Shea Moisture is the creator of many award-winning curly-hair products (they’re one of my top 5 favorite companies), but what many don’t know it was first sold and created by Sophie Tucker in 1912 at her Sierra Leone village market. Today, Tucker’s grandchildren continue to uphold Sophie’s legacy by promising 10% of Shea Moisture’s sales to go towards supporting women’s empowerment in entrepreneurship, education, and equity in third-world countries.

What’s in it?

This gentle cleanser is sulfate, paraben, mineral oil, and phthalates free. It’s first five ingredients include water, decyl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium lauroyl lactylate, and sodium cocoyl lsethionate. These ingredients include mild surfactants that help clean curls without stripping them of their essential oils. Other ingredients include Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter—a thickening agent—and Rosa Centifolia Flower Wax—a natural wax that treats dry hair.  

Does it help my curls?

This shampoo was too heavy on my thin strands, but I don’t doubt it helps mend brittle hair. It was hard for me to differentiate between “silky soft” and “waxy soft.”

How much is it?

At $10.99 for 10.3 fl oz., it’s on the cheaper end of shampoos marketed towards curly hair.

Stash it or trash it?

Trash it. Although I love its sweet flower smell, I felt the product left a bit of waxy residue in my hair. Perhaps it works better on thicker spirals, but for me, it left more to be wanted. Solid A+ for its rosy scent though!