Is Cantu Bad for Your Hair? What About Their Shampoo, Conditioner, and Other Products?

Countless natural hair care brands and products have gotten a bad rap over the years. These companies have garnered negative press by marketing and selling products to naturals that fail to cater to the specific needs of their hair types.

Cantu, an established hair care brand, has been publicized as “bad” for your hair on several occasions. But is it really? In this article, we will answer the question “Is Cantu bad for your hair?” and more. 

Is Cantu Bad for Your Hair?

Cantu hair products are not bad for your hair. After we looked at the ingredients and reviews of several Cantu products, we think that many Cantu hair products are perfectly fine for wavy, curly, kinky, and coily hair types (and straight hair types too).

However, it’s important to remember that some of the products could have harmful ingredients. These ingredients are usually used in small amounts, so in most cases, they are safe for your hair.

If you’re concerned about these chemicals, you may want to check with your stylist or dermatologist to see whether this brand is a good fit for you. When it comes to introducing a new product to your hair and scalp, it’s usually better to be cautious rather than sorry.

Also, your natural hair regimen should be designed to counteract any harmful ingredients that your hair encounters. Keep reading for a complete overview of Cantu products and the most common ingredients.

An Overview of Cantu Products

Cantu has been developing and selling natural hair care products since 2003. The company prides itself on delivering products that accentuate the natural beauty of textured hair.

Cantu manufactures products for the entire body but focuses mainly on hair care. Their ever-growing product collection features shampoos, conditioners, oils, mists, gels, and much more. 

Cantu promotes a natural hair collection, an essential oil collection, and even a kid’s collection. Though each collection is geared towards a particular group, Cantu affirms that all of their products nurture your hair and make styling a breeze.

Peruse the section below as we spotlight some of Cantu’s best-selling products along with their claims. 

• Coconut Curling Cream – This curling cream works to not only moisturize but strengthen hair without leaving buildup. The cream is lightweight, conditioning the hair without weighing it down. The product contains no sulfates, silicones, parabens, or gluten. In 2013, the product won Naturally Curly’s Best of the Best award.
• Cleansing Cream Shampoo – This sulfate-free shampoo cleanses the hair while leaving it moist and preventing breakage from dryness. Made with pure shea butter, this cleansing shampoo provides a nice lather to rid the hair and scalp of tough buildup. It can be used on natural or color-treated hair.
• Hydrating Cream Conditioner – This conditioner helps the hair seal in moisture, creating a healthy environment for hair to grow and flourish. Like the shampoo, the hydrating conditioner is made with pure shea butter. The natural coconut fragrance adds a pleasant aroma to the hair. 
• Comeback Curl Next Day Curl Revitalizer – This curl-enhancing spray can bring your curls back to life, preserving the styles you work so hard to achieve. This light spray helps to add shine back to lackluster curls and controls frizz and flyaways. There’s no need to do a new twist-out every day with this spray. 
• Leave-in conditioning repair cream – This leave-in conditioning cream helps detangle hair after a good wash to prepare it for styling. The cream can be used to repair brittle ends, breakage, and dry, delicate stands. It is suitable for textured, colored, relaxed, or permed hair.
• Tea Tree & Jojoba Hair and Scalp Oil – This hair and scalp oil can be used on natural hair, weaves, braids, extensions, and other styles. The essential and carrier oil blend really packs a punch. It injects moisture into each strand while conditioning hair and increasing growth.
• Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment – This treatment was developed to strengthen weak strands damaged by heat or chemicals. It can even be used to seal in moisture during heat styling.

Cantu Product Ingredients

Cantu products rely on a plethora of ingredients to enhance textured hair. Some of the ingredients support healthy hair maintenance, while others are questionable.

Knowing and understanding the ingredients will help you identify the right products for you and which ones you should skip. Keep reading as we look into some of the good and bad ingredients in Cantu hair products.

The Good Ones

• Shea Butter – Shea Butter is a staple within the Cantu collection of products. It is a natural ingredient derived from the Shea-Karite tree nut. It is a multifaceted moisturizer used to soothe scalp irritation, protect hair from damage, and soften hair. Shea butter can be found in nearly all Cantu products.
• Aloe Vera – Aloe vera is a plant filled with a rich, jelly-like substance. This super plant is known for its healing properties. It restores hair strands and can reduce scalp inflammation. Cantu uses aloe vera gel and juice in several of its products, including the conditioning repair cream, curl activator cream, and moisturizing twist and lock gel.
• Grapeseed Oil – Grapeseed oil is a light carrier oil that moisturizes and tames hair. It contains vitamin E, linoleic acid, and flavonoids, which the hair needs to maintain vibrancy. The oil can prevent split ends, strengthen brittle hair, and lessen dandruff. You’ll find the ingredient in several of Cantu’s products.
• Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is another ingredient found in various Cantu products. This oil is very big in the natural hair community due to its fantastic moisturizing properties When applied to wet or dry hair, it protects the hair from damage and moisture loss. Coconut oil is found in the majority of Cantu products. 

The Bad Ones

• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) – Polyethylene glycol is a thickener that makes products easier to work with and dispense. But PEGs can potentially cause hair to lose moisture. PEGs can also contain carcinogens that have been discovered to lead to cancer. These compounds are found in Cantu conditioners.
• Petrolatum – Petrolatum is a sticky moisturizer that works wonders for bringing dry skin to life. But when it’s put in your hair, it can cause buildup. Petrolatum is found in several of Cantu’s products, including the Coconut Curling Cream and the Tea Tree & Jojoba Scalp Oil. 
• Fragrances – Cantu uses fragrances in almost all of its hair care products. Although fragrances leave the hair with a pleasant smell, there is no way of knowing exactly what’s in those fragrances. Cantu simply uses “parfum” or perfume when listing fragrances in their ingredient list. This leaves consumers in the dark about the composition of their fragrance solutions. 

Customer Reviews on Cantu Products

Overall, the majority of reviews on Cantu products are favorable. Most well-known products have good reviews. But with any hair care product, there will be negative reviews. Both good and bad reviews should be considered when deciding whether you should try a product. 

Reviews for Cantu’s best-selling leave-in conditioner are below.

Positive Reviews

• Great for straight, curly, or wavy hair (and relaxed hair).
• Keeps hair feeling moist.
• Aids in detangling unruly roots and ends.
• Helps to heal scalp inflammation.

Negative Reviews

• Leaves hair feeling weighed down and greasy.
• Leads to hair and scalp dryness.
• Results in an unpleasant odor on the hair.

Examining customer reviews on specific Cantu products will help you determine whether a given product may be a good fit for you. 

Should You Try Cantu Products?

After reviewing the ingredients and reviews on Cantu products, we encourage you to try whichever Cantu products spark your curiosity. Keep in mind that you may be exposed to some of the harmful ingredients discussed earlier.

However, these ingredients are used in minimal amounts, making them safe to use on your hair. Whether your hair will like the products remains to be seen. 

If you are worried about exposure to these ingredients, you may want to consult your local stylist or dermatologist to decide if this brand is a good fit for you. It is always best to err on the side of caution when introducing a new product to your hair and scalp.

Related Articles

• Is Aussie Really Bad for Your Hair?
• Is Herbal Essences Healthy for Hair?
• Is Tresemme Really Bad for Your Hair?
• Is Pantene Really Bad for Your Hair?

Although Cantu contains a few subpar ingredients, we believe all their products are safe to try on the hair. The brand’s use of these few ingredients should not drive you to cancel Cantu as an entire brand.

Our “cancel culture” within the natural hair community has led to severe misinformation about exceptional products. We encourage you to always review and research the ingredients in the products you’re interested in rather than relying on rumors.