SheaMoisture is a shampoo brand marketed primarily to women. The company claims that their formulations were created “to refresh, restore and help repair your hair.”
But does SheaMoisture use ingredients that are shown in research studies to improve hair quality? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Which SheaMoisture shampoo is the highest-quality formulation? And is SheaMoisture better or worse than other popular shampoo brands like Monday Shampoo?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of SheaMoisture’s most popular products (Curl & Shine Shampoo and Intensive Hydration Shampoo) to give our take on whether or not they're likely to improve hair quality and appearance, and whether or not they're healthy.
We’ll also compare SheaMoisture Shampoo to other popular shampoo brands to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains active ingredients clinically shown to support hair appearance
- Some scents contain inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We currently recommend the Intensive Hydration shampoo
Curl & Shine Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in SheaMoisture Curl & Shine shampoo are shown below:
Let’s start with the good news: this shampoo contains a wide range of research-backed, naturally-derived active ingredients.
Shea butter has skin-barrier-repairing effects according to a 2017 medical review, suggesting it may improve scalp health.
Hydrolyzed silk has conditioning properties, according to a medical review published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology.
Neem seed oil was shown to be naturally effective against head lice in a 2006 clinical trial.
Coconut oil was shown to have a “remarkable” hair-protective effect in a medical review published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
The study authors found that coconut oil could penetrate inside the hair shaft and protect hair from damage.
Rosemary leaf oil is clinically shown to support hair growth.
There are other active ingredients we consider likely to be effective, but to keep this section from getting too long, we’ll conclude that this shampoo has a really impressive formulation in terms of hair quality and appearance.
However, there are a few ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.
Fragrance is a broad, categorical descriptor that can refer to a wide range of scent compounds. As we documented in our Kristin Ess Shampoo reviews article, at least one medical review concluded that fragrance can pose a serious risk to human health.
Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are synthetic preservatives, and the former has been clinically shown to have skin-irritating effects in some individuals. We do not consider either of these compounds to be as questionable as fragrance from a health perspective.
Overall, we believe that SheaMoisture Curl & Shine is likely to improve hair quality, support scalp health and improve hair appearance.
From an efficacy perspective, it’s one of the most impressive shampoo formulations we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health for the price (more on the price later).
We don’t currently recommend this shampoo due to the inclusion of the inactive ingredients highlighted above.
Intensive Hydration Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration are shown below:
This shampoo has many of the same active ingredients as the previously-analyzed shampoo, but also has some unique active ingredients with research backing.
Adansonia digitata seed oil was shown in a 2017 medical review to naturally condition hair follicles.
Aloe vera is clinically shown to support scalp health due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as we discussed in our Inala reviews article on another shampoo brand.
Fig extract can support hair health, according to a medical review published in the Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability.
This shampoo also contains fragrance, but the Amazon ingredient disclosure lists it as an essential oil blend, which we consider to be a much healthier option than synthetically-derived fragrance.
Perhaps the other SheaMoisture shampoo also uses fragrance derived from essential oils, but only in this product is that distinction made on the ingredient label.
Given the naturally-derived fragrance and lack of preservatives, we would both recommend SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration over the previously-analyzed SheaMoisture Shampoo, and recommend this shampoo overall.
We consider ShaMoisture Intensive Hydration likely to improve hair and scalp health, and to have an anti-inflammatory effect.
SheaMoisture Shampoo vs. Popular Shampoo Brands
Here's how SheaMoisture Shampoo compares to other popular shampoo brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Monday Shampoo
Contains fragrance and many synthetic ingredients we consider unhealthy, including a detergent which won "Allergen of the Year" according to a medical review.
Winner: SheaMoisture Shampoo
Native Shampoo
While Native Shampoo's formulation is similar to SheaMoisture Curl & Shine shampoo (contains fragrance and synthetic preservatives), we consider SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration to be significantly healthier than Native Shampoo.
Winner: SheaMoisture Shampoo
BioSilk
Contains more than three fragrance ingredients, making it a less healthy option than either SheaMoisture shampoo reviewed.
Winner: SheaMoisture Shampoo
Our Clean Hair Care Picks
Acure Vivacious Volume Shampoo is our top shampoo pick.
It contains argan oil which is clinically shown to help protect hair from damage.
Ritual HyaCera is our top hair growth supplement.
This supplement contains wheat oil extract, and a 2024 clinical trial reported that a wheat lipid complex had "a reducing effect on hair shedding and a stimulating effect on hair reappearance and growth."
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
SheaMoisture Shampoo Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Highly effective formulations
- Great quality for price
- Should improve hair quality
- Should improve hair appearance
- Mostly positive online customer reviews
- Curl & Shine shampoo may support hair growth
Cons:
- Some formulations contain fragrance
- Some formulations contain synthetic preservatives
