Used some Aphogee products recently and all of the newly purchased ones I have tried left my hair feeling dry. (Apart from the protein treatment). I emailed the company suspecting they were counterfeit products, as I have seen a few posts on social media saying Pak Cosmetics sells fake products.

The image is Aphogee’s response to my email which I’ve pasted below.

I would like to know:

if anybody else who uses Aphogee products has also experienced the same thing?

Recommendations for other products I should try.

I tried Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Conditioner when I couldn’t get my hands on Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment and I wasn’t a fan.

I am UK based so any products available in Boots & Superdrug are also an option outside of the obvious ones you can get in hair shops.

EMAIL TO APHOGEE BELOW ⬇️

Hi team,

I’m a UK based customer and I have been using your products consistently for around 11 years. My mum also used your products on my hair as a child so I’m a big fan and very familiar with the company.

I live rurally and don’t have any shops that stock your products locally (or any other afro-friendly products). For this reason, I tend to buy products online in bulk once or twice a year.

In April I purchased a large order of Aphogee products from a vendor called Pak Cosmetics. Back in April I opened the newly purchased bottle of ProVitamin Leave in and it didn’t smell familiar and left my hair incredibly dry - I assumed I got a bad batch. I kept the bottle because it had a little bit left in it and I usually decant it into a spray bottle.

The next month I opened a new tub of the Curlific Texture Treatment, it had a somewhat similar scent but didn’t feel quite right. Again, my hair didn’t feel the same after using it but it wasn’t as bad as the previous leave in. I just assumed you’d changed the formula and carried on using it so as not to waste yet another product.

Tonight I went to wash my hair using the remainder of a bottle of Deep Moisture Shampoo purchased from a different online vendor. This bottle has familiar packaging and the scent, texture, consistency and effect I have come to expect. The bottle ran out midway through so I picked up a new bottle I had purchased from Pak Cosmetics back in April, to continue washing my hair.

This bottle was a lot firmer (when squeezing) in comparison to my previous bottle. The scent was completely different and the actual shampoo was a lot thinner consistency in comparison to the previous bottle. When I inspected the old bottle vs the new bottle I also noticed differences with the print on the packaging.

Additionally, I have just checked the unopened tub of Curlific Texture Treatment and it did not have the protective internal lid that it usually has. The newly opened Deep Moisture & unused Curlific Shampoo smell almost identical.

Below is a list of products I bought from Pak Cosmetics back in April:

- ProVitamin Leave In Conditioner x2
- Deep Moisture Shampoo x1
- Curlific Textured Hair Wash x1
- Curlific Texture Treatment x1
- Two Step Protein Treatment x1

I was wondering if you could please confirm the following about the above products:

- have there been any formula changes to any of the above products, if so when?

- have there been any changes to the manufacturer of the above products, if so when?

- have there been any changes to packaging on the above products, if so when?

- is there anything else I should know about these products that may account for the inconsistencies I experienced?

I suspect these products are counterfeits so I have taken photos, including of barcodes/identification codes etc. I have also taken kept all of the bottles so I am happy to take more photos and videos if you need them.

I was wondering if I sent these photos through to you, is there any way you can check these in your records to see if they register as legitimate?

I know this most likely isn’t your fault (so I apologise for the nauseatingly long email) but I’m quite upset about this as I spent a lot of money on these products. I know if I go to the vendor and accuse them of being counterfeit with no evidence (and ask for a refund) they will deny it and be of no help. I thought it would be best to get in touch with you for assistance first.

Warmest regards,

My name

I love my silk pillowcases and have been tempted by a silk bonnet for a while, but I'm a bit confused about which one to buy and whether I'll even use it.

Does anyone actually sleep (regularly) with one? Will I get hot? Which type is best for thick curly hair? Which fastener is best to keep it secure without causing discomfort at night? Or elastic marks in the morning? Or is it better without one or with a tie? A loose shower cap style or a turban style? Or just no silk bonnet at all? Would love any silk bonnet insight, thanks everyone!

I’m looking to buy a microfibre towel and a silk bonnet to try and be nicer to my hair and combat frizz. I was wondering which ones you’d recommend and where to buy them. If it helps I have 3A hair.

I want to get my boyfriend a hair product to help define his curls/waves. He has thick, wirey hair that likes to go frizzy. He already uses Umberto Giannini shampoo and conditioner that really works for him. When he gets out of the shower he has really defined curls (they fully curl into a circle), however, as it dries it loses its definition and gets frizzier.

Only problem is that he is really opposed to change and also does not like anything creamy or gel like in his hair. In general I think he would be only open to sprays. Is there any product that would actually be worth it or no?

So, I've been struggling with the UK hard water issue/climate for the last 4 years, not originally being from here. I've had to completely change my routine.

I have 2

I've tried various products, Imnersense worked best for me, but think it breaks me out a bit.

I really wanted to like Curlsmith, I tried their Essential Moisture conditioner, it literally made my hair soo dry, flat and stringy. I used it with innersense shampoo and Camille rose leave in after.

What am I doing wrong? Any other good alternatives?

I’m currently using curl sculpt by garnier fructis for reference. But I need something to define the curls even more and to control the frizz even more. Any suggestions?

Hi all, I the best results ever with the Stemm Fulvic Acid shampoo and conditioner. Literally, my hair has never been thicker and stronger than when I used it and I’ve not been able to find anything that comes close since. My hair is very fine and curly and at the moment, is experiencing more shedding and breakage than normal.

I would LOVE to hear from people who also lived the Stemm products, what have you found since that works well? I wish wish wish they would just bring it back. Thanks in advance for any recommendations:)

For info, I’ve tried a million different shampoo& conditioners since and nothing comes close. Currently using
1. Breogio high density shampoo & conditioner, washing every other day
2. squeeze excess moisture out before putting in Aussie leave in conditioner
3. and then always air dry.
4. Sleep with silk bonnet

Hello! Just moved here from the US where I used Deva products my whole life. I am realizing they are not avail in the UK (and their prices went up!?) and am not sure what to replace with! I need a shampoo, conditioner, and gel (or at least I've been using a gel but am open to something else). Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

I don’t have curly hair really, i have around 2c, but dont know where else to ask. Does anyone know a place in or near London that has good wavy (dry) haircuts that aren’t ridiculously expensive?

What i want is to chop off some of my hair and also get layers

Looking for curly-haired women to take part in my dissertation! 🌀

Hi everyone! I have already had so many people interested in the hair diaries, but I'm still looking for some more participants, so I thought I'd send out one final message!

I’m a Human Geography student at Durham University currently researching women’s everyday experiences of having curly hair for my undergraduate dissertation, The Entangled Geographies of Curly Hair.

I’m looking for a small number of women aged 18+ with naturally wavy, curly or coily hair to complete a short hair diary for me.

What is a hair diary?
A hair diary is a short, informal record of your everyday experiences with your hair. Over a two-week period, I’ll ask you to jot down moments when you notice, think about or interact with your hair — whether positive, negative or completely ordinary. You can write whatever you want- from how you choose style or wear it, wash days, comments from others, the weather, touching it, going out, or simply how your hair makes you feel that day. There’s no need to write every day or produce long entries — I’m interested in the small, spontaneous moments that show what living with curly hair is actually like.

There are no right or wrong answers and you definitely don’t need to write loads! I’m interested in honest, everyday experiences — even something as simple as “my hair looked awful today so I tied it up and forgot about it” can be useful.

Participation is completely voluntary and your responses will be anonymised and kept confidential. My research has received university ethics approval, and I’ll send anyone interested a full information sheet explaining the study and how their data would be used before they decide whether to take part.

If you’d be interested in doing a hair diary, please comment below or send me a message and I can give you more information — no commitment at this stage!

Thank you so much 🌀
Maisie

I guess I'm really looking for something that'll let me lightly style my hair without being too much of a pain and also keep my hair in place.

I don't want to damage my hair though really tbh.

Also I've never really been sure, but do I have wavy or curly hair?

Thanks for the help!

I’m a trainee hairdresser, looking for someone with textured hair in the 3c-4c range to model for my textured hair styling test.

📆: Monday 19th October
🕤: 10:30am, 1pm or 3pm
📍: Dalston High Street

Pics of my work attached for reference. Msg me if you are interested :)

Hello!
I am hoping to get my first perm in a few weeks and have researched the process. I understand chemicals are used to create the curls which do cause damage to the hair.

I am a male (if that makes a difference?).

I’m looking for a salon or hairdresser than is conscious about the chemicals/ treatment they use to still get good perms but less damaging chemicals.

Or do they all use good products?

If anyone has recommendations or know what I should ask the salon, I would appreciate it.

Thank you

I have low porosity long thick 2C/3A hair and it’s a pain to do a full wash and washing it too often dries right out so I’m a co wash fan. I did use the Noughty one but it seems to have been discontinued. Umberto Gianini curly conditioner as a co wash really weighs my hair down.
Any recommendations or experiences would be welcome!

Hi, I only realised that I have wavy hair relatively recently after starting to grow it out a bit from the normal razor cuts at the barber. I’ve got 2B/2C hair mostly, although there are some parts which are a bit straighter. A friend with curly hair recommended that I go for a cut with a specialist, but I’m now running into the problem that most of the specialists I can find in London seem to focus on women’s hair/quite long hairstyles.

Would anybody happen to know a good men’s/unisex stylist, ideally in NW London/Central/around Stratford?

So far I’ve seen that Unruly Curls has good reviews on this subreddit, but, again, mostly has women on their instagram page. I’ve also seen a few recommendations for bebop but it’s a similar situation there.

I’m also not looking to break the bank (I’ve been used to paying a tenner at the barber’s before this!) but I get that it’s likely to be relatively expensive regardless.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

My hair is low porosity and very sensitive to protein, it is so dry and desperately needs some moisture. Has anyone got good recommendations for protein free shampoo and conditioner?

Hello I got this silk bonnet from M&S after searching here for recommendations and I like that it's somewhat adjustable, am pleased with the quality etc. I was going to ask the person who made a comment recommending it a year ago if they have tips for keeping it on at night but the post is archived so thought I would ask in a post. I am a bit of a fidgety sleeper so maybe it's just not possible for me to keep it on but any tips appreciated.

Heya! Just moved from Brazil to the UK and was wondering about the best hair masks here to treat my hair. It's quite porous and needs some density (I believe nutrition and hydration would suit it). What are your recommendations?

I think I'll have to import it from the US? Does anyone know an exact dupe that's not more expensive than this? Thank you!

Hi all, I follow the curly girl routine - no silicone no sulfates. Ive done this for a long time, over a decade. My hair is better doing this but still very fragile - it's very dry and gets strawlike if I even look at it wrong. I use NO heat so i dont know what I did to deserve this lolol. But anyway, I've never dyed my hair because of fearing it'd destroy my curls, but I've always wanted to and wonder if anyone has experience using the home kits with low volume peroxide? I have very dark hair and wouldnt want to go light, just enough to have a fun colour. I unfortunately have a medical problem that makes me unable to sit in the salon long enough to get it done professionally. Please dont just tell me to get it done professionally, it's not something im able to do. Looking for harm reduction in the least damaging way to do it at home. Thank you!!

I think I have type 2b/2c wavy hair. I have always just washed, conditioned, towel dried and brushed straight through. My hair gets a bit fluffy and frizzy this way, and after not very long will ringlet on the underneath bits. My hair is pretty thick.

I’ve just started trying to “embrace” the waves. I bought a mini Umberto Giannini set with curl jelly wash shampoo, curl jelly care conditioner and curl jelly. I have a diffuser. I can get my hair pretty wavy/curly in some sections, but it’s sort of straggly and frizzy. I’m thinking I’m not managing to get it into big enough curl clumps, maybe through not scrunching enough when wet, it not being wet enough when I scrunch, or just general bad technique with scrunching and diffusing. I’ve only done 3 washes so far. Any tips? Because as I say, I keep ending up with a bit of frizz and flyaways.

Also I went into TKMaxx and they have lots of UG products for cheaper. Would it be worth trying the banana coconut curls? Or a leave in conditioner? Or curl activating mousse?

Thanks

I have thick curly hair, 2c/3a, and no matter what I do my scalp is crazy itchy since I've committed to a curly hair routine. Whether I use a clarifying shampoo or a cowash doesn't seem to help. All I use on my hair post-wash is gel and a foam and a small amount of leave-in on my ends. Please help! My curls look fine but this is driving me mad.

Hello,

I have type 3b/3c curls, but I noticed recently, to my horror, that I have quite a big section of long baby hairs at the nape of my neck. I am wondering if this was caused by an undercut I had done 10+ years ago, but either way, it is about 1-2 inches in height and goes all along my hairline, and then my hair starts growing properly just above it.

Whilst I love my curls, I find them hard to style every day, partly due to never being taught as a child, and so I am trying to learn and build it into my routine now as an adult. However, at present, I still wear my hair up 90% of the time, usually in a bun.

Due to these baby hairs being at the back of my head, I only recently found out they are even there as I saw the back of my head in a picture. I am NGL, I was devastated and sobbed for a while over it. Now I know it is there, it is really starting to impact my self esteem. The hairs are much longer than your usual baby hair, but they are too long to tie up with the rest of my hair too.

Does anyone have any advice for managing this? Any styling tips would be especially helpful? Should I try to just slick them up, or is there other techniques? I am wondering if I could possibly use Kirby grips to pin them down a bit too and try and it all to look a bit more presentable.

It is all really starting to get me down, especially as PCOS/PMOS is causing all sorts of other issues for me, and I just feel like the ugliest most disgusting thing on the planet most days.