CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser Review

curls-creamy-curl-cleanser


Ever since Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea All Natural Cleansing CoWash waltzed into my regimen and demanded to be listed as a must-have and my #1 favorite cowash ever, I've been on a mission to test other products so I know it's real.

I decided a $7.99 sale at Target was a good as time as any to try the CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser and stack it up against my beloved. How did it compare? Keep reading!

Ingredient List: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Behetrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Fragrance, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Certified Organic Carrot Seed Oil, Certified Organic Horse Chestnut Extract, Sage Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbatem, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

Ingredient Breakdown:
  • Water
  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Coconut oil-derived detergent, anti-static, and hair conditioning agent
  • Stearic Acid: Naturally occurring animal-based fatty acid that acts as a gentle cleansing agent and emulsifier.
  • Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate: Salt surfactant derived from the fatty acid of coconut oil.
  • Behetrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola). Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
  • Cetearyl Alcohol: Considered "fatty alcohol" -- NOT to be confused with drying alcohols such as ethyl. Acts as a lubricant, thickener, and emollient. Also give conditioner its velvety feel without making hair greasy. Is additionally used to keep product ingredients from separating.

Availability: The CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser is available on the ground at Sally Beauty Supply, Target, and WalMart. The version available on www.curls.biz is the "salon" version of the product -- Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream, and has a different ingredient composition.

Affordability: I paid $7.99 while the Creamy Curl Cleanser was on sale at Target about a week ago. It normally retails for around $10 for an 8oz bottle. This falls within that $8 to $12 range for most natural hair products, although 8oz is a little on the conservative side quantity-wise.

Product Claim/Description: Sulfates (the drying detergents found in traditional shampoos that create lather) are extremely drying to the hair. This sulfate free cream cleanser will gently remove dirt and debris while nourishing your needy tresses. Great for chemically altered/color treated hair.

Performance/Delivery: I would like to start off by saying this stuff smells good enough to eat. It bears a warm vanilla cake battery fragrance similar to Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk, Fresh Curl, and Curlaide Moisture Butter. I LOVE that smell. My Lord. Unfortunately, that's where this love affair ends. I wanted to like the cleanser, but it fell short when stacked up against my Eden BodyWorks. There is no lather (doesn't bother me, I don't need lather), and the slip was just okay. With the Eden BodyWorks CoWash, I don't need to detangle my hair beforehand because it has tons of slip to get the job done. With the CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser, I had no choice but to detangle beforehand because the level of slip wasn't where I needed it to be. It had slip, but it wasn't super slippy.

curls-creamy-curl-cleanserIt cleansed my hair and scalp well, almost a little too well. After using Eden BodyWorks CoWash, my hair and scalp feels soft, smooth, and clean, yet well moisturized and nourished. Oddly enough after using this product, my hair felt a little stripped -- like I had used a gentle shampoo. Maybe for ladies looking for that level of clean from a cowash that's a good thing, but I personally was having none of that. Also, I had to use 75% of the bottle on one wash. Now I know I can be heavy-handed, but to feel like my sections of hair were coated enough to work through, I had to apply it rather generously. There's only enough left in this bottle for a second, half-hearted wash.

As far as consistency is concerned, it is relatively thin by comparison to the Eden BodyWorks CoWash. It has a nice creamy consistency similar to that of a leave-in, but it spreads easily throughout the hair.

Drawbacks: For me, the major drawbacks are the lack of slip and how my hair felt afterward. I feel like the Creamy Curl Cleanser did more in the way of cleansing than moisturizing. Not exactly my cup of tea. Also, the size relative to price was a little bit of a downer. Other brands have cowashes that retail in the same price range, with comparable ingredients, but offer double the size (16oz). The final drawback for me is the presence of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate. My hair haaaaaates that stuff. It could be why I didn't go over the moon with this product. I typically avoid cleansers with that ingredient, and it must have slipped by me that this product included it.

Bonuses: The Creamy Curl Cleanser is free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, mineral oil, and petroleum. It's curly-girl friendly and does not contain artificial colorants.

Bottom Line: For me, the Creamy Curl Cleanser was just OK. Does it cleanse without sulfates, yes. And in some regards, a little too well. If you want a cowash that has some pretty decent clarifying qualities (just shy of squeaky clean), this is the one. It just didn't deliver for me in the moisture department. If you're seeking something a little more moisturizing, check out Eden BodyWorks... This was definitely a one-time purchase for me. I'm a product junkie, and I've got no room in my stash for mediocre product. All or nothing!

Best Practices: Thoroughly detangle your hair prior to use, and definitely saturate hair with water to help coat and work the cowash through the hair. And of course, deep condition!

Overall Product Rating: 3 stars. To be fair, the product isn't extravagantly priced, and it does what it says it will do. I just didn't care for it on my hair.

Have you tried the CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser? How did it work for you?

4 Comments

  1. I started out using the Curls line. Everything smelled great! Over time I realized the shampoo was making my scalp itch like crazy. I've since switched over to Shea Moisture, but I recommend the Coconut Curlada (or Coconut Sublime from the professional line). The best smelling out of the line, softened my hair, and refreshed my ends when I was on a mini twist kick. :)

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  2. I LOVE Coconut Sublime and the Ecstasy Hair Tea. Their line does smell super yummy!!!

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  3. I agree with your review except it did NOT cleanse my hair at all. It felt like I put some really cheap dollar store conditioner on my hair. My scalp was not clean, my hair barely cleansed. I agree with the having to use more than half the bottle during one wash. I ended up using it like a prepoo before returning to my beloved shea moisture shampoos. I know you're not a fan of the sm shampoos but I keep going back because no other shampoos (I use African black soap, curl & shine, and raw shea) cleanse my hair and scalp properly without stripping. Everyone's hair is different.

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