Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Shampoo, Shea Butter, Peppermint & Apple Cider Vinegar, Sulfate Free, Chemically Processed Hair, Family Size (2 Pack -16 Fl Oz Ea)

This shampoo has grown on me. Had I written the review when I first purchased it, it would not have fared as well. I've been searching a long time for a good organic shampoo, and they all have their pros and cons. I have yet to find one I'm totally in love with.This is called Black Castor Oil Shampoo, so I should not have been surprised that it felt oily to the touch, but that was a little unsettling initially. It is a thin shampoo, but it distributes very well through the hair so you don't have to use much, and it lathers well. It looks and feels like oil, but rinses clean, and easier than traditional shampoos. The scent is harder to describe. In the bottle, the primary note seems to be vanilla, which is a very happy occurrence for me. When in use though, it is harder to identify; I'd say that faint cider vinegar and castor oil predominate - but it isn't as bad as that sounds, it's just unusual and it isn't overpowering. The good news is that, when hair is dry, the only faint but noticeable scent is vanilla.I am in and out of salt water all summer long, and constantly in the sun. I have fine, natural blonde hair which tends to be dry, and age isn't doing me any favors. I've been shampooing a lot lately, sometimes twice a day, but my hair looks good and feels good despite the abuse (when I'm not as active I can easily go 3 - 4 days between shampoos). I swear the texture is different - it feels rougher somehow, or actually textured instead of smooth - but it doesn't look bad. If I have to be shampooing this much, I like to think that at least the shampoo is nourishing, and I believe this is (and we've all read the trick about using castor oil to make hair grow). So I am going to stick with this, a good thing because this is a pretty generous bottle, and I only use a quarter-sized amount on my shoulder-length hair. If you haven't gone organic with your shampoo yet (this isn't fully organic, but has organic ingredients), you have some nice surprises ahead. There is no buildup with a natural shampoo, and you may find you need to wash hair less frequently - which only enhances hair health. That lack of buildup pertains to your shower as well - I couldn't believe the coating my old shampoos would leave on my tub. It made me wonder why I was putting it on my head. You're not just cleaning hair with an organic shampoo, you're nourishing it. I daresay this is something we all sorely need with all the over-processing and over-producting going on.One tip that I'm surprised is not on the bottle: this shampoo really benefits from a good shake before using. It is a thin product like I said previously, and the ingredients separate. A vigorous shake helps thicken the product and ensure you're getting a complete dose of good stuff.

Ordered products delivered promptly!

I debated buying this for a while because I was worried it would make my 2a hair more oily than it already is; IT DOESN'T! Oh my goodness this stuff is amazing. This is the only shampoo I have ever used that actually makes my hair feel softer while still wet prior to conditioning. I got the leave in conditioner to go with it because I have extremely dry, tangly ends and it's equally fabulous, it moisturizes and literally doesn't weigh my hair down or make it oily. Usually I can only go one day without washing my hair because it's just that oily but I woke up this morning after using this for the first time, and my hair is not tangled like usual, nor is it nasty and oily at my roots. I literally cannot believe it. Also I wanted to note that I have no idea why so many people in the question and answer section are stating this is only for African American hair. Just because it has "Jamaican Black Castor Oil' in it doesn't mean it isn't good for every hair type. Jamaican black castor oil is just like regular castor oil except the castor beans have been roasted first making the resultant oil darker and ashy (and better for your scalp!) Castor oil has many health benefits so when I saw this product with it included I figured it had to be good, I'm so so glad I bought this. And I think the smell is lovely, it is a bit reminiscent of play-doh to me :)

Edit:I left my rating as is. I do believe my hair has grown- but I also attribute it to better eating--and on top of that it hasn't grown that significantly. I still use this shampoo though and even bought the conditioner because it smells great and reacts well with dyed hair. It is a great shampoo- not a miracle for hair growth though.I have not used enough to see growth (I have used 3 times so far). I wash my hair every 2 days normally and have been trying to do every 3 days for healthier hair. My hair gets extremely oily and takes a very long time to grow- even though that was not the case a few years ago.I will leave an update for the growth component in a month-- but I have to say this shampoo smells SO good I just had to leave a review. The smell even lingers in my hair for a while. So good- like candy haha. It leaves my hair feeling great- it adds texture and although it contains oils- my hair does not get greasy and does feel clean after--- it does take a bit to have it wash out completely though- the second time I used it-- my hair was soo sticky- turns out I didn't wash it all the way out.I have to say though- that on the second day of no washing my hair looks pretty gross - I don't think I will be able to stretch washes to every 3 days while using this shampoo..Again I will update after using the product more

I have to say that this is the best shampoo (and the conditioners-leave in and wash out-are too!) I have ever found. The price is VERY reasonable for a quality hair product(s)! My first purchase was for the trio of products and I found that there is so much of the leave in (which I use each time I wash my hair along with the wash out conditioner) conditioner that my second and third purchases were for additional bottles of the shampoo and wash out conditioner as the leave in looks like it will last longer. You don't need much to thoroughly wash your hair and it lathers up really well. For me another plus is the scent....being allergic to flowery scents it is sometimes hard to find hair products that don't give me a headache within minutes of using. This one has a very earthy scent. I just cannot say enough about the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore products. Even my salon stylist was impressed at how much moisture my hair had. Being over 65 and having gray hair as well as "chemo" damaged hair after cancer these products have done wonders for the silkiness of my hair. Highly recommended to anyone!