African Pride Shea Butter Miracle- A Review.

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Hey Guys!

Yes o, your girl is on a bit of a roll this week with these posts!

 The Review

I received several samples of the newly revamped African Pride line, which also included many of the Shea Butter Miracle products.  As I rummaged through the box brimming with an assortment of jars and bottles of goodies, I noticed two things:

Quite a few of the products had the same appearance- very thick and extremely creamy.  Also, a lot of the curl promoting products could double as leave-ins and moisturizers and vice versa.  

At first, I was ambivalent about that discovery, however, my reasoning quickly moved into acceptance as it dawned on me that, "Why, of course it's awesome that I can use one cream to get definition, moisture, and hold all at once!"  
My heart quickens at the mere notion of a bargain, so once I rationalized that I could get both a cheap and all in 1 product; I became re-energized.
 
My fingers brushed against one of the smaller jars, and I pulled out the Shea Butter Miracle Buttery Creme.

 Methyl Ionone Gamma is said to smell like pineapple

Soon after I uncapped the jar, I was immediately hit with the overwhelming scent of pineapples.  If you're a fan of edible smells emanating from your head, then you're in for a treat with this stuff.  In fact, a third thing I had noticed with the products, was that most were laced with this fruity/pineappley fragrance.

The Ingredients

Aqua, Glycine Soja Oil/Soybean Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil/Olive Oil, Behentrimonlum Methosulfate, Peg 75 Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit/Shea Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter/Mango Butter, Argania Spinosa Nut Oil/Argan Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil/Coconut Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract/Rosemary Extract, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract/Aloe Vera Extract, Phenyl Trimethicone, Panax Ginseng Root Extract/Ginseng Extract, Polysorbate 20, Imidazolidinyl Urea, DMDM Hydantoin, Yellow 6, Parfum/Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, D-Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lyral, Methyl Ionone Gamma 

$4.99 for 6oz jar

The Buttery Creme is chock full of great ingredients towards the top of the list, which should be indicative of their concentrations in the cream.  However, as I continued to scan through the ingredients, my excitement waned a little as my eyes ran across several unfamiliar ingredients towards the end of the list.  

 1. Dimethicone / Phenyl Trimethicone 
(Silicones which can induce allergies, but are generally safe for use)

2. Methyl Ionone Gamma / Parfum/Fragrance / Coumarin / Hexyl Cinnamal / Lyral 
 (Contribute to the pleasant fruity pineapple scent/ possible allergy inducer)

Imidazolidinyl Urea / DMDM Hydantoin /
 Benzyl Benzoate
(formaldehyde releasing preservatives /very low estrogen mimicker )

Tip 1: Check out this site for more information on cosmetic chemicals 
 chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com

Since the more questionable ingredients were towards the end of the list, I decided that, hopefully, they were in such minor amounts that any possible ill effects would be inconsequentional.

The Product Claim

"...gives amazing manageability, softness and shine to naturally Curly, Wavy, Kinky-Coily Mixed Textures, plus perfect for Transitioners"

Definition mostly at the ends of my hair

The consistency and texture of the cream is rich, a la yogurt, or mayonnaise.  Since I will be protective styling soon, I wanted to own the last moments of the summer with summer hair in a wash n go.  I haven't done one since my TWA days, but I felt a burst of inspiration that I decided to move with.

 My hair was still in a stretched out state from the Labor Day hair.

At first, I began by dampening my hair with water prior to applying the cream, but I found that my it would shrink into itself too much.  I wanted this wash n go to reflect some length, so I nixed the water, and applied the cream directly to dry hair.  My hair is classic type 4 hair; it's so greedy for product, that I ended up using the entire 6oz jar of cream.

I got curls yes I do, I got curls, how about you?

I experienced curl definition mostly towards the ends of my hair, which is actually quite common with dense strands and tiny coils.

The lack of definition in the roots is an aspect of my hair that I accept.  In fact, I love the resulting fullness.

Remember, I mentioned that this product could double as a leave-in moisturizer and a curl inducer?  Welp, it definitely satisfied those purposes.  There was ultra definition in my hair that wasn't at all crunchy in texture.  My hair has also kept its definition for three days and counting.  

I feel obligated to, at least, keep the wash n go in for a week, since I finished an entire jar of product on my head. 

As far as cons go, my hair has been pretty oily. Coming to America Soul Glo oil patches have been mysteriously appearing on any chair I rest the back of my head on.   If you look closely at the pictures, you'll see oil smudges on the edges of my black chair.

 Lol

The Verdict

At $4.99 for 6 ounces of product, this cream is worth its price.  I wouldn't reach for it for another wash n go, simply because my hair apparently requires more product than 6 ounces.  Apart from that, if you aren't as concerned with ingredients that are not entirely natural, then I would absolutely recommend this product as an affordable, everyday leave in.  

Have you tried the Shea Butter Miracle yet?  What do you think?  Do you care if your products have ingredients that aren't all natural?