Shea moisture curl smoothie compared to the cantu leave in conditioner

The leave in conditioner is the most important product in your hair care regimen. The leave in conditioner is left on the hair all day. The leave in conditioner will also fall on the scalp. Any product that will stay on your hair all day should be a product that contains natural, nourishing ingredients. 

If the current state of your hair is dry,  full of knots and does not style well, then stay away from products with ingredients names you have a hard time pronouncing.   There are many popular products, naturals use, that only give you the illusion of healthy hair. These products contain cheap ingredients which coat the hair and gives you instant softness. However you will find that using these products on a regular basis will dry your hair out long term. 

PRODUCT COMPARISON
Below are the first ten ingredients which make up the popular cantu shea butter leave in conditioner. Compare those ingredients to the first ten ingredients of the also popular shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie. 

CANTU SHEA BUTTER LEAVE IN
Water , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Propylene Glycol , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , PPG-1 Trideceth-6 , 


SHEA MOISTURE CURL ENHANCING SMOOTHIE
Deionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut ) Oil*, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Magnifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Silk Protein, 

The Shea Moisture smoothie has more natural nourishing ingredients than the cantu product. Notice how the ingredients of the smoothie are easy to pronounce. Look for leave in conditioners that contain, natural oils, extracts and butters. Those ingredients nourish the hair, softens the hair in a healthy way and help to seal in moisture. 

VERDICT
If you are a college student on a budget and you are not dealing with dry hair, the cantu shea butter leave in, would not be a bad investment. However, if your hair is invaded by knots, excess tangles and you have a hard time keeping moisture in your hair, you should  purchase the shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie. 

Shea Moisture smoothie is a more superior product. You can find both of these products at stores such as Walmart, CVS, Target and beauty supply stores. 

Help, I want thick hair!

Narrow follicles produce thin hair. Large follicles produce thick hair. Hair thickness is determined by the number of hair follicles your have and the diameter of  each hair strand. These factors will determine your hair thickness.

The number of hair follicles on your head are determined in the womb. The diameter of your hair follicles are also determined in the womb. As we age some people will lose hair follicles by closing up, however you will never gain new hair follicles. Your hair strands can become thinner as you age and from damage. Hair vitamins nor tropical products do not increase the width of your hair strands.

Well what can I do to make my hair thicker?

There are many products on the market, that when used correctly, makes your hair appear thicker. The products you see which say, fuller, thicker hair, contain ingredients that stick to the hair strands. These ingredients stick to the hair strands and temporarily make your hair strands look fuller.

When you shop look for key words such as: fuller hair, volumnizer, volumnizing, thickening, and variations of these terms. 

Be conscious that many times these ingredients can stop moisture from getting into your hair strands, so only use these types of products on healthy hydrated hair. 

Ingredients which stick to the outside of your hair strands. 

Protein treatments
Hydrolyed proteins stick to the hair strands and fills in broken spaces along the hair strands. The protein temporarily makes the hair stronger. Because the protein is reinforcing the hair strands, it also will make your hair look fuller. 

Henna
Henna coats the outside of the hair strands and this adds color to the hair. Because it is adding something to the hair, it also makes your hair look thicker. That effect is permanent.

Castor oil
You will read lots of women testify that castor oil made their hair thicker. Any thick oil such as castor oil, when applied day after day, will coat the strands and make the hair appear thicker. This is temporary. Once you wash the oil off your hair will return to its natural thickness. 




Good products to help you have thicker, fuller looking hair!

Help my hair is shedding!

Shedding is a normal stage your hair naturally goes through on a daily basis. People shed between 50 to 150 strands per day. Around 15% of hairs on your head are in the shedding phase daily. The majority of your hair is in the growth phase at all times. 

DO NOT BE NERVOUS ABOUT SHED HAIRS

ONLY BE ALARMED IF YOUR HAIR SHEDS IN CLUMPS

How do I know whether my hair is shedding or breaking?

SHED HAIRS:
Are the same length as the rest of your hair
Shed hair contains a white bulb on one end
Shed hairs happen daily
Shed hair comes from the hair root.

ACCUMULATIVE SHEDDING:
When you go several days or weeks without removing shed hairs. Lots of naturals panic over shedding when it is has been days or weeks since they have untangled their hair. Hair will shed daily and if those shed hairs are not removed then you will have an accumulation of naturally shed hair. That is natural and okay. 

BROKEN HAIR:
Are hairs that are shorter than your natural length.
They can be as small as an eyelash. 
You can usually feel breakage, you will have popping and snapping from simple manipulation.

 A BALL OF 10 SHED CURLY HAIRS LOOK LIKE MORE HAIR THAN A BALL OF  10 SHED STRAIGHT HAIRS. GET USE TO HOW SHED CURLY HAIR LOOKS SO YOU CAN STOP PANICKING OVER SHEDDING.

PAY ATTENTION TO HOW MUCH HAIR YOU SHED DAILY, SO YOU CAN KNOW WHAT IS NORMAL FOR YOU.

When to be concerned:
If your hair comes out in clumps.
If your hair starts to shed more than what is normal for you.
If  you have detangled well, cleansed and conditioned, and your hair is still shedding.

What to do:
Stop manipulating your hair until you know the reason why.
Treat the root cause of the excess shedding.
Shedding comes from within so it must be treated internally.
Garlic pills, hair growth supplements have been know to help excess shedding for some. These works when you have a vitamin deficiency. You will need your doctor to test your blood to know for sure. 
Consider medications you are taking that might contribute to excess shedding.
Are you on your menstrual cycle? Wait until it is over before you panic. Odd things can happen during our cycle. 
Consider  any type of stress you've had, in the prior 3 months.
Do you have any other symptoms? Been sick lately?
If excess shedding goes  passed 3 days I would go to the doctor for blood work. There are many types of illnesses that can cause excess shedding. Do not guess, be safe and go to the doctor.