A Curly-Haired Girl's Dream Product

Name: Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner

Brand: Shea Moisture

Purpose: Leave-in cruelty-free and organic product that provides detanglement, softening, moisture, nourishment, scalp stimulation and prevention for elasticity issues.

Hair Type: All Hair Types (mainly natural, dry, or chemically damaged hair)

Formula: Cream

Ingredients: Water, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenalkonium Chloride, Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Certified Organic Ingredient) (Fair Trade Ingredient), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin (Vegetable), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Yeast Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Niacin, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Vinegar, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol.

Rating: 5/5

For Those Who Don't Know Their Hair Type

It's been a challenge for me to embrace my naturally curly hair. Now that I'm older and most definitely wiser, I can finally let go of the stigma us curly haired women and men face when having this type of hair. The maintenance involved in preserving and treating your curls is something we all should invest in this day and age where there are so many brands out there for us to try and love. Lucky for me and you guys, I think I might've found a holy grail of a product!

As I mentioned above, my curl type is a 2c. Now depending on your ethnicity, this could vary on the curl chart due to the texture of your hair. While climate, heat damage and ethnicity play a big part on any hair care issues you could be having, there are many products out there you could test at home, ranging from leave-in conditioners to hair serums and oils.

The 2c curl type is described as a mixture of both wavy and curly. Which unfortunately can be prone to frizz and tangles. It's also something I've been struggling with for years. But alas, I've found a solution that's budget-friendly.

Now, let's get to this review!

Review

The struggle of finding a product that can serve the majority of your hair issues can be exhausting. From trying to tame frizz, to wincing from the pain due to trying to detangle your curls after a shower. I've tried the Shea Moisture Strengthen and Restore Leave-In Conditioner a couple of times while combining it with other products such as serums and curl definers, just to test its claims. The good thing about this product is that it provides enough moisture and curl definition that I don't need several other products to follow it. I also noticed that after I used this leave-in conditioner, my curls are definitely more defined and shiny, the frizz is dying down and it provides enough curl hold to last for a couple of hours in a non-humid environment.

Let's get into other hair issues this product also helped me with.

Seeing as this leave-in conditioner has shea butter, Jamaican black castor oil, apple cider vinegar, and peppermint, I was excited to see if the apple cider vinegar and peppermint were going to help me with my dandruff. While dandruff can be caused by sensitivity to hair products, naturally dry skin or other dermatitis related issues, I was frustrated with seeing all these flakes on my scalp and was ready to quit before I started using this cream.

The rumor around the haircare community is that peppermint and apple cider vinegar are known to help with dandruff with its exfoliating properties. It can help during the scrubbing/shampooing process of washing your hair and having these two ingredients in a leave-in product is like striking gold for the dandruff community.

How I Used This Product

1. I make sure to remove excess water from my curls after washing my hair by scrunching the towel along with my curls all the way up to my scalp. (Don't remove too much water that your hair begins to frizz. You should leave some water infused in your hair while using this cream.)
2. Since I have long hair, I used about three small scoops of product and rubbed it in between my hands before applying it to my hair.
3. I apply the cream to my scalp first, then distribute it evenly down to the ends, again using the scrunching method to help with defining the curls.
4. I pinned my hair in a bun and wrapped it with a silk headscarf. (Silk is the best fabric in towels, pillows, and caps to use for curly hair)
5. I took off the scarf a few hours later and let the rest of my hair air dry.

The texture of this product is a thick cream, which is amazing for dry hair since it needs the conditioning and to lock-in as much moisture in your hair follicles it can absorb. Conditioners, in general, are a must whenever dry hair or curls are concerned. Now what I have yet to determine is whether this cream is helping with my split ends. Other than that, the scent is mainly consumed by the shea butter, coconut oil, and the black castor oil. You barely smell the peppermint or the apple cider vinegar. I totally recommend for all of my curly-haired guys and girls to try this out and see if it works for you.

Until next time everyone!

P.S. Check out my Instagram: fleekonabudget and my Twitter: fleekonabudget for more updates!