Noir Essence’s Hair Elixir is the one product that I bought at Afro Hair and Beauty. It was a brand that I had not heard of but I was interested in their small but perfectly formed range as it is founded by a black female French pharmacist (who is training to be a trichologist) who is based in London.
Noir Essence is an inclusive brand, it is a range for black hair regardless of whether it is relaxed, straight or natural and the focus is on hair growth and reducing breakage. The hair elixir is an oil that is housed in a plastic bottle with a nozzle which allows for direct application to the scalp. It can be used at a hot oil treatment or hair dress but 100ml would not have lasted any time on my locs. I love the nozzle but more then that, I love the fact that the nozzle screws onto the lid which means that it is really secure and there won’t be any oil leakages. This product retails at £25 so I have loved to see it in packaging that reflected that. The plastic is sturdy and functional but makes it appear more mass market then the ingredients and price suggest it is.
The elixir contains great ingredients jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, castor seed oil, hemp, baoab seed oil, ylang ylang, lemongrass, tea tree oil. The ylang ylang is the strongest note in the fragrance, which leaves the scalp fragranced without being overwhelming. There are no stimulating or tingling oils in this blend which is a benefit. There is Benzyl Alchol in the elixir which is a naturally occurring alcohol which is often used a preservative. The elixir is the fourth step in the Noir Essence Regime, which contains a shampoo conditioner hair lotion and the elixir which focuses on strengthening.
I am prone to an itchy scalp, especially when I get stressed or tired and this helped with that a lot. Also as I tend to wear my hair up at work I sometimes find that if my ponytail has been too tight or there has been a straight pin digging into my scalp, the application of this oil soothed the sore spot. I have been applying it more or less twice a week – really massaging it into my scalp. I can’t say whether it has strengthened my hair or reduced breakage, but it has definitely reduced the itchiness.