented versions of a number of their products. The sampler pack is a good place to start if you’re not sure where to begin; I found that helpful.
My Honey Child
http://www.myhoneychild.com/
These products are pretty pricey, but have high quality all natural ingredients, and all product ingredients are listed on the webpage–a number of places only list some ingredients online. The owner, Krika Bradsher, is known for her great customer service, and is also a natural hairstylist. She replies to emails quickly, and makes a point to answer all questions as best she can. (I ended up in North Carolina for 1.5 years as a result of the hub’s grad school and went to her salon once. I try to do most stuff at home, but the service was good and the pricing was reasonable.)
Chagrin Valley Soaps Shampoo Bars
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm
I ended up here after looking for a product comparable to the Anita Grant Babasu shampoo bars. I had heard great things about AG’s shampoo bars, but, as I said above, they were just too pricey after shipping. When I did a search for “babasu shampoo bars,” I ended up on a hair forum that had rave reviews of Chagrin Valley Shampoo bars. Anyway, CV also offers samples, so I am currently experimenting with a few different varieties (I plan on using up all of the samples I ordered–unless one really disagrees with my hair–before opting to pick one or try something else.) I followed their recommended method of using a baking soda cleanse the 1st time, and using a apple cider vinegar rinse after every shampoo, and so far I’ve been happy with them. The price point is also nice, and they have a ton of useful information.
I haven’t tried Anita Grant (https://anitagrant.com), but have heard good things about them.
Hope this helps!
Oh Bella…pass those Khoret Amen products over here! In fact I just bought the oil as a reward for myself after busting my ass on a job in Chicago. I’ve always loved the scent…but seriously, this was the first CD product I’d bought in YEARS.
I started using CD WAYYYY back in the day when Lisa Price first went online with her stuff. I’d already heard about it from NYC sisters who were getting it in the few local stores that carried it. The Healthy Hair Butter and Mimosa Hair Honey were my favorites but at some point I realized that I could make my own knockoff of HHB for less…and back then a small jar of HHB went for like $4-6 and I thought that was a lot!
So I backed away from CD well before she went big. Then once I heard that the quality of the products had changed — inevitable, no doubt — I wasn’t motivated to purchase it again. But like many others, I’m proud of her success!
Oh I forgot to say which products I’d like to see revived- The body jellies, and I’d love to see the Baby Soft or Baby Love ( whichever it was, I long ago threw my bottles away) fragrance return -as a body jelly, a body butter, spray on fragrance, whatever, just bring it back!
A — try equal parts coconut oil and EVOO on your kids’ hair after you wash it, massage it in, then rinse it a couple of times with cool water. Like I said before, my kids’ hair loves the Kinky-Curly line. Don’t order it from them, though, their customer service is the pits and their shipping costs are crazy. I get mine from either naturallycurly.com or kristy’s beauty online store. I also use a “no-poo” shampoo, and when I can’t afford that, a teaspoon of baking soda to two cups warm water to wash their hair, ala Motown Girl. It sounds like my kids have hair kinda like your kids, but of course one person’s HG is another person’s nevah again. Kinky-Curly has been fabulous for my children, though, and I’ve noticed a big difference in their hair since I started using the EVOO and coconut oil, stopped the shampoo, and use Kinky-Curly.
I love the idea of CD and REALLY appreciate that Lisa has made the attempt to address the hair needs of the truly underserved – the kinky type 4 hair type. I am simply sick of all the other natural products that are really geared to biracial or texturized hair and we are simply an afterthought. That has been the primary reason for my very expensive endeavor to support CD. However I am quite disappointed overall by the hair products.
While the body butters are amazing each hair product has left me thinking “oh this would be so much better if….!” The fragrance is the first thing that has GOT to go. My partner wont even sleep next to me when CD products are in my hair! That goes for the hair elixir, and the nostril burning hair milk.
As others have also said, the black vanilla conditioner smells great but what is it really – hair perfume? that ish is does not condition anything.
The hair milk was initially great for my wash and goes (even as I would try to escape from myself with that awful smell). But the beeswax leaves the hair EXTREMELY dry and DULL looking. Who needs that? The same applies for the loc butter, hair butter and Marguerite’s magic. Oh and hair mimosa is glorified HAIR GREASE, don’t be fooled. Each product would leave me feeling more and more disappointed by the clear miscalculation of every formula.
I am not going to say that other natural hair product lines haven’t also let me down (ie miss jessies, oyin, curls, ashas, kinky curly, hair rules – insert them all here). But sadly CD is the only line that has been consistently bad. And that makes me sad. Because I want to love it so much. But unfortunately it seems natural hair is just another extension of the black hair industry, here to exploit us for our $$ and leave us dissatisfied.
Lisa I hope you are reading these posts. They are a lot more representative of the TRUTH than those smug testimonials on your website. Your hair line is in TROUBLE and is in need of a major overhall. I know of no-one who has been satisfied by your hair products. A good business person listens and responds to the needs of her customers. The ball is in your court.
Unless its all about the $$ and then you gotta do what you gotta do.
The only product from this line that I swear by and will continue to get as long as they make it is the HEALTHY HAIR BUTTER. Nothing else compares. It leaves my hair soft, sheeny and moisturized looking. Not greasy and soaks in perfectly. I can get a couple of good hair days out of it.
I also like the CD Mimosa Hair Honey, but I can take it or leave it. Same with the Hair Milk. I usually use this on puffs that are dry and that I want to make bigger. The ingredients have most definitely changed somewhat, because it used to leave my hair feeling soft before the TAKEOVER. Once I run out, I probably won’t repurchase.
I would love to try her other stuff, but their out of my budget. I’m glad she’s successful though and hope she CONTINUES to be, so that I can get my Healthy Hair Butter. LOL!
Update…
My mom, who had been using some of my old CD products that I handed off, said that the products have really dried her (natural) hair out–to the point where she thought it was breaking off. She’s now using the Pantene line for women of color plus some kind of “loc and twist gel,” and she loves them both.
I hadn’t mentioned anything about this post, oddly enough. She just mentioned it out of the blue–I swear.
I like Carol’s Daughter’s product also. I bought the the best tressed hair set. The Black vanilla Leave-In Conditioner was a waste of my time. No good, but I did enjoy the shampoo, the hair milk is okay nothing to get excited about, and I gave my cousin the pomade, it didn’t really help my hair. I loved the oil, but the bottle was so small I had to buy the larger one and it is really expensive, for the price I can just use olive oil but I do love the scent. I do continue to buy the products but I mix them with other products.
I will say the customer service is great. I was over charged and called and was told to send my bank statement and I was refunded my money. No hassle, I like that! and was sent a gift certificate, even though it is only for $15 there aren’t any products that I use for that price, however I will still use it.
What timing. I just purchased the Best Tressed Hair Set for $58. Expensive, but I’ve wanted to treat myself with her products for a while now.
So far, I have tried Lisa’s Hair Elixir and I feel relieved that other bellas have been less than impressed as well. I thought my hair was just weird. It’s a bit drying for me. Such a contradiction – it’s made of oils for crying out loud. I guess my hair just doesn’t respond to the types/combination. Also, unlike your experience Bella, I’ve gone through a noticeable amount of the bottle already. I figured it was a hair drying problem and not a product drying problem. I will say that I love the smell. It’s warm and refreshing at the same time – an odd feat. I’ve received compliments, and my boyfriend loves it! That’s saying something, as he hates scented products.
I don’t know if I will be a returning customer, but we’ll see. I want to try the Tui Hair Smoothie you recommended Bella. Marilyn, I’m thinking I’ll try the Healthy Hair Butter as well.
Thanks for the recommendations! I will def. be trying a few of the lines products. I know I just have to try a little of this and a little of that until I find what is right for their hair. My sons is a bit dryer than my dughters so I have a felling the same product wont work for them both. I don’t mind the expense as long as it works and doesn’t have the mineral/vaseline in it…
Anyone know where I can find good cocnut oil. The ones I glanced at in regular stores and at sallys had a mineral or vaseline base. I am guessing the internet is the way to go…
thanks again everyone!
A-
In one word: grocery. If it’s not stocked among the regular oils, go to the “international” section and you may see it. If there’s a Whole Foods or other health foods store, get it there. A dab WILL do ya!
I wouldn’t mind seeing a redux of this topic concerning Miss Jessie’s…
Like many of you, I’ve tried a few small samplings of CD. In the end, when I saw a lot of soybean oil, the connection was made and I’m moving on. I’m mostly DIY when it comes to hair, but I’m slowly branching out to ready-made things again (trying to head off the product junky syndrome…)
Beth,
Good lookin’ out on the Chagrin Valley Soap site! It looks GOOD. I may try it out…
I too have tried all of the CD products. I don’t mind spending the extra cash if I can see the benefit and I don’t waste the product.
I usually use the Lisa’s Hair Elixir at night if my hair and scalp need a “fresher”. I can’t say I can tell the benefits on my hair, but my scalp enjoys the “cool” feeling, so I will continue to use it. I’ve tried the conditioner, and its ok….I can’t say my hair responded any differently to it than other creamy type conditioners.
I have been trying to stay away from products that contain “bad” ingredients and as much as I like the smell of the Black Vanilla Leave In, I won’t use it again because it contains DMD Hydantoin which is a formaldehyde releaser. I have a bottle that I only used one time that will go to waste as a result. I was surprised her products contained this preservative only because its been marketed as a natural product.
Any way, I really like the Mimosa Hair Honey. At first I didn’t until on a fluke, I discovered how to use it on my wash-n-go. After my hair is completely dry, I take about a pea size (or more if needed), rub it in my hand and “scrunch” the product on my coils/curls. The result for me is very smooth, frizz free, soft hair with a nice sheen.
When I first went natural I used many Carol’s daughter products. I had the mimosa hair honey, the black vanilla leave in, hair elixir, hair milk, and the hair butter.
The only one that I think I would revisit is the hair butter, but that would only be if I couldn’t get my Qhemet! Looove Qhemet Biologics.
I think that the hair elixir smells great, but I can do just as good with regular olive oil or castor oil.
Hair milk=no. Made my 4B hair crucnhy, I just wanted a light moisturizer.
Black vanilla leave in. This did nothing but smell good. I have had much more success with Olive Cream Conditioner and Detangler by Qhemet. This stuff works automatically!!
Mimosa Hair Honey. This is ok, but overpowering scent. Amla and Olive Pomade by Qhemet is better, or coconut softee hair grease has done better for me.
The INGREDIENTS don’t justify the cost. CORN OIL?? BEESWAX? These are just cheap fillers that you can mask with good smells.
I’m going to stick with Qhemet, and if I ever feel up to paying the shipping for Anita Grant, I will get that too.
I’ve browsed many blogs and the overwhelming consensus is that Carols Daughter has REALLY BAD customer service.
Bella, I swear you are really a friend in my head. I was just having a conversation with a friend (an actual friend…LOL) about Carol’s Daughter. She was on the fence about their products. While I’ve tried a few products with positive results, I have recently sworn off ever shopping in Carol’s Daughter. It’s not because of their products (I heart the almond cookie line). It’s because of the customer service or lack therof I experienced in their store in my beloved Harlem. I’ve had customer service issues with them before but my last visit took the cake.
I wandered in there one weekday afternoon a few weeks ago. I was greeted by the security guard at the door. And that’s it. Thre were 2 customers in the store when I walked in and four employees in the store. Since I was recently given some almond cookie products, I was in search of something for my hair and not my body. I wandered over to the hair care section (which is directly across from the counter). As I began to read the label on the Black Vanilla Leave in Conditioner, another customer entered the store. She too was greeted by the security guard but she also received “can I help you with anything?” from a store employee. While I did feel slighted, I didn’t make a fuss because there were still 3 other employees in the store. The 2 customers who were there when I entered left so that left me, the other woman, the 4 employees and the security guard in the store. The other 3 employees went to the back of the store somewhere leaving the 1 employee to help the woman who came in the store after me. After about 10 minutes, someone finally came up to me and asked me “are you being helped?” I responded with a polite “No, and I have some questions about your hair products”. She seemed a little taken aback (as she glanced at my blonde afro-curls) when she stumbled out, “I’ll have someone assist you in a minute”. That minute turned to 5 additional minutes of no assistance. Beyond upset, because the store is freaking empty, I walk over to the counter to place the armload of products I had questions about down. Out of nowhere, an employee appears, eager to ring me up. I stop him and inform him that I have been waiting for assistance 15 minutes in a store with more employees than customers. I went on to tell him, since no one took the time to answer my questions, I won’t take the time to purchase these items, and proceeded to walk out towards the door. He made a comment about me leaving the products on the counter “like that”. I was so furious I came home and wrote a letter about the lack of customer service in their Harlem store. Not in an effort for anyone to lose their job but hoping that additional training would be provided to their associates. I can understand that as an employee they may not understand my hair but they should know their product lines. To date, I have never heard back from anyone in the Carol’s Daughter organization. So I’ve decided not to purchase anything from Carol’s Daughter. It upsets me because my almond cookie soap is looking really bleak right now but I would rather do without than to be subjected to that kind of customer service again. I would love to sing their praises because like you, I admire how Lisa has turned a need into an empire.
I really like some of her body products (fave scents: Ecstasy & Almond Cookie), but her hair products do nothing for me. I’ve been considering the hair smoothie, but if it just sits on top of my hair (rather than being absorbed) like the hair milk does, I’ma be upset.
I support the sista for what she has done with her business, but at this point, her products are really interchangeable with other products on the market, so I don’t feel any loyalty to the brand.
Lately I’ve been in my kitchen mixin’ up my own stuff…
I remember buying Carol’s Daughter products at various street festivals and used Carol’s Daughter products for years. Unlike most of you, I LOOOOVVVVEEE the Khoret Amen Oil(I like strong, spicy scents) and Healthy Hair Butter (though the texture can get weird-it seems to dry out even with the jar tightly sealed). I don’t use them anymore because I make my own products but when I want to splurge, these are the items I buy.
That being said, the customer service has always been an issue, especially at the Fort Greene store. My girlfriend and I went there before the Afro Punk festival and there was NO ONE in the store except the guy behind the counter. We walked in and did even get a ‘hello’. Then we waited about 5 minutes at the register because he was on his cell phone and had his back turned to us. We gave up and left.
Wow! I’m surprised to hear people’s complaints about customer service in the stores. I’ve always had great customer service in the stores. I’d even go so far as to say excellent. Online is another story though. I had one horrific customer service experience with that and that was enough for me. No more online buying for this lady. I only buy stuff in person now.
I love the Rosemary mint shampoo. That’s about it. The other products are disappointing to me. I bought the black vanilla mess and took it back!!!!!! Hated it! I tried ordering Anita grant products but that proved to be an arduous task so I gave up. I just buy oil and mix my own hair stuff. It’s cheaper that way and I know exactly what I’m using.
The smells are a little too strong for my tastes.
I was very excited about trying CD’s hair products, as my mother and sister swore by the body products. I squealed with delight when I found their products at Sephora (I am allergic to shipping and handling charges)and I willing shelled out $100. My hair is about 2 inches long and wavy, so I justify all hair related expenses by emphasizing longevity.
While I love the smell the shampoo was just, well . . .meh. I still have 90% of Khoret Amen leave-in conditioner because it turned by waves into a frizzy dry mess. I like the oil conditioner and use it as a treatment.
I will stick to Terax. I love their Miele shampoo and hair treatment.
I was a stan and spent tons of money back in the day with CD. At the time the majority or her hair stuff just didn’t work for me but i had a blast with the souffles and mango body butter. Most recently the prices have turned me off-its not 100% her- i do my own mixing. However she did discontinue body products i loved (mango body butter, ochun body butter) and somehow the quality seemed as thought it changed for a tad worse. Overall though i will continue to support her when i can find the funds.
Unfortunately I am not a fan of the Carol’s Daughter product line. I am always on the look out for quality, natural products but after purchasing the HHB, Mimosa Oil, and Shampoo, I reviewed the ingredients to discover that they aren’t as “natural” as advertised nor did they work on my hair (I’m transitioning to natural and have not had a relaxer in over a year). For example, corn oil is one of the first ingredients in HHB (not shea, or aloe, or glycerin, or mango, or illipe, etc). I have found several other product lines that work better and/or are cheaper than CD. If you like the idea behind CD but want more bang for your buck I would suggest Jane Carter Solution, Qhemet Biologics, Oyin Homemade, HairVeda, or Shescentit.com.
I love the idea of CD but her hair and skin products are laced with corn oil – why?!
Also, since she has had the “star treatment” (I suppose Mary J uses the hair products to moisturize her wigs) a lot of CD products are full of synthetics and chemical preservatives – DMDM being THE most dangerous.
Taken from: http://www.carolsdaughter.com/category/id/100262.do
“An intense conditioning treatment.
Benefits:
New, bye-bye tangles recipe
Rapa seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids, Omega-6 and Omega-3 and slips through strands for easy detangling.
Nutrient-rich oils of olive fruit and and sunflower seeds boost shine.
Rich shea and cocoa butters provide moisture and protect hair from weather damage, dryness and brittleness.
Fragrance cocktail of guava, mango and passion fruit; Tui Hair Smoothie transports you to a tropical island. ”
The ingredients for the khoret amen hair smoothie.
“Ingredients
Water, Corn Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Soybean Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Kelp Extract, Essential Oils of Ylang Ylang, Clary Sage, Bay Leaf, Cedarwood and Patchouli, Apricot Kernel Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Algae Extract, DMDM Hydantoin and Iodopropynyl, Butylcarbamate, Phenoxyethanol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Lavender Extract, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl. Paraben Free.
No Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Artificial Colors.”
No need for Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Artificial Colors when you got DMDM in there!
DMDM hydantoin is a preservative that works by releasing formaldehyde into the product it’s used in shampoos, cosmetics to prevent molds, mildews, and bacterial spoilage.
DMDM hydantoin is also used to retard decay in dead bodies imagine what it will do for your hair – “new bye-bye tangles recipe” more like “bye-bye coily curls, whole head of hair and scalp recipe!”
http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/DMDM_hydantoin.html
Like naturelle wonder I love me some real nourishment for my hair and scalp like Qhemet and my new love Anita Grant.
These two companies have excellent – no – FANTASTIC customer service & mouth watering, moisturizing, curl popping products.
I ordered from both and I have to say that even though Anita Grant’s shipping is a lot it’s worth it so I order in bulk. Qhemet is, well, worth every red cent!!!
And not one bit of “star treatment” included – these are the only 2 lines for my hair.
Good looking out on the ingredients , Linda & Naturelle Wonder. I’ll have to scrutinize more carefully in the future.
That being said, I am a fan of Carol’s Daughter, overall. I love the Mimosa Hair Honey, Healthy Hair Butter & the Black Vanilla Leave-In conditioner leaves my fro feeling strong & nourished. However, am really starting to dig Hairobics leave-in conditioner, it’s pretty minty smelling, but it makes my hair so soft, not cheap though, at $15 a bottle & I go thru leave-in conditioner like crazy, so…I alternate between the Black Vanilla & that.
I need to go get some of that Hair Smoothie stuff too, try it out & see how I like it. And since I’m big on scents, I like the fact that her products are scented. S’cool with me.
Since I always go into Sephora to buy her products, I haven’t experienced the bad customer service issues personally. But, I have heard things from a couple of girlfriends regarding the service they’ve received whenever they’ve ordered off the website. So, hopefully, Ms. Price will take heed, & tighten up on training the staff.
I gained some product knowledge off of here, am going to give the Anita Grant line & Quemet a try.
Peace!
I have very dry natural hair and found that the the Black Vanilla did nada for me but smell so good that I got compliments. They should re-brand it as hair parfum!
The Hair Milk everyone raves about just made my hair greasy.I love the bath products and the face wash and moisturizer is amazing! My boyfriend hasn’t had pimples for so long!I would not buy the hair products again from my experience.
I would like to see:
1. A closer attention to formulas that follow our general natural hair type i.e. “recommended for 3′s and 4′s” rather than simply dry, normal, oily.CD is about getting to care for our hair so women should use the terms that suit it best. We are more diverse then that and a lot of the customers are NATURAL.
2. Less greasy definitions of moisture. We can do better then what’s on the market. I know because I’ve seen it!
Personally, I’d like to see how the unbeWeaveables ( who aren’t rich and famous)handle all that grease in their hair when they can’t wash it themselves!