Cantu has been one of my favorite hair brands for years. I regularly used the line when my hair was relaxed and once I went natural the Curl Activator Cream became my best friend -- that is until I discovered the Wave Whip Curling Mousse and had to make room for a third bestie in my hair life. I say that to say I was too ready to try the brand's new refresh line after Lexi with the Curls put me and other writers/bloggers on to it at a Curly and Fit event she held in NYC last Saturday.
The refresh line is a new offering from Cantu and fit in perfectly with the theme of exercise since the three products -- all enriched with apple cider vinegar and shea butter -- are great options for cleansing hair after sweating without having to do a full-blown wash. My hair really needs to start over every day when I wear it out and curly so I don't mind co-washing every night or so, but I also need to remember it's winter and walking around with a wet head of hair isn't cute. So I was exited to see what these new products are all about.
I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Co-Wash first, which was my first time trying a dry shampoo ever. I liked the ease of the application -- you simply spray the shampoo on hair section by section and let it dry briefly -- and the spray was soothing to my scalp after a workout. Warning: if you overuse this product you will have white residue on your strands (as you'll see in the video below), so use a light hand when applying.
Next I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar Root Relief which has peppermint oil to ease itchy, dry, irritated scalp. Lately, I've been experiencing some itchiness in my crown so this showed up right on time. Again, application was super easy. The product has a nozzle tip that makes it perfect for direct application to the scalp, and the coolness of the gel-like treatment really was relieving. I also liked that the product seemed to absorb pretty quickly and didn't build up on my scalp.
A few days later, I tried the Apple Cider Root Rinse after another workout and I really enjoyed cleansing my hair in this way. The tea tree oil gave my scalp a really nice cool tingle and I really liked that this product lathers. (I'm one of those people who has to see suds and feel something to know it's working.)
I applied with the nozzle applicator just like the Root Relief, lathered the product, and actually let it sit on my hair for a while, maybe 5 minutes or so, and penetrate my scalp. I didn't feel any type of burning sensation or stinging, and when I rinsed my hair in the shower, all of my hair, from root to tip, felt nice and clean and soft, even though the rinse was only applied to my scalp.
I went ahead and applied the Root Relief to my freshly cleaned scalp for the itchiness I mentioned and then I ran Cantu's Curl Activator Cream through my hair to air dry overnight.
I can definitely see myself incorporating the Root Rinse into my wash regimen on a regular basis, especially now that I'm working out again. Apple Cider Vinegar is great for cleansing hair, adding shine, and restoring the scalp's natural pH, and I've yet to take advantage of those benefits for no other reason than I'm too lazy to create the rinsing concoction myself. So I'm thankful to Cantu for coming up with a line of products that make it easy for me to refresh my hair after workouts and retain moisture.