Product Review: Cantu Shea Butter For Natural Hair

I was excited when I was contacted by Cantu to review their new line for natural hair! Check out their intro below:




Cantu Shea Butter is thrilled to announce the launch of our NEW Naturals line! The new collection bridges the gap for those fabulous curlies who enjoy our existing line but want something more specific for natural hair. We kept it simple by creating six core products – 2 for conditioning and 4 for styling-- that are bound to meet every curly girls needs.

The Cantu for Natural Hair collection features high quality formulas that nourish and protect hair from styling damage. Say so long to potentially harmful ingredients including Mineral Oil, Sulfates, Parabens, Silicones, Phthalates, Gluten, Paraffin, Propylene Glycol, PABA and DEA. What is not in the formula is just as important as what is in it. Eliminating these toxins allows room for more natural healing ingredients like vitamins, oils, and butters. All of the Cantu for Natural Hair products benefit from 100% Pure Shea Butter for added moisture and nourishment for all hair types.

All of the the Cantu for Natural Hair collection retails for $6.99 and can be purchased at Walgreens and Walmart stores nationwide.

For Conditioning

Deep Treatment Masque

Product Line: Cantu Shea Butter

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: A natural girl's new essential, the Deep Treatment Mask helps heal dry, damaged hair and provides intense moisture without all the chemicals and harsh ingredients. It repairs hair by imparting much needed strength back into hair. Coat hair by sections and leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing for best results.

Directions: Thoroughly coat hair section by section, paying special attention to dry or damaged ends. Leave on the hair for 30 minutes and rinse. For extremely dry, damaged hair, Cantu Deep Treatment Mask can also be used as a leave-in conditioner

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Canola Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol/Ceteareth-20, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glycol Stearate, Polyquaternium-10, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Very thick

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

I first used this product as a leave-in conditioner after washing my hair. My hair loves THICK products so I really wanted to leave it in! Here's my twisted hair with the conditioner.

 

 

My hair felt really good with this stuff! It made my hair soft and very easy to detangle! And with this product, a little went a very long way, so this will last me a long time!

My hair with the Deep Treatment Masque (still wet)

My hair with the Deep Treatment Masque after drying:

I absolutely loved the shine and the softness! It makes a wonderful conditioner/leave-in! 

Creamy Hair Lotion

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: Soften, moisturize and detangle curls, leaving them light, shiny and bouncy! Easy to fit into your daily beauty routine, this product can be used on wet or dry hair to add moisture to newly washed or day old styled hair. Its versatility makes it the go-to-product; the results make it your natural hair’s dream come true!

Directions: Apply to damp, towel dried hair section by section. Reapply to dry hair as needed for moisture.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Glycerin, Canola Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol/Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Fragrance (Parfum), Stearalkonium Chloride, Glycol Stearate, Polyquaternium-11, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Thin/Medium Cream

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

This is a pretty lightweight creamy product. I used it to moisturize my hair after spritzing it a little with water.

I used this product on my hair the night before wearing my free hair for National Afro Day. I had put my hair into four twists, then I had bantu knotted them for this look the next day! My hair was soft and fluffy, and remained that way all day. I absolutely loved it!






For Styling

Coconut Milk Shine & Hold Hair Mist

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: Rehydrate and refresh curls with lasting moisture and shine. This light mist will eliminate frizz, gently moisturize and leave high shine to any style.

Directions: Spritz onto wet or dry hair any time your hair needs a moisture and shine boost. Do not rinse. Use daily for best results.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Liquid

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

I used this product as a light moisturizer for my hair. It definitely made my hair feel soft at first, and gave it some shine! However, after a few hours it seemed to leave a slightly sticky feeling on my hair.


 

Coconut Curling Cream

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: Define curly, kinky and wavy hair with this hydrating conditioner that adds manageability to curls, leaving them soft, shiny and deeply moisturized. This cream provides intense moisture to parched locks with some hold to define curls.

Directions: Smooth onto damp hair section by section from the root down the hair shaft. Do not rinse out. Can be used on dry hair to enhance curls.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Canola Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol/Ceteareth-20, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetearyl Alcohol/Ceteth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glycol Stearate, Petrolatum, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, PEG-75, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Medium Cream

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

This product is a little less thick than the Deep Treatment Masque.

The first thing I noticed is that petrolatum is one of the ingredients! As far as I know, petrolatum is a byproduct of petroleum, as is mineral oil, and they are very similar.

Although my hair never did take well to petroleum products, and although I thought that these products were totally free of that stuff, I decided to try it out anyway. After spritzing my hair with a bit of water and some of the Mist, I applied this product. It made my hair very soft upon application. Here is a shot of my hair with the Mist and the Curling Cream.

My hair indeed felt great, and this stuff gave me awesome curl defnition! But ... just as the Mist did, this product seemed to leave a film on my hair after a few hours.

Moisturizing Twist & Lock Gel

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: Add manageability and moisture to twist and locks – without the frizz! This non-flaking formula will hold twists in place while adding shine for definition. To comb twist, free hand twist or double strand twist: section hair and apply Twist & Lock Gel to the section. Twist the hair with a comb or fingers. To touch up Twists between shampoos, section hair and apply Twist & Lock Gel to new growth. Palm roll or re-twist the hair to touch up.

Directions: To comb twist, free hand twist, or double strand twist: Section hair and apply Twist & Lock Gel to the section. Twist the hair with a comb or fingers. To touch up twist or locks in between shampoos, section hair and apply Twist & Lock Gel to the new growth. Palm roll or re-twist the hair to touch up.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), PVP, Fragrance (Parfum), Polyquaternium-37, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Medium/Slightly Glutinous

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

I used this gel after moisturizing and sealing my hair. I used another product underneath, since most of these Cantu products have glycerin in it. This would make my hair absorb a lot of moisture and prevent me from being able to determine the holding properties of the gel on its own!

I made some twists the night before, then took it out in the morning for the twist-out. However, the gel didn't provide very much hold for the twist out. You can see that the twist-out is not very defined. I think this would be better used to hold twists and keep them from unraveling, rather than used to hold a twist-out style.

Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream

Price: $6.99 for 12oz

Claims: Define, moisturize and restore curls, leaving them smooth, frizz free and full of life. This product can be used as a light leave-in conditioner that won’t weigh hair down.

Directions: Apply a small amount of Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream to the palm of your hand. Rub hands together and apply evenly over entire head. Massage thoroughly. Gently comb or pick through hair to evenly distribute and detangle.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Glycerin, Propanediol, Fragrance (Parfum), Polyquaternium-10, Stearalkonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Persea Gratissma (Avocado) Oil, Olea Euopaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Loniciera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Laminara Cloustoni (Sea Kelp) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate-60, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Consistency: Thin/Medium Cream

Scent: Coconut/Pina Colada!

The consistency of the Curl Activator Cream is slightly thinner than the Hair Lotion. I used this product on damp, freshly washed hair for curl definition. This stuff really made my curls POP!

Here's a shot of my hair with the Curl Activator Cream while it was still wet:

When it was dry a few hours later:

Look at those amazing coils! Only a few products can really make my coils pop like this. You can also see that I experienced little to no shrinkage at all! However ... just like a couple of the other products, the Curl Activator Cream left a sticky film on my hair once my curls dried.



I ended up trying again using the Hair Lotion.

What do you know? The Hair Lotion gave me crazy coil definition too!


Here's another damp shot:

And here's how it looked after my hair dried.

I got the very same results from using the Curl Activator Cream and the Hair Lotion. The difference? The Hair Lotion didn't leave any film or sticky feeling on my hair.






Overall Ratings:

5 out of 5 for the Deep Treatment Masque

5 out of 5 for the Hair Lotion

3 out of 5 for the Coconut Milk Shine & Hold Hair Mist

4 out of 5 for the Coconut Curling Cream

3.5 out of 5 for the Twist & Lock Gel

3.5 out of 5 for the Curl Activator Cream




The deep treatment masque and the hair lotion were definitely my favorites! The moisture from the Shine & Hold Mist didn't last long, and also left the sticky film on my hair. The Coconut Curling Cream gave me nice curl definition and some hold, but left a film as well. The Twist & Lock Gel provided some hold, but not a whole lot. The Curl Activator Cream gave me lovely curls, but left a sticky film on my hair after it dried.

It's obvious that a few of these products aren't 100% natural. And that's fine. It just seemed like there were some ingredients (like the PEG-40, polyquaternium, polysorbate, propanediol, and PVP), the chemical ingredients that I was not immediately familiar with, that possibly were the contributors of the sticky film left on my hair. I looked some of them up and these ingredients, while they served a good purpose for the product itself, were known for causing build-up. The Deep Treatment Masque and the Hair Lotion did not contain these ingredients, and they left my hair soft and moisturized without the sticky film. So I will have to blame these ingredients!

I'll definitely be using the Deep Treatment Masque and the Hair Lotion for moisture and for curl definition! They did a wonderful job of moisturizing my hair and making my curls pop!

Be sure to check out Cantu Shea Butter on:

Facebook  |  Shop

I received this product free of charge for reviewing purposes. However, this is no way influences my review. All opinions expressed are my own.