Are you wondering if Shea Moisture shampoo is good for your hair? The answer is yes—but only if you get the right kind for your needs. If you have fine hair, heavy conditioners will weigh it down. But if you have curls or coils, that’s a whole other set of requirements.
Fortunately, SheaMoisture offers hair care products designed and labeled for specific hair types. Moreover, we made it easy for you to find what you want. Just browse the best Shea Moisture shampoos below:
| The best Shea Moisture shampoos | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner |
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| SheaMoisture African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Deep Cleansing Shampoo |
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| SheaMoisture Purple Rice Water Strength + Color Care Shampoo for Damaged Hair |
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| SheaMoisture Cannabis Sativa Hemp Seed Oil Lush Length Shampoo |
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| SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine |
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| SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo |
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| SheaMoisture Strengthen, Grow & Restore Shampoo and Conditioner Set, Jamaican Black Castor Oil |
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How SheaMoisture became a trusted brand of shampoo
Until recently, Shea Moisture was a Black-owned brand and a family-owned business. It was acquired by Unilever, but the CEO remains the same. He’s the grandchild of Sofi Tucker, the entrepreneur who sold homemade hair preparations across the countryside in Africa. As the CEO puts it, they’ve tested these creations on their own family for four generations before selling them to others (1).
What’s more, the brand continues to invest in women of color entrepreneurs and create products designed especially for multicultural consumers. It focuses on hair care and skin care products made with shea butter, a traditional remedy used throughout Africa. The shea butter is acquired through a Fair Trade arrangement so that suppliers are paid fairly and that everyone involved in the sourcing and manufacturing process is treated ethically.
After all, what started as a scramble to survive has turned into a company recognized worldwide for quality shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and more. The CEO, Richelieu Dennis, had escaped civil war in Liberia to attend college in the USA. He started selling shea butter from a card table in Harlem to make a little extra money.
Then, his mother left for his graduation on the last flight out before the fighting closed the airport. They expected to be able to return home after a few weeks but ended up waiting two decades for peace to return. In the meantime, they expanded their production by selling at county fairs and health food stores. All of this meant that they had direct contact with frustrated people of color who couldn’t find what they needed in regular stores.
As a result, SheaMoisture not only focuses on underserved consumers, they’ve also become certified as a Fair Trade company and a B Corp. They maintain relationships along the whole supply chain throughout West Africa where it’s primarily women who provide the ingredients they need.
Also, the brand produces shampoos and conditioners that are free of parabens, sulfates, silicone, phthalates, mineral oil, and petrolatum. That’s just one of the reasons why we say they make the best shea butter shampoos.
How to choose the best Shea Moisture shampoo
Each shampoo is labeled as appropriate for certain hair types. If you’re not familiar with what hair types are, here’s a quick explanation.
- Type 1 is straight hair that tends to get oily if not washed daily and is difficult to curl. There are three subtypes, including stick straight, straight with volume, and straight with a little wave.
- Type 2 is wavy hair. It’s prone to frizz and sometimes difficult to curl.
- Type 3 is curly hair, whether it’s big, loose curls or bouncy ringlets.
- Type 4 is coiled hair. It has tight curls and kinks and it shrinks when it’s wet. It’s also the most fragile and dense kind of hair.
As you might imagine, each type of hair needs a different kind of care. Luckily, SheaMoisture offers a wide variety of shampoos that caters to each specific situation.
Another factor is hair texture. Strands tend to be porous, somewhat porous, or not absorbent. If you’re not certain what kind you have, drop a hair in a glass of water and watch what happens. If it sinks immediately, it’s porous. If it takes a while to sink, it’s somewhat porous. If it floats, it’s not porous at all.
Obviously, porous hair will soak up moisture and requires more intensive conditioning. On the contrary, non-porous hair will look limp if it’s over-conditioned. Again, this brand of shampoo takes all that into consideration. You’ll see what we mean when you check out the detailed Shea Moisture reviews below.
Best Shea Moisture Shampoos in 2024
SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner
The best SheaMoisture shampoo for fine hair also happens to be a product suitable for all hair types. Feel free to wash daily as the formula is mild and sulfate-free. It provides a light amount of hydration to leave the hair soft, shiny, and manageable. Happily, it puts a stop to flyaways.
The creamy texture depends on virgin coconut and shea oils plus coconut milk to prevent tangles and frizz. Then, the delicious coconut breeze fragrance comes from natural ingredients plus a custom essential oil blend.
What’s the downside? Like many sulfate-free shampoos, this one contains a cleanser called cocamidopropyl betaine. Most people won’t have any problem with it, but a few may find that it causes itchiness or dryness.
Pros:
- Sulfate-free and mild enough for everyday use
- Ideal for all hair types
- Tames frizz and flyaways
- Made with shea and coconut oils
- Fragranced with an essential oil blend that smells like coconuts
Cons:
- Like many sulfate-free shampoos, it contains cocamidopropyl betaine which is a potential allergen for those few who are sensitive to it
SheaMoisture African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Deep Cleansing Shampoo
Here’s the best SheaMoisture shampoo for straight hair, especially if it tends to get oily easily. It features tea tree oil, bamboo charcoal, willow bark, and African Black soap to get rid of excess oil and flakes. It treats dandruff and scalp acne.
There’s no need to worry about it dehydrating the skin. The sulfate-free formula still includes soothing natural moisturizers like aloe, shea butter, and argan oil.
Pros:
- Treats dandruff, scalp acne, and more
- Perfect for oily hair, yet still moisturizing enough for most other hair types
- Features African Black soap, bamboo charcoal, willow bark, and tea tree oil
Cons:
- Has the surfactant cocamidopropyl betaine, but it’s still sulfate-free and contains no parabens or phthalates
SheaMoisture Purple Rice Water Strength + Color Care Shampoo for Damaged Hair
It happened a lot last year when salons were closed. People took matters into their own hands and ended up with unintended consequences like over-processed, damaged strands. If you need to nurse your hair back to health, try this shampoo that’s packed with healing botanicals and minerals. It’s part of a lineup that includes conditioner, hair mask, and oil serum.
The strengthening formula relies on organic shea butter, wild orchid, sweet violet, and purple rice water. This blend makes dull, dry hair shiny once more. Some users say that it’s excellent for thickening edges and regrowing hair, too.
Pros:
- Restores dull, dry, brittle hair to health
- Strengthens strands with organic shea butter and other mineral-rich botanicals
- Part of a series of reparative products including conditioner, hair mask, and serum
Cons:
- As always, check the label and do a patch test if you have very sensitive skin
SheaMoisture Cannabis Sativa Hemp Seed Oil Lush Length Shampoo
What about the best SheaMoisture shampoo for hair growth? We recommend the hempseed oil shampoo for all hair types. The brand makes a joke about it being “a new high for healthy hair” but it doesn’t actually have any psychoactive ingredients.
It contains horsetail, a traditional remedy for thinning hair, alongside rice and soy protein. There’s also ginseng to stimulate follicles.
Pros:
- Hempseed, horsetail, and plant protein strengthen and lengthen each strand
- Ginseng stimulates follicles and energizes growth
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons:
- This popular shampoo is often sold out, so get it while you can
SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine
Are you following the Curly Girl Method? Then you’ve got to try the best SheaMoisture shampoo for curly hair. It’s not made for fine, straight, or wavy hair – only Types 3 and 4. That’s because it’s very moisturizing and may weigh down Types 1 and 2.
Users say it smells like coconut and shea butter, a universally appealing fragrance for both men and women. It makes rough, frizzy curls gleam with health. They will feel silky soft and tangle-free.
Something you’ll notice is that the shampoo doesn’t make a ton of lather. If your hair doesn’t feel perfectly clean and bouncy after the first use, use a clarifying shampoo to remove residue from prior products.
Pros:
- Detangles and de-frizzes curly and coiled hair
- Leaves hair shiny, bouncy, and silky
- Unisex coconut and shea butter fragrance made from essential oils
Cons:
- Too moisturizing for fine, straight, and wavy hair – made for curls and coils only
SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo
Are you looking for the best SheaMoisture shampoo for 4c hair? Then pause here. This one is enriched with raw shea butter, mafura oil, African rock fig, and Manuka honey. It’s a delicious treat for your curls and coils (yes, Type 3 hair can use it, too).
Mafura oil is also known as mahogany oil from a tree that grows in southern Africa. It’s rich in linoleic acid to fix damaged hair. Next, African rock fig is packed with antioxidants to stop hair from falling out and restore its elasticity. Last, Manuka honey is the ideal non-greasy moisturizer that smooths the cuticle and hydrates the dry scalp.
Pros:
- Ideal for repairing and hydrating overly-processed curls and coils
- Restores elasticity and prevents hair from falling out
- Heals a dry scalp
Cons:
- Only for Types 3 and 4 hair, too rich for Types 1 and 2
SheaMoisture Strengthen, Grow & Restore Shampoo and Conditioner Set, Jamaican Black Castor Oil
If you’re impatient to have longer, stronger, shinier curls, try this shampoo. It’s made for Types 3 and 4, especially if they are heat-styled, transitioning, or chemically treated.
The formula specifically stimulates hair growth with ingredients like peppermint and Jamaican black castor oil. It also uses apple cider vinegar to balance the acidity and restore moisture and shine.
Users say the shampoo works miracles on Afros by moisturizing and strengthening brittle hair.
Pros:
- Especially for heat-styled, chemically-treated, and transitioning hair
- Formulated to repair and rehydrate Types 3 and 4 curls and coils
- Stimulates growth, balances pH
Cons:
- Too conditioning for straight or wavy hair
Conclusion
Wouldn’t it be nice if washing your hair made it look like it belonged on the cover of a magazine? Give SheaMoisture shampoo a try and see if it doesn’t work wonders. There is a wide variety to choose from, each one catering to specific needs.
We hope our reviews helped you find the best hair care products today. If you’re enjoying your new shampoo, we’d love to hear about it. Feel free to leave us a comment below.
Source:
1. https://www.essence.com/news/shea-moisture-acquired-by-unilever/ Shea Moisture’s Parent Company Sundial Was Just Acquired By Unilever, by Danielle Kwateng-Clark , updated October 24, 2020, accessed November 22, 2021