The Good: Inexpensive, Intriguing scent that lasts, Cleans hair, Lathers well
The Bad: Packaging
The Basics: A perfectly good shampoo, in a decent size and price, Tropical Coconut leaves hair looking and smelling clean!
I'll be very straightforward about my opinions on virtually all hair care products; I don't want my hair to smell bad and I want to put minimal effort into getting my hair clean. I don't want to spend all day on cleaning my hair and I don't want to spend a fortune on it. There are days I just wash and go; I don't even brush through my hair and I have pretty long hair. I'm not into spending all my life cleaning or looking like I am headed out to a movie premiere every night. So, if you're huge into style and form, I might not be the voice for reviewing shampoos you want. If you're into function, I'm all about what works and not so much the flash.
That's probably why I gravitate toward Suave shampoos, like their Tropical Coconut scented one. It's easy to use, inexpensive and it works without me having to take any extra steps, go through any magical processes or even think about what I am doing. This is the plug and play, the point and shoot of hair care products.
Suave has been expanding its line of inexpensive shampoos and conditioners. In virtually every market in the United States, Suave shampoos and conditioners may be found on sale for $1.50 for a 22.5 fl. oz. bottle. Tropical Coconut shampoo is a well-scented scented shampoo for all hairs that appeals to those who want their hair smelling slightly fruity. The 22.5 fl. oz. bottle is a cylindrical tube bottle with a flip-top lid that is easy enough to open with one hand, sort of. The bottle is not contoured and does get slippery when wet. Indeed, the shape of the bottle might not necessarily be problematic save that when it is wet, there is very little friction on the bottle and it slips from one's hand quite easily.
Even more problematic is the lid. The lid is a standard flip-top lid and so long as the bottle is not wet, there ought to be no problem with using one's thumb to flip the top. The issue, however, is that the top of the bottle is a pressure ring, not a screw on top. What this means is that when one applies pressure to the top to open the spout, the user is almost just as likely to flip the entire top off. This is annoying and my first experience with this problematic aspect involved carrying the bottles; the top came off of one though sheer force of gravity and perhaps the best advice I might give is to hold the bottles by the bottom.
Inside the bottles is Tropical Coconut shampoo and it is a light white, pearlescent mostly opaque gel. This shampoo has good leg and is refreshingly more viscous than watery. The scent is an intriguing and authentic scent of coconuts. Suave Tropical Coconut smells precisely like a freshly split coconut warmed by the sun. The scent encompasses the user and infuses the hair with the fresh, coconut smell.
When in the shower and one's nostrils are opened by the steam (I tend to like very hot showers) this shampoo diffuses reasonably well. Actually, in the steam and heat of my showers, this smells almost identical to Celestial Seasonings' Sweet Coconut Thai tea (reviewed here!). And that's a wonderful thing!
When it comes to use, this is a simple shampoo and one need only flip the lid and dispense a small amount into the palm of the hand before applying it to the hair. The Tropical Coconut shampoo requires only about a quarter-sized dollop to clean a full head of hair. This lathered up remarkably well, which meant I could get away with using less of it. I have long hair and as a result, shampoo can be an annoying expense when the shampoo I am using does not lather up and clean well.
In the case of the Tropical Coconut, it lathers up wonderfully, such that a quarter-sized dollop can easily stretch to coat a very full head of hair, like mine. Used judiciously thus, the 22.5 oz. bottle may easily last six weeks to two months with daily hair washings. This makes its value a little greater than some shampoos I've recently tested and a pleasure to use.
And, quite simply, as a shampoo, it works. Hair comes out looking and feeling cleaner after its use than before. I think the most objective test for a shampoo is to see if hair is cleaner using the shampoo vs. rinsing your hair with water alone and for the basic functioning of a shampoo the Tropical Coconut shampoo lived up to that basic litmus test.
I tend to like shampoos that leave my hair smelling delightful, like whatever scent they have lured me in with. Given that the Tropical Coconut shampoo is a very appealing scent to me, I was pleased to find that the scent did not rinse out of my hair. Throughout the day, I can smell my hair and find the scent of the Tropical Coconut shampoo still on it and I've found it there up to eight hours after a shower. The scent is an energizing one (I have fond memories of some things with a coconut smell!) and that it endures is a wonderful selling point for people who like that!
Tropical Coconut Shampoo has no discernible conditioning properties. There is a separate conditioner that has the same scent. As it stands, Tropical Coconut works wonderfully as a day to day shampoo that will clean your hair, but for those looking for actual moisturizing qualities or something that will do more than simply strip away dirt and bothersome scents, this is not the shampoo for you, with or without its accompanying conditioner!
For other Suave shampoo reviews, please visit my takes on:
Fresh Mountain Strawberry
Ocean Breeze
Juicy Green Apple
Orchid Petal
Suave Professionals Rosemary Mint
7/10
For other health and beauty product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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