Tuesday, December 9, 2008

You go first...

I just got off of Amazon.com trying to spend some money...

I'm buying my husband some Christmas gifts...Searching around and hit the Beauty section...I was there for waaay too long...I decided that I'd pick one product to try...I'm such a weirdo with products...I'd click on one, put it in the shopping basket...then look up the ingredients or the marketing....then take it out of the shopping basket...I must have done this with 10 products or more...I was trying y'all...Then I came across this stuff...

Ojon® Restorative Hair Treatment

HEY!!!!

Focus...stop looking at that little hand claw thing...I need you here >...<

So, this 5 oz jar costs $55.00. Whhhhaaaaatttt??? I clicked on that just to see what "hunka, hunka" something would be applying this stuff to my situation everytime I used it...SURELY somebody comes with the stuff??

Seriously...What's the deal? Do you know how much 5 oz is??? Take a kleenex...Blow your nose...THAT'S 5 oz., dude...Okay...I kid, but you see where I'm going...

I looked at the ingredients...Looked at the marketing and the claims and I'm a little annoyed to say the least...The marketing is wacked out...IMO... (http://www.ojon.com/)

Tawira, "the people of beautiful hair" (a phrase that they've trademarked...) are of the Miskito people...Miskito are a Native American tribe of people whose territory spans from Cape Camarón, Honduras, to Rio Grande, Nicaragua...There are sites and publications that state that the Miskito people are the result of runaway African slaves intermixing with the Native American people...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miskito
http://sidewalkmystic.com/Miskitos.htm

So they have this Ojon (also a trademarked name for the palm tree grown there) tree that they produce this fantastic oil from its nuts...Okay....oil...lubricates...aids in moisturizing...sure...got it...

BUT I'm not buying that it's this stuff that causes the magical beauty that you see...I think it's genetics...I'm such a skeptic...ESPECIALLY when it comes to hair/beauty products...If it's such a "beautifier" I'mma need them folks to use it on their skin too cuz some of the pictures I've seen, the people are pretty leathery...NO offense...It's just an observation...And considering hair and skin are made up of some of the same stuff and have some of the same needs...I'm just saying...

I do believe that the harvesting of the product might be a bit more expensive than the ingredients that the mofos who make Dax hair grease or Soul Aid or whatever use but...still $55.00?

I applaud the company using the indigenous people and helping them sustain their environment (if if fact they truly are), but I know you can get less "sexy" (sexy meaning less marketing) at places like http://www.agbangakarite.com/. (Their black soap, shea butter, and red palm oil is the business in a bag...for serious)

Anyway, back on task...Amazon has the ingredients for the Ojon® Restorative Hair Treatment as:

Elaeis Oleifera, Fragrance, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Serenoa Serrulata, Prunus Africana.

I started researching the ingredients, and lo and behold...all I had to do what scroll down on into thr review section...Somebody broke it down to the brokest...(Whew...now I wont need to spend the day googling...)


It's titled: If people would just read the label............., (I fluffy, puffy, jello heart this person...)

First, let me list both the pros and the cons of using this hair product.

PROS: 1) The product consists of 95% of all natural ingredients that will benefit your hair much better than those alternative synthetic conditioners found on the cosmetic shelves. 2) It can definitely work on all types of hair - especailly ethnic hair which tends to be on the dry side & therefore would need more emollients.

CONS: 1) Most of the ingredients (see below) that this product is made of can be found at your local health food store or ordered on-line from a herbal supply company at a fraction of the cost that Ojon is requesting.

2) The main ingredient in this product is simply oil. It's the same concept of the "hot oil treatment" but marketed in a different way in order to make Ojon seem more exotic. The fact is that using any oil - e.g. olive oil, coconut oil - will give you the same results. Now, I am going to break down the ingredients label so that you can see what you are paying for.


Ingredient #1: Elaeis Oleifera is American Palm Oil. It is native to the tropical Central & South Americas and is a very low cost oil (10 cents per oz) so therefore it is widely used in many industries such as food, candles, & cosmetics. It is very emollient & leaves a non-greasy shine to the hair & skin. The entire base of this 5-oz jar is made up of this palm oil, so the cost is estimated to be no more than a total of 50 cents. Ingredient

I have to interject here...I might add that Abinga Kirite has a great Red Palm Oil...Get that for a FRACTION OF A FRACTION of what 'ol dude is charging... (carry on...)

#2: Lecithin is a natural emollient that is heavily found in egg yolks. It has great conditioning properties & feeds the skin & hair natural carbohydrates. Many local health food stores sell it for about $2 for a 16 oz bottle. A little goes a long way, so for or a 5 oz jar of oil, only 1/4 teaspoon of lecithin is required. Ingredient

#3: Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate, & Citric Acid are types of preservatives that many cosmetic industries are required to use to make sure that the oils do not go rancid. They do not contribute any benefits to the hair - they are only additives to ensure the product stays fresh longer. Ingredient

#4: Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto Extract), Citronellol (roselike odor derived from citronella oil), Linalool (liquid distilled from certain essential oils) & Parfum (a man-made fragrance) are all used to give this product it's unique "smokey" scent. Since most of this fragrance base is synthetic (& cheap), these ingredients do not contribute that much benefit Ingredient

#5: Prunus Africana. This may be the only ingredient worth paying attention to. It is an herbal extract derived from the bark of an African plant that many men have used to treat prostate illnesses. It has anti-swelling & healing properites. I would predict that this ingredient is added to promote balancing to the scalp, or to add a natural coloring to the oil (as most herbal extracts will do). But, since there is only a miniature amount used in this product, it is highly unlikely that there is enough to add any benefit whatsoever. Now that I have listed a breakdown of what you are paying $55 for, it is up to you whether you want to try this product or not. It's not a bad product, but it's definitely not the greatest or most original product either to justify paying that much money. My suggestion to you is to go to the local health food store, buy some natural oils & herbs for about $7, and create your own conditioning hair oil. Apply it to your hair the same way that you would apply this Ojon (as a pre-shampoo treatment) and not only will you get the same if not better results, but you will have enough money left over to go towards something more practical.
Things that make you go hmmmmmm.....

I've got a gallon of palm oil on my baker's rack that I use for soap making...Wouldn't need the preservatives as I'll make small batches...I have my own essential oils, and the Prunus Africana (wild cherry extract)...I can do without...it's the LAST ingredient on the list...If you got the loot to spend, and/or don't like to mix it up...try it...i guess...

Maybe it's that frightful little petrified hand/hook thing that makes it cost so much...

11 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this breakdown we are so >..<

B/c I think this ALOT ALOT. I am always reading ingredients of my hair products and making a decision based off of that. . I love when the ingredients are all things I could buy and mix and then I look @ the price.

One thing I hate is when people make organic or natural stuff cost WAAAY more than it should -- it is such a turn off factor especially for people who are just starting to try out stuff!!!

Elegance said...

I bought palm oil from the health food store but it didn't have the same effect. Maybe it wasn't the American palm oil or something. It was waxy. I love Ojon and I stocked up on it. I notice a difference because my hair feels silkier, softer, and more moisturized than it does when I use coconut oil as a pre-poo treatment. I might try to find American palm oil after I use up what I have.

ChariseRaynee said...

Palm Oil alone may not do the trick, but adding other oils and emolients like the Ojon product may get you similar results...In addition to the Palm Oil: Lecithin (found in egg yolks), and even Vitamin E oil, may make the knock off worth it...

The Palm Oil that I have isn't waxy...It's almost hydrogenated...kinda like thick apple sauce...It may depend on where it comes from...

But I'm glad the Ojon works for you. It's always good to find something that works...That's rock and roll...seriously...I'm just praying I can too...at about 1/10th of the cost, though... ;)

Suburbanbushbabe said...

Just discovered your blog and read this post first. For anyone interested in Ojon RHT, QVC has really great deals. Also there is a difference between palm oil and palm kernel oil. I no longer use Ojon but when I did, the smell of it was addictive. It was really strange at first and then just grew and grew on me.

TheDGDTraveler said...

I had the chance to use this stuff over the holidays. My cousin is hooked on it so I tried hers. The smell is ..well different, almost like mocha. The result was ok, I guess I cant give it two thumbs up because I didnt get to use it but a few days which wasnt long enough to form a solid opinion. My cousin uses it regularly and her hair looks and feels great. Im just not willing to spend that much money on a product.

EllieC said...

Thank you so much. I remember watching the Ojon infomercial into the wee hours of the night. I was almost sold on buying the small jar, but when I saw the price I quickly changed my mind. I will definitely now have to try making my own batch of this.

Anonymous said...

I just founded your blog!!! And I'm loving it already.

Anywho...Girl I Love, Love. Love Ojon. I recieved a small sample from Sephora's and couldn't believe the results. My hair was baby soft. After I rinsed it out I just sat around the house for a few hours without doing anything to my hair and it was still soft.

Now the I have to agree with you they are tripping with the $55 price tag. So I purcahsed mine from QVC. For, I think, $60, you get about 5 or 6 full size products designed for dry hair. Thye are currently on backorder

♥ CG ♥ said...

Wow! My girlfriend swears buy this stuff. She will be quite pleased to hear this...lol. Great info, thanks for giving us the nitty gritty!

westNDNbeauty said...

I think I may just purchase this from Ulta...im a little skeptical. At least Ill be able to return for a refund.

Anonymous said...

I love this stuff! It works in my hair and I've tried EVERY product, "black" product and this stuff does wonders for my hair. I have long thick hair and it was always hard for me to find something that actually moisturizes my hair. This stuff does the trick and I don't have to put anything else in my hair after shampooing and conditioning it with O'jon. I've been using it for about a year and a half. Won't stop either!I'm an O'Jon advocate!!

dmalikat said...

Where can I find American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera? it is my understanding that red palm oil is not the same as American palm oil, as their genetic makeups are close. If You know where I can purchase it please let me know! Thanks for the info.