I never claimed to have curly hair. Sure, I’ve caught a little curly hair here and there, but having a full head of curls never seemed like it would be a reality for me. That was until I found this life-changing curl defining cream. As it turns out, it turns out that with the right products (and plenty of guidance from a self-proclaimed TikTok beauty guru), you can rock more curly hair than I ever thought possible. I did.
Meredith Holser
I owe my newfound confidence in my curls to none other than SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream. This cream is said to be the company’s “number one curl-defining hair cream product for thick, curly hair.” It aims to reduce frizz, smooth hair, and facilitate soft, bouncy curls.
To be honest, I tried this product on a whim and didn’t expect any of these things for me. So, I’m not born with thick curly hair. But I knew I was seeing curls all over my hair, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least try it. Especially in the summer, I thought it would be nice to be able to protect my hair from the heat. The worst thing that can happen is that you invest a few dollars in a curl cream and if it doesn’t work, you can pass it on to one of your friends.
Meredith Holser
My first attempt with this curl cream was never successful. I ignored the instructions on the package. Call me a rule breaker!
On my first go-around, after my hair was fairly dry (post-shower), I applied a quarter-sized amount to the ends and mid-lengths of my hair. I didn’t go for this move as it seemed to put a lot of strain on my hair and surprisingly added a thick, oily weird texture. (By the way, the cream contains both coconut oil and neem oil, so this is not surprising).
My second, third, and fourth trials were when I really started to find my footing with the SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream. I gradually found that using a small amount of product (squeezing the size of a pea) worked best for me, especially on mostly wet hair.
I parted and brushed my towel-dried hair as soon as I got out of the shower, “rubbing” the product into my wet hair as evenly as possible. From that point on, I didn’t have the courage to touch the brush again. I curl my hair little by little, guiding the curls as they dry and pushing them up around the roots for volume. And lo and behold, they stayed in place! I had curly, bouncy, smooth semi-curly hair.
Meredith Holser
However, I can’t give full credit to the curl cream for my ideal curls. After drying my hair a bit with the Shea Moisture Smoothie, I applied a light layer of Amica Smooth Over Fritz Fighting Treatment Mask to further tame frizz flyaways (I have a lot of them). This helped make my curls stand out even more. Can we call them a “power duo”?
In fact, I wanted to start small and see if it worked for me, so I bought a 3.2-ounce tube of SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream from Target for just under $4, but I didn’t want to buy a 12-ounce tube of the same product. You can also. $9 on Amazon (originally $12, so it’s a better deal if you buy it there).
Meredith Holser
If you don’t have naturally curly hair and want to try this curl cream, my best advice is to apply very lightly. It is highly recommended to apply only to wet hair, ideally after showering or after wetting your second day hair with a spray bottle. Brushing the hair or running your fingers through it is prohibited, as this interferes with the formation of curls.
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