A product that truly reminds me what it is to find a miraculous hair product and tan in the estrogen-powered-glow that emanates from my little, golden face. This…is one of those gems. I have sung the praises of Yes to Carrots before. I shall again.

As I did before (see my reviews of the shampoo and my and the conditioner from this line), I will begin with its one and only defect; Its scent.

Let me preface these next scant sentences with the following: I adore strong fragrances. I even adore perfumed mascara, lipstick and finger nail polish. Few scents repulse me…save for citrus scents. However as a lover of many a fragrance…the scent of this…never fails to give me pause. I will endure a not-so-pleasing scent for ONLY this product, to date. What does it smell like, you ask, beloved readers?

Baby Powder, freshly Cut Grass and play dough, with a hint of orange.

All of it together…does ring as “Carrot”, but not in a way I enjoy. If this smelled like Carrot Cake…that would be far better. I don’t care for carrot cake, personally…but it smells delightful. ^_^

Having typed all of that…the scent is pretty faint in this product and lingers for maybe an hour, if that. So it’s not absolutely terrible -not by any means- but I felt I should make a mention of it. You know, beloved readers, that I am one for thoroughness.

NOW, back to the task at hand -gushing about how much I love this product! I scarcely know where to begin, so we shall work our way from the inside out. Starting with the packaging.

I do have, one other negative point to make about this product. However, it is only with the packaging. The tub you see pictured in this review, comes in an ADORABLE orange box. The font layout, color, font type and shape is perfectly in balance. It pops open to reveal the round tubs top with its shiny silver strip (too fabulous, I might add, Yes To Carrots), which caused me to “Baa” with joy. The problem? It’s extraneous packaging. As much as I love it…it costs the world a few extra trees. Perhaps I am nitpicking.

The tub itself is adorable. I love the color, lay out, font types and stylish graphics. They are in perfect balance. Not cluttered, not sparse, very unique and tastefully done. I’m not a “tub fan”, as they can be hard to keep hygienic, but this is one of the best designs I’ve seen. Hats off to you Yes to Carrots.

“Enough of this!”, you may be thinking, by now, beloved readers. “Tell us about the product’s performance, already, you little, golden stickler-for-detail you!” My pleasure. ^_^

This $12 conditioner easily outperforms Aveda, Redken and Rusk (Rusk reviews next month!), hooves down.

This outperformed Redken’s Intense Renewal Super Moisturizing Mask so fantastically, that it is no longer my go-to, favorite deep condition. How much did I love that mask? Read the review and be amazed at how great the Yes to Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask must be to knock Redken’s mask from my “Number 1″ spot.

It spreads like an absolute dream. A soft peach in color, a lil’ dab will do you as it caresses every strand. This mask is as thick as custard! It spreads over the scalp like a silky lotion. My scalp felt instantly relaxed, any twisted coils melted away, sans manipulation. I put this on with a shower cap and left it on for 20 minutes, rinsing thoroughly afterward.

My hair felt silky, plumped, smooth and had I’m-moisturized-but-not-weighed-down “heft”. It also had that “I’m so healthy and happy!” sheen. Detangling with this was a breeze: I added a bit of water and massaged my hair until this mask became a delicious froth. Amazing!

This is one of five drugstore conditioners I would trust my hair to WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADD-INS. In fact the ONLY things I would add to this, would be coconut oil or avocado oil (if that) and perhaps some neutral protein filler, if my hair needed it. To sum up its performance in one not-really-a-word word: FAN.TAB.U.LOUS.

How does it do all of this? Through the pure poetry that is its ingredient list.

Behold its beauty, beloved readers:
Water (Aqua), Silt (Maris Limus), Dead Sea Water (Maris Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Oil, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacin, Dimethicone, Algae Extracts (Rhodella, Dunaliella, Spirulina), Ipomoera Batatas (Sweet Potato) Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Juice, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Organic Extracts, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Juice, Panthenol, Chamomila Recutita (Chamomile) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Juice, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Fragrance (Parfum), Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Oil, Apple Vinegar (Acetum), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Seed Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Peel Extract.

Yes, it does have my hate/love ingredient friend: Dimethicone. Dimethicone coats the hair and can provide slip and shine, but it also can prevent water from getting in.

But count those oils, beloved readers, SEVEN OILS AND GLYCERIN. The lactic acid (can help with curl relaxation and definition) MANY extracts, Panthenol, vegetable juices, niacin and APPLE VINEGAR are just icing on this oh-so-decadent cake.

This will leave your strands so VERY happy indeed. Especially, if your hair does not care for butter and oils (applied as a hot oil treatment) like mine. I want to add, however, you will need a good amount for detangling and normal conditioning. It can become expensive for those not in the TWA (teeny weeny afro) set.

I am sincerely impressed!
***
Rachel, our guest reviewer, waxes poetic on products every Friday.
Can’t wait till next week? Check out her blog http://littlegoldenlamb. wordpress.com/

Tweet This Post

I hope you’re as excited as I am! If you didn’t see your favorite line in my list, don’t worry. Knowing me and my wandering ways, I’ll try it at some point. ^_~

Without further ado, here they are:

3. J/A/S/O/N SEA KELP MOISTURIZING CONDITIONER

Egads! All caps in the title? I definitely <3 this. I also really, really, really like scones. In keeping with my namesake as much as I enjoy veggies and fruit…I <3 sweets. Scones…are up there on the list. ^_^

What does this conditioner have to do with scones? That: “OH, YEAH…That’s how I like it!” moment my tummy has when I eat a scone is what my hair has when I use this. See? They are totally related.

…

What? Don’t look at me like that, beloved readers!

Ahem, scone-lust aside, JASON continues to wow me with their AVEDA QUALITY for half the price. $10 to be precise. I’m back on a natural spin after the end of a fairly long affair with salon products. Scones….

Sorry! Back to conditioner! Okay, let me bake -I mean- BREAK this down:

It’s packaging…makes me snore! JASON, I love your recyclable, biodegradable plastics, textured bottles, great graphic placement and design, and wonderful font and font placement. Still…CAN YOU MAKE THE BOTTLE SEXY PLEASE?! Please? Pretty, please with Afrosheen on top?

Slap a push-tab top and inverted design on their too when you get a moment. It’s a pain to squeeze once it’s half empty. You’ve got to WORK that last bit out. That said, it is SO worth it.… Scones….

Fragrance! It…doesn’t really have one. Just that soft, herbally fragrance that’s big these days in “natural products”. The key word is SOFT. It is SUBTLE! It has a touch of sea air in every “plop” of conditioner. So, if you actually notice it…it smells really fresh and comforting. If you don’t notice it…well…who cares what it smells like? ^_^

The product itself is UBER thick and creamy. It spreads like farm-fresh, whipped, honey butter. It really clings to your hair, envelopes it and sinks in to truly nourish while washing so clean…you wonder if it really did anything beneficial for your hair. Then you run your fingers through your hair and apologize profusely to the bottle for doubting it. I know I did.… Scones….

Sorry…I’m going to stop doing that eventually, just bear with me.

It’s performance is a ten out of ten. This is a fantastic deep condition needing no add-ins. Really. ^_^ Great, no? It leaves hair soft, silky and supple without that “coated” feeling. It does make a great co-wash but I feel like I’m wasting it when I use it that way because it’s such a great quality conditioner.

Its ingredient quality is why I bought this. I can’t even describe how AMAZING it is. I feel like I’m robbing the store blind when I plunk down only $10 dollars for it!

See for yourself! Shoo!

Uses: co-wash, deep condition, curly pudding base, End protector/tamer, Possible roller setting aid diluted, shaving cream <3 <3 <3, hand/foot/body lotion mixed with oil, lip balm in a pinch, edge-layer-down-er ^_~, leave-in, Scones….!

Overall: I LOVE THIS LINE. I LOVE THIS CONDITIONER. I LOVE SCONES.

Relaxed ladies: This will pamper your tresses, condition them lovingly inbetween washing out your relaxers and neutralizing, and may work as a roller setting aid if diluted. Great for adding to dry ends as a protector throughout the week too! Lay down those edges with this as well!
Natural ladies: Make detangling a breeze. Meet a great curly pudding base and leave-in. Your thirsty tresses with drink this in and reward you with soft, sheeny, coils!!
Texlaxed ladies: Same as the natural ladies if your texture is closer to “home” or see the recommendations for the relaxed ladies if you texlax to 3b and up.

SCONES….!!

I’ll stop now.

Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water), Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract*, Emulsifying Wax, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Gel*, DL-Panthenol, Ethyl Panthenol and Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride, Vegetable Glycerin, Laminaria Saccharina (Hawaiian Sea Kelp/Algae), Cymbidium Grandiflorum (Orchid) Flower Extract, Hedychium Coronarium (Awapuhi) Extract, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui Nut) Oil, Plumeria Acutifolis (Plumeria) Extract, Natural Tocopherol (Vit E), Ascorbic Acid (Vit C), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract*, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate (Vit A), Linoleic & Linolenic Acid (Vit F), Oxybenzone, Triticum Vulgare (Hydrolyzed Wheat) Protein, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance Oil Blend.

2. J/A/S/O/N 84% Aloe Vera Conditioner

I <3 THIS. I could stop there, but you know me better than that, beloved readers. ^_~

I love this conditioner for detangling, especially. Its true strengths come out when it is used as a deep conditioner. This does NOT require add-ins (like honey, oils, silk amino acids, etc) to be effective. The product is so thick and creamy YOU CAN HARDLY GET IT OUT OF THE CONTAINER.

This is just glorious, my dears. Thick, creamy off white, it hugs your palm -even when inverted. The ingredient quality is on the level of Aveda products. There is in fact, hordes of organic aloe in it. The whole product line is natural/organic. The price is great -$7, for such quality ingredients and a truly good product. It’s fragrance is clean…pure aloe freshness! You can work it into a thick, creamy forth that coats every strand, soothes your scalp and makes you one happy camper. ^_^ Unless you’re like me and don’t care for camping. Then…you’re just happy. ^_^ YAY!

Relaxed cookies, this is FANTASTIC for your hair. A fabulous DC that doesn’t even need add-ins, though I’d suggest them.
Natural heart-throbs, meet your detangling comb/brush’s new partner in crime!! This provides a great deal of slip and over time, for me, it reduced tangles from forming in the first place. It’s a great curly pudding base and leave-in, just beware possible flakes or dullness from heavy-handed application.
Texlaxed covergirls, you can reap the benefits of all of the above.

Overall, you WILL see results with this conditioner, it truly does what it says it will do. The aloe is great for expanding my curls or keeping my previously relaxed and texlaxed hair plump and supple. I love this line! You won’t regret trying this! I certainly didn’t. ^_~

Uses:
Shaving gel
Deep conditioner
Curly pudding base
Co-wash

This would not be a LittleGoldenLamb review without me fussing over the packaging. ^_~ This will be no exception. ^_^ JASON bottle are NOTORIOUS for making the last half of their contents near impossible to reach. The ONLY good thing going for it is the push tab. The shape, bulky design, boring white color and frustration-inducing-you-can’t-squeeze-me-to-save-your-life-properties are somewhat balanced by its great layout, graphic use and font.

Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Gel *Certified Organic , Aqua Purified Water , Emulsifying Wax , Stearalkonium Chloride , Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract Chamomile Certified Organic , Stearyl Alcohol , Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Marigold Certified Organic , Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract Horsetail Certified Organic , Cyclopentasiloxane , Dimethicone , Spirulina Maxima Extract Spirulina , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil Jojoba Certified Organic , Natural Tocopherol Vit. E , Lavandula Intermedia Leaf/Flower/Stem Extract Certified Organic , Retinyl Palmitate Vit. A , Glyceryl Stearate , Triticum Vulgare Protein Hydrolyzed Wheat , Vegetable Glycerin , Dl-Panthenol , Ethyl Panthenol , Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride , Benzyl Alcohol , Citrus Grandis Seed Extract Grapefruit , Sodium Benzoate , Potassium Sorbate , Fragrance Oil Blend

Much has been said about this conditioner and brand, beloved readers. I will attempt to add to the existing net-scuttle in an efficient and productive manner.

Ahem:
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I LOVE THIS…save for one thing, that will (probably) keep me from repurchasing.

That would be the best way to sum up my feelings. The next few hundred of words will explain the aforementioned sentiment. Let’s begin. ^_^

I want to state what I DON’T like. That way, if you find it doesn’t bother you, you can rest assured in all the fantastical things I’m going to say about what it did for my hair and the delicious ingredients.

The scent; Like many who read reviews on this product, I heard many a reviewer note that the smell of this drove them from it. Sadly, I feel the same way. To explain, how the scent is…I will list several hints of things I smelled within its complex fragrance that DOES smell more or less like carrots…but not in a way I could enjoy:

Baby Powder, Freshly cut grass, Sea Salt, Soil after a summer rain, Orange Pith, Play dough

Together…it does read as “carrot”, but not at all in a way I found pleasant. This…is a time to be cheeky, beloved readers, giving this a sniff before purchase. I absolutely ABHOR doing it myself. However, the scent of this will make or break this product for you. I can say this because it performs BEAUTIFULLY! The question, is whether or not you’ll want to use it!

It lingers, I might add. For an hour or so at least. It lingered in the shower cap I used for my Cap n’ Go method for days (which I tossed).

There. Enough with the negative.

Package design: If you read my blog regularly, beloved readers, you know that I am one for a pretty package (all jokes aside). I like that yes to Carrots has a definite image. I don’t care for the color, font, graphics or layout…but, I love how well they are put together, even if they are not my taste. Congrats Yes to Carrots. ^_^ The bottle, I detest save for two things:

1. The label peels off easily making it FANTASTIC to holding any other beauty stuffs
2. The push tab

I would love to see some curves and an inverted bottle design (keep that push tab, though!) The product itself, I should add, is a light tan/orange color and spread decently. It’s very, very runny! When rubbed vigorously (which may lead to tangles, beware) it creates a great froth. This froth…is not necessarily enough for detangling depending on your hair texture. I will return to this a bit later.

The performance of this is nothing short of miraculous. Satiny soft, CUSHY, sheeny, SILKY coils were my reward for persevering through the scent of this product. My hair had a lightness to it that was terribly pleasant to feel on my fingertips. It didn’t feel coated as this conditioner has a teeny-weeny amount of silicone. My scalp felt quenched and relaxed.

Bravo, Yes to Carrots. ^_^

This product owes such a great performance to its quality ingredients. Just look at them! This ingredient list is pure poetry, beloved readers:

Spring Water and (Dead) Sea Water , Silt (Dead Sea Mud) , Magnesium Chloride , Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile) Extract , Cetrimonium Chloride , Jojoba Oil , Olive Oil , Calendula officinalis Oil , Almond Oil , Carrot Seed Oil , Carrot Juice , Organic Extracts of: Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Melon, Orange & Honey , Fragrance , Dimethicone , Wheat Germ Oil , Imidazolidinyl Urea

I have a hunch it’s the magnesium chloride doing most of the conditioning/softening. The silt probably lends itself to the light/clean feeling this leaves you with as would any salt content in the sea water. I’m not convinced there’s enough of all the extracts listed to really make a difference. I adore Yes to Carrots for including dimethicone (with which I have a <3/hate relationship)…at the bottom of the list.

I mentioned earlier, I would return to its “frothy” effect and if it is enough for detangling.

Natural heart-throbs…this is going to be a texture issue. While all natural textures could benefit using this for a low-cone, low-poo regimen, you may have to use such a large amount to get enough lubrication for your strands to detangle…this may not prove to be worthwhile as a co-wash. HOWEVER, add some honey and more oil (I use coconut or olive oil) and your hair will think you are the best-thing-since-sliced-bread. Tight 3c and below ladies, past the TWA phase may find this requires copious amounts to enjoy its benefits. Try it in a diluted spritz as well, beloved natural readers.

Texlaxed cover girls, this product will do fantastically for you as well, yet, texture is still the main issue for you as well. “Lightly texlaxed” ladies who still sit in the tight 3c to 4b range may do best with this as a DC base. Looser textures (natural or texlaxed) will benefit from this as a co-wash and DC base.

Rexlaxed lovelies, particularly the bone-laxed will have a pleasant little shower-party with this as a co-wash and DC base. I used this while bone-laxed as well with fantastically light, soft, silky hair as a result.
This is also great for shaving, I might add.

I had dulling when I used this as a straight-leave in, but I can be heavy handed. Some textures may in fact love this as a leave-in. Just apply it with a light hand and keep an eye out for a lack of shine or teeny flakes.

There you have it, beloved readers. My Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners to date. I hope you find one (or more of them) makes your day, as much as they did mine. Until next time!

Baa, baa, baa! ^_^

—-
If you can’t wait till next week to see more of Rachel, check her out at her blog: http://littlegoldenlamb.wordpress.com/

Tweet This Post