Hits, Misses and Halfway Holy Grails: My Impression of Shea Moisture's New Superfruit Complex Hair Line

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Some of ya'll (@deziohsosweet...cough...lol) have been asking for my review on the new Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System hair products, since I took the liberty of rushing out to Ulta like there was no tomorrow (typical PJ behavior).

I'll be honest: I don't think the Superfruit Complex line warrants a full review -- ya'll know how Shea Moisture rolls. So what I've decided to do is give you all my impressions after using every single product at least three times (with the exception of the shampoo....but more on that later). But before I get into that, I'll just come right out and say it -- overall I'm underwhelmed. I think I got caught totally up in "Shea Moisture Fever" -- Nola Crawls, festivals, beauty lounges, brand ambassadors, pretty colors, and smiling faces. I saw the accompanying hair line to the body line that I love, and went nuts. Overall, there was one pretty awesome find, something kinda cool, and two total bombs.

Let's get on with this compliment sandwich:

Hits
Good news first, right? The complete, total, and absolute HIT for me is the Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Conditioner. Obviously, it smells great -- all of the hair and skincare products have that same wonderfully bright and springy floral fragrance with a hint of fruity. It is creamy and light, and has TONS of slip. Based in shea butter, coconut oil, fatty alcohols, and behentrimonium chloride, it is super moisturizing and does a GREAT job at detangling. With that being said, I absolutely love it as a pre-poo, rinse out conditioner, and I plan on experimenting really soon with it as a leave-in. The consistency makes it versatile, and the performance is off the charts. After pre-pooing with the conditioner, my hair feels nourished, moisturized, and strong. Will I be buying more when this bottle runs out? Yes. Now, if I can just get my Q-Redew back from my sister....I might have a super epic pre-poo on my hands...

Misses
The Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Shampoo. I don't know what it is, but I haaaaaate Shea Moisture Shampoos. I've tried them all. No slip. No sort of smooth, slick, feeling. No ability to be worked through my hair while cleansing. The only one I sometimes put up with is the African Black Soap Shampoo, for my psoriasis. Unfortunately, Shea Moisture missed a great opportunity in the Superfruit Complex Shampoo to incorporate ingredients that would add more slip and moisture. I did a patch test with the shampoo, and absolutely hated how my hair felt afterward. Rough, tangly, and sort of stripped. When stacked against my HG TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo, it does not deliver in the slightest. So I returned it to Ulta and got my money back.

The other total miss for me was the Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair & Scalp Serum. To be frank, I STILL don't know what the hell to do with this stuff. It smells great, and is pretty to look at (the oil and water separate, similar to higher end serums like Ojon that show silicones of different weights in pretty stratified layers). But that's about where the compliments end. It is touted as a scalp elixir, pre-poo, heat protectant, and finishing serum -- and I had zero luck with all of the above. Because it is water-based, it is a no-go for stretched styles or stretched roots -- because the end result will be shrinkage. There was no discernible difference in my hair after about 3 experimental uses as a pre-poo. Same thing for my scalp. And because the oils and water never truly mix, they separate quickly -- leaving you with a predominantly watery serum to work through your hair. I appreciate what Shea Moisture was trying to do here...but it just didn't work. At least not for me. I definitely won't be repurchasing.

Halfway Holy Grails
In truth, there is only one halfway holy grail in the line -- the Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Hair Masque. I have to categorize it as a halfway HG product, because I'm honestly on the fence about it. Part of me loves it. It's a pretty good deep conditioner, and makes an AWESOME wash and go styler (an idea i hijacked from Mahogany Curls). As a deep conditioner, it left my hair shiny and soft...but I'm hesitant to include it in an already robust deep conditioner rotation (seriously.. I've got a pretty deep crew of faves). As a styler, I really, really like it. It gave me soft, shiny, bouncy and defined curls. Unfortunately, because it's a deep conditioner and not a styler, the hold only makes it to day 2. Would I purchase this product again? I'm still trying to decide. Maybe these curls will have me justifying repurchasing it as a definer instead....


I don't mean AT ALL for this to come across as a scathing review, but rather as a moment of honesty for myself. Like many naturals, Shea Moisture holds a special place in my heart -- although I may not always have some SM products on hand. I love and appreciate everything the Shea Moisture brand stands for, and totally respect Richielou Dennis and everything his brand and products have done in terms of breaking barriers and paving the way for more natural hair products to become commercially available.

But I can't help but feel like Shea Moisture is under-delivering lately. I got all excited about the Tahitian Noni line, and returned EVERYTHING I purchased the next day after a small patch test (and that's why you never saw a review...lol). Is anybody still talking about that line now? Superfruit Complex, although beautifully packaged and wonderfully fragranced, fell pretty flat for me on the whole. Yes, there were Am I looking forward to the Jamaican Black Castor Oil line that drops at CVS on August 1st? Not really.

Have you tried any Superfruit Complex products? Love or hate them? Weigh in!

7 Comments

  1. It's me @deziohsosweet lol!!!! This is so disappointing. Funny thing is I was only able to get my hands on the conditioner and the masque. I got rainchecks for the shampoo and serum. I probably won't use them after reading this review. I'm not a fan of Shea moisture although naturals rave about the brand. I tried the yucca and baobob line and I wasn't impressed. I'm not looking forward to the jbco line either but are you going to purchase it? Lol

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  2. I love the masque, but I use it either as a styler or a leave-in under a styler.

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  3. I agree! Definitely more of a styler, lol.

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  4. I'm so late with this girl!!! I was so on the fence about the JBCO line. Honestly, the stuff smells bad, but the masque and leave-in work pretty darn well. I just can't with Shea Moisture's shampoos, and that darn Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

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  5. Have tried the Super Fruit complex shampoo and conditioner. LOVE the scent, the shampoo leaves my hair (thin, fine, straight) limp and oily looking...conditioner is great!

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  6. Use conditioner all the time. The shampoo is nasty. And even the shampoo separates after a while.

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