I picked this up during a buy one get one sale at CVS. I used my own funds and this is my honest and unbiased impression.

First Impression:

I wanted to try new products from the Shea Moisture line but CVS shelves were sparse. I ended up picking up this Anti-Breakage Masque and the leave-in milk both from the Organic Yucca & Baobab line.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s an overwhelming perfumy smell and something I wasn’t used to hair products. It wasn’t a bad smell, just very strong. It reminds me of one of the Avon scents from back in the day.

The texture is much lighter and more whipped than the Curl Enhancing Smoothee. This one says it’s for ‘thin, fine hair’ so I’m assuming that’s why the texture is what it is. My hair is very fine so it’s a good fit.

Performance:

I really like this for my hair. I’ve only used it on my mini braids as a leave-in/moisturizer and to twist my hair. It’s not meant for that…the directions say it’s a treatment that should be left in for 5-30 minutes then rinsed out. The ingredients contain a lot of butters and oils so I think it’s not problem to not rinse it out. If I ever use it as a DC, I will update my review. For now it works great as a moisturizer. My hair is soft for days, without being sticky. The consistency is one of the best things about it. It’s much lighter in texture than the Curl Enhancing Smoothee so it works very well for my fine hair.

Pros:

The smell dissipates quickly  and leaves a pleasant scent on the hair. The formula is light and it contains great ingredients. My hair is soft for anywhere from 3-4 days. It works well with my gel (Ecostyler brand) and does not flakes, clump, or cause any other type of buildup.

Cons:

Granted this is not a leave-in or styling product and that’s all I’ve used it for. It has very little hold. It also makes my hair a bit dull and dusty looking.

Verdict:

I’m not completely sold on it. I’ll probably try the rest of the Shea Moisture line and the Nubian Heritage line before I settle on one of their butter based products.

Edited To Add:

I finally used this product the way it was intended- as a deep conditioner. I put it on soaking wet hair. Left it on for about 10 minutes. I finger detangled and pulled out shed hair. The conditioner has little slip, so I wouldn’t recommend it for detangling. After I rinsed it, I noticed my hair was squeaky clean. I actually heard it squeak. I’ve never experienced that from any conditioner. I thought it was really odd. My hair felt different from using my usual protein or moisturizing DC. I think this might be a good cleanser for me actually. I used Kinky Kurly Knot Today and Curly Custard to style a wash and go, so I can’t speak on how my hair felt when dry.

Second Edit:

I used the remainder of this product as a DC. I will not repurchase it. It does not moisturize or strengthen…they only thing I notice is the squeaking clean feeling. I stick to shampoos for cleansers because they are more cost effective to me.