Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner Review

I’ve been hoping for a great leave-in conditioner for a while — one that wouldn’t need following up with a styling gel. And honestly, when I decided to use this product I didn’t really read into the Shea Moisture Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner at all.

There were two things I knew. It was made by Shea Moisture and it was a “leave-in” conditioner.

That was enough for me to feel hopeful about the results. I’m going to share my experience, but first I’ll discuss details about it that will hopefully help you decide if this product is for you.

What It Does & What’s In It

The Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner is supposed to strengthen and restore hair that has experienced damage caused by heat or chemical processing.

Shea Moisture products are popular among naturals (like me) who want to use products without harmful or toxic ingredients.

Here are the spotlighted ingredients and their repairing properties:

Jamaican black castor oil has reparative omegas that promote healthy hair growth.
Organic shea butter deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.
Peppermint stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience.

Apple cider vinegar is also noted on the label, but how it benefits the hair isn’t mentioned. However, it’s often added to natural hair care routines and has been found to help promote healthy hair in various ways.

The acidity of apple cider vinegar is close to human hair, which can in turn balance pH. It conditions, cleanses, and kills germs. It can also be used to make your hair shine and get rid of dandruff.

Here’s the complete list of ingredients:

Water
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Stearyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol
Behentrimonium Chloride
Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend)
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Panthenol a form of Vitamin B5
Dicaprylyl Ether
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Glycerin (Vegetable)
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Tocopheryl Acetate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Yeast Extract
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Niacin
Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract
Vinegar
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol

You can go to EWG to find out more about this product and the safety score of each ingredient.

The one thing I found difficult was determining if many of these ingredients are natural or synthetic.

It’s pretty obvious that these ingredients are natural:

Water
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend)
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract
Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract
Vinegar

But I had a tough time finding the nature of these ingredients:

Stearyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol
Behentrimonium Chloride
Panthenol a form of Vitamin B5
Dicaprylyl Ether
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Glycerin (Vegetable)
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Yeast Extract
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Niacin
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol

I still have quite a bit to learn on this natural hair journey. And upon research, it was difficult to find a straightforward answer — are they natural or synthetic?

But maybe the answers are not so black and white.

On the positive side, based on the EWG only two of the ingredients are a moderate hazard and the rest are a low hazard.

What’s Not In It

No sulfates, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, and petrolatum.

Humane & Environmentally Friendly Benefits

Community Commerce Investments
Certified Organic, Natural
Fair Trade Ingredients
Not Tested On Animals
Family Owned
Ethically Traded Sustainable Products
Certified B Corp

The results …

After I washed my hair I applied it throughout my entire head. I kept my hair down, let it air dry, and left the Shea Moisture Leave-In Conditioner in my hair all day.

The conditioner left white residue on my hair that disappeared after about 30 minutes to an hour. My hair had an almost sticky feel to it once dried.

Considering this was the only product I used (I may have finished it off with a small amount of olive oil) it did a fair job at keeping my 3B-3C hair tame and soft. My curls did puff up hours later, but my hair didn’t become too poofy.

I used this product on my daughters’ as well. The results were pretty much the same. Though my oldest girl has very thick and coily 4A hair. So I would prefer to use it along with a natural styling gel or give her a protective hairstyle, just to help it lay.

The smell …

Nutty and earthy. This is the best way I can describe the scent. I don’t love it but I don’t dislike it either. To me, it has an acquired smell.

However, the scent isn’t very strong so if you don’t like it you might be able to mask it by using it along with another leave-in conditioner with a preferred fragrance.

Does It Really Strengthen & Restore Hair?

I haven’t used heat or chemicals in my hair in years. So I can’t personally say how well it repairs hair. Maybe we’d have to use more of it over a longer period of time to see serious results.

Between my whole family, an 11-ounce container finished rather quickly, but we all have thick hair. So we each only used it a few times before it finished.

On the other hand, if you use less product or not as frequent, it may last longer.

Should you use the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner?

You should use the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner if:

Your hair has been destroyed by chemicals or heat and you’re looking for a repairing leave-in conditioner
You prefer organic, natural, and safe hair products
You want to support humane, environmentally friendly, and cruelty-free companies
You’re not picky about the way your hair products smell

You probably shouldn’t use this product if:

You prefer to use products with 100% completely natural ingredients
You don’t like products that leave a residue (temporarily) or a slightly tacky feeling on your hair
You’re really particular about how your hair products smell

I’d rather use products without scientific or unfamiliar names, but at the same time, none of the ingredients have any major health concerns.

And the nutrients from the shea butter, Jamaican black castor oil, and coconut oil in the Shea Moisture Leave-In Conditioner will likely provide nourishment for your hair whether or not it’s damaged.

Have you tried the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner? Did it give you great results? Share!

Resources
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/06/02/apple-cider-vinegar-hype.aspx
https://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/
ewg.org