In Criticism of Giovanni Direct Leave-In

[poookie]

i hate the smell of this stuff! ugh... way too floral for me.

BUT... it does leave my hair soft, and it makes my new growth curlies pop.

i pumped it up with tons of orange essential oil, though, so i'm learning to cope

 

[Lucky's Mom]

I have never tried this product - BUT - I am an avid label reader.........So I am sure it why it never was purchased by me...


Aqua (Purified Water), Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Oil, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Birch Leaf (Butela Alba) Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis Flower) Oil, Clary (Salvia Sclarea), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Fargara), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, Mallow (Malya Sylvestris), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Oil, Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Tocopherol (*Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (Corn), Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Grapefruit Seed (Citrus Derived)


It does not look so bad - But - It was not what I was looking for. There is no slip in these ingredients!

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I have never tried this product - BUT - I am an avid label reader.........So I am sure it why it never was purchased by me...


Aqua (Purified Water), Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Oil, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Birch Leaf (Butela Alba) Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis Flower) Oil, Clary (Salvia Sclarea), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Fargara), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, Mallow (Malya Sylvestris), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Oil, Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Tocopherol (*Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (Corn), Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Grapefruit Seed (Citrus Derived)


It does not look so bad - But - It was not what I was looking for. There is no slip in these ingredients![/quote]

Exactly. I get no slip with Giovanni Direct leave-in. I used it 3 - 4 times and always had awful results.erplexed

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I'm a natural. It's not a detangler, it's an excellent moisturizer. I use it as my last moisture then seal step.

I think people may have problems if they think this is a detangler. I use it after my hair is already detangled. There was a post somewhere that discussed liquid leave-ins as being better detanglers vs creamy. This product does not have cones so that may be what some relaxed heads are missing when they use this as well.

I didn't read all the posts but this just occured to me.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I wish I could read the whole thread and I loved the way you described your experience with Giovanni Leave in. I was about to put it on my list too. $65!!! Wow....

What from Giovanni costs $65.00> you can get a bottle on Vitacost for $4.50 something....I didn't read the whole thread I know...

 

[Opalsunset]

I just brought this a few days ago in hopes to save my hair from the crunchiness and hard feeling..well unfortunately it made it harder..and crunchier...perhaps I used too much? I dont want to give up on it after hearing so many good things about it..but I am fearful to try it again, I have an entire bottle to go through too.

 

[justNikki]

This is just the BEST leave-in....wow. I'm super surprised that this is causing so much trouble for some. I'm natural too and this stuff helps the comb just GLIDE right through my hair. I've been recommending it as a leave-in with great slip. erplexed

 

[Transformer]

This is just the BEST leave-in....wow. I'm super surprised that this is causing so much trouble for some. I'm natural too and this stuff helps the comb just GLIDE right through my hair. I've been recommending it as a leave-in with great slip. erplexed

Same here. It's the best leave-in I've ever used. Maybe naturals have better luck with it! I'm now using their shampoos and regular conditioners also. Aubrey Organics has been my favorite conditioner, but my local Whole Foods has been out the last few weeks.

 

[BrownBetty]

This used to be my go to leave in. I just returned a bottle to whole foods. My hair hates it now. I don't know if they changed the formula or my hair just has changed.

 

[ButterflyBeauty]

I use GDL often. I really like it. Everyone has to remember that our hair is all different so what works for some may not for others. The only way to find out is to try it.

 

[poookie]

i think i posted in this thread before, but can't remember what i said.

i'm relaxed, and am used to moisturizers that provide a lot of slip. since this is a natural product, it has no cones (which my hair finds particularly delicious), and NO SLIP.

use too much, and it'll leave your hair crunchy and hard. this is bad news for people like me who tend to be heavy-handed with products.

i:
used a bit of this stuff with flexi-rods on dry hair - my hair was crunchy and uncombable. i used a quarter sized amount for my whole head.

did the same for a set with wet hair - my set came out very shiny and FIRM. but not crunchy. the set remained firm until next wash day... so it's better to use on wet hair.

blow-dried with this stuff - breakage city. i had to stop after the first section. again, i used a quarter-sized amount for my whole head.

HOWEVER...

it is okay when i use it, then seal with a heavy-duty cone filled serum.

basically... if you're relaxed, you might have better luck with this stuff using it on soaking wet hair.

 

[PassionFruit]

though Ive done nothin but co-wash & ponytails for the month of June... I can count on my left hand how many strands of hair Ive lost... UNTIL LAST NIGHT...


I used Giovanni Dorect leave-in... this was after co-washing & sitting with Amla powder mix for an hour...... I couldnt get a finger thru that tangled matted mess after.... I havent had an issue with tanlges in MONTHS... and this morning my hair is a dried crunchy mess... fortunately I am gonna co-wash in a bit..... guess I need to do a DC with extra moisture and a lil EVCO added in


NEVER AGAIN

 

[Irresistible]

So, after learning from some enthusiasts on this board that one cannot be admitted to heaven without using Giovanni Direct, I went out and bought it, eagerly awaiting the effects of this holy balm. I slathered it on my braids and braided them up. And no, I did not use any more of this than I use of any other hair product.

All was well.

Until I started taking them down.

My hair was so hard, crunchy, and worst of all, TANGLED that I thought I might lose it all. I have found that soaking my hair in coconut oil greatly relieves the tangling and hardness, but why would God require us to use this stuff in order to gain admittance at the pearly gates when it is surely a leading cause of baldness?

Now, I have found that mixing the stuff with oil, preferably coconut, in about a 1:2 ratio (meaning twice as much oil as leave-in) relieves the crunchiness. But what good is it when it's eating up my coconut oil supply in order to be just ok as a leave-in? I would have just thrown out this devil's brew, but in my refusal to let the Giovanni Direct train pass me by, I bought 4 bottles (33.5 oz each) of the stuff. So, I look forward to years of using it on my body, sauteeing my vegetables with it, washing clothing with it, and using it as a mixer for alcoholic beverages in order to have any hope of gaining relief from the Scourge of Giovanni.

There's no real point to this post, except to complain and warn others. When the Giovanni Direct train comes into town, let it pass.

Oh, and if anyone can recommend a better leave-in (that isn't $65 for 2oz or some ridiculous price like that), please do.

Am I the only one dismayed by Giovanni Direct?

OH WOW, ONE RAVE FROM YEARS AGO I NEVER TRIED THANK GOD!

 

[Irresistible]

I've never used it before, I'm sorry that happened to you. *giggling* Please, from now on when you see people raving about stuff, start with one little bottle to make sure it works for you " You don't want to have "years of using it on my body, sauteeing my vegetables with it, washing clothing with it, and using it as a mixer for alcoholic beverages in order to have any hope of gaining relief from the Scourge of Giovanni." or any other products You got me over here cracking up!

yeah that was pretty funny
&Devils brew??!!

 

[aloof one]

I loved it, then I hated it... then I just got used to it.

Now that I ran out the other day in the middle of blowdrying, I realize how much it meant to me... The stuff does an amazing job in getting my hair to come out silky when I use my blowdryer. I thought I could just use something else but I was mistaken.

I will most likely be buying it again.

 

[dany06]

i actually like Giovanni Direct Leave-in. It has always made my thick and compacted hair feel so light. It also provides a light hold and lightly defines my curls.

 

[Enchantmt]

This is one of my staples. I apply it daily to wet hair. I sometimes mix it with qhemet heavy cream. It can cause build up, but since my hair is wet when I apply it I never get crunchy hair. The cheapest place I've found on line is luckyvitamin.com. Its 4.95 per bottle and they have other stuff I order so the 5.95 shipping (it might be 6.95 now) is very reasonable. Also they have a lot of giovanni products, including skin and bath.

 

[Neith]

I love direct...

It's light and won't get your hair greasy, but it's very moisturizing. I get decent slip from in too.

I do know it's protein based... so maybe it's bad for protein sensitive people. My hair likes like proteins.

I apply it on dry hair at night before braiding my hair up. I also use it right after deep conditioning.

 

[LikeNoOther]

I tried this years ago, after reading all the raves on this board. My hair was DRYYYYYYYY. It was horrible. I returned it the next day! Based upon the posts in this thread, I see that if I would have continued trying different ways of using it, it may have worked out for me. At this point, its not worth re-visiting . I have my staples, and am happy . As with any product, though, YMMV.

 

[SouthernTease]

I use it daily right after co-washes
and then whenever I rollerset I add water...
I like it... it works for me...
I found something I like better but
I will probably continue to use this
too... it has lots of good stuff in it...
I seal with oil so I don't have issues
with the hard/crunchy hair...
but overall everything ain't for eveybody...
everyone should try it for themselves first...
a lot of companies do free samples
and I know target & bed bath and beyond
sell Giovanni products in samples sizes

 

[KissyKissyLuv]

Though it is a leave-in, I put it in my daily moisture mix. It is great stuff.

ps: SouthernTease your hair s looking really good!

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

I loved it, then I hated it... then I just got used to it.

Now that I ran out the other day in the middle of blowdrying, I realize how much it meant to me... The stuff does an amazing job in getting my hair to come out silky when I use my blowdryer. I thought I could just use something else but I was mistaken.

I will most likely be buying it again.

Ummm whew!! I was about to say! You're the one who sealed the deal for me when I first inquired about this stuff(thx again). Remember you mentioned putting some on dry hair was great, or something along those lines. And I was sitting here while reading that and grabbed the bottle and tried it out right here. And you spoke the truth!! And I've been hooked ever since. It's awesome for me on both wet and dry hair!! Giovanni ain't going NO WHERE!

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I really wanted to love this product but I have tried this a few times for a rollerset and always end up washing my hair again. It makes my hair hard to comb and I lose lots of strands.erplexed

I have not yet tried it on dry hair. Since I have not thrown it in the garbage yet, I will see how it does on dry hair this week.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

It does nothing for me, relaxed or as a nappy head. I tried many times to give Giovanni a try, convinced that perhaps I wasn't using it correctly. Every time I've been disappointed and have given it away to my mother. I've learned my lesson.

 

[thebraudgroup]

I used it yesterday, and it was crap! I'm sticking with the Nexxus Weightless Leave in!

 

[Irresistible]

unbelievable this stuff got major raves!!!!!!

 

[zzirvingj]

I use it daily right after co-washes
and then whenever I rollerset I add water...
I like it... it works for me...
I found something I like better but
I will probably continue to use this
too... it has lots of good stuff in it...
I seal with oil so I don't have issues
with the hard/crunchy hair...
but overall everything ain't for eveybody...
everyone should try it for themselves first...
a lot of companies do free samples
and I know target & bed bath and beyond
sell Giovanni products in samples sizes

What did you find that you liked better?

 

[~*Tigget*~]

I am relaxed. I love this stuff as a leave in, its creamy and it instantly softens my hair. And of course gives a nice slip. I seal it w/ CO & amla oil. I only use a dime/nickle size as well as the w/ the sealing oils. My hair has benefited so much from coming to this board. I LOVE me some LHCF. You ladies are great. Thanks for shairng all the secrets, do's and don'ts. Love it!!!

 

[alexstin]

I didn't like it at first but now I really do, works great for my relaxed hair and dd's natural locks.

 

[Jade Feria]

I love Giovanni Direct. I use it as a leave in, and when my hair dries, it's soft and manageable. I always seal with an oil, but even if I don't, I've never had a problem with crunchiness or tangling.


What works for one may not work for another.