I personally am a BIG TIME fan of SheaMoisture products and I’m happy to see a man finding a use for this natural product.
So far I’ve had a pretty good track record using SheaMoisture body products. While I have sampled a couple of the hair products, I have had such great results with the body products I keep forgetting to buy the hair stuff! I got this product from a friend who used it on her chemically treated hair and found it too greasy, so we thought my natural mane might soak it right up. Today, I am reviewing Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Reconstructive Elixir.
Packaging: The Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Elixir is pretty true to Shea Moisture’s consistent branding. From a marketing standpoint, I think Shea Moisture really has a great look that’s pretty androgynous and unassuming. That is certainly something I appreciate!
Consistency: The elixir itself is housed in a helpful spray bottle which aids in product distribution. I tried the elixir right out of the spray bottle and found that the pump wasn’t good for me as I tend to get trigger happy when using pumps and this left my hair feeling super oily and greasy. Then I sprayed the product into my hands and still found it to be oily. So I put on my thinking cap and used another empty spray bottle and put in 1 part elixir to about 5 parts water and voila! This was the best use of the product for my hair as my mane seems to have a hard time absorbing shea and other thick butters. My simple concoction is a great daily moisturizer.
Smell: This product is all shea! If you’re familiar with shea butter (and like the smell) then you will likely appreciate the smell of Shea Moisture’s Reconstructive Elixir. If not, then be prepared for the seriously nutty smell. I am more or less neutral on the smell, but I’d generally describe it as a pleasant nutty smell.
Price: Generally retails for $9.99. Given that a little goes a long way, I imagine this product could easily stay in your medicine cabinet for months. I’d say that’s a pretty good value.
Overall Impression: In its original form, Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Reconstructive Elixir is simply too much oil for my hair, but with a little coaxing I was able to create a daily spritz/midday moisturizer that is pretty good at reviving second day curls and softening my mane while offering protection from the elements. You also get a pretty healthy shine, which is good for those with super kinky, coily natural hair.
MANE MAN is an online lifestyle guide for men to discuss everything from hair to shaving, health and style. For more articles by Jor-El, check out his website Mane Man Blog, his twitter, and his Facebook fan page.