As a self-proclaimed hair product junkie, I’ve tried A LOT of SheaMoisture products over the years. There’s a reason that the brand was voted NaturallyCurly’s Overall Favorite Brand two years in a row – they’re always coming out with intriguing new product lines, and many of them are absolute Godsends.
So when I found out that SheaMoisture released a brand new collection this summer, I was excited to put it to the test. The Green Coconut & Activated Charcoal collection is designed to remove impurities from throughout the day, while also providing a heavy dose of hydration; this is a goal that most modern curlies will likely appreciate. It includes products for both your skin and hair, including shampoo, conditioner, soap, and moisturizer.
I didn’t get the chance to try out all sixteen products in the collection (and honestly, who has the time?!”>, but I did try out exactly half of them, and I’m here to give you the scoop.
Featured Ingredients
The star ingredients here are activated charcoal and green coconut.
Activated charcoal has become trendy in recent years because of its ability to act like a sponge, binding to toxins and carrying them away. You can actually see the bits of activated charcoal floating in many of the products that I tried. Read more about the benefits of charcoal here.
This collection also features green coconut, which contains the moisture that your skin and hair need to stay smooth and soft. Green coconut is also full of essential vitamins and minerals.
Image via iStock
First Impressions: Packaging and Scent
All of the products in this collection smell the same: fresh, clean, and not too overwhelming. It’s definitely not my favorite SheaMoisture scent (the High Porosity collection takes that crown”>, but it’s not bad either.
As for the packaging, it has the neat, well-designed look that I’ve come to expect from SheaMoisture products. In this case, the packaging has a gray and green theme to match the featured ingredients.
Products
Here are the products I tried within the brand:
1. Shampoo
First up, the review you probably came here for: the hair stuff. I tried both the shampoo and the conditioner.
The Green Coconut & Activated Charcoal Shampoo is sulfate-free, but it still gives a nice lather. I was impressed to find that it actually does cleanse my scalp, and provide moisture at the same time. My roots didn’t feel stripped afterward, but instead felt soft and hydrated and clean. I’m a fan!
2. Conditioner
The Lite Conditioner didn’t leave me quite as enthused. It has little chunks of activated charcoal in it, and although they do dissolve, it felt strange to put black chunks into my hair.
Also, I wouldn’t call this conditioner ;intensely’ hydrating. The consistency was thicker than I expected, but for my high-porosity 3b curls, the moisture level was average at best, and I had to apply a lot of it. This product would work better for those with thinner hair, who still want a good dose of moisture.
3. Cleansing Balm
Next up, the facial products!
I first tried out the Cleansing Balm, a product that “melts away makeup, impurities and pollution residue.” This is truly a balm – it’s thick and oily. This product is more like an oil cleanser than a traditional face wash.
I’m not a big fan of using oil to clean my face, so not surprisingly, I didn’t love this balm. It feels nice to apply, but it doesn’t rinse off easily, and it leaves my face feeling oily. If you’re into oil cleansing, though, this may work for you.
4. Moisturizing Jelly Cream
After cleansing my face, I applied the Moisturizing Jelly Cream. The consistency of this cream is definitely jelly-like, but it’s still easy to spread, which I appreciate. The cream feels refreshing and moisturizing, without being heavy – it’s perfect for the summer, especially for those who live in a humid environment, like I do. I even took it on vacation to Mexico!
5. Bath & Shower Jelly
Speaking of jellies! The Bath & Shower Jelly is designed to be used as a regular soap in the shower. In comparison to the Moisturizing Jelly Cream, the consistency is more like Jello than jelly. It doesn’t dissolve easily, and instead just remains slippery and solid. It’s difficult to use, either by itself or with a washcloth. However, it does lather, and it cleanses my skin without stripping it.
6. Cleansing Bar
The Cleansing Bar is basically a nice, big hunk of high-quality soap. It was a relief to use this after the Bath & Shower Jelly – no slippery parts to chase after, just regular good ol’ bar soap!
This soap lathers nicely, and it isn’t drying at all. It’s gentle, moisturizing, and cleansing. You could even use it on your face in a pinch.
7. Body Jelly Moisturizer
The Body Jelly Moisturizer has a similar effect to the Moisturizing Jelly Cream. It absorbs quickly and provides plenty of hydration. It’s not heavy, but instead is refreshing and cooling.
For me, this moisturizer would work better in the summer than in the winter, because it doesn’t offer the deep moisture that my body needs in cold weather – I’m more likely to reach for a butter rather than a jelly these days! But for those hot days when you need a little something light to avoid being ashy, this is great.
8. Bath Salts
Lastly, I tried the Bath Salts in a bath one evening. They dissolved quickly into the bath water, and the black lava salt is great for aches and pains.
The salts have the same fresh, clean scent that the other products have, which I found invigorating rather than relaxing. For that reason, I think I’d prefer using these Bath Salts in a foot bath, instead of a whole-body bath.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the best products in this collection do exactly what they’re designed to do – they provide a nice, thorough cleansing, while also moisturizing your skin and hair. My top three favorite products were the shampoo, Moisturizing Jelly Cream, and Cleansing Bar. I’ll probably use these until they run out!
On the other hand, some of the other products in the collection were a miss for me. Due to being too heavy, not heavy enough, or just plain hard to use, they fell short.
This collection also includes several other products that I haven’t gotten my hands on yet, including a Build-Up Blaster, Exfoliating Hair Mud, In-Shower Styler, Multi-Masque, Exfoliating Cleansing Powder, In-Shower Mask, and Mask Duo.
You can find the entire Green Coconut & Activated Charcoal collection on the SheaMoisture website or at Ulta.
Have you tried any of the products in the Green Coconut & Activated Charcoal collection by SheaMoisture? How did they work for you? Let us know in the comments below!
