The Cantu brand and my hair have an interesting kind of relationship. There are certain products it has that I adore (like Cantu Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque“> and then there are some that basically make me feel like my money could’ve been better spent elsewhere. Sigh. Such is the case with their Cantu Butter Daily Moisturizer.
Since my hair is naturally dry (and also color-treated”>, I’m constantly on the hunt for the kind of conditioners that will keep moisture in my hair. Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve come to the conclusion that deep conditioning on wash days and then using a blend of essentials oils and Jamaican black castor oil are what work best for me. And honestly, a part of what brought me to that conclusion was trying this particular daily moisturizer out.
First, I’ll share the plus sides to it. Something that’s cool about virtually all of Cantu’s products is how affordable they are. This item comes in a large size (which means it’ll last for a while”>, and I do like that it has a mild/non-overpowering scent (it’s kind of reminiscent of baby lotion”>. Also, the first ingredient in it is water and that’s always a good thing.
But when I first tried this moisturizer out, it was after washing and conditioning my hair. Although I am natural, also through trial-and-error, I’ve discovered that my hair responds better to heat. So, after cleansing it, I blow dry it and then braid it up (until I choose to wear it out”> until the next wash day. Anyway, I decided to put the moisturizer on my hair after blow drying it and while it did soften my hair, it actually made it too soft. Kind of spongy.
Even if I applied it to my hair days later before braiding it, whenever the moisturizer would dry and I’d take the braids out, it still felt like cotton and looked frizzy (which is interesting because if you check out some of the moisturizer’s ad copy, it says that it is designed to prevent frizz”>. And since it made my hair super soft, it kind of messed with its elasticity which, ironically, lead to some breakage—not a ton, just a little on the ends.
Since I am a bit of a product junkie, I get that some products don’t produce the same results for everyone. I’m thinking that is probably the case with this particular moisturizer. For instance, although most of my hair is a 4a texture, my goddaughter is more like a 2c-3a. On the days when she wants to wear a slick ponytail or something, this product is light enough that it will probably condition her hair without leaving a lot of residue behind (which means I’m probably going to pay it forward to her”>.
But for kinkier types, unless you want your hair to look (and feel”> like a big cotton ball (which sometimes isn’t a bad thing if you’re going for an Angela Davis Afro”>, this wouldn’t be what I recommend. You should probably go with something that is thicker and creamier.
That’s what I did anyway. And it worked brilliantly.
Have you tried this product? How did it work for you? Share with us in the comments below.
