Welcome to my new column here on Sweatpants and Coffee, Making It Up As I Go Along. First, I want to say I am not a beauty expert. I am just a 30-something, slightly beauty-obsessed woman making it up as I go along. My reviews are always honest and full of real talk. If something is pricey or doesn’t work, I will tell you. If it’s worth the cash, and it’s the best thing ever, I will tell you that, too. I will only bring you products I love and trust. I hope you enjoy, and if there is a beauty topic you are dying to dish about or a new trend you want to know about drop me a comment below!

Winter is fast approaching. With it comes fuzzy socks, hand cream, and for me, winterizing my hair. No, I’m not talking about adding antifreeze to my conditioner. I mean conditioning my hair for the harsh winter ahead. I do so with my favorite beauty trick: coconut. I love coconut oil. From my shower scrubs to oil pulling, my pantry is constantly stocked with jars of this pure gold.

My winterizing routine includes coconut oil treatments, blowouts on low heat with a diffuser, scaling back on my color treating process, and protecting my hair from the heat of my curling iron. This winter along, with my biweekly coconut treatment, I have fallen in love with a new-to-me product on the market: RenPure Coconut Creme Shampoo and Conditioner. I don’t like to load up on product. My only other product aside coconut wash and oil is light hairspray.

Y’all, it has been life changing. The hair game is strong.

Let’s go over the basics of my routine.

Biweekly Coconut Oil Treatments
This can be done less or more often, depending on your level of dryness. I was a weekly treatment kind of girl before discovering Repure. This also helps me with protecting my hair from the heat of my irons by making my hair stronger.

How it works: Coconut oil is a rockstar because instead of sitting on top of your hair, it penetrates the shaft of your strands, repairing from the inside out.

What to do: Put on an old t-shirt or go topless. Coconut oil is an OIL after all, and it can stain your clothing. On your dry hair, smooth in the refined coconut oil straight from the jar.

I like to rub it between my hands a bit so it melts down. I start at the ends of my hair, eventually working my way to my roots. If you have oily hair already, then less is more. I let it sit in my hair for 45 minutes. You can shorten this time if you blow dry your locks on low for 15 minutes. It’s totally your choice. Simply rinse and wash your hair when done. You may need to shampoo a couple of times to make sure you aren’t left looking like an oil slick.

Results: Beautiful, shiny, bouncy locks. I mean really guys. Not too mention your hair will smell fantastic.

Blowouts on Low
I only wash and blow out my hair two to three times a week. Depending on your hair texture, you might need to vary how often you do this.

How it works: Blow drying can do a serious number on your hair, but if you’re like me, it’s an absolute must. Especially if I want my hair dry, you know, this decade. Blow drying on low with a diffuser will really cut back on frizz and flyaways. If you are working with curls, just follow your curls with your round brush. If you want natural curls, you can get the same controlled look by blow drying upside down and scrunching.

What to do: Using a large, round bristle brush – you know, the ones that take a layer of skin off you when you accidentally come into contact with the bristles. I blow dry in a downward motion. It takes a while. Especially for my fellow long, thick and wavy girls.

The results: Smooth hair, smooth controlled hair.

Coloring Less
I know this is not a fan favorite. There is a very fine line between roots and skunk stripes. I don’t go crazy. Instead of my normal five to six weeks in between coloring, I stretch it to seven to eight weeks.

How it works: Coloring can really dry you out. If you are using box color at home and don’t want to extend, then you can switch to a more hydrating product and increase your treatments.

What to do: If you have drastic roots like I do, then it can quickly become apparent that you need to touch up. I make sure my hair is styled, either in curls or braids. I rarely wear it straight in the winter because my roots stand out more when straight. Try some simple updos or just relax and let it go, girl. It’s just a few roots.

Results: Less damage, less trauma to your hair and scalp. This is really a personal preference tip.

Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner from Renpure
Guys, this product. I can’t even with this product. I stumbled on it a few weeks ago at Marshall’s. I am always up for trying new things, so I gave it a go, and my hair has not stopped thanking me. After trying and falling for it, I reached out to them. I don’t do that very often, but I wanted to share it with you guys in the most fun way possible.

I spoke with John from Renpure about their family business. Here is what he had to say:

Decades ago, my dad began working for his dad’s very small hair care brand. They started in the garage. Every day, he filled bottles, screwed on caps, and mopped the floors. As that company began to grow, so did the number of his siblings involved with the company. Over time, this brand grew into one of the largest privately owned hair care brands in the world, Aussie. (Note: another favorite of mine.)

Other than growing a successful company with his family, what my dad appreciated most about his time working there was having the opportunity to form strong, lifelong bonds with his dad and siblings . My dad wanted his kids to have the same experience as he did.

In 2008, my dad founded Renpure with a simple idea. Create a hair care brand that would eliminate the use of unnecessary chemicals, would outperform nearly all salon brands, and most importantly, would be affordable for anyone. With this philosophy to drive us forward, our company has become one of the fastest growing sulfate-free brand for the last three years. We have no tricks up our selves, and no secrets to hide. We are just an authentic brand that offers real value to our customers.

Fast forward to today, and here were are, Renpure, a family owned and operated brand. For us, the kids, what we’ve enjoyed most, besides getting to work with each other, is knowing that we have a truly authentic position in the marketplace. We aren’t some huge conglomerate, owned by a parent company, rooted in banking. We are just a small, family owned business, that makes quality formulas for our family and yours.

The Redmond Family 2015

Pretty inspiring, huh? Now that you know a little background on Renpure, let me tell you about the shampoo and conditioner I tried out.

How it works: First off, the Coconut Milk shampoo and the Coconut Creme Cowash both boast a really awesome set of qualities. Zero sodium chloride, sulfates, dyes, harsh salts, parabens or gluten. ZERO peeps. That is awesome. I have been trying to get away from those things in general, particularly sulfates in my shampoo which is what drew me to this brand in the first place.

Remember what I told you about putting coconut on your hair? How it penetrates each strand? Now picture that in shampoo and conditioner form in your shower every time you wash your hair! You are giving your hair the star treatment with every wash.

Did I love it: Did I love it? Well, let’s see. I got three compliments on my hair from complete strangers in one week. One of which included the words “strikingly gorgeous.” I mean, come on, guys. It doesn’t get much better than that. My hair feels light, soft, and smells amazing. It’s also healthy. There is natural bounce to my curls and they are holding for longer even without hairspray. My color looks vibrant. I am in love. LOVE. Straight up.

Is it worth the price: For 16 fl. oz. it’s 12.99. You can get it at a few different retailers, including Target, and of course, online. I picked mine up at Marshall’s for less than retail, so that is pretty exciting. I am frugal. Ok, that’s putting it lightly. I am fairly cheap. For me to throw down cash on a product, it needs to be amazing. I would absolutely 100% buy Renpure at regular price. It’s worth every single one of my pinched pennies.

There are other products out there. For sulfate free shampoos, you are looking at anywhere from $7 for L’Oreal to $28 for Aveda. Renpure falls right in the low to mid range for pricing.

Coconut oil and sulfate free shampoos? You are in the same wide range of $6-$30 range.
So for me, Repure covers all the bases in one product and makes my wallet happy.

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