"Flora & Curl - Sweet Hibiscus Twist and Braid Cream" is a well-rounded moisturizing product. To work well, any moisturizer needs to include a combination of water-binding and emollient ingredients. Flora & Curl - Sweet Hibiscus Twist and Braid Cream ticks this box. Panthenol, hydrolyzed rice protein and aloe barbadensis leaf juice in this product (humectants) attract water molecules to the upper layer of the skin (the water comes from the outside air or from the deeper layers of the skin if the air is dry). Emollients in this formulation (theobroma cacao seed butter, ricinus communis seed oil and cetearyl alcohol) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
This formulation also uses an effective concentration of panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) - about 0.35% - 0.80%. Panthenol helps strengthen the skin barrier, improve hydration and reduce inflammation in skin.
Irritation risk
There are quite a few common irritants in this product, including ingredients without particular skin benefits. We would not recommend it for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails from 16.00£ up to 21.00£ in the United Kingdom.
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”: these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
panthenol, hydrolyzed rice protein.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses
moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels
less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
ricinus communis seed oil, theobroma cacao seed butter.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with
the hydration level: panthenol
A plant oil that can help soften the skin. It might be helpful in calming down inflammation, but solid research is lacking. Is often used in lip products to create the needed product consistency
Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin