Product Review: Cantu for Natural Hair Define & Shine Custard

Hey y'all!

I'm back again for another product review! This week, I will be telling y'all about the Cantu for Natural Hair Define & Shine Custard. I bought this product at Walmart for $6. The reason I decided to try it was because I really like the Cantu for Natural Hair line. I have tried their Hair Lotion as well as their Coconut Oil Shine & Hold Mist and both have become staples of mine. I definitely trust the health of my hair to this line. The Cantu for Natural Hair line does not have any sulfate, silicone, parabens, or mineral oil in their formulas. These products that I've used so far are very light. They do a wonderful job of moisturizing and hydrating my hair, they don't result in a lot of build-up, they work well with with other hair care brands, and as an added bonus, they smell like coconuts! Like I said, I definitely trust the health of my hair to this line because it has not yet given me a reason why I shouldn't.

Originally, I went to the hair care aisle to get the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Gel Souffle. I have tried this product numerous times in the past, but I could never seem to find an effective or good way to use it. Despite frustrations with the product, I decided I would give it another shot. However, when I got to Walmart, I saw that they didn't have any of the Souffle, but what they did have was the Cantu for Natural Hair Define & Shine Custard. I opened the lid of the jar and saw that the consistency of it was pretty close to the Souffle and that the two products offered similar results. The Cantu product was also about half the price as the Souffle, so I figured it was a win-win. Also, like I mentioned before, I trust this brand, so I had no problem venturing off to buy it instead of waiting and picking up a jar of the Souffle from Target at the next opportunity. If the custard was made by another company that I don't really use, such as Carol's Daughter or Kinky-Curly, but it still was only $6, I can't say that I would have purchased it. I'm not saying that these brands are bad or that they are not brands to trust. I'm saying that I am not as familiar with their products as I am with Cantu. So for me, the ability for me to try this product stemmed from the trust I already had with the brand.

The Cantu for Natural Hair Define & Shine Custard is a product that helps elogate curls while providing a hold strong enough to make styles last. It is filled with moisturizing ingredients that quench the thirst of dry curls and adds definition as well. Some of the ingredients include shea butter, coconut oil, aloe vera, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and mango seed butter.

I used this product for two different styles:
1.) Wash-and-go
2.) Twist-out

Here is what I did to achieve both styles:

Wash-and-go:
I co-washed my hair using TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner. After I rinsed it out, I sectioned my hair into four parts and detangled. Then, I applied a little grapeseed oil to each section and also made sure to focus a little more oil onto the ends of my hair. The directions of the product say that you need to apply the custard to soaking wet hair, so after the oil was applied to each section of hair, I used a spray bottle filled with cold water to spritz my hair so it would be wet again. I do not spray my hair with the nozzle being on the stream spray. I only ever mist my hair because it allows for better coverage of the area. Also, I only sprayed the section that I was working on at that moment. I didn't re-wet my entire head at once. I took one section, took out a smaller section of hair, spritzed that smaller section with water, and then detangled a little more so that I could bring out my curl pattern. I then took a little bit of the custard and smoothed it through my hair. The hardest part of doing this was having to remind myself not to rake my fingers through my hair, but to just smooth the custard through. Because I had already detangled, there was no need to rake my fingers through. I did slip up at times out of habit and raked, but for the most part, I did do a good job of not raking. I took into account that my hair would be rubbing up against my clothes and it would probably end up causing frizzy ends, so I added a little extra custard to the ends of my hair so I could create a stronger barrier between my hair and my cotton dress. I followed these same steps all over the area of my head that needed it. Because I was doing a half up bun-half down style, I did not use the product on my entire head. On the section of my hair that was going into the bun, I used my Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie as my styler and to seal in the grapeseed oil. I also used some of my Eco Styler Protein Gel to slick my hair up into a bun.

I was satisfied using this product for a wash-and-go. It was easy to apply, and a little bit went a VERY long way! My hair was very shiny and I could tell that it was beyond hydrated! This product has a lot of slip because is has that silky, jelly type of feel, so I didn't need to use a lot of product for my styling. Though satisfied with the product I noticed some major differences between my day one curls and my day two curls:

Day 1: When my hair was still wet, my curls were elongated. However, once it fully dried, I had no elogation and a whole lot of shrinkage. I did not see any kind of curl elongation in the end result on the first day. I also had a layer of crunch on my hair, which I wasn't too fond of. Also, because my hair shrunk up so much, scrunching out the crunch wouldn't have done anything as far as making my curls loosen or anything. It still would have been that kind of fluffy fro. Part of this could have been due to the fact that I raked the product through accidentally, so my curls separated, making them smaller and tighter, which resulted in my fluffy slight-afro. So I'll take some of the blame on that one!
Day 2: I slept with a satin bonnet on my head and kept the back part of my hair in a loose pony tail. When I took my hair down the next day, by hair was SUPER full, soft, fluffy, and still very moisturized. I still didn't have much elongation, but because I had so much fullness, I didn't at all mind it.

In summary, I liked the results of my day two curls much better than my day one curls. What I'll do in the future is probably style my hair with the custard on Sunday afternoon so that I can wear it super cute on Monday and Tuesday! I didn't mind my day one curls too much and I can't say that I'll ever use this product again as a legitimate wash-and-go, but I wasn't a huge fan of the crunch and the shrinkage. However, next time I will try using a little less of the custard to see if that makes a difference in the amount of crunch.

Twist-out:
I followed the same steps I did when doing my wash-and-go up until applying the product. After I re-wet the smaller section of hair that I got from one of the four larger sections I made, I sprayed some of my Cantu for Natural Hair Coconut Oil Shine & Hold Mist onto my scalp and the small section of hair. I combed it through for even distribution, applied a little bit of the custard and then proceeded to put in a two strand twist. I did about 5 or 6 twists in each of the four sections of hair. I like to do chunkier twists for twist-outs because the style comes out less defined and much fuller, as opposed to doing smaller twists and getting a more defined, yet not as full, twist-out. Because the front of my hair has a much looser curl pattern and my two strand twists don't normally hold, I did two flat twists in the front. I allowed my hair to dry fully before I went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I separated my twists, and fluffed my roots.

I was in loooooooove with the results I got from my twist-out! My hair was so flowy, my curls were actually elongated, my hair was full, shiny, and wasn't at all weighed down. I LOVED it! The only flaw was that the product did flake. It was quite annoying because you could see white streaks of flaky product in my hair, and no mater how many times I would try to shake it out, it didn't really make a huge impact. Once again, I blame myself for this occurrence haha! While twisting my hair, I got super lazy towards the end and started using more of the custard than I know I should have. I stopped eyeballing the amount I was using and just used whatever I happened to scoop up. But I know now what will result from that, so I will be more careful. And I know this was the cause because it only flaked on the top of my hair, which was the last area I did. So minus the flaking, I absolutely loved the results I got using the custard for a twist-out!

 :)

Overall, I have to say that I definitely loved this product! I can't say that I am content with just using this and have lost my desire to try the Shea Moisture Curling Gel Souffle again. From what I remember, the Souffle has more of an oily jelly feel to it, so I think that it would solve the issue of flaking that I had with using the Cantu. But I was still happy with the product and would easily buy it again!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to leave them here and I will respond!

*image from Google Images

Product Review: Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque and Styling Lotion

Hey y'all!

So as I have mentioned before, I am a HUGE fan of Shea Moisture products. They have done wonders for my hair and skin and have allowed my hair to grow and to be as healthy and strong as it is now. When I found out that Shea Moisture was releasing a new Jamaican Black Castor Oil collection, I was so excited! Once it was out, I went to CVS to get some as soon as a I could! Not surprisingly, there were very little products left to choose from by the time I got to them. It seems that everyone was just as determined to get their hands on this new collection as I was! However, I did manage to pick up a jar of the Treatment Masque and Styling Lotion so that I could review it for y'all!

The main 3 ingredients included in the masque and lotion are:

-Organic Shea Butter: deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp
-Jamaican Black Castor Oil: loaded with reparative omegas that promote healthy hair growth
-Peppermint: stimulates the scalp (improves circulation of blood in the scalp)

The reason I was so excited to try this collection was because of the castor oil and the peppermint. I have read so many great things about castor oil and its ability to thicken hair and allow for healthy hair growth and I love the smell and cool feel of peppermint!

Before I give my review, here are the steps I took in washing, deep conditioning and styling:

1.) Shampooed with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention shampoo (lather, rinse, repeat)
2.) Sectioned hair into 6 parts and applied Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque to each section while detangling with a wide tooth comb. Covered hair in plastic cap for 30-45 minutes and rinsed out with cool water
3.) Applied a small amount of grapeseed oil to each section and detangled
4.) Parted hair for twists and applied Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion to each section for twisting.
5.) Added a perm rod to the end of each twist to secure to ends

    

While trying out these products, I was pleasantly surprised by a few things! As I added in my previous post, I am a big fan of the Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, so a lot of the comparisons I made were to this product. So here's what I thought of the products I tried from the new Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil collection:

Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque:

Smell: 9/10 - Very light, mature scent. Similar to the African Black Soap scent, but more subtle and warm. It kind of reminds me of a warm vanilla and brown sugar smell. I really like it!

Texture/Consistency: 10/10 - Thin and spreadable. Once I applied this product to my hair, it was immediately soaked up due to its silky nature. I actually prefer a thin, silky deep conditioner because it allows me to detangle much easier, so there is less tug and pull on my hair. As I mentioned in my last post, I always add extra virgin olive oil and honey to my Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque so that it will be thinner and spread easier. I was happy that I didn't have to do this with the Black Castor Oil Masque. This product glided through my hair so easily. Also, because it spread so well, I didn't have to use a whole lot of product in order to deep condition.  I have barely made a dent in the amount of product in the jar, which is very surprising. I have a lot of hair and the 12 oz jars usually give me about 3 deep conditions. Because of the silky consistency of the Black Castor Oil Masque, I can see this lasting for about 5 or 6 deep conditions, which makes me very happy! I did feel a subtle cooling sensation on my scalp from the peppermint. Though it wasn't as much as I was hoping for, it most certainly wasn't a deal breaker.

Hair's Reaction: I definitely think my hair loved this product. After I rinsed the masque out after 30 minutes, my hair was left feeling super soft, extremely bouncy, hydrated, and light. I think this product is amazing and I can definitely see it becoming a staple of mine!

Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion:

Smell: 10/10 - It smells just like the Treatment Masque, except for the fact that it is a little warmer. It has more of a vanilla smell to it, which makes it a little more pleasant and sweeter to me.

Texture/Consistency: 10/10 - It definitely has the feel and texture of a hair lotion. It is silky in the way that it is very smooth, yet thick in the way that it doesn't absorb directly into your hair. I liked having to smooth it in and work it in myself. Because I had to do this, it made this product great to use for detangling. Also, it was easy to style with. It didn't cause any knots or tangles, and my hair didn't clump together at all!

Hair's Reaction: I think my hair liked this lotion a lot! I wouldn't say that my hair fell in love with this product, but I definitely think it that it was really, really good! Like i said, I love the consistency of this product. The lotion is very, very light, which I love! My hair wasn't weighed down at all, which is something I always check for first and foremost. Something I did notice was that my hair wasn't very soft after it finally dried. It wasn't unbearably dry or crispy, but it didn't have the bouncy and soft feel that prefer. As far as styling goes, I tried doing flat twists all around my head using this lotion, and sadly, it turned out to be very unsuccessful. However, I don't blame the lotion and this didn't alter my view of it either. The style didn't work out partly because I did the twists on wet hair and my hair doesn't do well when I try to style when it is wet. Also, not all of the twists were fully dry when I took them out which was also a big no-no haha! With that being said, I know this product could be beyond amazing, so I'm going to keep trying it out and finding the ways to use it that will make it work best for me. I am a big fan of hair lotions, so I am looking for new ways to try to incorporate this one into my hair routine. When I find success with a certain technique/style, I will surely let y'all know!

:)

Overall, I'm actually very satisfied with this new collection. The two products I used were very light and smelled yummy! I definitely think that this collection has promise and will not disappoint. Like I said before, Shea Moisture has continuously worked wonders on my hair, so I have faith that I will be able to find a way to make the Styling Lotion work for me. I really would like to be able to get the Leave-in Conditioner, because I think that it will work well with the Styling Lotion and maybe allow for more successful styles. However, they were sold out of it when I went to CVS. I will try to go back soon to see if they have re-stocked it. Rest assured that when I get my hands on some, I will post about it! 

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and product review! I hope you found it helpful! If not, feel free to leave any questions you have! I am always happy to answer them!

*image from Google Images

Favorite Products!

I just wanted to give a quick review of a few of my absolute must-have products!

Cowashes

For those who do not know, "cowashing" is cleansing the hair by washing it with conditioner instead of shampoo. Many naturals take to this practice because of the damaging effects that shampoo can have on hair as far as drying it out, etc. I do still use sulfate free shampoos to cleanse once a week, just because I like knowing that I'm completely getting rid of any and all buildup and starting off with a clean slate. I usually cowash my hair once or twice a week, depending on how my hair is feeling and looking. If I have some product buildup, if my hair is dry, or if I want to do a wash-and-go, I will cowash.

V05 Herbal Escapes Clarifying Conditioner

I love to use V05 conditioners to cowash, first and foremost, because it is cheap! Haha! I find it at every Dollar Store I go to, and I can also find it on sale at various super markets for only about, 80 cents or so! They only last me about two or three cowashes because it is such a thin product, so it takes more to cover my hair, but it's worth it! Like I said, I can sometimes cowash my hair twice a week, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on my cowashes. V05 conditioners are loaded with great vitamins, they smell great, and they create a lot of slip in the hair with allows for easy detangling. V05 conditioners contains vitamins E, H, C, B5, and B3.

   

Shampoo

Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo

I absolutely LOVE the African Black Soap line of Shea Moisture products! The shampoo in particular does such an amazing job of cutting through any and all product buildup and giving you that fresh, clean slate! Depending on how much buildup I have in my hair, I only need to shampoo my hair once with this shampoo. I do not need to repeat. After rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, I can glide my fingers over the top of my hair and feel that silky, sleek clean, and I love it! I also use the Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo and I love that one as well! I use it if I don't have as much buildup and need some extra moisture. The African Black Soap Shampoo contains plantain enzymes that calm itching and irritation, tea tree oil to remove buildup, and willow bark extract to exfoliate and detoxify the hair and scalp. The reason I love Shea Moisture products so much is because they contain no sulfates, parabens, or mineral oil, and they are made with certified organic ingredients. I will also note that Shea Moisture shampoos are the ONLY shampoos that I use. I purchase all of my Shea Moisture products from Target or Walgreens and they range from $10-12. However, both of these stores are constantly having sales on Shea Moisture products, so I try to make each bottle/jar last in-between sales.

Deep Conditioner

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque

Because I only wash my hair with shampoo once a week, whenever I shampoo, I also deep condition. I love to use the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque because it is very thick and hefty. It goes onto my hair very easily and it makes my hair soooo soft! I usually mix in some extra virgin olive oil and honey to make it a little thinner to that it glides through my hair a little easier and helps retain more moisture.

I section my hair into four or six sections, apply the product, and then cover my hair in a plastic cap and let it sit for about 45 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

The Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque contains sea kelp which seals and smooths the hair cuticles, argan oil which restores shine and promotes elasticity, and shea butter which deeply moisturizes and conditions the scalp.

Leave-In

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

I use the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner as a leave-in and detangler for my hair. I have found that it makes my hair super soft and smooth, and it defines my curls like crazyyyyy!! I have a lot of hair, but my individual hair strands are incredibly thin, so they get weighed down by product super easily. Literally, anything can and will make it clump. However, when I use this conditioner as my leave in, my hair isn't weighed down at all! It is light, curly, and full of body! It also doesn't have a fruity smell, so it's perfect to use in the spring and summer time because I won't get chased down by bees! Haha! It does a great job of taming frizz, and moisturizing my hair, so it's perfect to use for my wash-and-gos.

Stylers

Eco Styler Protein Gel

Ok, so I literally looove me some Eco Styler gel! I'm pretty certain that every naturalista has a jar or two of this amazingness stashed into their bathroom! It is the perfect all around styler! I use it to get a sleek look for pony tails and high buns, I use it for my twist outs, two strand twists, wash-and-gos, you name it! What's so great about this line of gels is that there is such a wide variety for you to choose from. My favorite to use if the Protein gel, but they also make gel with olive oil, argan oil, and chamomile. And best of all, they are all alcohol free, which means they won't dry out your hair, which can lead to breakage!

The reason I love the protein gel the best is because it is easy on my hair. Like I mentioned before, by hair gets weighed down very easily, so I need to use products that are lightweight but still hefty enough to hold the look I'm trying to achieve. This gel is a level 8 hold out of 10. It is strong enough to hold my hair in place for high buns and pony tails, and yet it's soft enough to give my full, bouncy curls when I do a perm rod set! Also, it doesn't flake at all, which allows me to be as versatile as I want when trying new styles within the same week! I have used full jars of the argan oil, olive oil, and the krystal gels as well. I liked them, but not nearly as much as the protein gel. They are all level 10 holds out of 10, so they were a little too strong for my hair. I would often times end up with a hard shell on my hair when I would use the krystal gel to slick my hair back into a pony tail or bun.

I always keep one or two large jars of Eco Styler at all times! Each jar usually lasts me around 8 or 9 months! I buy mine from Sally Beauty and they cost about $4.75 each.

Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

The Curl Enhancing Smoothie is without a doubt my favorite styling creme! I use it for twist outs, two strand twists, cornrows, and more! It makes my hair unbelievable shiny, and smells amazing! It also does a fantastic job of defining my curls.The only problem I have with this product is that I still get a lot of frizz and shrinkage when I use it as a wash and go, so I make sure that when I use it, it is as a stying aid in twists or ponty tails, etc.

Oddly enough, this product makes for a great stretching aid and sealant as well! What I usually do is after washing and deep conditioning my hair, I section my hair, apply my leave-in, apply my oil (usually extra virgin olive oil or almond oil), and then seal everything in with the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I then put my hair up into two buns and let it sit overnight. When I wake up the next morning, my hair is shiny, stretched out, smooth, and ridiculously soft! The Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie contains coconut oil which hydrates and protects hair while reducing breakage, silk protein which soothes hair for a soft and silky feel, and neem oil which controls frizz and adds shine.

:)

Again, these are a few of my absolute favorite hair products! This is not the complete list of all of my staples, but it is somewhat of a condensed version for this post. No matter what, I always have these products in my product bin and I am constantly finding new ways to use them! They are the base for my styles and the overall health of my hair! Yes, I do use other products from time to time as well, but they don't always make it onto my official "always have to have these products" list. These are some of my constants and the ones I feel best recommending the most.

What are some of your favorite products? Have you tried some of these and they worked wonders, or are you still trying to figure out the best way to use them?! If so, let me know! Comment with any questions or comments you make have and I'll respond!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you found this helpful! And to read my full list of must-have products, check out my "Staple Hair Products" tab!
 

*All images are from Bing Images*