My experience with natural hair has been one of learning, relearning, and unlearning. One day you’re preaching against a certain ingredient, and the next, you are proclaiming just how good it has been for you. It sounds rather hypocritical, to be honest, but this journey is uncertain. Just like in life, your opinion is allowed to change. You do not stand for all the things that you stood for a week, month, or even a year ago. Quite frankly, you don’t have to.
This has been my relationship with hair products all through. If someone were to tell me that I would go back to using grease on my 4c hair, I would’ve been defensive. But here we are, experimenting with products we once declared ‘evil.’
That’s how my relationship with TCB Naturals Herbal Pomade has been, and now, a few years down the line, I may just decide to make it a staple product.
Manufacturer’s Claims
“TCB Naturals Herbal pomade soothes your scalp with the cooling sensation of menthol. This light botanical blend of Safflower Oil and Aloe Vera conditions and maintains your hair without weighing it down.”
At first glance, this claim is actually a girl’s dream. The cooling sensation stimulates your blood vessels and thereby enhances hair growth. Aloe Vera, on the other hand, has been praised for having a million benefits. I usually don’t put any product on my scalp. I haven’t quite found a product that doesn’t feel like it’s weighing my hair down, and that was what I was trying to see with this product. I was trying to see how it would react on my scalp as well as on my hair shaft.
I like the cooling sensation that it gave my scalp. It’s relaxing, to say the least. But above this, I felt like my scalp was actually moisturized. I must also add that I used it as a sealant and not a moisturizer itself. To do this, spray water on your hair first before you apply the product.
Scent
I’m really big on scents, but for this particular product, I felt like it has an overpowering scent. Mean, everyone wants their hair to smell good, but it should never come off too strongly. At least for me. Perhaps one way of dealing with this is to use it on a day when you’re not leaving the house so that by the next day most of the scent is gone as the product is absorbed into the skin.
Directions
This product has different instructions depending on how it is used.
- Protective scalp treatment – Apply to the scalp before beginning relaxer application
- Hair treatment – Massage into the scalp and cover hair with a plastic cap. Sit under a hooded dryer for 30 minutes then style as desired.
- Daily Conditioning treatment- Apply to the scalp and massage.
A quick disclaimer is that I have only used the product as a daily conditioning treatment. If you wish to use it as a hair treatment, you don’t have to worry about not having a hooded dryer at home. You can use a shower cap and then sit in the sun for a while to get the heat.
Ingredients
This product contains a variety of ingredients which isn’t exactly exciting. I always try to look out for products with a few simple ingredients. That notwithstanding, I still reaped a lot of benefits from it and so I would still vouch for it.
It contains petrolatum which is a highly effective sealant. If your hair is properly moisturised using a petrolatum-based product on top will completely stop any moisture from coming in or going out. Despite all the backlash petrolatum has faced in recent years, if you use it correctly it can work for you.
It also has Parrafinum Liquidum (mineral oil), another moisturising agent that has unfortunately been bashed by the natural hair community. However, mineral oil may help moisturize your skin. Some people think it may also help moisturise your hair by creating a barrier on the surface of your hair that water can’t penetrate. Applying mineral oil to your hair may help reduce tangles and prevent your hair from breaking by acting as a lubricant.
Beauty: Is Grease Bad For Your Hair?
The product contains Glycine Soja (Soybean oil) whose main asset to hair is moisture retention. This carrier oil is full of good fatty acids, manganese, and vitamins. As if that is not good enough, the lipids in the oil help hair treatments to absorb better into your hair.
It has Safflower Seed oil which is highly beneficial for soothing and conditioning the scalp and hair. By contributing shine and enhancing circulation, Safflower Oil stimulates hair growth as well as its strength.
Price
One thing I absolutely love about grease is that it is affordable. Butters, creams, and organic oils are definitely not as affordable. This particular product goes for 500 Kenya shillings for a jar of 250g. It doesn’t sound affordable, but I can assure you that this small jar can last you even a whole year. You don’t really use that much, and you still reap all the benefits.
Final verdict
I will definitely be using this product again and again in the future. I understand that it’s super controversial in the natural hair community, but after several incidences, I concluded that there’s no right or wrong thing for hair. It’s all experimental. Go for what works for you. With proper care, you will still attain the health, length, and volume of hair that you wish to achieve. For me, eliminating heat is the one thing that I have stuck with and has helped me through my journey. When it comes to products, you can always experiment.
Pros
- Affordable
- Moisturising
- Has a cooling sensation on the scalp
Cons
- Has an overpowering scent.
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