I was kindly sent some samples of Shea Moisture while doing a round up for curly hair products.
Shea Moisture Curl and Shine Shampoo
Having recently turned vegan, I am always on the hunt for cruelty free products for my bathroom routine. Sadly, there are not many on the market that are niche enough to be suitable for curly hair while also baring the rabbit symbol to show that it's not been tested on animals.
The own brand shampoo and conditioner I am currently using from a well-known healthy and beauty shop is inexpensive, however it has dried my hair out and I find it very difficult to get a comb through it when it's wet. I have been losing a lot of hair while using this product so something needed to change.
Thankfully, Shea Moisture ticks both of these boxes- it boasts the bunny symbol AND stops your hair from breaking. The Coconut and Hibiscus is specifically designed for curly hair to keep it moist, which is essential given that curls are generally dryer than straight hair.
The coconut oil protects the hair from breakage while hydrating it. The silk protein smooths the hair for that soft and silky feel and the neem oil fights the frizz, which we all know if a common complaint of women with curly hair. It also gives your hair a brilliant shine.
The products have some really bold claims on the packaging so I was keen to find out if they would live up to their promises.
First off, the product smells amazing- really fruity and fresh, something that is very important to me. If a product does wonders for my hair but smells bad- I won't use it and I'm sure I'm not alone. With this product you want to eat it because it smells so good. But don't!
The test for me with shampoos is how much you need before it lathers up. I have to pool my current cruelty free shampoo in my palm so there's enough to bubble up- with this you only need a small amount and it gets right to work.
The conditioner is thick and again you only need a little bit. With my previous brand, I could feel my hair knotting as I applied it and rinsed it out; with this one it was smooth and it didn't wash out as easily so it felt like it was soaking in actually doing my hair some good.
When it came to drying and styling I found it much easier to get a brush through my wet hair before I diffused it- normally I have a battle on my hands.
I then applied Shea Moisture Curly and Style Milk to the ends of my hair before scrunching my curls and applying the diffuser. As with the other two products I only needed to use about the size of a penny.
I often find it hard to curl the hair on the side of my head where the majority of my hair falls as I have an off centre partain. Even these curls had lots of definition and bounce.
I didn't think I would be lucky enough to find curly hair products that also give me the added comfort of knowing that they haven't been tested on animals.
Shea Moisture has it covered! I could not recommend this product highly enough- yes it's a little bit more than my current products, but for results like this- it's well worth the extra few pounds to achieve the look. Plus, you need less so it's all relative.
My other products are going in the bin- this is my go to hair care set from now on and I don't see that ever changing.
Available at www.sheamoisture.com or in Boots stores.