Be Kekoa is a line of products for all textures of hair created by salon owner and healthy hair artist, Brandie Kekoa. Not only do they have some lovely products, but they are unique in how they source and produce one of their key ingredients, tamanu oil.
Per the brand’s website, “Brandie is very passionate about her company’s mission to empower women to exude pride and confidence in their natural curly hair. They inspired her to develop her Be Kekoa product line. Believing that the health of your hair is the foundation to any amazing style, Be Kekoa’s Healthy Curl product line was created with that being her core focus. The Be Kekoa product line promotes the restoration and maintenance of your hair, while bringing out your individual, natural beauty.”
One of the star products of the Be Kekoa line is the pure tamanu oil essential oil blends. This mix is sustainably sourced and ethically produced while containing absolutely no fillers, additives, or silicones. It is 100% organic with the addition of selecting two out of several 100% certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils based on your specific hair repair and concerns. Not only that, the Be Kekoa tamanu oil is the only hand-pressed, sun-dried tamanu oil on the market! By extracting and sourcing the oil this way, none of the nutrients inside get lost.
What is pure tamanu oil used for?
In addition to being high in antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and vitamins A and E for the skin, it also promotes the following benefits for hair:
- stimulates the scalp and encourage growth
- strengthens and regrows thinning edges
- adds natural luster to dry, dull hair
- prevents breakage on natural and chemically treated hair
- heals split ends
- calms an itchy, flaky scalp
- protects hair from damaging UV rays
- locks in moisture on chronically dry hair
- reduces the signs of aging hair and skin
As mentioned earlier, Be Kekoa allows you to select one or two from several essential oils to add into their tamanu oil. I selected Geranium for my blend to encourage hair growth and lavender to fight hair loss and soften brittle hair. Other essential oils to choose from include juniper berry, rosemary, Hawaiian sandalwood, ginger, grapefruit and lemon.
My first impression
The oil comes in a convenient pump bottle. Since there are no added or artificial fragrances, the scent is quite a strong, natural, earthy, and nutty, which is not my favorite. However, the performance and results far outweigh the scent. So far, I have used this oil to seal my wet hair and also on dry, days old hair. I have also used some a few times as a pre shampoo treatment.
My review
Any way I use it, the results have been wonderful. The oil is lightweight and absorbs into my hair and skin almost instantly. Whenever I pump too much, I like rubbing the rest into my cuticles. Not only did this oil leave my hair with a nice dose of shine, but my frizz was significantly cut down and overall, I felt like my hair was more manageable. I also like how this oil blend protects my hair from harmful UV rays, which I will be taking full advantage when the summer arrives.
The brand’s stance on giving back…
“Be Kekoa is the first and only brand to ink an exclusive contract for the sustainable sourcing and production of Tamanu Oil in French Polynesia. This Fair Trade agreement empowers families economically while compensating them for their knowledge, time, and work in handcrafting Be Kekoa Tamanu Oil. To this point, Be Kekoa Tamanu Oil is the only Tamanu Oil on the market made with the Mana and blessing of the people of Huahine. The nut from this rare Tamanu tree is highly sought after for its unparalleled healing powers, but none have been able to capture its pure maximum potency until now. Be Kekoa Tamanu Oil is produced in small batches, following the ancient custom of hand-pressed crafting by a small network of families on the French Polynesian island of Huahine. The sacred, indigenous process takes nearly a year to complete–and the end result is the rich, powerful, deep brown healing oil.”
By sourcing and importing their tamanu oil directly, Be Kekoa is providing fair-paying jobs and better lives to the people of French Polynesia.
You can find Be Kekoa Tamanu Oil, along with a whole line of products on www.bekekoa.com and @bekeoa on Instagram.
Special thank you to Christina from Mane Objective @maneobjective for allowing me to source additional information from her awesome blog. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check her blog out!
For more, please check out my blog, Diane Mary Beauty and follow me on Instagram and Twitter @dianemary126.
