Qhemet Biologics
Back in 2004, Felis Butler began her mission to cater to kinkier textures of hair. She believed that naturals in the 4c category had become the most frustrated with this texture, even though there was no reason to be. Pulling from her background as a historian, she was inspired by indigenous ancestors who embraced their hair in all of its textures. With the right combination of ingredients, Butler was able to create a rich, multipurpose, top of the line brand of products for the ingredient-conscious natural.
Qhemet Biologics was the first natural haircare line to feature MSM, which is essential for hair growth and health. QB is also shea butter-free, vegetarian,cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and formulated specifically to address the needs of those struggling with dry, tangle-prone hair. The products also conform to the stricter EU and Japanese cosmetic safety standards, which means they do not contain mineral oil, silicones, sls, phthalates, parabens, dmdh hydantoin, triclosan, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, diazolidinyl urea, or imidazolidinyl urea.
Burdock Root Butter Cream
The Qhemet Biologics line in entirety is huge, but I definitely have a few favorites in the Burdock Root Butter Cream, Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee, and Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter. Let’s dive in!
Ingredient List
Distilled water infusion of Burdock Root Extract, Nettle Leaf Extract, and Oatstraw Extract, Olive Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Wheat Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Steralkonium Chloride, MSM, Citrus Limon & Citrus Aurantium (Essential Oil Scent”>, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin (food grade paraben and formaldehyde free preservative”>
Performance
“Lighter than the Amla & Olive Heavy Cream, this lusciously rich formula softens and nourishes normal to dry hair. Our Burdock Root Butter Cream is a light, water based leave-in for fine haired naturals, straight styles and those looking for a light penetrating moisturizer. It conditions and softens while nourishing the scalp. Leaves hair healthy, soft and supple!”
Top Ingredients 411
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Distilled water infusion of Burdock Root Extract, Nettle Leaf Extract and Oatstraw Extract: Burdock Root is rich in fatty acids that stimulate blood flow to the scalp, nourishes and strengthens hair follicles, to promote healthy hair growth and improve the overall condition of hair. The silica and phytosterols in burdock help soothe irritated scalp conditions like dandruff, decrease breakage and repair hair while adding sheen, hydration and luster. Nettle stimulates the scalp, improves circulation, and helps promote fuller, more radiant hair. Nettles have a long-standing reputation for preventing hair loss and making the hair soft and shiny. Oatstraw has emollient qualities promotes softness, body and shine. It contains nutrients that aid in healthy scalp maintenance and hair growth. Oat straw tea brings out highlights in blond hair.
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Olive Oil: Olive Oil is rich in high levels of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is good for hair growth. Both mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E are good for moisturizing, protecting and nourishing hair. Olive oil makes hair grow stronger and its emollient properties prevent hair loss.
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Vegetable Glycerin: Humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
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Wheat Extract: Rich in essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and anti-oxidants that promote hair strength, growth, nourishment, shine, elasticity, and regeneration.
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Cetearyl, Cetyl and Stearyl Alcohols: Fatty alcohols and emollient conditioners known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
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Stearalkonium Chloride: Cationic surfactant derived from stearic acid, a fatty acid found in plants and animals. It is an antistatic agent, and positively charged salt that attracts and binds proteins, which are negatively charged. It is found to increase luster and improve the condition of wet or dry hair, often serving to detangle the hair.
Performance
I love everything about the Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream. As indicated in the description, it is an awesome alternative to the Amla and Olive Heavy Cream – which although incredibly nourishing, I found to be a wee bit too heavy for my transitioning tresses. The Burdock Root Butter Cream is creamy enough to thoroughly moisturize my hair, while being light enough to not make it feel greasy or weighed down. A little bit definitely goes a long way, which means the 8.5oz jar will definitely last a long time. It has an airy, citrus scent that doesn’t linger and won’t bother allergies (I’ve discovered that my eyes itch line crazy and I sneeze forever if fragrances are too strong”>. I love to use the Burdock Root Butter Cream when my tresses are especially parched, as a mid-week and sometimes daily moisturizer. It also makes a great foundation for wash n’ go’s, twist-outs, braid-outs, and other stretched styles. The thing I love the most about the Burdock Root Butter Cream is that my hair soaks it up – leaving it light, moisturized, soft, and strong, minus the grease-coated feeling.
Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee
Product Claim
“Our thick, rich cream softens and detangles with pure Cocoa Butter and nourishing botanicals! Restores manageability, softness and elasticity to normal to very dry hair. Smooths cuticles, improves combing ability and reduces breakage.”
Ingredient List
Distilled water infusion of Nettle Leaf Extract, Barley Extract, Horsetail Extract, Pure Cocoa Butter, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, MSM, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin (food grade paraben and formaldehyde free preservative”>
Top Ingredient 411
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Distilled water infusion of Nettle Leaf Extract, Barley Extract, and Horsetail Extract: Nettle stimulates the scalp, improves circulation, and helps promote fuller, more radiant hair. Nettles have a long-standing reputation for preventing hair loss and making the hair soft and shiny. Barley is high in niacin content, which promotes and stimulates hair growth. It is also known to make hair incredibly shiny and improve elasticity by laying down the hair cuticle, thus improving moisture retention. Horsetail is nourishing and hydrating, stimulates blood vessels in the scalp and has been used for centuries as a hair growth herb. The silica in horsetail helps to keep hair strong and adds shine and luster to hair.
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Cocoa Butter: An anti-oxidant rich, nourishing, moisturizing, shine enhancing, and UV protecting emollient known to help reduce damage to hair, soften, and stimulate growth.
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PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate: shine-enhancing emollient and plasticizer found primarily in hair care products. It provides a silicone-like feel, can enhance shine in hair products, and high solubility of UV filters, improving SPF value.
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Cetyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohol and emollient conditioner known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
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Behentrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola”>. Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
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Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine: Vegetable oil-based (rapeseed”> cationic surfactant used to condition the hair, smooth the cuticle, and provide slip without excessive buildup.
Performance
First things first: the Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee smells heavenly – thanks to the cocoa butter. When I think about detangling products, the first things that come to mind are thinner consistencies, a little runny (if not liquid entirely”>, and definitely containing ingredients like marshmallow root with tons of mucilage and slip. Definitely not a shiny, light-buttery looking product. Needless to say, I was skeptical. However once I used it, I definitely saw why many naturals and bloggers rave about the Detangling Ghee. It works. Well!!! I prefer to use it on freshly washed damp hair to finger detangle or in conjunction with my Q-Redew, although it works well on dry hair too. It really does somehow melt the tangles away and make it easier to catch shed hairs. Because of the awesome nourishing ingredients, you can feel free to leave it in as a moisturizer, too! My only wish is that the Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee came in a 16oz jar, because I’m so heavy-handed with product.
Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter
Product Claim
Use this thick, rich butter to soften and maintain twists, braids and loose hair! Ideal for dry, highly porous hair! Use as a body butter too! Softens thick, extra dry hair with an ultra rich blend of Pure Olive Oil, Mango Butter and Rice Bran Oil! A touch of plant wax helps reduce frizz and smooths edges and soy extract adds humectancy. Use sparingly. A little goes a long way.
Ingredient List
Olive Oil, Mango Butter, and Rice Oil Blend, Behenyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Soy Extract, Plant Wax, Phthalate Free Fragrance
Top Ingredient 411
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Olive Oil: Olive Oil is rich in high levels of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is good for hair growth. Both mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E are good for moisturizing, protecting and nourishing hair. Olive oil makes hair grow stronger and its emollient properties prevent hair loss.
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Mango Butter: Rich in beta carotene, essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E. This ingredient also helps to treat dry skin and protect against future dryness.
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Rice Oil: Vitamin E rich oil high in ferulic acid and esters that stimulate hair growth. Rice oil also contains antioxidants, such as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, that have been shown to nourish hair and improve elasticity and shine.
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Behenyl Esters: The end result of the hydrogenation of castor oil, acting as an emulsifying and conditioning agent.
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Cetyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohol and emollient conditioner known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
Performance
For me, a reoccurring theme with the Qhemet Biologics line is “things that shouldn’t be possible but are”. An ultra nourishing cream that isn’t to heavy for transitioning hair. A cocoa butter based detangler. And now, with Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter, we have a butter that really doesn’t act like a butter. What I mean is that it looks like a whipped butter, but the consistency and performance is so far above and beyond that of a regular butter, I almost want to call it a thick pomade. It is super creamy instead of really oily when rubbed between the hands, and makes an excellent sealing product as well as styling – especially for stretched styles like twist or braid-outs. It leaves hair shiny and soft without feeling greasy or full of buildup. It is also great to sleek edges for a polished bun, puff, or ponytail. I also love the mango-y tropical and slightly floral fragrance. A little bit of Aethiopika goes a long way, so you can count on having that 5oz jar for quite a while! As an additional bonus, I accidentally left my Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter in my car one afternoon in the blazing hot sun for hours. When I returned to my car, I panicked and hoped to high heaven that it hadn’t melted (sometimes product consistency and performance changes when they melt”>. I was SUPER relieved that the consistency of the butter had not changed whatsoever. It was warm, but not liquidy, gooey, or melted to any degree. Amazing!
Have you tried any products from the Qhemet Biologics line? What are your favorites?
