Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, multi, 12 Ounce (290223 )

AMAZING

I'm not very experienced with curly hair care, so I can't offer much comparison or insight, but so far I like this product a lot. I have a biracial daughter with 3b/3c hair which needs a lot of care. I was using Mixed Chicks on her, but it wasn't working out well for us. A friend recommended this thing and I got it together with another recommended product, the Ouidad Krly Kids No More Knots. I'd read in the reviews here that the Shea Moisture smoothie can be used either as a regular (wash-off) conditioner or as a leave-in, and the Ouidad says it can be used as either as well, so I tried each of them both ways.When I used Shea Moisture as a wash-off conditioner and followed with the Ouidad as a leave-in, the results were great. We'd do it before bed once a week and in the morning my daughter's hair would have gorgeous shiny self-formed ringlet curls, which stayed remarkably defined and frizz-free throughout the day. She's 18 months old and can't sleep in a bonnet yet, plus she wears a winter hat now and generally rolls around all day messing up her hair, but even despite all that, the curls stay defined all day and the frizz is minimal, which is impressive. On non-wash days I just spray her hair lightly with a solution of the Ouidad conditioner in water so I can comb through the knots before bed, and she's all set.Now, when I tried it the other way, it really didn't work. I used the Ouidad first and after rinsing I followed with the Shea Moisture, and the next morning my daughter's hair was hard, sticky and dull, and it looked glued to her head! I really didn't use that much. She got a lot of frizz throughout the day, too. I did that combination a couple more times just to give it a chance, with varying amounts of Shea Moisture, but it never looked good. So I wouldn't recommend it as a leave-in... Either that, or I'm doing something wrong, which is totally possible given that I'm just figuring things out. We went back to using Shea Moisture first, rinsing it off and following with Ouidad, and her hair went back to the pretty shiny ringlets. This regimen works for us right now so I'm gonna stick with it.Also, I haven't tried this on its own or in any other manner, just in combination with the Ouidad conditioner, as described. So I don't know how it would work when used in other ways or combinations.I'm writing all this out in detail to help out other clueless moms of curly-haired kids who are also figuring things out :-) I'm sure actual curly-haired people have a lot more knowledge than this and can probably weigh in better.UPDATE: My daughter is 3 now and we're still using this smoothie, still in the same way, in combination with the Ouidad. This regimen has really worked out well for us. Her hair is much longer now and much more prone to frizz, so I need to reapply the Ouidad leave-in again mid-week, but so far things are under control. I even started using this smoothie on my own hair! My hair is very fine and as straight as it gets, but it's extremely prone to matting even though I brush it out diligently and frequently. I was only using a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner twice a week before, but now I follow with this smoothie as a leave-in, and it makes my hair extra smooth and shiny, and reduces the matting significantly. It doesn't get rid of it entirely, and by evening I still get knots at the back of my head almost every day, but they're significantly smaller and looser than when I'm not using the smoothie. This is the first time in my life I've left product in my hair without washing it off... Maybe I should've started doing this sooner!

I ordered this around the begining of Oct 2010 and I must say it is trully a wonderful product! I have used countless and I do mean countless so called moisturizers claiming to moisturize the hair and make it soft and supple at the same time. Well to say the least many of the other products that I've tried does not even come close to this. I've used to name just a few IC gel, Hawaiian Silky 14 n 1, S Curl no drip and many more. And in my opinion for my hair type nothing comes close to this.First the fragrance alone will make you fall in love with it. Second but not last is the moisturizing affects it has on my hair. I am a 3c/4a hair type and it has been a true struggle for me to find what really works well in my hair. Well this is definitely it. Next month I will order at least 5 jars to ensure I will not run out. It does what it says it will do without a doubt. The only negative thing I can say about it and I'm not speaking of the product but more so the availability of it. I had to order this online through Amazon! I am a regular shopper on Amazon, but sometimes the shipping cost gets to me. I was so disappointed going to two different Targets in my area and they did not have it let alone only a tiny section for black hair care which I think is ridiculous in the first place! The hair care section for women of color was so small I went back to it 3 times thinking I must have missed something. For all other races there was an abundance of hair care products. Which btw I think is so unfair!But other than that I think next month along with my five jars of this smoothie that I will also order the rest of the products since I had such a wonderful and delightful positive affects with this one. Oh, I would like to also mention when using this product I use it on dry freshly washed and conditioned hair. Then I applied the leave-in which works well also. But after I apply the smoothie (just a small amount per section) I use Wave Nouveau moisturizing lotion then put my hair in medium size 2 strand twist and use just a dab per section Jamaican Black Castor oil on the twist but mostly concentrating on my ends. Then I baggy and use a satin cap. That's it! Amazing results every single time. So if anyone out there has contemplated purchasing this, then don't! Get it, you will not be disappointed!

I have fine wavy slightly curly dry hair. I use this on soaking wet hair after shower. Helps with smoothing and tangles. Plop hair with cloth then let partly air dry. I feel like this helps with moisture and defining my waves/curls. I do use another product with this to assist with more hold.