If I had to describe the Cream and Coco line in one word, it would have to be luxury. Not because it is incredibly expensive, but because the line offers up sophisticated, upscale, and one-of-a-kind products that appeal to the newbie natural, the seasoned vet, and everyone in between.
Cream and Coco is a family-owned product line, and brainchild of Victoria Vick. Victoria has always had a passion for natural body care that was intensified during her time of studying science as an undergraduate in college. Since her young days crushing dandelions and daffodils, Cream and Coco has grown from a hobby to a full-scale brand with dozens of high quality products for hair, skin, and baby. Cream and Coco products never contain petroleum, mineral oil, and parabens. All fragrances used are phthalate free.
To test drive the Cream and Coco line, I was sent a small collection of moisturizers and cleansers, including two soap bars; including the infamous “Pink Cookie”. Read more on that here. But for the purpose of this review, let’s focus on two kinds of products naturals are always on the prowl for: gentle cleansers and effective moisturizers.
CocoMallow Cowash Fluff
Description
The CocoMallow Fluff has all the yummy hair softening detangling benefits of our cowash bar blended into a rich cream. Packed with organic cocoa butter that slides across your hair, but rinses cleanly away in the water leaving amazingly soft hair.
Ingredients
Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Cocoa Seed Butter, Shea Butter, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Aloe Leaf Juice, Avocado Oil, Glycerin, Parfum, Cocoa, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Nettle Leaf Powder, Marshmallow Root, Caprylyl Glycol, and Sorbic Acid
Top Ingredients 411
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Behentrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola”>. Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
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Cetyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohol and emollient conditioners known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
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Butylene Glycol: Slip-providing agent and humectant similar to propylene glycol, but lighter.
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Cocoa Seed Butter: Antioxidant rich butter that improves shine, body, strength, and elasticity in hair. Also a powerful emollient and softening agent, and provides some protection against UV rays.
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Shea Butter: Emollient fat from the nut of the East or West African shea nut tree, used to moisturize and soften hair.
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Apple Cider Vinegar: Raw and unfiltered vinegar with an acidic pH, which serves as an antifungal and antimicrobial agent, promoting scalp health. Also helps lay down the cuticle, promotion smooth, shiny hair that better retains moisture.
Performance
In all the time I’ve spent blogging and becoming a product junkie, I’ve never seen anything quite like the CocoMallow Cowash Fluff. It has a pudding-like consistency, and smells of a decadent perfume. It definitely fits the cowash mold, but where most cowashes are white and focused on looking like conditioner, Cream and Coco takes pride in making their cowash stand out. The cowash is effective for gentle cleansing (and great smelling hair”>, if you don’t have a lot of buildup or just want a quick cleanse between washes. I wouldn’t recommend it to do heavy lifting and removing serious buildup. It leaves hair super soft, shiny, and feeling as though conditioner isn’t necessary. I has some pretty good detangling ability as well. If you want to try a different kind of cowash, check this one out. You won’t regret it!
Island Nectar Cleansing Milk
Description
Creamy coconut soap blended with rich oils and shea butter to gently cleanse and moisturize at the same time.
Ingredients
Water, Saponified Oils of Soybean, Olive, and Coconut, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Castor Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Aloe Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Honeyquat, Parfum, Panthenol, Xantham Gum, Amla, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidnyl Urea, Idopropynyl, and Butylcarbamate
Top Ingredients 411
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Saponified Oils: Oils cured with a base product (generally sodium hydroxide”> that produces soap and glycerin.
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Hydrogenated Soybean Oil: Cost-effective carrier oil of the soybean that can be used to soften, nourish and impart shine to hair.
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Castor Seed Oil: Pressed oil of the castor seed that has antibacterial and antifungal properties, that can help with dandruff and other scalp ailments. It is also a great moisture sealant, and promotes hair thickening and growth.
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Shea Butter: Emollient fat from the nut of the East or West African shea nut tree, used to moisturize and soften hair.
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Aloe Leaf Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair’s sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness. The low pH of aloe vera helps seal the cuticle and retain moisture within the hair.
Performance
Island Nectar Cleansing Milk is something like a sweet tropical dream. I used it from head to toe, and I can’t stop sniffing the bottle. It definitely does not look, feel, or smell like a shampoo. It is incredibly versatile and truly can be used from head to toe. It is a great alternative to both shampoo and body wash, for a gentle cleanse that doesn’t dry either out. It is definitely better at lifting buildup on the hair than CocoMallow Cowash Fluff, but does not leave the hair stripped – a total winner in my book! It also had a nice amount of slip, and helped keep my hair from getting super tangled during cleansing.
Gooseberry Aloe Pudding
Description
Soothing botanicals, amla and avocado oils nourish curls giving definition, body, hold, and shine. This pudding is thick & rich, perfect for stretching out curls that want to shrink up and rolls with naturally wavy hair patterns. It gives fabulous hold without making hair hard or crunchy. Defines almost every curly hair type with beautiful results.
Ingredients
Pure water, Persea Gratissima (avocado”> Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter”>, glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cera Alba, xanthum gum, perfume, dl-Panthenol, hydrolyzed oat protein, Equisetum Arvense Extract (horsetail”>, amla, Ulmus fulva (slippery elm”>, Phenoxyethanol (and”> Caprylyl Glycol (and”> Sorbic Acid
Top Ingredients 411
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Avocado Oil: Moisturizing oil extract that helps improve elasticity, shine, and softness.
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Behentrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola”>. Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
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Cetyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohol and emollient conditioners known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
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Butylene Glycol: Slip-providing agent and humectant similar to propylene glycol, but lighter.
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Shea Butter: Emollient fat from the nut of the East or West African shea nut tree, used to moisturize and soften hair.
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Glycerin: Vegetable-based humectant.
Performance
This is another one I can’t stop sniffing. The sweet berry vanilla fragrance is especially welcome at this time of year. Formerly known as Curls for Days, this thick creamy pudding is an exceptional moisturizer and curl hydrator. My hair loves avocado oil and aloe vera, so this product was a welcome alternative to a lot of coconut oil based products out there. It definitely defined my curls, but didn’t provide much in the way of hold. I tend to gravitate toward gels and jellies for wash and go’s because the fixatives in them allow my curls to last 3-5 days. If you are looking for definition and moisture without hold, this is a great product for that. I love how moisturized my hair was, so I will definitely continue using the product. I just know that to get the kind of long-term style I want, I need to add a defining product on top. It can also be used to refresh curls and add moisture to hair mid-week. Did I mention that it smells heavenly?
All in all, the Cream and Coco line is pretty awesome, and contains some of the most unique products I’ve seen to date. If you’d like to get your Cream and Coco on, visit www.creamandcoco.com!
Product photos courtesy of www.creamandcoco.com.
For more curly product line reviews, visit ManeObjective.com.
