Brand comparison
Camille Rose vs SheaMoisture: Which Is Better for Thick, Dry Hair?
Both are made for thick, dry, coily hair. Camille Rose is pricier and much better rated; SheaMoisture is cheaper, with one cult classic.
| Compared | Camille Rose | SheaMoisture |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Mostly positive: Well liked and consistent, but pricey. | Mixed opinions: One cult classic. Mostly heavy. |
| Curl Score | 4.1 Great | 3.4 Mixed |
| People with an opinion | 45 | 67 |
| Best-liked product | Curl Maker | Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie |
| More promising for | Thick, dry, low-porosity or coily hair that wants hydration and soft definition. | Thick, coarse or coily hair that likes rich products, children's detangling, and the Smoothie as a leave-in. |
| Think twice if | Your hair is fine and easily weighed down, you want a firm cast, or you live somewhere humid and want hold that lasts. | Your hair is fine, wavy or low porosity, or you loved the old formulas and expect them unchanged. |
Camille Rose and SheaMoisture both make rich, moisturizing products for thick, dry and coily hair, and both are too heavy for fine hair. Camille Rose has one of the highest Curl Scores we track. SheaMoisture's is mixed, held up mostly by its Curl Enhancing Smoothie.
The main difference
Leave-in: Camille Rose's Moisture Milk is wonderfully soft on coils, though thick enough that some reviewers dilute it. SheaMoisture's JBCO leave-in is said to do wonders for thick hair, but has few reviews.
Styling: these two do different jobs. Camille Rose's Curl Maker is a hydrating gel with a silky finish. SheaMoisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie is a rich cream that works as a leave-in or one-step styler. A Smoothie and Curl Maker routine, cream first and gel on top, is a natural combination.
Consistency: Camille Rose is described as solid and consistent. Long-time SheaMoisture users say the formulas changed after the 2017 Unilever buyout, with more residue and less moisture, and some feel the products moved away from the coily hair the brand was made for.
Price and scent: SheaMoisture is cheaper and easier to find. Both brands' smells are popular with reviewers.
Which to choose
Choose Camille Rose if you want a consistent, well-reviewed brand for thick, dry or coily hair, and a gel that hydrates.
Choose SheaMoisture if you want a cheap, rich cream that doubles as a leave-in, or you're detangling children's hair.
Skip both if your hair is fine, wavy or low porosity, though some reviewers with low-porosity hair do like Camille Rose.
The verdict
Camille Rose is the more reliable brand. SheaMoisture's Smoothie is still worth buying on its own, and it pairs well with Curl Maker.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Conditioner and leave-in
Camille Rose
6 positive·3 mixedWonderfully soft on coils and well smelling, but thick enough that several reviewers dilute it.
Best for Thick or coily hair that wants softness
SheaMoisture
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner
2 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeDense, softening and effective on thick hair, but too heavy for thinner hair, and changed since restocking for some.
Best for Thick or coarse hair that needs a rich leave-in
Which suits your hair
What reviewers with each kind of hair report.
Fine or wavy hair
Camille Rose
The Curl Maker is the safest bet: a reviewer with fine 2B/3A hair is on her fifth bottle and says one lasts six months or more. The thick, creamy products are riskier.
Try Curl Maker
SheaMoisture
Most reviewers with fine or wavy hair say the range is too heavy. The exceptions are small and specific: one reviewer applies a little Smoothie before wringing out so it doesn't weigh their hair down, another uses it as a single styler in a small amount, and a reviewer with fine 2C/3A curls loves the Frizz-Free Curl Mousse as a last step.
Thick, dense or coily hair
Camille Rose
This is where the range gets its warmest reviews. A reviewer with type 4 coils says nothing leaves her hair as soft as the Moisture Milk, and a reviewer with 3C/4A hair loves the Curl Maker alone or under a stronger gel, though it flakes on her.
Try Moisture Milk
SheaMoisture
This is who the brand suits. Reviewers say the JBCO leave-in does wonders for average or thick hair, a reviewer with very thick 4c hair says it works pretty well, and one with coarse corkscrew curls loves the whole set.
Try Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner
Strong hold
Camille Rose
The Curl Maker is a medium-hold gel, and reviewers who wanted a crunchy cast or hold through humid weather found it too soft. Its humectants can keep curls flexible or even swollen in humid air.
SheaMoisture
Reviewers don't single out SheaMoisture for this.
Children's hair
Camille Rose
Reviewers don't single out Camille Rose for this.
SheaMoisture
Parents are some of the warmest reviewers. The leave-in is the only thing that worked on one daughter's worst knots, and another calls the kids' detangler the best on the market.
Starting out or on a budget
Camille Rose
Start with the Curl Maker, the most reviewed product and the one most reviewers like. One buys it on sale, and another says it is cheaper than a similar gel depending where you buy it.
Try Curl Maker
SheaMoisture
Reviewers don't single out SheaMoisture for this.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Camille Rose
- Praised: Smells that most reviewers enjoy
- Praised: Hydration and a silky finish from the Curl Maker
- Praised: Deep softness on thick and coily hair
- Praised: A solid, consistent brand
- Praised: Thick formulas that can be diluted to last longer
- Complaint: The price, and trouble finding it cheaper
- Complaint: Medium hold that gives out in humidity
- Complaint: Flakes from the Curl Maker, for a few
- Complaint: Hair that felt dry or like straw, for a few
- Complaint: Thick, heavy formulas on fine hair
SheaMoisture
- Praised: The Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Praised: Rich moisture for thick and coily hair
- Praised: Smells reviewers love
- Praised: Cheap and easy to find
- Praised: Good kids' detanglers
- Complaint: Too heavy for fine, wavy or low-porosity hair
- Complaint: Formulas that changed after the buyout
- Complaint: Residue and buildup
- Complaint: Lighter lines that get discontinued
- Complaint: Protein overload, for one reviewer