Luster's & Pink UK.

A name most Black British households recognise

Luster's has been making the Pink range since the 1980s, and Pink Oil Moisturiser Hair Lotion is one of the few products that has stayed on the same shelves that long without changing much. The line has expanded a long way past that one bottle, covering co-washes, masques, edge gels, children's products and finishing sprays.

It sits at the affordable end of the market without feeling cheap, which is why it turns up in so many family bathrooms.

The Pink lotions

Pink Oil Moisturiser Hair Lotion comes in Original and Light. Original is richer and suits relaxed, coarse or very dry hair. Light does the same job with less weight, and is the better pick for finer strands or for anyone who found the Original left hair looking greasy.

Neither is a leave-in conditioner in the modern sense. They are moisturising lotions for daily use down the lengths, particularly between washes. Use a small amount, work it through with your hands, and skip the roots. Luster's Shortlooks Sassafraz Quench Moisture Mist at 8oz is the spray equivalent, easier on short cuts and tapered styles.

Edges, sets and finishing

Three options for the hairline, and they behave differently. Pink Smooth and Hold Edge Gel at 4.5oz is the firmest. Pink Edge Smoother Gel at 2oz is a smaller, more portable jar. Luster's Renutrients Slick Stick at 2oz is a solid stick you swipe straight onto the hairline, which keeps your fingers clean.

For sets and wraps, Pink Spritz at 8oz and Pink Holding Spray at 11.5oz hold a roller set or a doobie overnight. Pink Sheen Spray finishes without the tack of a hairspray.

Wash day and deep conditioning

Two masques cover the main problems. Pink Super Hydrate and Shine Masque at 11.5oz is the moisture option. Pink Repair and Strengthen Masque, same size, leans protein and suits hair that snaps when stretched. Alternating them across a month works better than picking one and using it every week.

Pink Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner at 12oz and the You Be-Natural Botanical 3-in-1 co-wash at 16oz cover gentle cleansing. RevitaLEX Conditioner comes in a 20oz tub for anyone conditioning a lot of hair at once.

Children, naturals and hard water

The Pink Kids line covers a gentle detangling shampoo, a nourishing conditioner, Curl Creation Custard and a Frizz Free Curling Creme, running from 8oz to 12oz.

For natural textures, Pink Curl and Twist Pudding at 11oz and Pink Super Moisturising Curl Definer at 11oz are the two to look at. Both give definition without a hard cast. Hard water in the south-east dulls the shine these products are built to deliver, and a clarifying wash once a month restores it faster than another sheen spray will.