BAMBOOZLED by Afroveda

Yea, I mean, I don't have beef with HairVeda at all...someone just wanted to know who is using bases so I named them. Brendita's BBW is a MESS though...for a lot of her products she doesn't even ADD things, she just repackages the base and sells it as her own. Then, when you go to the About Brendita section she talks about how she did all this research and made her own products. I wanted her Phat Head Coconut Pudding, but it's actually just the Essential Wholesale Silk Creme, which is $11 for 16oz while the repackaged product is $8 for 6oz...

Brendita Ingredients:
Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Coconut Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Palm Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Witch Hazel, Vitamin E, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Xanthan Gum, Organic Black Willowbark Extract, Neem Oil, Rosemary Oleoresin, Citric Acid

EW Ingredients:
Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Cocos nucifera (Organic Coconut) Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Palm Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Persea americana (Avocado) Oil, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide Gum), Salix nigra (Organic Black Willowbark) Extract, Mannan, Azadirachta indica (Neem) Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oleoresin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid
 
Does anyone know for a fact Mala does this? I'm a bit confused. The original post shows a site where the conditioner is a base product with similar ingredients to one of Mala's conditioners. It does not mean Mala herself is buying the same product and charging 5 times as much to sell it. Maybe I read it wrong.:rolleyes:
 
DDTexlaxed said:
Does anyone know for a fact Mala does this? I'm a bit confused. The original post shows a site where the conditioner is a base product with similar ingredients to one of Mala's conditioners. It does not mean Mala herself is buying the same product and charging 5 times as much to sell it. Maybe I read it wrong.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

So you don't find it coincidental that similar ingredients for all of her conditioners can be found in hair bases from the aforementioned websites?

Or that, coincidentally, Mala chose to list the ingredients in the exact same order as the hair bases?
 
DDTexlaxed said:
Does anyone know for a fact Mala does this? I'm a bit confused. The original post shows a site where the conditioner is a base product with similar ingredients to one of Mala's conditioners. It does not mean Mala herself is buying the same product and charging 5 times as much to sell it. Maybe I read it wrong.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Are you serious? Perhaps this will convince you...

This is Mala's description of the conditioner:
The pH of our hair mask compacts the cuticle layer of the hair, which will result in shiny, bouncy hair that is not weighed down. The conditioning ingredients form a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which creates a protective layer or coating over these rough edges. The protective coating created with our Ashlii Amala Hair Mask also seals in moisture and and reduces static electricity.

This is the EW description:
Truth be told there is no miracle cure to repair damaged hair. Hair is dead and cannot be repaired. But it can be coated and conditioned. The pH of our hair masque compacts the cuticle layer of the hair, which will result in shiny, bouncy hair that is not weighed down. The active ingredients in our hair masque leaves the hair feeling smooth, while leaving a "waxy" coating on the hair. The conditioning ingredients of this hair masque form a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which creates a protective layer or coating over these rough edges. The protective coating created with conditioner also seals in moisture and reduces static electricity.

Decide for yourself, but I know dang sure they didn't copy her.
 
Most manufacturers use bases purchased from outsource companies. No indie seller like afroveda is blending steralkonium chloride or phenoxyethanol, etc., in her kitchen. It takes teams of professional chemists to come up with good formulas and it is a full time job - there are no part time hustlers doing it. The most she may be doing is melting and mixing butters but even those can be purchased as bases too. Note - I am not an afroveda customer and never have been but if you're going to boycott a cosmetic retailer for using bases then you may as well boycott all of them from the indie sellers on youtube to proctor and gamble.
 
Rastafarai said:
So you don't find it coincidental that similar ingredients for all of her conditioners can be found in hair bases from the aforementioned websites?

Or that, coincidentally, Mala chose to list the ingredients in the exact same order as the hair bases?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

DDTexlaxed said:
Does anyone know for a fact Mala does this? I'm a bit confused. The original post shows a site where the conditioner is a base product with similar ingredients to one of Mala's conditioners. It does not mean Mala herself is buying the same product and charging 5 times as much to sell it. Maybe I read it wrong.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It would be a huge coincidence that someone who formulated their own product came up with something so similar to a conditioner base.


Tiye said:
Most manufacturers use bases purchased from outsource companies. No indie seller like afroveda is blending steralkonium chloride or phenoxyethanol, etc., in her kitchen. It takes teams of professional chemists to come up with good formulas and it is a full time job - there are no part time hustlers doing it. The most she may be doing is melting and mixing butters but even those can be purchased as bases too. Note - I am not an afroveda customer and never have been but if you're going to boycott a cosmetic retailer for using bases then you may as well boycott all of them from the indie sellers on youtube to proctor and gamble.
Click to expand...

I disagree with the bolded. I have done tons of research on how to make conditioners and other hair/skin products from scratch.

Here's a forum that I poke around on from time to time:

The Soap Dish Forum ARCHIVES (Powered by Invision Power Board)


Many of those people make their own product, from scratch, using the same ingredients we are used to seeing in products. It is actually work, you must have a good formula, know the percentages and types of preservatives to use, etc... but anyone who is dedicated can learn to do this without ultra fancy equipment.
 
Last edited:
EllePixie said:
I just don't like it when they act like they put their blood, sweat, and tears into a product when they CLEARLY did not...that's just lying to consumers.
Click to expand...

@EllePixie

Girl, IA.:perplexed

That is so wrong on so many levels.:nono:

All it's doing though is making us Wise Consumers. :yep:

Shop Smarter Not Harder.:lol:
 
Last edited:
Tiye said:
Most manufacturers use bases purchased from outsource companies. No indie seller like afroveda is blending steralkonium chloride or phenoxyethanol, etc., in her kitchen. It takes teams of professional chemists to come up with good formulas and it is a full time job - there are no part time hustlers doing it. The most she may be doing is melting and mixing butters but even those can be purchased as bases too. Note - I am not an afroveda customer and never have been but if you're going to boycott a cosmetic retailer for using bases then you may as well boycott all of them from the indie sellers on youtube to proctor and gamble.
Click to expand...

Like many of the posters said, there is NOTHING wrong with using a base, or even choosing not to disclose that you use one. But, at the same time, don't say you made your product fro SCRATCH when you did not. Loreal doesn't act like they made that mess in their kitchen...
 
Tiye said:
Most manufacturers use bases purchased from outsource companies. No indie seller like afroveda is blending steralkonium chloride or phenoxyethanol, etc., in her kitchen. It takes teams of professional chemists to come up with good formulas and it is a full time job - there are no part time hustlers doing it. The most she may be doing is melting and mixing butters but even those can be purchased as bases too. Note - I am not an afroveda customer and never have been but if you're going to boycott a cosmetic retailer for using bases then you may as well boycott all of them from the indie sellers on youtube to proctor and gamble.
Click to expand...

I'm boycotting for having to pay an exorbitant price for something that is not made by hand and from scratch.

According to Afroveda's owner:

"The products are all made by hand, by me, and it is truly a joy. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and
do all I can to ensure that AfroVeda products are made with the utmost care and safety."

Traditionally Ayurvedic. Naturally You.
 
So the real headline here is that I can get 4 times the product for the same price!!!!

That is some serious WIN!!!
 
So, who's gonna order? :look:

Do it, do it, do it, do it.....

I'm gonna look at Afroveda reviews to decide which bases to buy. :lachen: I love mixing stuff.

If I come out w/ my own line, will y'all purchase my "handcrafted" products? :look:
 
I do not care if she uses another base. I just want my purchases to be consistant. Quite frankly her prices are similar to other lines. I like AfroVeda; so it's not a dealbreaker "yet"

Once she stabilizes her products (like Oyin and Qhemet) I'll revisit the line.
 
I really hope, for the sake of good business practices, that she gave a gentle reminder that she was going to jack up the prices before she did. But judging by the Hair forums' reactions...probably not.

I say turn lemons in to lemonade. For those of you boycotting her product, you now have ample product (thanks to OP) and opportunity to figure your own concoction to create your substitution for Afroveda.

(For purposes of neutrality, I've never tried it.)
 
Probably part of the reason the products are inconsistent is that she doesn't have a formula and may not know how to tweak the base + the additives correctly.

For example when making conditioner, you have to have the correct proportions of oils, water, preservatives, emulsifiers, etc...

It's really not supposed to be a mish mash kind of thing. Putting things together in the wrong percentages leads to oil and water separation, things going rancid, and inconsistency between batches.
 
Tiye said:
Most manufacturers use bases purchased from outsource companies. No indie seller like afroveda is blending steralkonium chloride or phenoxyethanol, etc., in her kitchen. It takes teams of professional chemists to come up with good formulas and it is a full time job - there are no part time hustlers doing it. The most she may be doing is melting and mixing butters but even those can be purchased as bases too. Note - I am not an afroveda customer and never have been but if you're going to boycott a cosmetic retailer for using bases then you may as well boycott all of them from the indie sellers on youtube to proctor and gamble.
Click to expand...


Thank you for this. I was confused because I am truly a person who does not make their own products. I have no idea about bases and components.:nono: Hey, can I add shea butter to this mix and have something like Mala sells? If so, I can be able to replace her hair butters.:yep:
 
Queens Deep Conditoner - $25
Ingredients: cholesterol conditioner; egg; peppermint oil; coconut oil, evoo.

I promise its hand made and eliminates breakage, and increases hair growth.

I'm Tamara and I approve this post.

Jk....lol
 
Actually we were searching like crazy trying to see if she uses a base for her butters, but couldn't find one - with the rice milk and other ingredients it doesn't look as "derived" as her conditioners. So, that I cannot say is a base - she might make those which is why they are the most expensive.

Wait...nm. That deep treatment that we posted the base for is CLEARLY expensive as heck... :lachen:
 
naturalmanenyc said:
The use of bases does not bother me.

I am not an AfroVeda customer, never bought their products and never will; however, my mother uses bases for her products (NOT haircare but bodycare) and she literally does hand prepare everything. She uses the base (lotion, shower gel etc) and she adds color, scented oil etc. She also personally does the packaging and labeling.

Granted, my mom is not charging $25 for a $5 product/container and she also has no display at her store advertising wholly organic or handmade or specially formulated products.
Click to expand...

ITA. I don't think she is doing anything wrong. Let's face it most of these hair products (and products in general) are over-priced. Have yall ever tried to make your own hair products at home. It can be time consuming. Now, imagine you are making orders for hundreds of people. The customer would be waiting months for orders. She is taking a short cut, but I don't think it is a bad short cut. People are willing to pay for convenience. I think she will lose more customers over the price hike than over the use of bases.

BTW, thanks for the info on where to purchase bases. When I have more time, I may try my hand at making some personal products.
 
DDTexlaxed said:
Thank you for this. I was confused because I am truly a person who does not make their own products. I have no idea about bases and components.:nono: Hey, can I add shea butter to this mix and have something like Mala sells? If so, I can be able to replace her hair butters.:yep:
Click to expand...

Yep, you should be able to.

Even if your mix isn't "perfect" you're making relatively small batches and probably using them up at a decent rate. It still may take some trial and error, but its much less likely for anything major - like things spoiling/separating over time while being stored - to go wrong with it.

And of course, just try to get your measurements right if you want it to be consistent. :)
 
Rastafarai said:
I'm boycotting for having to pay an exorbitant price for something that is not made by hand and from scratch.

According to Afroveda's owner:

"The products are all made by hand, by me, and it is truly a joy. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and
do all I can to ensure that AfroVeda products are made with the utmost care and safety."

Traditionally Ayurvedic. Naturally You.
Click to expand...

:thud: I'm done.

Thanks for the heads up ladies. Perhaps I should just make up my own hair products for a FRACTION of the price. :scratchch
 
Last edited:
I am hoping to discuss this issue with some of the curly gals at our first meetup tomorrow. I will surly have a video to follow. Plus today's insult of having a so called 10% off Columbus Day Sale, LOL.
 
makeupvixen said:
I am hoping to discuss this issue with some of the curly gals at our first meetup tomorrow. I will surly have a video to follow. Plus today's insult of having a so called 10% off Columbus Day Sale, LOL.
Click to expand...

:lachen: :lachen:

i guess a small part of her feels guilty. :lachen:

ETA: makeupvixen Girl, I am watching your video and you are cracking me up! :laugh: Subscribed!
 
Last edited:
I don't see the big deal. Companies/businesses don't have to disclose everything about their products. Isn't that "trade secrets"? Aveda and Body Shop don't spell out exactly how they make their products either and after doing a research product on the Body Shop, let's just say, they aren't that "great".:look: I'm just as turned off by Mala as the rest of ya'll and will never be a customer of hers again, but I think all of this is kinda "extra".
 
Kurlee said:
I don't see the big deal. Companies/businesses don't have to disclose everything about their products. Isn't that "trade secrets"? Aveda and Body Shop don't spell out exactly how they make their products either and after doing a research product on the Body Shop, let's just say, they aren't that "great".:look: I'm just as turned off by Mala as the rest of ya'll and will never be a customer of hers again, but I think all of this is kinda "extra".
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying but she's claiming that she makes the products by hand. Maybe her definition is different than the rest of ours. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Qualitee
Has ANYONE tried these conditioners?
Replies
18
Views
4K
Kurlee
Kurlee
YvetteWithJoy
Brand: "especially Hair" Line
2
Replies
46
Views
6K
naturalyogini
N
tailormade84
QHEMET: AOHC and BRBC ingredients (full list)
Replies
7
Views
3K
music-bnatural-smile
music-bnatural-smile
felicia
What kind of conditioners are these? moisturizing? protein?
Replies
5
Views
2K
prettywhitty
prettywhitty
O
Desert Essence Coconut Soft Curls Cream & Shine and Refine Hair Lotion
Replies
24
Views
7K
NaturalEnigma
NaturalEnigma
Back
Top