Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie Versus Cantu Shea Butter For Natural Hair Coconut Curling Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Myrtrimonium Bromide
Preservative
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Syriacus Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Myrtrimonium Bromide, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Hibiscus Syriacus Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Canola Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingParfum
Masking
Ceteth-20
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
PEG-75
HumectantPolyquaternium-10
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Urtica Dioica Extract
AstringentSilk Amino Acids
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Canola Oil, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Parfum, Ceteth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycol Stearate, Petrolatum, PEG-75, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterDaucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil is the oil obtained from the seed of the edible carrot. The oil is created by steaming and distilling the seeds of the plant.
Carrot Seed Oil has hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
As an emollient, carrot seed oil creates a thin film on the skin. This film prevents moisture from escaping, keeping your skin hydrated. Carrot seed oil has a soothing effect and can help alleviate inflammation.
As an antioxidant, carrot seed oil may help reduce the signs of aging. Antioxidants are able to neutralize free-radical molecules, or molecules that can damage our skin's cells and DNA.
Emerging studies show the alpha-pinene and carotol content give carrots antibacterial and antifungal properties. However, this is dependent on the amount of each compound. More studies are needed.
Carrot Seed Oil is not carrot oil. Carrot oil is created by mixing parts of the carrot in a carrier oil, such as coconut oil.
Learn more about Daucus Carota Sativa Seed OilGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinYou can find hydrolyzed silk in both haircare and skincare products. According to a manufacturer, it can help improve skin and hair hydration.
This ingredient is created by adding acid or enzymes to 'hydrolyze' silk protein.
Due to the origins of this ingredient, it is not vegan. Silk is an animal product from silkworms.
Depending on the source, this ingredient can be considered cruelty-free. It is created from left-over cocoons of silkworms. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about where their hydrolyzed silk comes from.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed SilkThis Honeysuckle flower extract comes from the Italian honeysuckle. It is an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and fragrance.
Both this and the Japanese Honeysuckle are rich in a natural paraben that give it antimicrobial property. They are effective in inhibiting bacteria, yeast, and mold.
Honeysuckle contains flavonoids and saponins. Both of these components are natural antioxidants that can help soothe the skin.
As most flowers do, honeysuckle has a natural fragrance.
Learn more about Lonicera Caprifolium Flower ExtractThis ingredient is also known as Macadamia Seed Oil. It's an emollient with a fatty acid profile that closely mirrors the skin's own lipid makeup.
The palmitoleic acid content is especially notable as it's somewhat rare in plant oils. Palmitoleic acid is something your skin already makes naturally. It helps keep cell membranes structured and plays a role in fighting off harmful microbes.
This palmitoleic content is also part of why macademia seed oil absorbs quickly and doesn't leave much of a greasy residue.
It also contains oleic acid, linoleic acid, and phytosterols that can help reduce redness.
In vitro research has shown the oil to have meaningful antioxidant activity, protect fats in the skin from oxidative damage, and slow down the enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid.
A 2024 clinical study found it effective at improving skin hydratino and reducing wrinkle appearance when formulated into nanoemulsions.
Because it carries oleic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the Malassezia yeast metabolizes in the C11-24 chain length range.
You'll also see this ingredient listed as: Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil .
These two oils are identical in composition and M. ternifolia is an older INCI naming convention for the edible macadamia nut while M. integrifolia is the species actually cultivated for oil production. Both names refer to the same oil.
Learn more about Macadamia Ternifolia Seed OilThough this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit). In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.
The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid. This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.
It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.
Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed ButterMelia Azadirachta Seed Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
This ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
