Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross

I finally got a chance to try Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, a new haircare line for the curly, coily & tight textured. My question was the same as every other 4C girl – will Pattern work on my 4C hair? Let’s see what I found…

The base. My natural hair texture…

So let’s start here. Because everything else depends on it. My natural hair is a thin density, kinky 4C texture – straight up, no chaser. It doesn’t wave up when I wet it. It shrinks to half its length when the workout sweat hits it. And a few days after my twist out, it’s gonna get frizzy. That’s my hair in its pure, natural state.

Disclaimer. About 6 months ago, I tex-laxed my hair to loosen the curl pattern, just a bit. I didn’t think about mentioning that in the tutorial, so I wanted to mention it here. It’s important for the review.

I wore my hair 100% natural for years. But the sweat from my Jiggle Free workouts don’t play nice – at all. It wouldn’t retain the length and fullness I desired in my finished styles. I figured if I can’t wear it the way I want, why leave it natural? So, I tex-laxed it to stretch it out a bit, and I’m happier for it. Now, let’s get into my review.

Pattern – My expectations…

I’ve loved Tracee since Girlfriends. I didn’t even know who she was until that show aired. But she looks just like her mom, the legendary Diana Ross.

But me and Ms. Tracee don’t have the same hair texture, so I was skeptical. My followers and I all had the same question – will Pattern work on 4C hair? Despite that, I was super excited to try Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross and support a black woman making hair care products for black women. My hope was that the product would be truly nurturing to black hair. We need moisture & hydration. Products that nurture our hair, not dry it out. I deduced that a line created by a black woman would embody those qualities. That was my expectation.

Products in the line…

There are 4 products in the line: Hydration Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave-in Conditioner, and the Jojoba Oil Hair Serum. Let’s talk about all four.

Hydration Shampoo

According to the package, Hydration Shampoo “gently cleanses and hydrates.” It has a nice consistency and I was impressed that it suds sufficiently on the first wash. I usually have to shampoo twice to get the level of sudsing (is that a word??) I need to feel like I’m ridding my hair of dirt and product build-up. My strands felt hydrated and cleansed but not squeaky clean and stripped of all moisture.

Is it worth the $25.00 price tag? Perhaps. It did its job. But I’ve tried shampoos at a cheaper price point that give the same results, so I’ll likely stick with those.

Pattern Intensive Conditioner

The conditioner is where you customize the line based on your hair texture and needs. There are 3 formulas in the line: Medium Conditioner – For Curlies, Heavy Conditioner – For Coilies, and Intensive Conditioner – For Tight Textures. Since my hair tends to be on the drier side, I chose the Intensive Conditioner for Tight Textures for “extreme moisture & restoration”.

I really liked the feel of this conditioner. The thick consistency coated my strands and gave the right amount of slippage to detangle without excessive tugging or pulling. My hair felt sufficiently hydrated and moisturized and looked super shiny and healthy. That’s what I look for in a conditioner, so I might stick with this one!

Pattern Leave-In Conditioner

The Leave-in Conditioner, formulated to “define & moisturize”, is the flagship product of the line. For me, the leave-in is the crux of my twist out, setting the tone for my finished look. I normally use a water-based leave-in followed by a cream moisturizer sealed with oil to reduce frizz, and a gel-based product for hold (my haircare regimen). But for purposes of my review, I wanted to use only the Pattern Leave-in to see if it would deliver the “soft hold” as advertised.

So did it hold?!? Yes, it did! I friggin LOVED this leave-in! It delivered all the texture and volume I love in my twist-outs and delivered the soft hold it promised without leaving my hair stiff or sticky. My curls were textured and defined with very minimal frizz, which is exactly what I look for in my twist-out styles. Is it worth the $25 price tag. Yes! This product delivered exactly what my strands needed, so I’ll be keeping this one in the rotation for sure!

Jojoba Oil Hair Serum

The Jojoba Oil Hair Serum “moisture boost for hair & scalp” is applied last to seal in the moisture from the shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in. I loved that it’s super lightweight and infused with jojoba, safflower, rosehip and other natural oils to protect my low porosity hair from splitting and breakage. It left my strands feeling soft and moisturized and I’m totally here for it. An added benefit is the bottle and nozzle are configured to make it easy to hold and pump the product with slick hands. Y’all know what I’m talking about…

So did it deliver what it purported to? Yes. Is it worth the $25 price tag? I’ll say, yes, but. At 3.9 fl oz, you get a sufficient amount of product at this price point. However, the less expensive oils I’ve tried have worked just as well. My hair will tell the real story over time.

The Teeny Weens

If you want to give the line a try without breaking the bank, all the conditioners and shampoo come in a 3 fl oz travel-size called the Teeny Weens for $9. You can buy them individually or purchase the travel set for $25.

My final thoughts…

I really loved this haircare line. The products gave my dry, thirsty hair the hydration and moisture it needs to be happy and healthy. More importantly, Tracee and her R&D team took extra effort to create a line of products sans of harmful silicones and endocrine disrupting ingredients and instead opted for ingredients that are actually healthy for our hair. The result was my best twist out yet without using a gel product for hold. However…

The hold didn’t last. The next day my hair lost some of the definition and texture, which is always my struggle with wearing my natural hair. Especially since I workout every day. Is this a deal-breaker? Not for me. I’m creative, so I always find ways to style my hair to fit my active lifestyle.

What’s important to me in any haircare line is how healthy it makes my hair. The styling products are the makeup. The health of my natural hair is the healthy skin underneath.

I haven’t read any other reviews on the Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross line. I wanted to form my own opinions based on my hair needs and expectations. Have you tried the line? If so, what are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below.

For more educational content on the Pattern haircare line, visit https://patternbeauty.com/.