A comprehensive a.k.a. long arse Mielle Organics Review so you might want to grab a snack.
I was curious about this brand but not too hopeful when I received four Mielle products in my March CurlBox Natural; the Advanced Healthy Hair Formula Vitamins, Detangling CoWash, Avocado Hair Milk and Mint Almond Oil. As expected, I wasn't too thrilled when I first tried them but was certain that my poor experience was due to a lack of conditioners, namely a DC and a Leave-in.
I did enjoy the CoWash and it is now one of my favorites thus far.
My hair isn't very dense right now so I guess that's one reason why it works well for me. On first application it felt like a thick leave-in because it absorbed right into my strands, but it DID cleanse my hair very well. It also left my strands feeling soft, shiny and fluffy. The trick I used was to apply it to lightly damp hair and work through like a moisturizer. Since it's not harsh or sudsy, I sometimes refresh old twists with it if I have errands to run on or around wash day. Then later I'd rinse it out and continue with the rest of my routine. Of course this works best when I don't have tons of product build-up in which case I'd use a sulfate-free shampoo instead.
Initially I wasn't too impressed with the Hair Milk and Oil because the combo left my next day hair feeling very thirsty and dry.
I grudgingly purchased the Babassu Oil & Mint DC and White Peony Ultra Moisturizing Leave-in from Sally's in an attempt to improve my results. The next wash day I tried all of the products again but this time I used the conditioners and there was a marked improvement in the overall performance of these products.
The DC is hands down my favorite product in the line.
I love the easy application, soothing feeling on my scalp, minty fragrance and overall feel of my hair, both before and after rinsing. It took a minute to get use to the loose consistency. I used waaaaay too much on my first attempt because like the CoWash, it quickly absorbed into my strands. It is definitely a balancing condish and for me it is equally moisturizing and strengthening. It doesn't leave my hair butter soft but it doesn't leave it dry or hard either. It's also one of the few DCs that both refreshes and sooths my scalp. I will continue to purchase this product if nothing else from the line.
After rinsing out the DC I continue with the L.O.C method. I apply the Leave-in to lightly damp hair a section at a time, immediately following each application with the Oil then Milk. Alone the Leave-in is nothing to write home about. It's very watery with little slip and doesn't immediately affect the feel of my hair. However once layered and with the Milk and Oil I found it to be very moisturizing. It takes a few minutes for the trio to work their magic, but their combined results are awesome. I doubt that I'd ever use these products individually, even when I refresh I use all three. Also I recently tried the L.C.O method and now believe that this method works best for me when using these products. So from now on after the Leave-in, I'll be using the Hair Milk and then the Oil.
Overall all this is a very good NHC line imo. For me the DC is the star of the show
and the Oil is better than you would expect for a product with only three simple ingredients. The Hair Milk is okay but it's no Muru Muru Moisture Milk or Sapote Hair Lotion or Sweet Cocoa Bean Curl Smoothing Cream or Sweet Vanilla Hair Milk or Coconut Moisture Cream or Dream Cream or Moroccan Silk Moisture Milk or Marula Muru/Melon Moisture Guru or Nappy Hair Butter, etc., but it worked well with the line and together with the Leave-in and Oil leaves my hair soft, smooth, shiny and moisturized for days.
The Vitamins are just vitamins to me. I didn't notice any significant growth after a month of use but that is to be expected. I had previously received the Manetabolism Plus vitamins in my January CurlBox Natural and after a month of use there was also no significant hair growth, though my nails did grow long and strong. It is important to note however that although the Mielle Organics vitamins did not grow my hair faster than normal, it did seem to reduce my recent excessive shedding. If I could get a similar biotin rich supplement with MSM, silica and saw palmetto for less $$ I'll be all over it. Will I repurchase the vitamins? I don't know, maybe, maybe not. If I ever experience another bout of excessive shedding I may revisit Mielle vitamins providing I haven't found a suitable substitute.
There is also a Shampoo and Edge control in the line that I have yet to purchase. I'm not too big on edge control and Sally's doesn't carry the Babassu Shampoo. Until then I'll stick with my Mane Choice Easy in the Curls Detangling Hydration Shampoo which I thoroughly enjoy, but that's a review for another thread.