SheaMoisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Reparative Leave-In Conditioner

 

This blog post contains affiliate links (e.g., to Amazon, eBay, etc.), which means that if you click on one of the product links and place an order, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support my blog and allows me to continue to create content like this.

Thank you for your support!

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Glycerin (Vegetable), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil , Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil , Hydrolyzed Keratin, Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend), Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Vinegar, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Niacin, Dextran, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caramel, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract

Directions:

Apply to clean, towel-dried hair. Work a generous amount of product into hair from root to ends. Comb through for even distribution. Do not rinse. Apply more to longer hair at the end of problem areas. Can also be used as a rinse-out conditioner. 

SheaMoisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-in Conditioner contains organic shea butter, peppermint extract, and Jamaican black castor oil to condition hair, stimulate the scalp, and promote healthy hair growth. It claims to help remove buildup while remaining gentle enough for daily moisturizing. Per the directions on the label, I applied this Leave-in Conditioner to freshly washed hair. I divided my hair into quadrants to make the application process easier. Then, I shingled the JBCO Conditioner through each section. I used the product solo to get a sense of how my hair would respond. My curls and coils looked super defined, and I started to get excited about the fact that I may have just found my new go-to hair moisturizer. But, I decided to reserve my full opinion until after my hair had fully dried.

About 3 hours later, I looked in the mirror and was pleased by how this JBCO Conditioner made my hair “look.” My curls were still very defined. However, when I touched my hair, I was mortified. To my surprise, my tresses were dry, hard, and super crunchy. It was as if I had slathered an alcohol-based gel all over my hair! I scrutinized the ingredients more closely. I saw hydrolyzed keratin (13th ingredient), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (18th ingredient), and hydrolyzed rice protein (21st ingredient) in the ingredient list. That’s three different proteins. Because they are all hydrolyzed, they have been processed to the point that they are small enough to penetrate past the hair’s cuticle directly into the core of the hair shaft, allowing the protein to easily bond to each hair follicle.

I also noticed that coconut oil was the third ingredient. My hair IS NOT a big fan of coconut oil. I stopped using coconut oil in my hair very early in my natural hair journey because it often made my hair stiff and dry. This, in combination with the three hydrolyzed proteins, is probably why my hair responded so harshly to this Leave-in. So, if you have fine, low-porosity hair like I do, I would test this JBCO Conditioner on a discreet area of your hair before applying it all over your mane like I did.

Another concern I have is the inconsistent product textures. Some naturals I talked to said their JBCO Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-in Conditioner was thin and runny. The one I purchased, though, was very thick and creamy. So, I’m wondering if there has been a recent formula change. This may account for the two distinctive “Love It!” or “Leave It!” camps. Also, many people warned me that this smelled like Play-Doh! Needless to say I was a little concerned before trying the product that I would reek of rambunctious four-year-olds at playtime. Yet, to me, this JBCO Conditioner has more of an herbal, medicinal smell (in a good way). So, I’m not sure what the deal is with all the Play-Doh references. Nevertheless, I was so disappointed with this Leave-in that I returned it.

Some naturalistas informed me that even though the directions state that a “generous amount” should be applied, I should really use just a small amount/apply the Leave-in more sparingly. However, I tried that, and it still left a hard caste on my hair. It was as if the product just sat on the top of my hair. Others suggested that I use it on dry rather than wet or damp freshly washed hair but, by then, I had given up on the product and returned it! Here’s the breakdown of the pros and cons.

Pros:

• No Parabens
• No Phthalates
• No Paraffin
• No Mineral Oil
• No DEA
• No Petroleum
• No Formaldehyde
• No Propylene
• Super thick and creamy consistency
• Pleasant scent

Cons:

• Dried out my hair
• Made my hair super crunchy and hard
• Inconsistent product consistencies
• Too much protein for safe daily use (FOR ME)

While this Leave-in Conditioner was ideal in theory, the amazing ingredients just didn’t translate into great results for MY hair. My sister loves SheaMoisture’s JBCO Shampoo and Conditioner, which is why I went out on a limb to try this Leave-in. However, she has super thick type 4B hair. So, I’ll let you decide whether you think your hair type and texture will benefit from SheaMoisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-in Conditioner.