Up North Naturals: The Real MVP

Background
I fell in love with Up North Naturals  ("UNN") in late 2016. I found out about the brand because two naturally curly influencers I follow, @inkedcurls and @amberjanielle, posted wash & go tutorials on YouTube featuring the brand.  After watching these videos, I purchased the original full line.

Up North Naturals is a Canadian brand founded by Lisa, a woman who "big chopped" after years of wearing chemical relaxers. Lisa created a phenomenal and complete haircare collection that includes a cleanser (shampoo), conditioner, leave-in conditioner (milk), hair lotion (styler), jelly (styler), butter, refresher spray, oil and edge control.  Insert Mary J. Blige here singing "you're all I need, to get by." Seriously, Up North Naturals is a product line that meets all of your natural hair needs.

What makes UNN special?
1) Transparency (every single ingredient is listed)
2) Intoxicating light scents (citrus)
3) Consistent Results (every time)
4) Safe ingredients (sulfate, silicone, paraben and phthalate free)

Clean Curls Cleanser
This shampoo is a great clarifying shampoo. I like to use this shampoo if/when I have product build-up and it has been 5-7+ days since my last wash day. The star ingredients in this product are the African Black Soap, mint and rosemary. A little goes a long way with this product. Also, the shampoo creates a great lather.

Would I re-purchase this shampoo? Probably not. While I enjoy it, I generally prefer a more moisturizing shampoo. I wash my hair every 3-4 days and generally don't need a shampoo that is super duper clarifying.

TLC Replenishing Conditioner
This rinse-out conditioner is extremely moisturizing and because of that, I like to use it as a deep conditioner. It is so thick and I like to use it for closer to 15-20 minutes as opposed to 3-5.

Would I re-purchase this conditioner? Probably not. While I enjoy it, I have to use a lot of product each time. I get about 3 uses out of an 8oz bottle.

Go-2 Leave-In Hair Milk
This product is likely my favorite product in the whole line. While I enjoy all of the UNN products, I really love this one. I love this product so much I ordered the gallon size (which is only available 1-2x a year. Go hard or go home....) I also like that this product pairs well with products from other lines. The UNN Hair Milk has a beautiful citrus scent that comes from essential oils. It is moisturizing, has tremendous slip, and it does not weigh hair down. I use this as a base for a wash & go, finger coils, and braid-outs as well.

Would I re-purchase this leave-in conditioner? YES, YES, AND YES. This is a holy grail (HG) leave-in conditioner for me.

Twist & Curl Butter
The hair butter is used by many for twist-outs, braid-outs or bantu-knots. I typically do not use butters on my hair but I like to use this one on my ends when I do braid-outs. Also, Lisa shared that she used this butter to help re-grow her edges. While my edges are okay (thanks be to God), I do use this butter on my edges several times a week. With this butter, a little goes a long way. I do not use this styler as frequently as I use the others. I noticed on instagram that  a lot of women with 3c-4c hair like to use this butter for twist-outs-braid-outs.

Would I re-purchase this? Yes. I will not need a new one for awhile. But I do believe that my edges are thicker than they were prior to using this product.

Curl Ease Styling Lotion
This product was not part of the original line. It was released in 2017 or 2018. This is best used when it is paired with the Hair Milk. This styling lotion has a cherry scent and a lightweight consistency of a runny lotion.  While the consistency is somewhat runny, the hold is a soft/medium hold. I enjoy using this product the most when I do finger coils. In the fall/winter/spring of 2017-2018 I layered the styling lotion on top of the milk and always had consistent results every time. This styler can be used as an alternative to the gelly. I exclusively use this product with finger coils. I find that my hair does not have as much movement when I use it for a wash & go. But for finger coils? Game-changer!

Would I re-purchase this? Yes. I want to try it with braid-outs and love what it does for my finger coils! I am fully-stocked though and will not need to re-purchase this for a bit.

8-Oil Gelly
This gelly is unmatched because it is moisturizing and provides a nice soft/medium hold. I have not found another product that delivers in the way that this product does. The consistency of this jelly reminds me of a jam that you might apply to a pb&j sandwich. The citrus scent is similar to that in the Hair Milk. A little goes a long way with this product so the 8oz container will last you awhile. I enjoy using this product for wash & gos and I pair it with the Hair Milk. There is a slight cast with this product that can be scrunched out easily.

I also like to use this product when I wear my hair in a high puff. I use it to slick down my hair into a ponytail.

Would I re-purchase this? Absolutely! There is no other gelly like it.

8-Oil Blend
While I generally do not get incredibly excited about hair oils, I really enjoy this oil. Also, UNN sells little nozzles (twist-off caps) on the website so you can easily apply the oil to your scalp. I used this oil as the O in the LOC method (leave-in, oil, cream) when I did braid-outs. I now use it to scrunch out the crunch and also on my scalp for my nightly scalp massages. The rosemary and sandalwood scents jump out the most to me in this blend.

Would I re-purchase this? Absolutely! I use this several nights a week for nightly scalp massages. Scalp massages with oils can stimulate hair growth!

Edge Control
The UNN edge control is unlike those from other brands. The same citrus scent from the gelly and milk are also found here.  The texture is thick when you use it, but melts into your hands and hair relatively easily. I actually do not really use this product to slick down my edges. I have some annoying flyaways, some of which are gray that tend to stick up when I pull my hair back into a ponytail. After I apply the gelly, I apply a little of this edge control and it holds those flyaways down. :)

Would I re-purchase this? Probably. But I won't need a new one for awhile. The container is small but I only use a little bit at a time.

Freshen-Up Hair Mist
The star ingredient in this refresher spray is Rosewater. If you have not used Rosewater in your hair YOU MUST. Rosewater softens the hair in ways that regular water does not. I enjoyed this refresher spray when I purchased it but I do not think I was able to fully appreciate it because I was still transitioning and had not yet mastered a wash & go.

Would I re-purchase this? Probably not. I struggle with refresher sprays generally. I end up using a lot of the product and only get 3-5 uses out of an 8oz container (irrespective of the brand.) I find that for my hair, in order to maintain a wash & go, I typically have to rewet my entire head with water and re-apply the styling products. So lately I haven't invested in refresher sprays.

So....that's a wrap folks! Hopefully my ode to Up North Naturals, particularly the stylers, helps you on your natural hair journey!  If you could only purchase one product from this line I would likely recommend the Hair Milk. If you can purchase two, I would recommend the 8-oil jelly as well! Not ready to take the plunge? Check out their minis! Also use code 'WELCOME' for your first purchase!

                                                                                                    - Rachel