In  continuing the celebration I am having about my successful twisting progression, and in light of the change I’ve made in the product I use to create the twists, I figured I’d do a comparison of :

I’ve had almost a year of practice with Two Strand Twists now yet really didn’t do any major experimenting with various products in order to get the process of twisting down to a science.  Now that I’m pretty much a vet in the twisting game I felt it necessary to branch out a bit and see what else was out in the natural hair ether that I might want to try or recommend.  So first up:

I’d started out with Natural Hair Care Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel simply because I’d seen it in Family Dollar and didn’t know any other product to use to accomplish the style.  I’d read various sources that stated using aloe vera gel works, as well as simply twisting the damp hair upon itself sans any sort of product, but I wanted to make sure my twists stayed twisted… especially since I had no clue what I was doing.

First consideration, of course, was ingredients and making sure none of the components made the “Don’t You DARE Put This In Your Hair” List from Nappturality.com‘s forum.  The list of suspects read as such:

Water Aqua , Coconut Milk (Cocos Nucifera) Extract, Soybean Oil (Glycine Soja) , PVP* , Polyquaternium 37*, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben , DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance Parfum , Sucrose

* Polyvinylpyrrolidone

* A fatty alcohol which promotes body

That first ingredient is exactly what I was looking for, since I know water is hair’s first love, and the second caught my eye because I have fallen in love with how my hair reacts to coconut milk.  The rest didn’t seem too harmful so I took the plunge.

NOTE: When it comes to hair care products, it is good to be aware of what you are putting into your hair, thereby putting into you system… However, do not make the mistake many Napturals who take avoid certain products to the extreme because there are one or two ingredients on the “danger” list in your products.  Chances are, the amount of said ingredient is low (keep in mind that ingredient lists are compiled from chief to lesser active).  So shop smart, read labels and do research of your own before writing certain products off completely.

For the most part I was pleased with this product.  It’s petroleum-like consistency combined well with water (since it is water based) and held my twists well enough without dripping all over and resulting in a sticky mess.  Once dried the gel did not flake or cake up on the portions of my scalp like a lot of gels have been known to do, but I did notice that the longer I kept my twists in, the drier my hair became, which I did not like at all.  When it came time to do a twist out, I did not like the fact that they were generally semi-straw like to the touch, making it necessary to add an additional moisturizing product to each wavy strand and at times turning the curl into a frizzy poof.  This was not the case each time I used the gel, since I began to learn the proper balance between product and water which worked well for my hair, but it was the case more times than not.

Upon researching the product a bit closer via OragnicRootStimulator.com, I learned the company the makes the Natural Hair Care Organic Root Stimulator line is Namasté Laboratories, LLC, an Illinois based company that has been in the hair care business since 1996.  Beyond their Website, I couldn’t find very much information on the company itself, but here is their mission statement:

Organic Root Stimulator™ products were conceived, developed and marketed by Namasté Laboratories, LLC.  Namasté is a Hindi term which means “to bow to the divinity within.”  At Namasté Labs we interpret that to mean “to serve the beauty within,” which is accomplished through a new and exciting hair care system — Organic Root Stimulator™ — that gets to the root of healthy hair.

Namasté Labs was founded in 1996 to address the needs of the health-conscious, multi-cultural consumer market.  Namasté is dedicated to identifying holistic, innovative remedies for the healing and renewal of hair, skin and body.  This philosophy has made us a leader in natural, therapeutic health and beauty aids.

Namasté boosts and impressive product line, catering to both natural and relaxed hair, despite me never having heard of the company beyond the products I see in stores.

All in all, Natural Hair Care Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel works as it should, and with a price tag of $3.99 per 13 oz. tube it is a highly affordable option that will last for a good amount of styles sessions, dependent your hair length and how much you use per twist.

Now, I didn’t switch products out of necessity, because the NHCORS brand was working pretty good for me, but one day while I was out, I happened on the Murray’s Loc-Lock Gel and felt the need to check it out to broaden my product knowledge base.

Upon first look, the ingredients between the two gels are relatively close:

Aqua Water, PVP, Soybean Oil, Fruit Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Triethanolamine Carbomer, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Kertin Amino Acid, Parfum

Again, water’s the chief ingredient, so I was good on that, and although like the aforementioned gel there are two “danger” ingredients, I was really liking the tri-oils at the top of the component list.

Next, I took a look at the actual product and was further impressed with its actual gel-like consistency, which I knew would prove to be lighter than Natural Hair Organic Root Stimulator‘s brand.  Upon usage, because it to is water based, it worked well with the water in my hair, but I didn’t have to use as much water because I didn’t have to break the Murray’s down hair the way I did the thicker gel.  When applied to the hair I was not left with a slick, greasy feel on my fingers, and it seemed the gel was immediately absorbed into the hair upon contact.  Holding of the twist was apparent all the way down to the tip of the hair shaft, and the gel dried clean without flaking.

So far it seems both gels are equally par for the purpose of twist, locs and braids… and for the most part they are.  But what gives the Murray’s brand the advantage is it did not leave my twists with the dried straw feel once they dried!  I didn’t use any moisturizing agents prior to twisting, although I did coat each twist with a bit of Carol’s Daughter’s Healthy Hair Butter yesterday, but prior to that, my tresses were soft and fluffy-like as if I’d submerged my hair in water!  And when I did my twist out… AY DIOS MIO:

I cannot believe how lusciously defined each ringlet is, as well as moisturized and frizz free!  So performance wise, the Murray’s brand will be my twist gel of choice in the future.

On the company side of this product, I am extremely familiar with Murray’s Worldwide Inc. from growing up seeing their orange wave pomade tins around the house (any of ya’ll out there with brothers who were brush wave die-hards like mine was knows what I’m talking about).  Additionally, it’s a Michigan based company — Metro-Detroit, to be specific (Oak Park) — that has been in business since 1925 (first in Chicago then in Detroit in 1959), which speaks volumes of Murray’s product line to me personally.

The philosophy of the company, per MurraysPomade.com, which has been the same since C.D. Murray started selling the products out of his barber shop in the 1920′s, is yet another reason I feel in love with the gel:

Murray’s is committed to producing high quality products, that consumers demand, at fair prices. We will operate our business with honesty, integrity, and treat all of our distributors with respect and fairness.

You can’t beat longevity when it comes to a company that produces something as intimate as products you use on your hair and skin.  Evidently, they’ve got to be doing something right to have lasted so long.

Price wise, in comparison to the NHCORS brand, Murray’s is a bit more expensive considering you’re paying an average of $3.40 for each 8 oz. jar.  But personally, considering how well it works with my hair and the fact that I only need to use a dap per twist strand to receive maximum results, I don’t mind the quantity difference for the price.  I have had a tub of the NHCORS brand since May 2008 and am just now close to depleting it, but haven’t made a dent in the Murray’s yet, so that tells a lot about the quality, which is far more important to me than quantity.

In addition to the twist gel, I also picked up a bottle of Murray’s Liquid Beeswax Anti-Itch Formula to correspond with the gel for retwisting, if I wanted to keep the twists in longer than my normal four days.  I used it yesterday and was pleased with the results… no stiffness, maintained softness, no frizzies, and glorious sheen!  A wonderful combination of beeswax and essential oils provides a light and healthy dressing that aids in keeping your twists or locs “tight”.  A great companion, indeed.

So there you have it.  Two gels designed for the same purpose, and my personal pick between the two.  As I said previous, both gels get the job done, and the result that I had with them both may be different for someone else with a different hair type than mine.  But both are well worthy the purchase if you wish to twist.  You may even want to do a comparing experiment of your own to see which one works best for you.  If you do, I’d love to hear your results here, or via email at amichelle@journeyback2me.com.

Healthy Hair Wishes,