Shea shampoos unsurprisingly contain shea butter as one of the main ingredients. Shea butter is extracted from the nut of African shea trees. It’s commonly used in skin and hair care because of its moisturizing and softening properties.
Buying Guide for the Best Shea Shampoos
Why buy shea shampoo?
Shea shampoos are different from your average shampoo. The shea butter in them helps restore your hair’s shine and elasticity. And shea butter as an ingredient is safe to use on most hair types, including colored hair. This type of shampoo typically doesn’t have unnecessary additives in it and often has a light and pleasant scent.
What should you look for in shea shampoo?
- Ingredients: Shampoos often have a lot of hidden ingredients in them that can damage your hair, such as silicones and parabens. It’s a good idea to check the label before you purchase.
- Scent: Consider what scent you’d like to linger in your hair after washing and determine if the product you’re buying has one that suits your preferences.
- Formula: Many shampoos with shea butter in them have different formulas for different needs. Consider if your hair is dry, damaged, frizzy, curly, etc., as many of these types are curated differently to help with specific issues.
What should you pair shea shampoo with?
Typically, shampoo is followed by conditioner, and there are both regular and deep conditioners that contain shea butter, too. If you’re trying to revive and moisturize your hair, additional hair care products containing shea butter like hair masks and deep conditioners can be used alongside your shampoo to strengthen the moisturizing process.
Our Picks for the Best Shea Shampoos
Pros: This coconut and hibiscus scented shampoo is a gentle cleanser for curly hair. It’s formulated to improve your hair’s health and restore shine while enhancing your natural curls. Ingredients in this shampoo contain shea butter and coconut oil, which moisturize and protect your hair while replenishing lost oil. This product is dye-free, phthalate-free, and paraben-free. It doesn’t contain minerals, silicones, sulfates, or petrolatum. It helps control frizzy hair and improve your hair’s elasticity.
Cons: This product may be too thick for some users. It may be better for people with severely dry curly hair.
Bottom Line: This is a fantastic shea shampoo from a well-respected brand that will hydrate curly and dry hair very well. As a bonus, it’s sustainably produced, ethically traded, and cruelty-free.
Pros: This curl-defining shea butter shampoo will repair damaged hair and help create soft, touchable curls. It’s ideal for tight curls that are normal to coarse in texture, and it’s even safe to use on color-treated hair. This product contains a mix of aloe vera, nourishing shea butter, coconut oil, and macadamia oil. It is free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, mineral oils, and synthetic dyes.
Cons: Some reviewers said that the consistency of this shampoo is thinner than expected. This product also has a strong scent that won’t be right for everyone.
Bottom Line: The Maui Moisture shampoo will deeply nourish and soften dry hair. It has nice ingredients that can help you get your hair back to health and hydration.
Pros: This shea butter shampoo will help tame frizzy hair, leaving a sleek look behind. It’s a great choice for those with curly or unruly hair. It’s clarifying and suitable for naturally unruly hair, damaged hair, and even color-treated hair.
Cons: Some people found the scent too powerful and perfume-like.
Bottom Line: This smoothing shampoo helps control unruly and frizzy hair, even in humid climates.
Pros: This moisturizing shampoo will leave your hair with barbershop quality results. It has a vanilla scent, and the shea will reliably give you the moisturized and soft hair that you want. A little of this product will go a long way.
Cons: The shea shampoo smells like vanilla, which not everyone will love.
Bottom Line: This shampoo two-pack is a great value for the price and quality of hair care. It contains softening and cleansing ingredients to provide really nice results.
Pros: This shampoo and conditioner duo is an excellent choice for those who need to moisturize and strengthen dry and weak hair. This nourishing, anti-frizz formula strengthens and coats damaged strands to smooth frizzy hair, seal split ends, and reduce breakage. This set is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, and drying alcohol.
Cons: Some people might find their hair feeling greasy after use.
Bottom Line: This light and floral-scented shampoo and conditioner duo is an amazing value for the price. It’s made with fiberbond technology to help strengthen fibers and reduce breakage by 97% after just three uses.
Final Thoughts
Adding one of these shea shampoos to your hair care routine is a great way to soften and revive your hair. They’ll leave your hair feeling silky smooth and ready to take on the day.
