Curly Hair Society

Brand comparison

Innersense vs Cantu: Which Curl Brand Suits Your Hair?

Innersense is premium and light, and suits fine curls. Cantu is cheap and rich, and suits thick curls and coils. Innersense rates higher.

InnersenseCantu
What reviewers thinkMostly positive: Loved and long-lasting. Pricey.Divides opinion: Great value. Heavy for fine hair.
Curl Score4.1 Great3.7 Good
People with an opinion10668
Best-liked productI Create VolumeMoisturizing Curl Activator Cream
More promising forFine to medium curls that want light, lasting definition, and anyone who values clean ingredients and refills.Thick, dense or coily hair, children's curls, and anyone starting out on a budget.
Think twice ifYour scalp is easily irritated, you're on a tight budget, or you want a hold you can't overdo.Your hair is fine, wavy or low porosity, or you're sensitive to strong fragrance.

Innersense and Cantu are at opposite ends of the market. Innersense is a premium, clean-ingredient brand with refill pouches. Cantu is one of the cheapest curl brands on the shelf. They also suit opposite hair. Innersense's best products are light and made for fine curls. Cantu's are rich and made for thick curls and coils. Innersense has the higher Curl Score.

The main difference

Curl cream: Cantu's Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream is a long-time favorite for soft, shiny, defined curls on thicker hair. Innersense's Air Dry Styling Cream is a light all-in-one styler for fine hair, but has few reviews.

Fine hair: Innersense wins clearly. I Create Volume and its foams are among the best-liked products we track for fine curls. Reviewer after reviewer with fine or low-porosity hair says Cantu is too heavy.

Hold: Innersense's I Create Hold gives multi-day hold. Cantu doesn't have a gel that reviewers single out.

Price: Cantu is very cheap and sold almost everywhere. Innersense is expensive, but concentrated enough that a bottle can last close to a year.

Which to choose

Choose Innersense if your curls are fine to medium and you want light, lasting definition, or you value clean ingredients.

Choose Cantu if your hair is thick, dense or coily, you're buying for children's curls, or you're on a tight budget.

Think twice about Innersense if your scalp is easily irritated. Think twice about Cantu if you're sensitive to strong fragrance.

The verdict

Choose by hair type. Fine curls do better with Innersense, and thick curls and coils with Cantu. Price only matters once your hair type has decided which brand fits.

Head to head

Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.

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Curl cream

Innersense

Air Dry Styling Cream

4 positive·1 mixed

A light all-in-one styler with soft clumps that simplifies routines, though one reviewer dislikes its waxy texture.

Best for A simple one-product routine on fine hair

Read reviewAmazon

Cantu

Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream

7 positive·2 negative

A long-time favourite for soft, shiny, defined curls, though too heavy for some fine hair.

Best for Softness and definition on curly to coily hair

Read reviewAmazon

Which suits your hair

What reviewers with each kind of hair report.

Fine or wavy hair

Innersense

This is where the range gets its warmest reviews. Reviewers with fine 2C and 3A hair say I Create Volume defines without stickiness or stiffness, and the Lift and Definition foams give lift and multi-day hold with a pump or two.

Try I Create Volume

Cantu

This is where Cantu gets most of its bad reviews. Reviewers with fine 2C to 3A hair say every product is way too heavy, or that it left their hair looking wet.

Try Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream

Thick, dense or coily hair

Innersense

There are fewer reviewers here. A reviewer with thick, coarse 3c/4a hair loves I Create Hold but found Curl Memory didn't hold enough, and a reviewer with Black hair liked the hair bath and I Create Hold's week-long look but wasn't impressed by the conditioner.

Try I Create Hold

Cantu

This is what the brand suits best. Reviewers say it's very good for hair that needs heavier products, a parent's 4A child thrives on it, and a reviewer with dense curls says it keeps their hair looking good for a whole week.

Try Curl Cream

Strong hold

Innersense

I Create Hold and Curl Memory are the stronger stylers, and reviewers say their hair lasts four to seven days. Both are heavy-duty, and reviewers found them sticky if their hair wasn't wet enough, or so crunchy the cast wouldn't scrunch out.

Try I Create Hold

Cantu

Reviewers don't single out Cantu for this.

Sensitive scalp or scent-sensitive

Innersense

Some reviewers with sensitive skin call it great, but a handful had the opposite. I Create Hold made one reviewer's scalp itchy, flaky and red, and others report scalp irritation or hair shedding after starting the range.

Cantu

Reviewers don't single out Cantu for this.

Starting out or on a budget

Innersense

Reviewers don't single out Innersense for this.

Cantu

Reviewers call it a great introduction to curly care at an amazing price. Start with the Curl Activator Cream, the most-reviewed product, or the Curl Cream under a gel.

Try Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream

Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.

What reviewers like and dislike

Innersense

  • Concentrated: a bottle can last close to a year
  • Light, touchable definition on fine hair
  • Multi-day hold from the stronger stylers
  • The Sweet Spirit leave-in
  • Refill pouches and travel sizes
  • Expensive
  • Crunchy, sticky or matted if overdone
  • Conditioners with little slip, for some
  • Scalp irritation or shedding, for a few
  • Herbal or patchouli scents a few dislike

Cantu

  • Cheap and easy to find
  • Soft, shiny, defined curls on thicker hair
  • Works on children's curls
  • A refresh spray that keeps curls going between washes
  • A nice smell, for many
  • Too heavy for fine or wavy hair
  • Stopped working for some long-time users
  • Flakes or dryness, for a few
  • Strong added fragrance
  • A refresh spray with a single-stream nozzle

More comparisons

Innersense vs

Every Innersense review

Cantu vs

Every Cantu review