Straight Arrow Mane and Tail Conditioner
My hair grows very quickly - I routinely grow it out to my waist, donate it to Locks of Love and then start over again. Because I know the hair needs to be very sturdy, I try to take good care of it and wash it with something that is gentle but does its job well.
I also seem to get allergic reactions to some conditioners - which is odd because in general I don't think I'm allergic to anything else. There are several conditioners I've tried which make my skin tingly and sensitive. I've therefore been hunting for a shampoo / conditioner pairing that does not cause a reaction.
I heard from two different people that I should definitely give the Straight Arrow Mane and Tail Conditioner a try. This is sold in large containers at many discount stores, as it's literally meant for horses. These people said that it worked wonderfully well for their own hair as well.
At least where I have found it, it only comes in a large size which is unwieldy to manage in a shower. I realize its large size is great for washing large horses - but for us small humans, it's a bit large to hold. The pouring spout is on the small size, so holding the heavy container upside down and squeezing it to get the liquid out is also tricky. I would have to take off the main lid and pour out a portion into a smaller container.
The liquid itself is yellow in color and is somehow THINNER than the shampoo is. So where the shampoo is thick on your hair and doesn't necessarily get into every nook to clean it, the conditioner which SHOULD cling and coat your hair and stay there for a few minutes to soak in seems to drip off quite easily. Not only that, but with the other conditioners I've tried over the years, when I come out of the shower I am able to take a wide-toothed brush and gently comb out my hair without much trouble. With this conditioner it is tangled and I have to be very careful to pull slowly so that I do not break the hair. So it doesn't seem to detangle very well.
Now, that all being said, I didn't have any reaction to this conditioner at all. It does provide some slight conditioning value. And it's cheap, sold in large volumes.
I could see someone buying the large containers, pouring it out into smaller ones and using those. It's a great frugal way to keep your hair conditioned. That's just a lot of work for me for a conditioner that seems too thin. I have several other options I use instead which are thicker, come naturally in smaller containers and do a good job conditioning. So as much as I think this is a cool idea, and perfect for some, I don't use this myself now.
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