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Oyin Handmade

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Oyin Honey Wash

by kcurly on August 3, 2010

in Oyin Handmade,Product Reviews

Product Name: Honey Wash

Company Name: Oyin

Price: 8 0z $10

Consistency: viscous liqiud

Scent: Sweet, honeyish (there are several available scents including coco-mango and black cedar fig)

Ingredients: saponified organic oils of coconut, olive, and jojoba, glycerine/vegetable gum extract, organic aloe vera gel, honey, jojoba oil, walnut oil, grapefruit seed and green tea extracts, rosemary extract, fragrance

Purchase from: Oyin, Curlmart

Review:

Oh, Honey Wash…how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

1. Thou art soft on my little boy’s skin and leave him smelling so sweet even after playing in dirt all day

2. Thou  leavest my hair clean, but unstripped

3. My skin is never dry when I use you (thou?) in the shower.

Anyway, enough of that. Point being: I like this stuff.

The smell honestly kind of threw me off.  Just like with all of my hair products, I sniffed the bottle when it arrived. Of course I was overpowered by a sweet smell. As I’ve found with a lot of products, the smell is not as powerful once the product has been in use.

Consistency Shot--Not very thick, but not watery thin either.

When I use it as a body wash or facial wash, I can still smell a hint of it afterwards. Which is fine, because that faint smell is very pleasant. I’m a fan of honey so I don’t mind smelling of it.

One of the best things about this wash is that it suds up. It doesn’t sud up as much as your average shampoo, but it’s decent (especially for an all natural product). I also did not have to use a lot, either on my hair or skin. The website suggests to use it all within 6 months, so I’ve been trying to keep it heavy in our rotation since I’ve had it a while.

Will I buy this again? Tough to say. I like it, but it’s a bit on the pricey side. I’m using it a lot, but, except for the smell, I could easily substitute something else. I don’t use a lot of gentle cleansers anymore, so I think if I re-buy it will be more for a body wash than for my hair.

{ 2 comments }

And the deodorant search continues…

by kcurly on June 9, 2010

in Deodorants,Oyin Handmade

(See my first post on this subject here)

After the many many comments you lovely ladies left me under this post, I decided to purchase Oyin Funk Butter…for two reasons: 1) the name is hilarious and 2) you can rarely go wrong with Oyin.

Price: $5.00 2 oz tin

Scents available: (copied from Oyin site)

unscented - all the funk-fighting power, none of the fragrance or essential oils that might irritate extra-sensitive underarms, clash with your signature perfume, or distract co-workers as you drift fragrantly past. ;)

coco mango “think of an umbrella drink somewhere near water; mango & coconut, papaya & pineapple; now crush them all together in your mind and pour it over ice. it’s a tropical treat for your undearms.

black cedar fig warm fig, strong cedarwood, and sultry ylang ylang blend with a touch of tea tree to keep it lively. if snuggling had a scent, this would be it: both inviting and warm. appropriate for both men and women, it won’t go wrong.

Ingredients (unscented): baking soda, cornstarch, shea butter, coconut oil, sunflower oil, tapioca starch, kaolin clay, caldendula and chamomile powders, olive oil, and good wishes.

Purchase from: Oyin Handmade

Review:

I got the unscented version of this product, simply because I am so very sensitive to certain smells these days. I may try the scented versions later.

First, it kind of wigs me out to scoop deodorant out of the jar. I don’t know why and really it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, you have to rub in lotion and shampoo…why is deodorant that different? Anyhoo, that was an initial impression.

Second, it doesn’t look pretty. In fact, it reminds me of the times when I was little and would try to “cook” with flour and water and whatever else I could throw in there. Upon touch, it’s also a little grainy…I’m assuming that’s from the baking soda and cornstarch.

After I got past the aforementioned and actually used this stuff, I was wow’d. It works very well! I’ve used it several times: Once at work (great results), once on a mini hike in the heat (awesome!), and just sitting at home (fantastic).

It even helped a lot with moisture, which kind of surprised me  since I only expected it to help with “funk”. It spreads pretty easily though I wouldn’t exactly call the consistency creamy. I did not find the grittiness a problem, though I’m guessing some people would as there is a warning on the back of the jar:

Caution: funk butter contains natural odor absorbers which are potentially abrasive, so make sure to use a very light touch when applying. may not be appropriate for those with sensitive skin;test inside your wrist or your elbow before using, and do not apply to irritated, just- shaven, or broken skin. if any irritation occurs, discontinue use at once. be well! :o )

Now, I did notice, while wearing a sleeveless shirt, that there was a bit of residue in my underarm area. Nothing terrible, but something that made me keep my arms down for the rest of the day.

I’ve also noticed that it tingles/stings a bit after first shaving. Overall, I’m very impressed. Two thumbs up!

I will be trying out more “natural” deodorants that were recommended by you ladies, so stay tuned!

{ 10 comments }

Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade

by kcurly on February 12, 2009

in Oyin Handmade,Product Reviews

Name of product: Burnt Sugar Pomade

Company name: Oyin Handmade

Retail Price: 4 oz 10.00

Consistency: semi solid

Color:Light brown

Ingredients: Bcastor oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, organic virgin coconut oil, mango seed oil, olive oil, unrefined hempseed oil, cocoa butter, broccoli seed oil, fragrance and love

Purchased from: Oyin Handmade, CurlMart

Review:

Of course I’m going to start this review with a comment on the smell. One word: Overwhelming.

It’s very, very, very sweet. I can not directly smell the jar. However, this is a good product.

I did not expect to like this because it’s pretty much nothing but oils and I generally don’t get along all that well with oils. I used this first on my scalp because I was having an itchy scalp day and needing something to soothe it. This product really help moisturize my dry scalp with very limited residue. I could barely feel it once it soaked in. I normally use oils on my scalp (when I feel the need), but sometimes it’s hard to tell if they’re really getting soaked in. Therefore, I was happy to have something that spreads easily. As I say with many products: A little goes a long way.

Next, against my better judgement, I tried it on my ends following moisturizing. I was very careful not to use much because it’s very greasy feeling. But it did not leave my hair greasy at all. It soaked in and my ends felt great. Again: A little went a long way!

Finally I tried this to slick back my edges. It was okay, but not a fabulous job.

One more thing about the smell. I don’t know if I just became used to it as I was using it or the fact that I used so little, but it was pleasant once I’d put it on. I could still smell it, but it wasn’t so overpowering as it had been straight out of the jar.

Will I buy this again? Prolly!

{ 6 comments }

Oyin Handmade Greg Juice

by kcurly on February 4, 2009

in Oyin Handmade,Product Reviews

The bottle that I recieved is a very dark green

The bottle that I received is a very dark green

Name of product: Greg Juice Nourishing Herbal Leave In

Company name: Oyin Handmade

Retail Price:11.00

Consistency: liquid

Color: greenish?

Ingredients: Purified Water Infused with Rosemary, Nettle, Horsetail, Red Sage, Lavender, & Chamomile, Flaxseed Decoction, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Essences of Rosemary, Lavender, Sweet Orange & YlangYlang, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin C.

Purchased from: Oyin Handmade, CurlMart

Review:

Ya’ll know how much I adore the Frank Juice so I was beyond excited about trying out the Greg Juice. It arrived and I took off the top, inhaling deeply. I ended up wrinkling my nose and saying “Yuck”. It smelled like 7up or some other uncola but stronger.

But don’t despair. When I sprayed it on my hair, the smell was much better. It still brings to mind a sweet lime, but not as concentrated (obviously). And it works as well as the Frank Juice, so I am now a fan. Like the Frank Juice, it feels cool on my scalp as well as moisturizing to my twists and braids. Again, like the Frank Juice, too much can leave the hair feeling greasy, but it absorbs.

Will I buy this again? Definitely a keeper.

{ 6 comments }

Oyin Handmade Frank Juice

by kcurly on December 16, 2008

in Oyin Handmade,Product Reviews

Name of product: Frank Juice

Company name: Oyin Handmade

Retail Price: 8 oz -9.00

Consistency: liquid

Scent: light, not the typical smell of most products, more like Frankincense and Myrrh

Color: Murky, dark

Ingredients: Purified water infused with horsetail, lavender, nettle, roses, and chamomile; organic flaxseeds; aloe vera juice; vegetable glycerin; essences of lavender, sweet orange, ylang ylang, and rosemary; grapefruit seed extract; citric acid; and love

Purchased from: Oyin Handmade, CurlMart

Review:

With a unique spicy scent, a little of this is all that’s needed for  moisturized hair. I’ve used it before twisting along with a good butter or cream and then apply it to refresh my twists when they are feeling dry. I’ve also spritzed it on a few day old puff or wash n go. It leaves my dry scalp feeling cool and moisturized.

Too much of this will leave the hair momentarily oily, but it seems to soak in pretty well. If  any male naturals are reading, this would be an ideal product not only because of it’s great properties, but also  because the smell is not flowerly or “girly” as a lot of hair products are.

The price is nice as well, the ingredients are awesome (watch the rosemary pregnant ladies) and an 8 oz bottle lasts for awhile.

Will I buy this again? Yes

{ 16 comments }

Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding

by kcurly on October 23, 2008

in Oyin Handmade,Product Reviews

Name of product: Whipped Pudding

Company name: Oyin Handmade

Retail Price: 2 oz -5.50, 4 oz-10.00, 8 oz- 16.00

Consistency: Very thick

Scent: Cocoa, chocolaty (4 oz is available unscented)

Color: Beige

Ingredients: Purified Water, unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Cocoa Butter, Castor oil, Coconut oil, Sweet Almond oil, olive oil, Vegetable emulsifier, beeswax, Palm Stearic Acid, vegetable glycerine, honey, optiphen (preservative), fragrance

Purchased from: Oyin Website

Review:

The whipped pudding has a wonderful scent and a great thick texture. I am all about thick yummy feeling products, so I was all over this. I have since used it on both dry and wet twists and found it to be satisfying with both.  My hair had shine and was incredibly soft. It also gave my twists a nice shine.

The moisture lasted for days. The ingredients are wonderful and the yummy scent was light and lasted for days as well. I also used it on my ends while wearing a wash n go and found it to be very nourishing.

Will I buy this again? Yes.

Updated (3.21.09): I have decided to only buy the unscented version. The smell of this stuff really started getting to me about the 3rd use and now I can’t really stand it.

{ 8 comments }

Oyin Shine and Define

August 31, 2008

Name of product:Shine and Define Company name: Oyin Retail Price: 5.50-16.00 Consistency: creamy Scent: citrus, wonderful Color: beige Ingredients: purified water, organic flax seeds, organic aloe vera gel, sea vegetable complex, coconut oil, castor, unrefined shea butter, organic raw honey, Vegetable Glycerine, Palm Stearic Acid, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, fruit pectin, xanthan gum, destrose, Optiphen (preservative) [...]

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