I attended the launch of the award winning hairdresser Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil range a couple of months ago and talked about it here. I’ve been using the product regularly and so it’s time to share my thoughts.
“Before I launched this range I spent over 6 years on the formula, branding, artwork, website, product packaging and development.” Charlotte Mensah
The range is formulated for dehydrated, undernourished and damaged hair. It is not specifically an afro hair range although clearly that is Charlotte’s forte. The products share a very subtle clean yet slightly spicy scent. This is due to the chilli, clove and oil extracts that are in the products. Historically they have been used to stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss. Their inclusion reflects Charlotte’s Ghanaian culture. The quantities of these ingredients are low in the products but clove and chilli can be irritating on the scalp. I confirmed with Charlotte that this products were safe for use on the scalp and I do not have any issues with them when I use them. If you have scalp sensitivity however it is worth doing a patch test.
There are some lovely botanicals used in the range including castor oil, shea butter, olive oil and of course the hero ingredient – manketti oil. That said, this is not a ‘natural’ range. The serum is silicone based and the products have a standard formulation.
Manketti Oil Shampoo
The formula is very moisturising and did not strip the hair at all. It lathers nicely and rinses out very easily (thanks to the coconut based surfactants). I used the product on the scalp with no irritation and I found it brought out the colour on the lengths of my hair.
Manketti Oil Conditioner
Another moisturising formula thanks to the castor oil. It left my naturally very tight curl pattern quite loose and stretched which does not usually happen. It facilitated a quick and neat retwist which is always a bonus. The lengths of my hair were hydrated without being heavy and again it rinsed out easily.
Manketti Oil Serum
I used this from the mid lengths of my hair down to the tips of my hair. Generally I don’t use serums on my hair as frizz is not an issue for me. It has a very light texture so I used it after applying avocado oil to finish the hair. I also did a braid out with the serum which lasted well.
This range gets a thumbs up from me. My favourite product is the conditioner which I found really hydrating without being heavy. The range works together but you can also slot your preferred products into your existing regime. I’m looking forward to seeing the range develop. I would love to see a pure manketti oil developed next