Cantu Shea Butter Products Review

 (I haven't tried the No Drip Hair & Scalp Oil yet)

I'm terribly late on doing this review, but here I am. ;-) I blame preggie land, lol. So if you checked out my last video on YouTube, you already know I've been using Cantu (specifically the Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream & the Super Shine Hair Silk) . I even wrote a post about it a few weeks after I bc'ed.

 If you didn't check out my initial post on Cantu, here's what I do.

1. First, I apply Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream. I was sent a box of their products! This stuff smells like fruit. Yums.

2. Then, I put either the Cantu Shea Butter Super Shine Hair Silk or Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my hair.

3. I rub Eco Styler Styling Gel throughout. The way I rub it in, it pretty much defines the curl.

I'm pretty much still doing this regimen. (I've started using Suave & Aussie conditioners as a leave in too. I'll let you know how those work out)

So let me start off with the review for the Leave In.

Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream  ($5.99/16 oz) Jar Says:

Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning  Repair Cream is an intensive deep penetrating leave in cream conditioning treatment that is made with pure Shea Butter and other natural oils to stop and mend breakage, repair split ends, and add manageability and shine with every application. When used daily Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream helps promote strong, long, healthy hair.

Cantu Shea Soft Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream helps...

• stop and mend hair breakage
• repair split ends and reduce frizz
• protect hair from heat damage
• hydrate and moisturize with Shea Butter and natural oils

 Ingredients:  

Water , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Propylene Glycol , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , PPG-1 Trideceth-6 , Cetyl Alcohol , Glycerin , Stearalkonium Chloride , Trimethylsilylamodimethicone , Panthenol , PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether , Lanolin Oil , Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride , Acrylamide Copolymer , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein , Benzophenone-3 , BHA , BHT , Zea Mays Oil (Corn) , Idopropynyl Butylcarbamate , DMDM Hydantoin , Phenoxyethanol , Fragrance

 Directions:  

* Daily Styling – Apply to towel dried hair. Work a generous amount of product into hair beginning at the roots to the tips. Comb through for even distribution. Do not rinse. Apply more to

 longer hair at the ends or problem areas.

* Leave In Treatment – Apply as directed for “Daily Styling” just after shampooing. Re-apply and cover with a plastic cap overnight for maximum absorbtion and intensive conditioning.

* Frizz Free Hair – Apply daily to split ends or damaged areas. Comb through and let dry naturally.

My Review:

In a nutshell, I love the Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream. :D I apply it to my hair after washing & dc'ing usually. It's the 1st thing I apply. My hair eats this stuff up & it makes it very soft. I rub it throughtout. You don't need a lot. I mostly use the cream when my hair is wet or damp. I've used it a few times on dry hair & it still defined my curls and moisturized my hair. The leave in cream does have a tendency to build up in my hair so I have to make sure I only use a small amount on dry hair. I can get away with using more on wet hair. I just try to make sure I don't overdo it.
 

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Super Shine Hair Silk ($6.99/ 6 oz.) Bottle Says: 

Cantu Shea Butter Super Shine Hair Silk provides super shine for all hair types without heavy, tacky buildup that weighs hair down. With pure Shea Butter, Cantu Shea Butter Super Shine Hair Silk also works as a treatment for frizz and split ends by bonding to each hair strand, filling in voids on the cuticle layer of the hair, and leaving hair stronger, healthier with brilliant shine.

Cantu Shea Butter Super Shine Hair Silk helps....

• moisturize dry brittle hair without heavy build up
• strengthen hair to prevent breakage
• protect hair against heat and UV damage
• reduce frizz and repair split ends

Ingredients:

Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea Butter), Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil (Meadow-Foamate), Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk, Fragrance (Parfum) (Parfum)

Directions:

*Daily Styling – Apply approximately a quarter size amount of product onto the surface of the hair down to the ends.  Comb through for even distribution.  Do not rinse.  Apply more to longer hair at the ends or problem areas.

*Reconstructive Treatment - Apply to damp, not wet, hair.  Apply a generous amount of product onto frizzy or distressed area.  Wrap hair in a warm, wet towel.  Leave on towel for up to 20 minutes. 

Comb through for even distribution. Style as usual. 

My Review: 

This is good stuff. The Hair Silk makes my hair very soft and it provides this shine to it. It's a serum so it has a very smooth & silky consistency. I apply it after the Leave In & let me tell ya'll they go great together! The Hair Silk does have cones in it so you'll need to use a clarifying shampoo to wash it out it thoroughly if you want to use this every day.

I'm officially a fan of Cantu Shea Butter now :-) Like Cantu Shea Butter on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/CantuSheaButter . I forgot to mention how good their products smell too. :D I can't use products if they stink no matter how good the ingredients are. 

Have you tried the Cantu products?? Did you like them? Yay or nay?

Note: Cantu sent me their products at no charge. I'm not obligated to write a positive review in return. My review consists of my honest opinion of the products.

Make sure you are following me on Twitter & Facebook for more of my ramblings about hair and anything else I want to talk about. :-)

Product Yay: L'Oreal EverStrong Reconstruct Shampoo

It's product review time! When I first moved to Houston in September, I discovered I was almost out of shampoo. After I ran out, I started to use my husbands Head & Shoulders...That didn't last long. H & S always dries my hair out. Thankfully, I ran across L'Oreal EverStrong Sulfate-Free Fortify System Reconstruct Shampoo at one of my trips to Walmart. I bought it and I've been using it ever since.

Price: About $6 Ingredients: Aqua / Water / Eau, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycol Distearate, Glycereth-26, Decyl Glucoside, Parfum / Fragrance, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Ppg-5-Ceteth-20, Amodimethicone, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Peg-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, C11-15 Pareth-7, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Glycerin, Trideceth-12, Laureth-9, Linalool, Tocopherol, Limonene, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Juniperus Communis Oil / Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil / Rosemary Leaf Oil, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid Product Description: Introducing formulas so gentle, yet so strengthening. Free of harsh sulfates, the EverStrong Sulfate-Free Fortify System contains our patented Bio-Ceramide Complex, which strengthens the hair fiber after just one use, helping it resist breakage. Rich lather and natural aromatic properties from rosemary and juniper help energize and invigorate the senses. My opinion: This shampoo says sulfate-free, but that's not entirely true. If you look at the ingredients, you'll see Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate. According to Naturally Curly, these are sulfates. They are just more gentle and not harsh. From Naturally Curly: Sulfate-free "This designation refers specifically to the anionic surfactants sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl ether sulfate. These cleansers are very strong and can be quite harsh for delicate, curly hair. This is especially true for those with chemically processed or dry, damaged hair. (This does not apply to any of the sulfosuccinate cleansers, which are much more gentle detergents, and which are not sulfates, strictly speaking)." So when you see sulfate-free it just means that the more harsher sulfates are not in the product. I really like this shampoo. It's very gentle on my hair and it doesn't dry it out. One thing I don't understand is why there's sodium hydroxide in it. Yep, it's right there next to the last ingredient. I notice that some hair products have sodium hydroxide in it, but I don't understand why it's needed-even a small drop of it. The hair can be cleaned without it. (I may do some research on this) I would recommend this shampoo to anyone because it is indeed gentle and I've had no problems with it. I really like it.

Have you ladies used this shampoo?

Make sure you are following me on Twitter & Facebook for more of my ramblings about hair and anything else I want to talk about. :-)

Cutting Hair/New Products

So....I'm thinking of taking off an inch of hair every month until I'm natural. Next week I'll be 5 months into my transition :D (oh yeah!) & I'm so anxious to see my natural hair. I'll also be measuring my new growth each month to see how long it is & updating ya'll on HairGurl. My hair is really coming along. :-) New products alert!: I've been using L'Oreal EverStrong Reconstruct Shampoo for weeks. It's sulfate-free too. The sweet folks at Longhairlovers sent me some products to try as well. Annnnd.....if you follow me on Facebook you know that recently I picked up the Suave Professionals Almond & Shea Butter Moisturizing Conditioner. I may be leaving some stuff out... So as you can see I have a few product reviews coming up! ;-) Stay tuned to see if they're a yay or a nay. Pic from Thirsty Roots

Make sure you are following me on Twitter & Facebook for more of my ramblings about hair and anything else I want to talk about. :-)

Product Yay: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

So I'm back with a product review! The very kind people over at Tropical Traditions sent me a very generous 32 fl. oz jar of Virgin Coconut Oil. Of course, I was excited because I lovvvvve coconut oil. They even have a whole page just for virgin coconut oil. Click here to check it out.

What the Jar Says: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is made from organic, fresh coconuts in rural areas of the Philippines. Only the highest quality organic coconuts are hand selected for use in our Gold Label brand, and the pure coconut water from inside the coconut is used to extract the coconut milk using traditional methods. Small-scale family businesses produce this oil in small batches, taking great care and pride in their work. All aspects of the production, including packaging, are certified organic according to the strictest standards. This product has been tested repeatedly in laboratories to show that it contains the highest amounts of antioxidants available in Virgin Coconut Oil, earning our designation as Gold Label Standard. Tropical Traditions was the first company to export Virgin Coconut Oil out of the Philippines, and continues to set the standard today for the finest quality Virgin Coconut Oil available.  

My Review: I know a lot of people use coconut oil for various reasons, but I use it strictly for my hair. :-) I've been using specifically on my hair to seal after I wash & apply my leave-ins. It makes my hair so soft! I thought I would notice a difference between this virgin coconut oil & extra virgin coconut oil, but I didn't. According to TT's website, "there is no difference between "virgin" and "extra virgin." This TT virgin coconut oil is 100% organic virgin coconut oil so I don't have to worry about other ingredients mixed with it. ALSO, I applied the oil to my entire scalp earlier this week and I haven't had dandruf since! I'm loving that because I've always been plagued by dry scalp. : \ I'm going try using the Tropical Traditions brand as a pre-poo and see how that works out too.(Sidenote: I'm noticing that my hair absorbs coconut oil more than it used to.Hmmmm. Still investigating.)  

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would-especially as a scalp treatment! Check out their website at www.tropicaltraditions.com for more information about their oils. Note: Tropical Traditions sent me a free jar of their Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut Oil. I'm not obligated to write a positive review in return. My review consists of my honest opinion of the product.

 

Make sure you are following me on Twitter & Facebook for more of my ramblings about hair and anything else I want to talk about. :-)

Product Yay: WEN & Length Check!

Length Check, almost 7 weeks post

I just finished washing my hair with my beloved WEN. The nice people over at WEN sent me a free bottle of their Sweet Almond Mint cleansing conditioner to try out.

So......here's what the bottle says: Rinse hair thoroughly, then apply 16-24 pumps of WEN to your palms and rub together. More, for longer and thicker hair. Apply to your scalp, massaging vigorously, and add a splash of water to create a foaming effect. WEN has no detergents or Sodium Laurel Sulfate, so it won't lather. Massage vigorously for 1-3 minutes, comb through hair, and leave on at least 3-5 minutes, for maximum conditioning. Comb through and rinse hair thoroughly, massaging scalp and running fingers through to the ends. Apply a dime size as a leave-in conditioner if desired.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat, Protein, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polysorbate 60, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Amodimethicone, Citric Acid, Menthol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum, Limonene. Now the first time I used WEN I kind of just slapped it in my hair. I didn't really do a good job at applying it to my scalp and massaging vigorously like the bottles says. I can be impatient like that sometimes.....so I won't tell you about THOSE results. Not Good. Needless to say, I followed the directions from then on. lol

HG How It Is

I've used the cleansing condish about 4 or 5 times and it gets better each time. I'm serious ya'll. This condish really does clean your scalp. You have to make sure you really get it into your scalp. Massage your scalp extremely well. Adding some water (like the directions) to your hair makes for easier distribution of the WEN. This is what gets your scalp clean. I use only about 10-12 pumps for my hair. The sweet almond mint really invigorates my scalp. For the past week I'd been having major dandruff problems with the front of my head. The WEN and a quick ACV rinse cleared up that problem right up. My scalp feels very refreshed. :-) I definitely recommend this condish. ;-)

For more information about their products click here!

*Note: WEN by Chaz Dean sent me this product free of charge. In addition, I was not compensated. My reviews are always based on my honest opinion. I test out the products thoroughly so that I am able to give the most accurate review.*

Product Yay: Brush Love!

Product Yay time.:D I love trying out products and actually liking them. Liking them is such an added bonus..... Brush Love graciously sent me some brushes to try out awhile ago.(about 3 months to be exact). I like to test out the products that are sent to me extensively. I have to be totally sure about them. I don't post reviews after trying products out after a day or a week because what if something breaks, etc. You just never know....I was amazed by Brush Love though. BL offers amazing brushes, mirrors, and other beauty tools for the product junkie. I have to admit....I was anti-brush up until I received the package of brushes in the mail. I thought brushes contributed to unnecessary damage. Turns out I've just been using the wrong brushes. Now I'm love with BL's brushes....well 2 in particular. My favorite brush is the Brushlab Pronto Ionic Nylon Bristle Hair Brush. I use this brush the most! I love it. This brush is so gentle on my hair. The nylon bristles are also static resistant which is a huge plus for me. My hair gets very static-ky (is that a word?) in the winter....

Here's a pic of mine. It's a little more "used" than the one of their website. Coming in at a close second would be their other brush called the Brushlab Pretty Pink Dual Mirror Brush Combo Hair Brush.

How cute is the mirror on the back of the brush? I'd never seen a brush like this one. :D This is one nice paddle brush. It's very gentle on the scalp.

If you're looking for a new brush you definitely should head over to Brush Love! Such cute brushes at affordable prices. :D (Did I also mention you get a free gift with every purchase and a 366 day return policy?) Yes, I said 366. Check them out! *Note: Brush Love (http://www.brushlove.com/) sent me these brushes free of charge. In addition, I was not compensated. My reviews are always based on my honest opinion. I test out the products thoroughly so that I am able to give the most accurate review.*

Product Yay: Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer!

I'm so mad at myself for trying this product so late! Grrrrrrrr......Needless to say, this is an excellent leave in. As you guys know I relaxed almost 3 weeks ago and this is what I put on my hair while it was damp from deep conditioning.

Check out my relaxer photos here. Okay so anyway, my hair felt so amazing after flat ironing. It was very soft and strong! I could definitely feel the keratin over my hair. The heat from the flat iron pretty much sealed it in. This product is also recommended after a chemical service.....

There are no cons to speak of about the restructurizer. A little definitely goes a long way because I didn't really use that much of it. I love this stuff!

Now don't get me wrong.... I still love the Silk Elements Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray. It's just that the Aphogee makes my hair feel TOTALLY different. The Silk Elements Spray provides more a light-weight feel to my hair. The Aphogee makes my hair feel stronger. This is officially one of my new staples. :D

Off to watch a movie with the hubs.....night ya'll!

-K.D.

Product Yay: Deity America

For the past 4 or 5 months I've been using Deity America's Deep Penetrating Conditioner. The Lowdown: I'd seen this before in a beauty supply store and at CVS, but I didn't anything of it. It didn't look special to me as I wasn't looking to spend any money on trying something new. So a little bit after that I walked into CVS one day and a promotional model for Deity America approaches and hands me some free sample of the shampoo and conditioner. Sidenote: I'm a promotional model too so I always love meeting other models. :-) So I mosey on over to the hair care aisle (which is the aisle I go to first anyway) and began looking for these green products. From the prices, I know immediately that I will only buy one thing. I like the sound of the deep conditioner so I pick it up, purchase, and move on my merry way. By the way, the conditioner was about $11. My New Staple: This is now one of my favorite deep conditioners! Go figure. I washed my hair and just used the last bit of conditioner tonight. So now I have to buy some more.lol It lasted a good little while though and I use it every week. Faithfully. It makes my hair so strong! It's really an unbelievable conditioner for my hair. 5 Tidbits About the DPC 1. It's brown and it looks like mud....seriously. :-) 2. All natural ingredients- just check out the link in the first sentence 3. Great for shedding and breakage 4. Strengthens hair- (that's the protein in it) 5. Nice smell Have any of you lovely ladies tried this condish? Did you like it? Let me know!

Product Yay: Silk Elements! Pt. 2

So a couple of months ago I tried Silk Element Megasilk No Lye Relaxer and the Heat Protection Spray (which as you all know is a new product fave of mine). Soo...

While on Silk Elements splurge, I picked up the Revive & Restore Hair Mayonaise. It was a deal too. I got the pack for 50 cents! This was a wonderful treatment. It made my hair feel like a rubberband. I had sooo much elasticity. I haven't found too many products that make my hair feel rubberbandish (is that a word?). I will admit that I had low expectations of the mayo treatment, but after this one use that definitely changed my mind.

Check out the ingredients: Water, glycerin, polyquaternium-4, behentrimonium methosulfate, stearyl alcohol, dicetyldimonium chloride, olea europea (olive) fruit oil, lanolin oil, phenyl trimethicone, dimethicone copolyol, tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia) leaf, hydolyzed collagen, silk amino acids, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, pantothenic acid, egg oil rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, capsicum frutescens fruit extract, hydolyzed keratin, sodium laureth sulfate, dm dm hydantoin, fragrance, yellow 5 CI 19140 Now for the bad news....I think Sally's may be discontinuing this product. I'm not sure though. I couldn't find the jar size in Sally's and it's not online either. They have other Revive & Restore products, just not the mayo treatment. Regardless, this product still gets a thumbs up from me!