Battle of the Butters: Eden Bodyworks Coconut Shea Pudding Souffle vs. Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter


I initially set out to do two separate product reviews, but after using both products for a while I decided that doing a head-to-head might be a little more fun and informative -- and could possibly help some naturalistas and transitioners decide which product to drop dough on. With summer knocking at the door, light, bodified, and touchably soft hair is what's hot in the streets. So which product is going to give you all that? Keep reading to find out!

Ding! Ding! Ding! Let the battle begin!

Showdown Round 1: Ingredients (top 6) & Analysis

Eden BodyWorks: Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Butryospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, PEG-50 Shea Butter

Ingredient Analysis:
  • Aloe Vera Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.
  • Cetyl & Stearyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohols and emollient conditioners known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
  • Shea Butter: Emollient fat from the nut of the East or West African shea nut tree, used to moisturize and soften hair.
  • PEG-50 Shea Butter: Emulsifying form of shea butter that is water soluble, and commonly used in water-based products.
Camille Rose Naturals: Deionized water, behentrimonium methosulfate (BTMS)cetearyl alcohol, prunus dulcis(almond milk), prunusdulcis (almond)oil, cucurbita pepo(pumpkin)seed oil

Ingredient Analysis
  • Behentrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola). Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
  • Cetearyl Alcohol: Combination of cetyl and stearyl fatty alcohol. Emollient conditioners known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
  • Almond Milk: Mixture of sweet almonds and water, with high nutrient and protein value for nourishing and strengthening hair.
  • Almond Oil: Smoothes hair cuticles, promotes hair growth and thickness, boosts shine.
  • Pumpkin Seed Oil: Antioxidant containing omega-6 fatty acids to aid in hair and skin regeneration, softness and shine.
And the winner is: In this round, I've got to give it to Eden BodyWorks, by a CLOSE margin. Both have a very similar composition (which shows in terms of the similar texture/feel of the products), but the Aloe Vera Juice in EBW truly sets it apart. My hair loves Aloe. The fact that it's a part of the product base sets it ahead of Camille Rose Naturals.
 
Showdown Round 2: Affordability, Availability & Value (Size)

Eden BodyWorks: The Coconut Shea Pudding Souffle is 16oz (pretty hefty) for around $8.99. It can be found online, at Sally Beauty Supply, and at select WalMart stores.

Camille Rose Naturals: The Almond Jai Twisting Butter is 8oz for around $16.99. It can be found online, and at select Target stores.

And the winner is: In this round, Eden BodyWorks takes the cake by leaps and bounds. I had to literally talk myself into spending $13.99 at Target for the Camille Rose product (it was on sale, and that was the ONLY way I was going to buy it). There's no way on God's green Earth that I'd pay $16.99 for 8oz of product. With such a similar composition, the price difference baffles me.

Showdown Round 3: Product Claims & Performance

Eden BodyWorks
The Claim: Add moisture to dry, thirsty tresses using this exotic blend of all natural ingredients formulated to reduce frizz, enhance textured styles, and provide a soft, shiny finish.

The Truth: Moisture, yes. Frizz reduction, absolutely. I used EBW to twist my hair up, and when I took the twists down, I had way more definition than I thought I would. My hair was soft, shiny, and most importantly not greasy to the touch (not a fan of that feeling). When you get past the "exotic blend" marketing mumbo-jumbo, you still have a solidly good moisturizing and styling product. It doesn't give a strong hold, but they tell you that on the front of the jar :)

Camille Rose Naturals
The Claim: The Almond Jai Twisting Butter is a  botanical blend of oils and butters that will aid in managing course/thick hair, leaving a soft and smoother feel. Softens and moisturizes hair while nourishing the scalp and stimulating growth.

The Truth: I used CRN for my satin strip braidout, expecting that a twisting butter would provide my hair some weight and hold. It didn't give me the level of hold I was expecting, and my braidout lost definition quickly. My hair definitely felt moisturized and softer, but it didn't have that velvety feel that I have come to expect from most butters, puddings, and whips. Not quite sure how CRN was going to achieve the scalp nourishment and growth stimulation by being applied to my hair only...but my hair was shiny!

And the winner is: In this round, Eden BodyWorks does it again. Can't deny the fact that the proof is in the pudding. What a label says isn't important -- it's all in how it works!

Showdown Round 4: Bonuses & Drawbacks

Eden BodyWorks
Bonuses: With Aloe Vera Juice and Shea Butter in the top 5, this product would also make a great light summer sealant.
Drawbacks: It's called Coconut Shea, but there's no coconut in it. What's up with that? It made me a little sad to realize that too, because it smells so yummy and coconut-like.

Camille Rose Naturals
Bonuses: Although the product is listed as a butter, it's not butter greasy or heavy. Good job!
Drawbacks: It's not a huge one by any means, but I didn't see the point in having little almond flake thingies in the mix. Perhaps for the aesthetic appeal of feeling like the real-deal almonds were going into your hair -- but other than that, I found them pointless.

And the winner is: Camille Rose Naturals! Although artificial fragrances don't bother me (so long as they're toward the very bottom of the list), my product pet peeve is when a product is named after an ingredient that it doesn't even have in it. A few drops of coconut oil could've turned this verdict around.

The FINAL Showdown: The Bottom Line

When you get down to the nitty gritty, both are really good product options if you're looking to add moisture to your hair without weighing it down or making it terribly greasy-feeling. Although I felt the Almond Jai Twisting butter was a good product, the Pudding Souffle really just did it for me. Across the board, hands down. You get more bang for your bucks, good quality ingredients, and a viable alternative to Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie. That last point is really important for me as a transitioner. With my new stuff taking over, but still having some heat damaged ends, finding something that will take care of all of my hair is really important. Eden BodyWorks Pudding Souffle is just the right consistency to get the job done -- leaving my hair soft and moisturized, without making the heat damaged part oily and stringy. In fact, it reminds me of my cohiloe mixture that I used last summer.

And the winner is: You already know. Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Pudding Souffle! I'm about to have an EBW habit....

Have you tried either line? What was your experience?

8 Comments

  1. Hey great review but I think you either missed the coconut on the label or your label is wrong. Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil is definitely the second ingredient in the EBW.

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  2. The EBW Curl Defining Creme has Coconut Oil in it, the EBW Pudding Souffle does not.

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  3. lovehatebeauty2010 .January 9, 2015 at 11:12 AM

    I just purchased EBW Pudding Souffle today and coconut oil is listed 8th in the ingredients.

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  4. Great review and analysis. Thank you so much!

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  5. I have blonde platinum mid length hair; fine texture and with some porosity towards the ends. I bought this product after the Coconut craze has started; in 3 treatments ( I saturated my hair starting dry and let it dry on the hair without wetness) after 2 hours washed it off. My hair has shown less breakage, less frizzyness and seems more manageable. Great after bleaching!
    Smells great, good value, very good results.

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  6. Hello @mane, what do you think about these two products 8 years later?

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