Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Review

This is a review on Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream .  I found this product while perusing the shelves of the African American hair product section of Walmart.  The great attraction was the fact that the product had Shea Butter in it and I was looking for a "leave-in conditioner" for my 3b/c natural curly hair.

Like many African American "naturals," I'm in search of that ONE perfect hair product that will settle my argument with my head full of thick 3b/c hair.  To date, my tresses have been winning!  Will this product be the one?  Let's see... 

I washed my hair and followed-up with my Suave Strawberry Conditioner that I "completely" rinsed out.  While my hair was still "wet," I then applied the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner.   I applied small, quarter-sized dollups until I felt that I had covered each strand.  I allowed my hair to "air dry, as recommended by the products instructions.

This is what my hair looked about 30 minutes after originally applying the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner to my hair.  If you look closely, you will see that there are still sections that the Cantu hasn't been absorbed yet.

Hair is shiny and the curls are continuing to define themselves.  The best thing to do, when applying a product to wet hair and air drying, is to LEAVE the hair alone.  This will help to alleviate frizzy hair when the drying process has been completed.

From this picture you will are able to see that there has been "some" shrinkage.  However, this is normaland experienced by all natural hair wearers with all products that they use to style their tresses. 

I did notice that hair was starting to feel a little "crunchy" but I gently pulled and recurled small sections at a time with my fingers. At this point, you can also apply a small dot of jojoba, coconut, or any other essential oil to your hands.  Then gently run your fingers through your tresses and this will quickly resolve this issue.

Curls were shiny and soft to the touch after hair was completely dried. I must remind you that you will see white residue on your hair if you have "used" too much of the product or the product was not evenly distributed in hair.

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 absorption and intensive conditioning.

Controlling Frizz

Apply daily to split ends or damaged areas. Comb through and let dry naturally.

Pros

• This is a deep, penetrating leave-in conditioning treatment.
• Stops and Mends Hair Damage
• Protects Hair From Heat Damage
• Hydrates and Moisturizes Hair with Shea Butter and Natural Oils
• Will Leave Hair Soft, Shiny, and Manageable
• Formulated for Severely Dry, Damaged, and Coarse Hair
• Helps to Promote Strong, Long, and Healthy Hair

Product Warning:

Wait 24 hours after hair coloring to apply any styling or conditioning product. Avoid applying any styling or conditioning product directly on new growth. Always remove or neutralize chemical treatments before applying any styling or conditioning product. Hair burns, keep away from flames.

Keep out of reach of children.

• This product is water-based and does not work well with Eco Styler gel and other gel-based products. However, it seems to tolerate oils.
• This product is also a "protein" rich and which is not necessary for "natural" hair wearers on a "consistent" bases, unlike our "relaxed" counterparts.
• Will Leave a Residue if you Use Too Much
• Doesn't have a HOLD quality to it.

Overall, I've liked the results that I've seen with the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner. It gave me similar results when I tried leaving in a "regular" conditioner as a style product. However, my stylist instructed me that this was not good over a long-haul for my tresses. She informed me that my hair would become limp and listless down the road. I quickly abandoned that method and was surprised when I achieved the same results with Cantu.

Some users have reported quick, fast, and steady hair growth with this product.  Other naturals who are in the texture range of 4a-c find this product a great detangler!

Cantu does not play nice with most other gel-bases products. This is important to naturals since we usually use more than one or two products to style our hair.

I will probably monitor my usage of Cantu since it is protein-based and naturals need "moisture" more than protein. Too much protein over a long period of time can cause the hair to become strong to the point of breakage.

This product gets 4 stars.

Let me know what your experience has been with this product!

Naturally Free to be Me!