Does Cantu Define and Activate Natural Curl Pattern and Reduce More Frizz than a Basic Brand?

There were many of times where I showered and washed my hair, and I’d proceed this routine with a little Cantu-curl definer so all the ladies can be all over me and my hair. But I’ve never really thought about what I was actually putting in my hair and if the Cantu can just be another regular bottle of plain olive oil with just another name. Was I wasting my money?

---——Chemistry & Safety Concerns———-

What first grabbed my attention when looking at some of the things that make up this Shea butter which promises to activates curls was how it’s made of a chemical I’ve never heard before called Glycerin. Glycerin (with a chemical formula of C3H8O3) is in a lot of care products, from skin products to hair products. Glycerol was obtained as a by-product in making soaps from animal and vegetable fats and oils, but industrial syntheses based on propylene or sugar has accounted for an increasingly large percentage of production. It helps keep your hair moist and more active depending on the environment you’re surrounded by. There aren’t really any hazards for glycerol.

I then noticed they both the generic brand and the Cantu contain a substance known as Stearyl Alcohol. Apparently according to Essence.com , Stearyl Alcohol is one of the most used fatty alcohols found in hair products. Stearyl Alcohol, with a chemical formula of C18H38O, are also known as emollients which softens, and detangle your hair. Stearyl Alcohol is a compound produced from stearic acid which may be derived from animals. It claims it’s an Emulsion stabilizer and fragrance ingredients that can sometimes cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and lungs.

————-Experiment & Results————-

Procedure(s)

1. Wash hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner. (Preferably cold water)
2. Leave a constant variable/ Divide hair into 3 sections (Steps below applies to front right and left of hair.)
3. While wet, apply small amount of Cantu into palm of hand and rub onto left side of head.
4. Apply same amount of basic brand into palm of hand and repeat process above to right side of head.
5. Take a picture and compare and observe all 3 curl patterns.

—————— or ———————-

(As I did)

1. Wash hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner. (Preferably cold water)
2. Cut 3 identical curl patterns of your hair out.
3. Place them all in the same hair clip where you can view them next to each other.
4. Apply a dab of Cantu onto one of the identical curl patterns.
5. Apply your basic generic brand onto another identical curl pattern.
6. Apply nothing to the last
7. Compare and observe all 3 curl patterns.

Results

After my procedure, I began to notice that Cantu really did keep its word at defining the best curl pattern.

	Washed with Cantu	Washed with Olive oil	Washed with Nothing
Observations	-looks longer than the other two hairs. (Were all the same length when started) -When pull, it bounces back fast -Moved the most -Shiny -Smaller hairs weren’t really sticking out unlike other two -Spreaded out more -loose coil	-Looks really shorter -Looked good at first but then you can notice the smaller hairs pop out more -Jumped back faster than hair with Cantu -Tighter curl -hesitant to shake	-Looks the same length, maybe a little longer - frizziest -Curl pattern not really noticeable compared to others -looks really loose -Also moved when shaken but not as fast

As a result my hair did react to both of the products, but Cantu defined the curl pattern more. When you test the curls, almost everything Cantu promised, it seemed as if the promise was being kept and that it wasn’t just for advertisement. When testing the hairs, we found that Cantu had a better outcome because not only did it just make a coils curl pattern, but it made it shiny, bouncy, moveable, and moisturized all in one unlike my constant and basic generic brand. Whereas, they weren’t really effective as much.

In conclusion, Cantu is better than a basic generic brand brand at activating curls, delivering shine and volume revealing frizz-free, bouncy curls. Not only does it keeps its promise, but it continues to define natural curl pattern. Curl pattern is determined from within your scalp and the outside (what we can see) is being made relying on the shape of the follicles. Cantu enhances this curl pattern and give it that extra coils, wavy, and curly look.