Brand comparison
Ouidad vs SheaMoisture: Which Curl Brand Suits Your Hair?
Ouidad is a salon gel specialist for humid weather; SheaMoisture is a budget brand for thick, coily hair. Ouidad rates higher.
| Compared | Ouidad | SheaMoisture |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Mostly positive: A cult gel. Not for everyone. | Mixed opinions: One cult classic. Mostly heavy. |
| Curl Score | 3.9 Good | 3.4 Mixed |
| People with an opinion | 107 | 67 |
| Best-liked product | Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel | Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie |
| More promising for | Curls that frizz in heat and humidity, and anyone who wants soft, touchable hold that lasts for days. | Thick, coarse or coily hair that likes rich products, children's detangling, and the Smoothie as a leave-in. |
| Think twice if | You want a hard cast or very strong hold, your hair is fine and builds up easily, or you're sensitive to strong scents. | Your hair is fine, wavy or low porosity, or you loved the old formulas and expect them unchanged. |
Ouidad and SheaMoisture both rest mainly on one product. For Ouidad it's the Climate Control gel, and for SheaMoisture the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. The two products do different jobs. One holds curls against humidity, and the other moisturizes thick, dry hair. Ouidad has the higher Curl Score. SheaMoisture is cheaper.
The main difference
Signature products: Ouidad's Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel is a long-time holy grail for frizz in heat and humidity. SheaMoisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie is a rich cream, used as a leave-in or one-step styler on medium to thick curls. They work well together, with the Smoothie for moisture and the gel for hold.
Leave-in: neither brand's leave-in has many reviews. Ouidad's Moisture Lock is a go-to for some under its gel, but its scent puts others off. SheaMoisture's JBCO leave-in is for thick hair.
Hair type: SheaMoisture's range is too heavy for most fine, wavy or low-porosity hair. Ouidad's gel is used on fine 2C curls through to thicker hair, though it builds up for some.
Consistency: long-time SheaMoisture users say its formulas changed after the 2017 Unilever buyout. Ouidad's fans describe using the same gel for decades.
Which to choose
Choose Ouidad if humidity is your main problem and you want soft hold that lasts for days.
Choose SheaMoisture if your hair is thick, coarse or coily and needs moisture on a budget, or you're detangling children's hair.
Skip SheaMoisture if your hair is fine or wavy.
The verdict
Ouidad's gel is the better-rated product, and the one to buy for humid weather. SheaMoisture's Smoothie is the cheap cream to put under it if your hair is thick and dry.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Conditioner and leave-in
Ouidad
Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner
3 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeA long-time go-to for some, especially paired with the gel, but its strong scent puts others off.
Best for A leave-in under the Climate Control gel
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
Ouidad
Opinion splits. Reviewers with fine 2C, 3A and 3B curls call the gel amazing and say a little goes a long way on soaking wet hair.
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
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad for this.
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
Ouidad
The original gel gives soft, touchable hold with no hard cast, and several reviewers wanting a crunchy cast found it too weak. The Advanced Climate Control (red label) is stronger, and its fans say it gives a cast other gels haven't, but others still found it weak or sticky once the cast was broken.
SheaMoisture
Reviewers don't single out SheaMoisture for this.
Humid weather
Ouidad
This is what the Climate Control gel is for, and reviewers in Texas, Florida and Savannah say it keeps their curls defined through humid weeks. It isn't universal: reviewers in Miami, humid Georgia and very humid sea-level climates got no cast and frizz within hours.
SheaMoisture
Reviewers don't single out SheaMoisture for this.
Sensitive scalp or scent-sensitive
Ouidad
The leave-ins draw the most complaints: reviewers describe the Moisture Lock leave-in as strong, lemony and chemical, or a stale perfume they threw away. Others say the range smells low and neutral, and one uses the shampoo and conditioner as a fragrance-free option, so experiences vary by product.
SheaMoisture
Reviewers don't single out SheaMoisture for this.
Children's hair
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad 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.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Ouidad
- Praised: Frizz control in heat and humidity
- Praised: Soft, touchable curls that last for days
- Praised: Decades of loyal use from some reviewers
- Praised: Often cheap at TJ Maxx and Marshalls
- Praised: A big bottle that lasts
- Complaint: No cast or hold for some reviewers
- Complaint: A sticky or heavy finish on some hair
- Complaint: Expensive at full price
- Complaint: Strong scents, especially the leave-ins
- Complaint: Buildup 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