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Side by side

As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash vs Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash

71% function match · 5 of the 8 functions we compared match Formula overlap 30%. As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash and Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash share 4 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash — flaking scalps
  • Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash — maximum slip

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash — container, alternate view As I Am

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash

  • Co-wash
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash — container, alternate view Cantu

Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash

  • Co-wash
  • Moisture-rich
Price, size & price per ounce
$10.99 16 oz · $0.71/oz
$5.99 10 oz · $0.62/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most co-washes $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 88% of the 95 co-washes we’ve priced
Lower cost than most co-washes $$$$$ costs less than 93% of the 95 co-washes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Moisture level Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Cleansing strength
Gentle Removes light dirt and oil without stripping. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling Same
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
—
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
—
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
High Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Oils and butters Same
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Flaking scalpsthis carries an over-the-counter active
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Frequent washerswho want gentler cleansing
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • A squeaky-clean feelthis deliberately leaves conditioning behind
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Co-wash
Co-washcream
Line
Dry & Itchy Scalp Care
—
Where to buy
Brand website · Target
—
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Mint & herbalStrong
Scented, not described

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

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The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientDry & Itchy Scalp Care CowashShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Moisturizes
#3Leading
#36Below the 1% line
Cetrimonium Chloride
Detangles
#4Supporting
#6Supporting
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#5Supporting
#4Supporting
Cetyl Alcohol
Softens
#6Supporting
#7Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#16Below the 1% line
#32Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#35Below the 1% line
#30Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash

Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash

Full ingredient list — Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash (44)
Full ingredient list — Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash (45)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsDry & Itchy Scalp Care CowashShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash
Supported
4
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
5
Potential conflict
0
0

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash

  • Cleanses, moisturizes, and soothes dry and itchy scalpSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Eases detanglingSupportedEasier detangling, less breakage.
  • Hydrated, defined and manageable curlsSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Sulfate-Free, Silicone-Free, Paraben-Free, Phthalate-FreeSupportedGentler on colour and coils.

Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash

  • Creamy cleanser gently removes buildupStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Infused with 15+ natural butters & oilsStated by brandCheck the position, not the name.
  • Hair is clean & moisturizedSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Gently cleanses curls and scalp removing heavy product buildup while a unique blend of natural butters and oils infuse moistureStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Made with pure shea butter and formulated without harsh ingredientsStated by brandCheck the position, not the name.
  • No mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, gluten, paraffin or propyleneStated by brandA brand’s own definition.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for how it cleanses. As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash draws complaints about how it cleanses and irritation; Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash draws complaints about dryness and weight.

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash

Works well as a gentle 2-3x/week co-wash alternative to shampoo, cleansing without stripping moisture, including for post-workout scalp refresh.

Curly/coily and textured-hair users

Reviewers with chronic scalp conditions (eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, severe dryness) describe dramatic, near-immediate relief from itching and pain.

Users with diagnosed/chronic scalp conditions, several prior-product veterans

Recent bottles are described as thinner/more watery and less cleansing than earlier batches, echoing the reformulation complaint as a texture change.

Repeat customers comparing batches

Many long-time repeat buyers report the current formula no longer contains the anti-dandruff active it once did, and that itching/flaking has returned; several explicitly link this to an EU-regulation-driven reformulation.

Repeat customers, some through 8+ bottles of the prior formula

The mint/tea tree scent is strong; most tolerate or even like it, but it is called out often enough to be a recurring mixed point.

General reviewer base

Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash

Scent is liked almost universally and is described as light rather than overpowering — notably it is praised even inside reviews that rate the product one star for performance

Walmart reviewers across the rating range; scent is by far the top-tagged topic (65 mentions)

Price is the reason people keep buying rather than an afterthought — reviewers repeatedly frame it as the best co-wash available for the money and say the bottle lasts

Walmart reviewers; 'value for money' is the second-most-tagged topic on the page (21 mentions)

Slip is the single most-praised property: curly reviewers describe finger-detangling in the shower and say it lifts out gel and oil buildup without the stripped feeling shampoo leaves, with several skipping a separate conditioner afterwards

long-standing Walmart reviewers with curly and natural hair, including the most-upvoted review on the page

Buildup is the specific mechanism critics name: low-porosity and finer-haired reviewers say it sits on the scalp, is hard to wash back out, and turns heavy by the first or second day after use

1-star Walmart reviewers who name low porosity or fine hair

A strong counter-current runs through the 1-star reviews: type-3 and 4-coil reviewers report the exact opposite outcome — hair left dry, brittle or with lost curl definition — with several saying they followed the directions and even extended the dwell time without improvement

1-star Walmart reviewers describing 4b and type 3b/3c hair, read under the Lowest-rated sort

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$0.62/oz vs $0.71/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.

$0.37/oz median $2.00/oz $8.63/oz $0.71/oz Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cow $0.62/oz Shea Butter for Natural Ha

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 95 co-washes with a computable unit price.

Value readDry & Itchy Scalp Care CowashShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash
Label
Lower cost than most co-washesCosts less per ounce than most co-washes we have researched.
Lower cost than most co-washesCosts less per ounce than most co-washes we have researched.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash vs Hair-Wash Milky Hair CleanserBread Beauty Supply · 86% function matchShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash vs Hustle & Co Conditioning Wash with No LatherTPH by Taraji · 97% function matchDry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash vs Jamaican Black Castor Oil CoWashAs I Am · 75% function matchShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash vs ANALOG Cleansing Foam ConditionerR+Co · 97% function matchDry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash vs ONE LOVE Co-WashThe Doux · 72% function matchShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash vs Frizz Management Cleansing Conditioner for Curly HairKristin Ess Hair · 96% function matchDry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash vs True Textures Cream Cleansing ConditionerMizani · 71% function matchShea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash vs Milk Cleansing ConditionerCarol's Daughter · 96% function match

Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash · Shea Butter for Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash · All co-washes in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 8 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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