Hey Guys!
I recently removed my mini twists, and of course, needed to wash my hair. Well, I ran out of my favorite hair cleanser, which I can only get by ordering online, so I decided to use the opportunity to try a product line that I hear so much about, Shea Moisture. I get so many questions asking me about my thoughts on the line, but I've never used it, so I've always answered with "I've never used it, but have heard great things…" Well, I wanted to be able to answer from personal experience, so it was time for me to give it a try!
So I found the product at a drugstore in my area called Walgreens! Unfortunately, they only sold one line of Shea Moisture, the Coconut and Hibiscus, so I picked it up. It came in a convenient little kit for $14.99, which included sample sizes of the shampoo, a style milk, a styling pomade, and a shine spritz (I really only wanted the shampoo and conditioner "style milk?").
Now, my thoughts on this product aren't necessarily positive, and in any other circumstance, I just wouldn't review it, but since it's a popular product, and I get so many questions about it, I feel like I should share my point-of-view.
It was clear to me after using the product that it wasn't the line for me. It was shocking how dry and raw my hair felt in the shower after using the shampoo; it had literally stripped my hair of all of it's oils. I haven't used shampoo in about two years, and after feeling the effects it had on my hair, it made me appreciate my mud wash cleanser so much more!
Anyway, the shampoo felt horrible on my hair, I quickly reached for the style milk to try and condition my hair and put the moisture back in, but it still felt brittle after applying it. The worst part is that after taking out my mini twists, I had detangled my hair with a fine-tooth comb and even trimmed the ends, so my ends were nice and crisp. But after applying the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus shampoo and conditioner, it actually created knots and tangles in my hair!
Hair after washing and "conditioning" is dry, frizzy, and undefined compared to how it usually looks in wash and go state.
Needless to say, this is NOT the line for my hair. To be fair to Shea Moisture, I don't think it was created for my hair type, tightly coiled and kinky. I think it was made more for a looser-curled texture, which would make a lot of sense as to why the style milk conditioner is so light. My hair needs something thick to penetrate the strands, while this product just kind-of sits on top of the hair, never penetrating. So Coconut and Hibiscus, not for me, but if you are a looser texture, give it a try, it'll probably work out really well for you.
After that fail I was extremely disappointed with Shea Moisture. I was on the phone with my girl Taren and mentioned that I tried Shea Moisture and didn't like it. She told me I probably tried the wrong one and to pick up one with Shea Butter in it, which would be better for my hair type. So I decided, what the heck… I'll give it a try…
So I checked Walmart for the product, and couldn't find it, then I searched three (3) Target stores… yes, three Target stores to find the product (all an hours distance from one another). I really wanted to give Shea Moisture a fair chance and I needed to re-wash my brittle hair! (My Terressentials Mud Wash hasn't arrived yet because they are having label production issues… Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to make it from scratch yet, but that'll definitely be in the future.)
I finally found some at the third Target in the very bottom shelf behind some random lotion. Lucky me, it was another kit! This time, the Raw Shea Butter and Argan Oil Repair and Transition Kit. Luckily, it was the only hair cleanser there by Shea Moisture and it happened to have shea butter, Yaaay! It came with two items, the shampoo and the deep treatment mask.
**Side note** I also decided to pick up the Shea Moisture African Black Soap Shea Butter Body Wash. When I went to the register to purchase the Kit and the Body Wash, my bill was only $11!! For some reason, I received $9 OFF my purchase… maybe there was a Shea Moisture sale, I don't know but I was happy! A-Whaddup-Savings!?! Yea, and the body wash smells AWESOOOME!!!
Okay, back to the issue at hand… so I couldn't wait to give the Shea Butter and Argan Oil line a try… anything to repair the damage from the Coconut and Hibiscuits situation…
After using the shampoo, I could tell there was bit more moisture than the other line, which I was thankful for, but it still stripped my hair. That's not abnormal for a shampoo though, so I won't hold it against them. I guess I just don't like shampoo anymore, sorry, can't get on board, I'm a spoiled mud girl.
So after washing with the shampoo... ohh this is a long post. Lunch break.
If you need a snack or beverage, this is a greet time to go grab it... tick-tock, tick-tock...
Okay I'm back. So after washing with the shampoo, I followed up with the deep treatment mask and, sigh... it still didn't penetrate and moisturize my hair. It was definitely nice and creamy and heavy the way I like, but it just felt like it was sitting on top of my hair. I actually ended up using the entire 4oz container on my hair because I just desperately wanted it to moisturize. The directions say to leave it on for 5 to 30 minutes, so I left it on for an hour with a plastic cap. After 45 minutes, I rinsed out only some of the product (instructions say you can use as a leave-in) and proceeded to styling my hair with LOTS of my homemade shea butter cream.
While I didn't enjoy the cleansing process at that moment, and felt like it didn't fully moisturize my hair, I must say that the next day, my hair was nice and shiny and did manage to feel better, more moist.
Stretched Twist-Out
I guess it took sleeping in the deep treatment mask and sealing it in with shea butter to get the effect. Although, I'm not sure if it's worth it since it did take a substantial amount of Deep Treatment Mask, 4 oz to be exact.
But trying to be fair to the product here and stay somewhat neutral because I don't want to compare it to the mud wash cleanser I always use, that wouldn't be fair. It should be compared to any normal shampoo or conditioner…
In that case, for a shampoo and conditioner, it's not bad. If I could only buy one type of shampoo or conditioner, would it be one from the Shea Moisture line? Honestly, probably not. I would probably use something like the Trader Joes Nourish Spa line (fyi: contains parabens) or Tea Tree line first. They're much more moisturizing to the hair even though the shampoo strips the hair, the conditioner is effective in returning the moisture back. Also, they're great for de-tangling, while both Shea Moisture lines that I've tried are NOT AT ALL effective in detangling my hair. In fact, both lines created more tangles and knots to my previously de-tangled and trimmed hair than I could ever imagine. So yea,… the SM lines aren't bad, they're just not the best, in my opinion, for my extremely dense and coily hair... as far as shampoo and conditioner go.
I understand that there is one other line out there from Shea Moisture. Maybe it's better than the Shea Butter and Argan Oil line, which seems to be geared towards transitioners or people who might have chemically-treated hair. Unfortunately, I've spent enough time looking for the products I've reviewed (and enough money) to order any more online. If it were a "real world" situation, I would've stopped purchasing at the Coconut and Hibiscus line, but I wanted to be fair to Shea Moisture and try to find the one for my hair type.
But honestly, for myself, this whole process reiterated the fact that I enjoy washing my hair with clay (mud) the best. I mean, nothing compares to it's moisturizing and de-tangling properties. Although shampoo does make your hair "squeaky-clean" eh.. I don't need the squeaky… I'm good with just clean.
But I hope this review helped guys! Sorry it was so freaking long! But that's how this whole process felt to me… like a never-ending hair-shampoo show-down. Luckily my hair is doing much better after the second try and I'm anxiously awaiting my mud wash delivery… let's go Terressentials, I don't care if your label-maker isn't working, send it to me without a label, I know what's in it! LOL, send it in a plastic baggy, Ziploc, Gladware, I don't care, just get it here! ;)
Oh, and for those asking, I do still love the Anita Grant Rhassoul Clay bars, and I will be buying more. If you don't want to buy Terressentials, or don't have time to make it yourself, the Rhassoul Clay bars are amazing and they're MUCH cheaper. Just mix in a little aloe vera juice and you've got a great cleanser as well.
Okay, hope this helps, bye!
xoxo Whit
Re-Twisted at night to achieve a more defined stretched twist-out. Not bad!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 01:05PM 
