African Pride has been a prominent name in the Black hair care industry for over 30 years. The brand was revamped when it was acquired by Godrej Consumer Goods in 2016 and is currently operated and controlled by Black women and Brown people of color. With over 25 products catering to various hair types, from natural to relaxed and straight to coily, African Pride aims to address diverse hair care needs. This article provides a detailed review of the Moisture Miracle collection, offering insights into its effectiveness and suitability for natural hair.
First Impressions
When I got the opportunity to test drive four products from African Pride’s Moisture Miracle collections, I was both hesitant and intrigued.
Product Breakdown and Review
Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-Shampoo
The Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-Shampoo is designed to detangle the hair in preparation for styling, which also aids in preventing breakage. The pre-shampoo “instantly softens and detangles hair with the natural healing and soothing benefits of aloe vera, combined with the hydrating properties of coconut water.” This pre-shampoo has a jelly-like consistency and a pleasant scent that seems equal parts fruity and perfumy.
The detangling properties were immediately evident upon application. After rinsing, not only was my hair tangle-free, my curls were separated and defined. My shampoo process was definitely easier after using this product.
This pre-shampoo is a GAME CHANGER! It made detangling and prepping for wash day a breeze as the product just melted into my hair. While it’s a very runny product, it interestingly feels heavy.
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Verdict: Magic. This will be added to the list of my favorite products and will probably be my primary pre-shampoo product.
Moisture Miracle Honey & Coconut Oil Shampoo
This shampoo says it, “gently cleans hair of dirt and build-up without stripping the follicles of their natural oils. The humectant and reparative benefits of honey and coconut oil combine to deeply penetrate and hydrate coils and curls.” It does an amazing job at cleansing my scalp, without leaving my hair dry afterwards. In fact, my hair felt incredibly soft throughout, and after, the process. It was easy to detangle my hair with this shampoo.
Verdict: The ONE! This shampoo will be a staple product in my routine.
Moisture Miracle Honey & Coconut Oil Conditioner
The conditioner says it, “restores moisture by combining the nutritive properties of honey and coconut oil with the restorative benefits of chocolate (cacao) to strengthen, transform, and repair dry coils and curls.” Interestingly, this conditioner is fairly watery in consistency. I actually feel like the shampoo was more moisturizing and had better slip than this conditioner.
Verdict: In all honesty, this conditioner didn’t WOW me like the pre-shampoo and shampoo. I like my conditioners to be on the thicker side.
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Moisture Miracle Moroccan Red Clay Detoxifying & Rehydrating Hair Masque
“This detoxifying and restorative clay masque uses the clarifying benefits of Moroccan red clay to remove impurities and product build-up on hair. Shea butter replenishes moisture and tames frizz.” When I first applied this product, it didn’t feel moisturizing. However, it does say “heat activated” on the packaging. This implies that you should use heat with this product.
After sitting with a hooded bonnet dryer attachment for 15 minutes, my hair felt EXTREMELY moisturized. The masque came through in consistency! I felt like I didn’t have to use a lot because of the thickness.
Verdict: LIFE, I’m not kidding. This masque is thick.
Moisture Miracle Coconut Milk & Honey Leave-In Conditioner
African Pride’s leave-in conditioner, “combines ultra-hydrating coconut milk with replenishing honey so hair is instantly softened, hydrated and shinier.”
This spray smells SO good! It’s very lightweight and moisturizing. I feel like this will be my go-to leave-in when I need to refresh my curls. Or, when the weather is warmer as I like to use thicker leave-in products during colder months.
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Since water is the first ingredient I’ve found myself reaching for this leave-in conditioner instead. It’s consistency and the spray nozzle makes moisturizing my hair simple.
Cons: This leave-in conditioner contains dimethicone. Which means you need a shampoo to remove it from your hair strands.
Verdict: This spray is very lightweight and moisturizing.
Moisture Miracle Shea Butter & Flaxseed Oil Leave-In Cream
Hydrate and strengthen hair with a nourishing blend of coconut and baobab oils. This leave-in is very thick, which I like for the colder months. Since this leave-in cream is on the thicker side, I’d suggest applying water before applying this cream. This way it’ll be easier to work the product through your hair.
Verdict: I also will probably only use this product when styling on wash day.
Moisture Miracle Shea Butter & Flaxseed Oil Curling Cream
The “versatile styling cream blends shea butter and flaxseed oil to provide deep moisture, lasting definition, and radiant shine, ensuring coils and curly styles are smooth and bouncy with a soft hold.”
This curling cream is great! This cream will definitely be a staple product! Like the leave-in cream, this product is somewhat on the thicker side. I say somewhat because it’s a bit runny, however, a little goes a long way. I feel like if you apply too much of this product then it might leave your hair flaky.
Pros: I like the consistency of this cream. It spreads easily in my hands and between my fingers. It has the right amount of slip while also coating my hair strands. I also really like the scent. It almost smells like a bakery item. Yummy! However, the scent does not stick around all day. Which is also something I like about it. I also love that this product contains glycerin. My hair tends to be on the dry side. So, having something that can pull moisture from the air helps me out a lot.
Cons: Unfortunately, my twist-outs did not hold up as long as I would’ve liked.
I was surprised that the leave-in cream and curling cream didn’t clash since they’re both fairly thick products. But, they complement each other very well.
Verdict: This cream will definitely be a staple product!
Moisture Miracle 5 Essential Oils
This oil “uses a nourishing mix of five premium oils (Castor, Grapeseed, Argan, Coconut, Olive). Plus vitamin E to replenish natural nutrients, protect against breakage, promote growth and strengthen strands. All while infusing coils and curls with moisture and body.”
This is the ULTIMATE scalp and hair oil.
Uses:
- Sealant when doing my LOC/LCO styling method.
- Hot oil treatment.
Verdict: I’ve used this product quite a few times on my scalp, but it’s hard to judge it’s effectiveness (lately, my scalp always seems dry).
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Additional Observations
The Olive Miracle 7-in-1 Leave-In Moisture Restore Curl Refresher is touted as a jack of all trades, detangling, conditioning and refreshing curls, controlling frizz and adding shine, offering heat protection, and preventing split ends. The scent of this product (as well as the others in this line) reminds me of a green apple body spray. I used this as a leave-in prior to blowdrying and for a twistout. It did initially assist with detangling. It also seemed to aid in overall smoothness. However, it did not do much for me in the way of refreshment for my curls. I initially ended up with hair that was a bit oily, but I eventually ended up with dryness a few days post-wash, presumably due to build-up.
The Olive Miracle Non-Flaking Foam Setting Mousse is your standard solution for controlling set styles. The foam did a great job of laying down my twists and sealing in any flyaways and loose hair. In terms of the wash and go, it did set my curls and did not leave them hard or crunchy. My hair was indeed smooth, soft, and shiny, but it didn’t have much hold.
The Olive Miracle Weightless Heat Protectant & Shine Mist is the heat protectant in the bunch. All of my hair reverted back without any damage from heat styling. My hair was shiny but not necessarily frizz-free. I also experience my hair being a bit oily to the touch. There are actually 10 different oils in this heat protectant, which may have lent itself to the oiliness of my hair as well.
Summary of Product Performance
| Product | Key Ingredients | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Shampoo | Aloe & Coconut Water | Excellent detangling, softens hair | Runny consistency |
| Shampoo | Honey & Coconut Oil | Cleanses without stripping, softens hair | None noted |
| Conditioner | Honey & Coconut Oil | Restores moisture and helps repair dry hair | Watery consistency |
| Masque | Moroccan Red Clay & Shea Butter | Detoxifies, replenishes moisture with heat activation | Requires heat for optimal moisturization |
| Leave-In Conditioner (Spray) | Coconut Milk & Honey | Lightweight, moisturizing, refreshing scent | Contains dimethicone |
| Leave-In Cream | Shea Butter & Flaxseed Oil | Thick, hydrating, suitable for colder months | Best used with water for easier application |
| Curling Cream | Shea Butter & Flaxseed Oil | Provides moisture, definition, and shine | May cause flakiness if over-applied, twist-outs do not hold as long |
| 5 Essential Oils | Castor, Grapeseed, Argan, Coconut, Olive | Nourishing, versatile for scalp and hair | Effectiveness on scalp dryness hard to judge |
Overall, I really enjoyed using these products and they are type 4 qualified and coily hair approved. It was something different for me from the typical mainstream brands and most of them worked great.
My absolute favorites from this line are the pre-shampoo, shampoo, heat-activated masque, and 5 essential oils! I’d give this entire collection a 10/10. Although I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the conditioner, every other product in this collection was GOLD! Especially for the price point of each product, I think this collection is amazing.
