The Cantu for Natural Hair Collection

Natural hair officially became a big beauty trend in 2012 and it's so exciting to see many of the brands I know and love creating products just for us curly girls. Today I get to tell you all about Cantu Shea Butter's new line of hair products that cater to this trend. Way back when I first started transitioning back to my natural curls, I started using their Leave In Conditioner after every wash. Since then it's been a staple in my hair care routine so I was excited to have the opportunity to try these other products. What they all have in common are natural ingredients like oils, vitamins, and butters and leaving out harmful ones like mineral oils, sulfates, and parabens. I've been using these products for over a month now and my feeling of the collection is half and half. There were products I liked and used every day while there were others that I could do without.


The Top Three

Deep Treatment Masque

This deep conditioner is formulated to treat dry and damaged hair, giving back the moisture it needs. You can use it as a traditional deep conditioner (leaving it on hair for 30 minutes and rinsing it out) or as a leave in if you have really dry hair. As a deep conditioner, it left my hair soft and helped my curls clump together nicely for my wash and goes. However, since my hair is suffering from serious post partum shedding, I use it as a leave in. I find that gives my hair more moisture and softness that way.

Coconut Curling Cream

I replaced my normal styling cream with this one, which is supposed to leave hair soft and manageable while giving curls definition. The cream is thick but not too thick that it makes it hard to distribute through hair. It also has a light scent of coconut which left my hair smelling good. I liked using this when sporting a wash and go, giving my hair moisture and defining my curls rather well. When doing my braid outs (which I've been doing a lot lately because of the bad shedding), I used the cream to freshen up my hair when it got really dry.

Creamy Hair Lotion

The light styling cream aims to soften, moisturize, and detangle curls. Because it's so light, it's great to use every day. I put it on first thing in the morning when I take my hair down to moisturize my hair and make fluffing it out easier. I wouldn't recommend using it at night before sleep because the moisture doesn't last long. For that, you're better off using the curling cream.

The Bottom Three



Coconut Hold and Shine Mist
I was kind of excited about this one, because there are days my hair just needs a spritz of product and up until I received this, I had been mixing up my own. This product promises to deliver moisture and shine while eliminating frizz. I wish the bottle had more of a spray bottle type of nozzle instead of the narrow one it has because it makes distributing the mist a hassle. What ended up happening was I had to spray and then use my hand to work it through my curls. I had to use more product and as a result, it left my hair rather sticky. What I may do is transfer some of it to my homemade bottle and dilute it with some water to see if that helps.

Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream

This is my opinion was meant to be a cross between the Curling Lotion and the Deep Treatment Masque, serving as a light leave in conditioner. I didn't find it light at all, but rather heavy on my hair leaving it feeling too greasy for my taste.

Moisturizing Twist and Lock Gel
Made especially for those who have locks or wear twists, it's supposed to give the moisture and shine while giving your hair the hold it needs to maintain its style. I was shocked to see that the product looks and feels more like a cream than a gel. I used it for a chunky twist out and found that while it gave my hair moisture, it didn't give me the shine and hold that my other gel products do.

My hair using Cantu's products
My hair using Cantu's products



You can check out these products for yourself at your local Walgreens or Wal-Mart. All of these products retail for $6.99, which isn't bad at all! I've been using my top three everyday for over a month and I still have a ways to go before I finish them.

Have you used this line? What did you think?


FTC Disclosure: Products mentioned in this review were received as free samples.