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For many people, the orange-labeled jar of SheaMoisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie was the first product they ever bought specifically for curls. It has been on drugstore shelves for years, it is inexpensive, and it appears in more routines than almost any other curl cream.
It is also one of the most divisive. For every person who credits it with soft, defined curls, there is another who found it left their hair greasy and flat. Both are describing the same product accurately. The difference is the hair it went on.
What is in it
The Smoothie is a thick, rich cream. Its character comes from four ingredients the brand puts on the front of the jar:
- Shea butter, a heavy, sealing moisturizer.
- Coconut oil, one of the few oils shown to penetrate the hair shaft.
- Silk protein, which adds a little strength and smoothness.
- Neem oil, included for shine.
It contains no silicones, sulfates or mineral oil. It does have a strong, sweet, tropical fragrance, which people tend either to love or to find overpowering.
What it does
This is a moisturizing cream with light definition. It softens, reduces frizz and helps curls gather into clumps. It does not provide hold. Used alone, it gives soft, touchable curls that will loosen over the day; under a gel, it gives moisture while the gel does the holding.
Who it suits
Thick, dense, dry curls and coils. This is the hair the Smoothie was made for. Type 3B to 4C hair with medium to coarse strands absorbs its butters and oils and is left soft instead of coated.
It is particularly good for:
- Twist-outs and braid-outs, where it provides moisture and gentle definition.
- The cream step in a layered routine, between a leave-in and an oil or gel.
- High porosity hair, which loses moisture quickly and benefits from a sealing cream.
Who should avoid it
Fine hair and waves. On type 2 hair, and on fine strands of any pattern, the Smoothie is very likely to be too heavy. The usual result is stretched, limp waves that look unwashed by afternoon. A mousse or a lightweight leave-in is a far better match.
Low porosity hair. Heavy butters tend to sit on the surface of hair with a tightly closed cuticle. If products generally sit on your hair instead of sinking in, this one probably will too. See Hair Porosity, Explained.
Protein-sensitive hair. The silk protein is modest, but some hair reacts to any at all, turning stiff or brittle. Coconut oil produces a similar reaction in some people. If your hair has disliked either before, be cautious.
Most complaints about the Smoothie are really complaints about quantity.
How to use it
The most common mistake is using too much. This is a concentrated product.
- Start with soaking wet hair, after a leave-in if you use one.
- Take a small amount, about the size of a grape for shoulder-length hair, and rub it between wet palms until it turns thin and milky.
- Smooth it over sections from the mid-lengths to the ends. Keep it away from the roots.
- Add more only if your hair still feels rough. It is far easier to add than to remove.
- Follow with a gel if you want your curls to hold for more than a day.
If your hair feels coated after a few weeks, clarify. Rich creams build up, and a monthly clarifying wash keeps them working.
How it compares
Against lighter leave-in creams, the Smoothie is heavier and more moisturizing, with less versatility. Against a styling custard or gel, it offers moisture and softness and far less hold.
The verdict
A very good, very affordable cream for thick, dry, tightly curled hair, and the wrong choice for fine or wavy hair. Its reputation for greasiness comes largely from being used on hair it was never meant for, in quantities it was never meant to be used in. If your curls are dense and thirsty, it remains one of the best values on the shelf.