PRODUCT REVIEW: KERACARE NATURAL TEXTURES CLEANSING CREAM SULFATE FREE MOISTURISING CURL WASH

By Hadassah Agbaps - February 17, 2014

Hi people, what's been on?

Today, I'm going to review a shampoo I've been using with my Indian Oiling method for retaining length in natural hair. It was given to me by TwentySix85.com in September last year and it's been the answer to the problem of locating Ayurvedic herbs such as shikakai, soapnut, neem and amla for cleansing the hair in Nigeria.

Here's my take on the product.




PRODUCT PROMISE
Gentle hair and scalp cleansing while neem leaf extract helps eliminate scalp bacteria leaving hair healthier. Shikakai proteins naturally moisturise and nourish the hair and scalp. Styling product buildup is eliminated, combing is easier and dry or itchy scalp conditions are soothed and clarified. Amla extract plus Argan and Abyssian oils add natural shine to the hair.

PRODUCT PRICE
Available in Nigeria for N3100-N3700 depending on location. You can purchase it here

PRODUCT SIZE
240ml /8oz

INGREDIENTS
Water, Extracts: Neem, Amla, Shikakai, Centrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Akyl Lactate, Polyquaternium 37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Glycerin, Argan Kernel Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed oil, Castor Seed Oil, Polyquartenium 10, Piroctone Olamine, Potassium Sorbate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynul Butylcarbamate, Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate

MANUFACTURER
Avlon Industries, Inc.

DIRECTIONS
Wet hair thoroughly. Rub a generous amount between palms and distribute throughout hair. Lather product throughout hair and massage into scalp.  Gently detangle hair with a wide-tooth comb and leave lather on 3-5 minutes to eliminate shedding scalp debris. Rinse well. Repeat when necessary to remove excessive product build-up. Follow with Natural Textures® Leave-In Conditioner.

SCENT
Hmm...it's not fruity at all. I'd say it has a 'mature' kinda smell....like a mixture of roses and something 'woody'.......okay I tried!

CONSISTENCY
Thick...kind of buttery....



MY REVIEW
First thing I love about this product is that it is the first hair product I have seen that indicates its pH value which is 5.0. This is useful if you already know the pH ranges of products that bring out the best in your hair. Usually for naturally curly hair, products that are mildly acidic work best in keeping your hair smooth and tangle free and help your hair retain moisture better. It is especially useful if your hair has high to medium porosity.

Another thing I noticed was that for such a small tub (8 oz), it lasts really long. I've had it since ending of September last year and I have a little left for one wash. I use it about once or twice a month but shared it with my sister (who has natural medium length hair), my mum (who has natural twa) and my cousin ( who has relaxed bra strap length hair)!

So I think I can also extend the review to it's action on different hairtypes.

On my very porous, fine stranded natural hair:
I used it as per the directions after an overnight prepoo with coconut oil.
 The first time I used it, I scooped out a lot of it...enough to fill my palm...and it foamed so much that I had to rinse out my hair more than twice! I was kinda skeptical about the foaming because sulfate free shampoos aren't meant to foam as much as sulfate poos.
I thought it would completely dry out my hair for that much foaming and to add to it, I didn't bother to dilute my shampoo since it was sulfate free and full of oils. My hair did feel dry but not stripped...it wasn't squeaky clean but it was clean.
Learning from my mistakes, the next time I used about a 'kobo' sized amount of shampoo and I was pleased with the results. It still foamed well and cleaned my hair and scalp. My hair felt clean but not stripped and my coils definition was like I used a conditioner to wash my hair. Unlike a conditioner however, there wasn't any kind of residue on my strands.
I didn't really need to use a conditioner ( I did the first time I used it) and I went straight to oiling my hair and scalp with coconut oil.

On my mum's grey natural twa :
 My mum's hair is full of greys and prone to dryness.
 Most times to take the crunch out of her hair, she either cowashes with VO5 or uses Creme of Nature Argan Sulfate free shampoo. Even my beloved Aussie Moist Shampoo is too harsh for her hair. When she used the Keracare cleansing shampoo, she said she preferred it to the CON sulfate free shampoo as it cleansed her hair without the dry feeling afterwards. She loved it so much that she requested I get another before it ran out. Unfortunately, TwentySix85 said they were out of stock and also it seems like the product has been reformulated.


Reformulated version
On my sister's low porosity medium stranded natural hair:
Something I noticed about medium-low porosity hair is that it takes a while before you can tell the effect of a product. My fine porous hair reacts almost immediately to good or bad products because it's highly absorbent but my sister's hair takes a while. Her texture is a good way for me to know the penetrating power of a product. On applying the shampoo, I noticed it washed her hair clean without dryness and her hair had a subtle shine to it but it did not define her coils as well as it did mine....and her coils are much larger than mine!
A week later, I used it to wash her hair and left it in a bit (about 10-15mins) then rinsed off....and yep...her coil clumping/definition improved.

On my cousin's relaxed medium porosity medium stranded hair:
Relaxed hair has the tendency to clump together and tangle up when it's wet which is why unlike natural hair, it's best to detangle when it's dry to avoid breakage. My cousin hadn't detangled her hair in a while nor had she retouched in about 6 months...so you could say she was transitioning. 
It was pleasant to notice that similar to cowashing her hair, the shampoo cleansed her hair and scalp really well and I was able to fingerdetangle her hair without risking my fingers. 
Fingerdetangling with most sulfate shampoos on relaxed hair is 'dangerous' because when the hair is stripped, it can actually cut you!
To avoid that it's best to use either low sulfate or sulfate free shampoos.

VERDICT
Well, I feel that for the price, 8oz is quite small...perhaps 10 or even 12 would have been a better size. However I did notice that a little did go a long way....like from Sept/Oct with three natural heads and a relaxed one, there's still a little left over for one wash......which my mum has dibs on...
The scent isn't my personal favorite cos I'm one of those people that like fruity scents. My cousin absolutely loves it because she hates in her own words 'smelling like food'.
My mum adores it...she says it 'smells mature'.....so I guess I'm outnumbered!

I will definitely repurchase this product especially with this formula. I am about to try out the new formula so let's see if it works as well as this one but if you do see this type anywhere, do not hesitate to buy it!

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