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Side by side

As I Am Onion Shampoo vs As I Am Rice Water Shampoo

76% function match · 8 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 33%. As I Am Onion Shampoo and As I Am Rice Water Shampoo 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.

  • Onion Shampoo — colour-treated hair
  • Rice Water Shampoo — fragrance-free

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 Onion Shampoo — container, alternate view As I Am

Onion Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
As I Am Rice Water Shampoo — 8 oz container As I Am

Rice Water Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$10.99 8 oz · $1.37/oz
$9.99 8 oz · $1.25/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 52% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 57% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. 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 Differs
Moderate Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind. Your hair
Gentle Removes light dirt and oil without stripping. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Weight on hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Protein Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Expected lather Differs
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. Your hair
Low A thin, quick-collapsing lather. Your hair
Scalp active Same
None No over-the-counter scalp active. Your hair
None No over-the-counter scalp active. Your hair
Hard-water defence Differs
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
None No chelating agent in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Unscentedfree of strong smells
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Frequent washerswho want gentler cleansing
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Heavy product buildupthis is not a clarifying wash
  • A squeaky-clean feelthis deliberately leaves conditioning behind
  • Foam-heavy washesit barely lathers
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
Shampoo
Shampoo
Line
Onion
Rice Water
Where to buy
Brand website · Target
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Unscented

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.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

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

IngredientOnion ShampooRice Water Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#3Leading
#1Leading
Lauramidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleanses
#5Supporting
#2Leading
Betaine
Moisturizes
#7Supporting
#3Leading
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#32Below the 1% line
#4Supporting
Ceramide NP
Protein
#12Below the 1% line
#6Supporting
Biotin
Neutral
#15Below the 1% line
#7Supporting
Phytosterols
Detangles
#19Below the 1% line
#8Supporting

What only one of them carries

Onion Shampoo

Rice Water Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Onion Shampoo (38)
Full ingredient list — Rice Water Shampoo (18)

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.

VerdictsOnion ShampooRice Water Shampoo
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
0
4
Potential conflict
0
0

Onion Shampoo

  • Supports Healthy Hair Growth | Cleanses | Removes BuildupPartly supportedLight residue, not heavy build-up.
  • Sulfate-free shampoo that gently cleanses and helps support healthy hair growthSupportedGentler on colour and coils.

Rice Water Shampoo

  • A flash foam shampoo that moisturizes & cleanses hairSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Strengthens hair up to 124%Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Moisturizes hair up to 21%Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Eases wet combing up to 55%Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Improves wet detangling up to 51%Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.

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.

Onion Shampoo

Curly/wavy-haired reviewers report the shampoo brings out curl definition and pairs well with the matching Onion conditioner

curly/wavy-hair reviewers

Several reviewers using it for hair-growth or shedding concerns (including a perimenopausal user) report reduced shedding and fuller-feeling hair after continued use

users with shedding/hair-loss concerns

Single available reviewer rated the product highly overall (effectiveness, quality, value) with only a brief general endorsement, no specific performance detail.

Single Target reviewer, no hair-type context given

Reviewers report the shampoo cleanses the scalp thoroughly without stripping or over-drying it

general users

A minority of reviewers report shipping/fulfillment issues (packages returned by carrier, unwanted subscription sign-up) unrelated to product performance

general users

Scent is polarizing: most reviewers like it, but some describe the onion fragrance as strong or overpowering

general users

Rice Water Shampoo

Reviewers report it cleans thoroughly, including removing built-up product and residue, while still leaving hair feeling soft rather than stripped.

General reviewer base

Scent and a generous, satisfying lather are both called out repeatedly as positives.

General reviewer base

At least one reviewer outside the brand's typical curly-hair customer base (self-described as having straight/wavy, thinning hair) reports strong results, suggesting the appeal isn't limited to coily textures.

Reviewer with straight/wavy, thinning hair, atypical for the brand

Some reviewers mention frustration finding it in stock in physical stores, describing it as frequently sold out.

In-store shoppers

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.

$1.25/oz vs $1.37/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $1.37/oz Onion Shampoo $1.25/oz Rice Water Shampoo

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 817 shampoos with a computable unit price.

Value readOnion ShampooRice Water Shampoo
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.

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.

Onion Shampoo vs Curl Wellness ShampooMalibu C · 100% function matchRice Water Shampoo vs Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair WashCurls · 96% function matchOnion Shampoo vs Full Body Weightless ShampooCurlsmith · 98% function matchRice Water Shampoo vs Wash Day Delight Sulfate Free Shampoo For Curly HairCarol's Daughter · 93% function matchOnion Shampoo vs Bond ShampooAs I Am · 96% function matchRice Water Shampoo vs Low-Poo OriginalDevaCurl · 91% function matchOnion Shampoo vs Baby Shampoo + Body Wash, RefreshHonest · 96% function matchRice Water Shampoo vs Low-Poo DelightDevaCurl · 91% function match

Onion Shampoo · Rice Water Shampoo · All shampoos 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.
  • 10 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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