Over Thanksgiving break, I came home with a suitcase of what felt like 20% clothes and 80% hair care items from Luster’s Products.
To kick off World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, Luster’s, a Black and family-owned hair company for 66 years, sent me a few products from their rebranded collection, and some original items of the brand, to test out.
Having grown up using Luster’s, I believed that bringing these products home to the family who introduced me to it would make them ideal candidates for assessing the Shea Butter Coconut Oil, Pink Essentials and Natural Oil Blends lines.
Like most Black women with natural hair, I was a little skeptical when it came to adding these products to my wash day routine. In the early 2010s, the Natural Hair movement shifted a lot of what I thought I needed, and I started moving away from essential products that influencers told me were “bad” for my hair.
However, this experiment proved, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
My core favorites of the line came out to be the Pink Repair & Strengthen Masque for deep conditioning with a heating cap, the Pink Repair & Strengthen Natural Oil Moisturizing Lotion for twisting up my hair and the Pink Glosser for giving my hair some shine after blow drying it.
The scent of the Glosser was so nostalgic of elementary school, sitting in a tiny purple chair the day before picture day whenever my mom, Loretta, used that particular product. After using these new items, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of reminiscence as well.
“I grew up watching Soul Train and using the Luster’s hair products,” Loretta said. “The oil moisturizers reminded me of my childhood and I was so excited to see the company making a comeback and trying the new updated line. Bring on the commercials.”
The oils weren’t my preference, as I generally avoid using any oils since they often result in dryness for my scalp, which, unfortunately, was the case with this collection. Instead, I choose to use Blue Magic Hair Grease to moisturize which is also a staple in my household. I think some might think it is too heavy of a product, but I use it for everything from braid outs to wash-and-go’s. If Luster’s were to add a hair grease to their collection I would be eager to try it out.
My sister, Jasmine, and I have a tighter curl pattern compared to my mom. She enjoyed the hair oils but noticed that a few of the products did not work for her hair.
“Many of the products did not have a lot of slip,” Jasmine said. “Having more slip in my deep conditioner is a must and it made it a little hard to detangle. [However,] I’ve used hair milks before and these ones didn’t weigh my hair down.”
Up until recently, my brother, Joshua, got really into haircare whether it was wearing a bonnet to bed or defining his curls. He conveyed that the products are going to be essentials as he continues on his hair journey.
“The Comfort Oil and the Super Hydrate and Shine Masque really made my hair look shinier and curlier,” Joshua said. “I never knew these products could help me put new additions to make my hair look and feel better.”
All in all, I think the four of us are looking forward to trying the shampoos Luster’s line offers and seeing where this goes long-term.
End rating: 8.5/10.