Haircare Review: Cantu Refresh Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse

Hi all,
It's been a long while since my last post...almost 2 months.
Todays review is on the ACV root rinse from Cantu; I've been using this for almost 3 months while my hair is in faux locs.

I struggle with a dry flaky scalp, especially when I wear braids and regular sulphate-free shampoos don't work for cleansing my scalp. I use the shampoo bars ("Soak & Float" and "NEW!") from Lush but these don't work so well when I have braids installed.
I decided to try the Cantu root rinse which is part of their Refresh range, since the reviews online were overwhelmingly positive.

Product blurb from the Cantu Beauty site
Cantu Root Rinse is made with apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil and shea butter – a deeply cleansing yet nourishing cocktail that replaces your shampoo when you need a deeper scalp detox and extra conditioned strands. Rinse away the old and bring on the new revealing stronger, healthier hair with a natural shine. No mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, gluten, paraffin or propylene.

Ingredients list

What's it like:
The root rinse comes in a 355ml (12 fl oz) bottle with a nozzle. fragrance wise, there's a floral scent mixed with mild vinegar scent and mint. I quite like it. I'm not a fan of a strong vinegar scent, which is why I don't do vinegar rinses but I can handle this scent. The rinse is clear and has a very runny consistency.

The root rinse is clear runny consistency.

How I use it:
Before I apply the rinse, I divide my hair into four sections, then I spritz my scalp and roots with water. I apply the rinse to each section and massage my scalp (with my fingers) and leave it on for ~ 5 minutes. I rinse out my spritzing with water and wipe my scalp with a cotton t-shirt. You can repeat the application if you need to.

Got my water bottle, root rinse and oil #washdayready

How it performs: 
The root rinse has a soft lather, but not too much; which is good because...WATER RESTRICTIONS! Once I rinse it out, there's cooling sensation and my scalp is clean with no dry patches or flakes. My roots also feel soft and moisturised.
I follow up with my scalp oil mix (which mainly contains olive oil, ximenia oil and Jamaican black castor oil) or the Caivil Fusion Oil Hair Gro Essence (sometimes I reapply the oil midweek, if I need to). 

Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Oombeke (ximenia) Oil

One bottle of root rinse is enough for 5 washes (that's 5 weeks for me) and I'm already halfway through my second bottle.

Where to buy:
You can get this at Dischem, Foschini and takealot.com for R 199.95 (regular price). It's currently on sale on takealot for R 149.95 and at Dischem from R 159.95 (until 8 April).

Final thoughts: 
My relationship with Cantu haircare products is love and hate; when I first started transitioning back to natural, The Cantu shea buter leave-in conditioning cream was my jam. My transitioning hair loooved it and then as soon as I chopped off the last of my texlaxed ends, that love affair came to an abrupt end.
I switched to the Cantu for Natural hair leave-in and that didn't go well either. Although, combining this leave-in with the the Ecostyler gel when installing braids or locs is the best combo for retaining moisture of hair while in braids 🤷‍♀ I've tried some of the other products in sample packs that I got goody and they were just ...meh

The root rinse is my favourite Cantu product hands down! I never thought I'd be this excited about anything from Cantu 🙈 but here we are. This stuff is amazing.

Have you tried anything from the Cantu Refresh line?

Let me know in the comments below 👇

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

N 

It's my 1 Year Blogger-versary! Giveaway + Buuya Beauty Review by the BFF

Hi lovelies,
It's been over a year since I started blogging; I honestly didn't believe that I would be able to keep it up this long.
I would like to thank you all for the support over the last year. I wasn't sure whether anyone would be interested in my thoughts on anything. Starting this blog, is a way of paying it forward in a sense, since I consult blogs and YouTube whenever I need an opinion on certain products or want to try out a new makeup look or hairstyle.
I try out all sorts of products and hairstyles and I thought "hey! you might as well share it with others"  seeing as that's how I learn as well.

Anyway, I've asked my BFF to review Buuya Beauty range for my blog and she always graciously agrees (Thanks friend 💜 )

The BFF

Hello!

Rozanne here (BFF to the blogger). I am the first to admit that I am a product junkie and a product snob. Now, despite several serious efforts towards rehabilitation (to no avail), I have decided to redirect my energies towards more constructive tasks, such as looking for high quality products that are also good value. Okay so I got all that fluff out the way, let me introduce you to our new find:

The product line is the baby of businesswoman, Kasuba Stuurman, who I met as part of the Cape Town Naturally Group administrators and planning committee for the natural hair events hosted by the group. I purchased the product line at the Curls and Cocktails: White in Winter hair event and I was blown away by Kasuba’s enthusiasm and confidence when speaking to her about her products. I ended up purchasing her Total Treatment Travel kit, which consists of the travel sized packs of the Deep Cleanse Shampoo, Intense Hair Masque and Herb infused oil (retail price - R140).

The next wash day, I tried all the products on the Hair Model’s (Lloyd – Loving, patient boyfriend) hair.

Total Treatment Travel Kit

All the goodness contained in the Total Treatment Travel Kit. Left to right: Intense Hair Masque, Herb Infused Oil and Deep Cleanse Shampoo

Source: www.buuya.co.za

 

Deep Cleanse Shampoo:

Product Description:

A deep cleansing, sulphate free, conditioning hair wash with Cape Coastal Honeybush, Baobab Fruit and Kigelia Africana extracts. Buuya Deep Cleanse Shampoo rids the hair of build-up and residue without striping your hair of essential nutrients. The cleansing wash leaves your hair feeling fresh and light.

Review:

I applied shampoo twice on Lloyds scalp and spread the suds down to his hair, since his scalp tends to act up with product build up. This product lathers up quite well, which is great for me because it gives me the feeling that the product is working (although suds are not necessary to cleanse). After shampooing, his hair felt squeaky clean and almost stripped, but I know it is because of my overzealous shampooing. For most people, one shampoo will be enough to cleanse the hair, unless you need a complete clarifying session after protective styling. I do not expect much from shampoos, except that they clean my scalp well, and this product does exactly that.

Intense Hair Masque:

Product Description:

Restore much needed moisture and nutrients to thirsty strands with the Buuya Intense Hair Masque. With Mongongo Oil, Mafura Butter, as well as Cape Coastal Honeybush, this deep conditioning treatment contains antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals that are meant to strengthen and condition hair, leaving it soft and manageable.

Review:

This product is hands-down my absolute FAVOURITE. It has a light apricot scent to it and it spreads well enough but it did not have enough slip to detangle, which is perfectly fine since it is marketed as a hair masque. I applied it to Lloyd’s hair and covered it with a plastic cap for 30 minutes. This stuff here is AMAZING! It restored the moisture and oils lost in the shampooing process and made his hair buttery soft. I mean, soft. Softer than a baby’s bottom soft. But it also felt strong and his curls were all springy and healthy. This product delivers on its promise and then some. It’s going into my wash day round up as a staple and is a firm favourite.

Herb-infused oil:

Product Description:

Packed with antioxidants and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Buuya Herb Infused Oil acts as a conditioner for the hair, making it soft, sleek, and shiny. It seals in moisture, prevents frizz, and nourishes and soothes the scalp. Infused with rosemary, parsley, rooibos, and chamomile, it restores dry hair, promotes growth, and gives the hair body.

Review:

I used the oil on his scalp and as a sealant on his hair. It has a herb-like scent to it, but it’s not overpowering. It absorbs well into his strand and scalp, and left no oily residue that I tend to have with some oil mixtures days later. On this basis alone, I give it a thumbs up as well. I do love my lightweight oils.

Overall review:

This line offers a great variety and all the products are of high quality. I am ecstatic about this line of products and the consistent results they offered. I got two uses out of the trial size and each time I got the same result. If you just want one thing out of the range, I say the masque is the way to go. The tub is huge (450ml - yes I bought one) and will last you quite some time, so it’s bang for your buck (or rand).

I hope you found the besties review informative as well as helpful.Feel free to contact her on Instagram (@rozanne.adams) if you have any questions, she's always happy to share her knowledge with fellow curlfriends.
You can purchase Buuya products online www.buuya.co.za or you can find Kasuba at various markets around Cape Town. Follow her on Instagram (@buuyabeauty) and Facebook for updates. 

To celebrate my one year blogging anniversary, I'm hosting a giveaway for a haircare hamper with Buuya goodies and Darling hair ombre hair extensions. The giveaway is open to South African residents only. To enter: 1. Visit my Instagram page @ndapewai 2. Follow my blog Facebook page & 3. Comment below on what you'd like to see reviewed/covered on the blog.
Click on the link below for details and entry.

My 1 Year Blogger-versary Giveaway

See you in my next post, xoxo