Hi! I’m alive!  My sincere apologies for the posting hiatus, my real life job got in the way and I’ve also been trying this new thing called “Don’t Spend All Of Your Money On Beauty Products Because You Need To Pay Rent And Eat.”  So in the spirit of frugality, today I have a post for you on one of my latest budget beauty discoveries: Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream.

Photo Credit: sallybeauty.com

Now I know that the word “cholesterol” paired with packaging straight out of 1965 might not be all that appealing at first glance, but there is a reason the Queen Helene brand has been around since the 1930s.  QH products have been used by generations of women because they’re high quality and incredibly affordable.  I guarantee your Mom or Grandma has a tube of the Queen Helene mint julep face mask somewhere in her bathroom.

The OG of face masks

The Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream popped up on my Amazon recommendations, and since Amazon is the greatest gift to mankind and has never failed me, I figured I’d give this actual tub of lard a shot.  Here are the details:

• An intensive cholesterol conditioner that penetrates severely dry, damaged and chemically-processed hair.
• Strengthens and conditions; gives added moisture to sun-dried, over-processed hair.

• With regular use, hair regains softness, healthy sheen and long-lasting manageability.

This product clearly is not for those of you blessed with naturally great hair.  This product is for people like me who put their hair THROUGH IT – bleaching/coloring, chemically processing, heat styling, sun exposure, etc.

If you’ve been less than kind to your hair, or just have naturally dry, curly hair like me, this stuff will seriously work some miracles.  Even better, it’s cheap!  You can get a 15 oz. tub from Amazon for $6.99 and I’ve seen it cheaper at Walgreen’s, Sally’s and CVS.

How To Use

This stuff can be a bit tricky to use, and my first couple tries I didn’t use it correctly and thought I had wasted $7 that could’ve gone to much better use at Taco Bell. Thankfully the kind souls of the internet pointed out the correct way to get the most out of it:

1. Shampoo as you normally would.  Towel dry hair.
2. Grab your tub of cholesterol (doesn’t that sound…sexy?), mix a small handful of the cream with a squeeze of your favorite conditioner and a little bit of warm water.
3. Apply all over hair and work in as you would shampoo.  This cream is great for your scalp, too.
4. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap.
5. Heat up a damp towel in the microwave for 45 seconds and put the hot towel over the shower cap.  This is KEY.  If you don’t use heat, the cholesterol just sits on top of your hair without sinking in and you’ll be left with a greasy, limp mess when you rinse it out.  You need to warm it up and melt it in.
6. Hang out for 30 minutes to an hour.  When the towel feels cool, get it damp, heat it up again and throw it back on your head.  I usually reheat the towel 2-3 times during the course of an hour.  Yes, this sounds like a lot of work, but do what I do and refill your wine glass each time you heat up the towel and I promise you will be having a great time. Bask in the glow of self care.
7. Rinse out thoroughly with warm water and apply a small amount of conditioner.  Let that sit for a second or two and do a final rinse with the water as cold as you can possibly stand it.

I do this treatment at least once a month, twice if I can remember to, and it leaves my hair super soft, shiny and I swear it feels thicker.  That may just be wishful thinking but I’ll take it.

Not even my terrible bathroom lighting can dull that shine

Are you a fan of Queen Helene?  Have any budget beauty recommendations?  Let me know!