3 MONTHS OF HAIR GREASE| UPDATE

If you’ve been following me on Instagram and YouTube then you know that I’ve been using Blue Magic hair grease on my hair since March 2020 .

Grease may or may not be a fond part of your childhood. The last time I used grease was probably over ten years ago. Back then , my favorite one was the Indian Hemp grease. I can remember the hair stylist slathering my scalp with it after a FULL blow dry. The kind of blow dry session that leaves your ears hot after the heat burned them a couple of times. If your hair was thick and coarse like mine, you were the burden of the salon. It did not help that I was not a cooperative client. I absolutely hated getting my hair straightened but the soothing feeling of Indian Hemp on my scalp afterwards made it slightly more tolerable.

Why does grease get a bad rep?

Hair grease usually has mineral oil or petroleum as its key ingredient. I have a post on “bad” ingredients in hair products. Petrolatum is also the main ingredient in Vaseline. It acts as an occlusive ingredient which protects the skin barrier and locks in the moisture. Naturalistas find this ingredient heavy and feel that it might clog the pores and stunt healthy hair growth. Also, it easily builds up on the hair strands.

Why did i start using grease again?

I had seen some people have a good experience with retaining moisture for a longer period of time when using grease so I thought I’d see how my hair responds to it .

How did/do I use grease ?

I’ve used grease in many different combinations but always as a sealant NOT a moisturizer.

I never apply it to my scalp( I will share my scalp care routine in a separate post.)

So I’ve used:

• Leave in conditioner + Cream + Grease  (LCG)
• Curling cream + grease
• Leave in + grease 
• Fenugreek spritz + curling Cream + Grease (LCG)

My favorite combination is LCG where L is either a liquid or a leave in conditioner. However, the other combinations have worked well too.

How long does your moisture last ?

About 1 week . I have gone longer without re-moisturizing and didn’t suffer too much.

N/B: Most of the time , my hair is in twists or braids which helps to keep moisture locked in longer in general than If I wore my hair out more.

How do you re-moisturize? Are you even able to?

One of the major issues people have with grease is the belief that once you’ve applied it , you cannot add any more moisture over it . I don’t think this is entirely true. It is not a fully impermeable barrier.

However, I prioritize my hair being well moisturized before applying the grease as a precaution.

I choose not to reapply grease. A week after , I will go in with my Fenugreek water and some oil to seal my hair instead .  

Does it give you a lot of build up ?

I don’t experience much build up with it because I use a very thin layer of it and don’t reapply before the next washday  .

How do you wash it out ?

I use a sulfate based shampoo. I’ve used one since I started using grease . I am not too picky about the brand. I’ll sometimes follow up with a moisturizing shampoo if need be .

The As I Am strengthening shampoo does not have sulfates but seems to get rid of the grease build up so I’ve been alternating between it and Mizani puriphying shampoo which has sulfates. 

I’ve recently been washing my hair every 2 weeks and that’s been working well.

Pros of hair grease

• It keeps my hair moisturized longer . I only  re-moisturize once a week and sometimes I don’t really need to.
• My hair has some shine . I don’t usually have any shine and it’s not something I actively chase but I’ll take it.
• My ends seem smoother and less prone to tangles. I tend to focus most of the grease there and it has helped with dryness and knots on my ends .
• It combines well with all of my other products .
• It’s cheaper than most oils and butters out there.  It goes for about KES500 at most supermarkets.
• It lasts a lifetime . A little goes a LONG way. This jar would probably last me the another 4 years. The only reason I can’t use it that long is because it expires in 2022.
• Grease weighs my hair down especially if I use more of it . This keeps my strands stretched resulting in less tangling .

Cons of hair grease

• If I use too much, my hair is very greasy ( but I rarely do).
• Grease weighs hair down. People with fine or lower density hair may not enjoy this . 
• Some people may be sensitive or allergic to parabens, linolene and fragrance which are ingredients often found in grease . In case you are , just avoid it . You might experience adverse reactions to it .
•  If you’re anti-sulfates then it’s easier to be anti-grease because the two go hand in hand. Using sulfate shampoos every single time has made my hair frizzier and my scalp drier . However, the grease seems to smooth the hair back down on application .

Will I keep using hair grease ?

For the next three months I’ll switch it out for a primarily shea butter based sealant and see if shea butter is a better alternative to grease. Thereafter, I’ll come back and give my final verdict.

Would I recommend grease ?

Not exactly . As I’ve said , it depends on the products you prefer to use on your hair .

However , I’ll just say that if you want to test it out , you can . It may not work for you but at least you’ll know for sure. 

I just hope this post gave you some ideas of how to incorporate grease into your routine , if you choose to 🙂

Do you use hair grease in your routine ? Let me know how you incorporate it down below .

Thanks so much for stopping by .

“Always remember that your hair is your crown; embrace it , love it and take care of it .”

God bless you all.