100 percent natural, 90 percent organic, for all hair types
No formula reads the same on every texture; our fit panel is the better guide.
—
Stated by brand
See the fit panel instead.
Alikay Naturals
Moisturizing Black Soap Shampoo
Shampoo / Low-lather cleanser, non-foaming
- Shampoo
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
Size8 fl oz
Price$15.97seen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$2.06/ozat 8 oz
Where to buy3 stores · $13.99–16.99
Scent:
Reviewers describe it as earthy.
Manufacturer page: alikaynaturals.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.
- In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
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- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49.00 one-time consultation, no subscription
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Cleansing strength
None
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Little
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Rich
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
Not in your profile
Scent
Woody & earthyStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Sulfates
None listed
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
Present
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
Adjusted
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
10 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand websiteOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
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Your avoid-list
Upper-mid price for a shampoo
$2.06/oz at 8 oz — more than 63% of the 817 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Frequent washerswho want gentler cleansing
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
A squeaky-clean feelthis deliberately leaves conditioning behind
Foam-heavy washesit barely lathers
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Hair that tangles wetnothing here reduces combing force
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Cleansing strength
None
No detergent — the conditioners do the cleaning.
Expected lather
Little
Very little foam; it is worked through rather than lathered.
Slip and detangling
Little
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
Water-binding (humectants)
High
Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.
Scalp active
None
No over-the-counter scalp active.
Hard-water defence
None
No chelating agent in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater (Aqua) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera Juice) | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter | butter | Heavy softening — this is what makes it rich | Heavy |
| Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) ButterButyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) | butter | Heavy softening — this is what makes it rich | Heavy |
| Potash (Ashes Of Plantain Skins, Cocoa Pods, Shea Tree Bark) | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
| Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil | oil | A small amount of oil for softness | Softens |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (10)
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.
-
1
Water
· Water (Aqua)
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
· Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera Juice)
General function
Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
-
3
Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil
General function
The oil pressed from Palm (Elaeis Guineensis). It is one of the heavier plant oils — rich on coarse or dry hair, and enough to flatten fine hair.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- oil
- emollient
-
4
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
General function
A firm plant butter used for sealing and hold in heavier styling creams.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
-
5
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
· Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)
General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
6
Potash (Ashes Of Plantain Skins, Cocoa Pods, Shea Tree Bark)
General function
Traditional West African plant ash, the alkali in black soap. It makes the wash alkaline, which cleans thoroughly and can leave hair rough without an acidic rinse.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- pH adjuster
-
7
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil
General function
The essential oil of Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia). Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesEssential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
8
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
General function
One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Fragrance
· Fragrance (Parfum)
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
- 10 Botanical Blend
What the whole list adds up to
- 4 emollients
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 oils
- 2 butters
- 2 sealants
- 2 fragrances
- 1 solvent
- 1 humectant
- 1 gum
- 1 pH adjuster
- 1 essential oil
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8 oz
Seen at
$15.97
Good value under
$11
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $11 line; products that do this job typically go for about $21 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Alikay Naturals (brand site)
$13.998 oz · $1.75/ozAug 22Lowest per oz
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Beautylicious
$15.978 oz · $2.00/ozAug 29
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Triple Traders
$16.998 oz · $2.12/ozAug 29
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 8 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $15.97 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $11 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.39/oz; at 8 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $21 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.
Formula
3
Formula score
3 of 10
It costs about what other shampoos cost per ounce, but the formula leaves out working detergent system, which most of the format carries.
How the score is counted
- Costs more per ounce than 63% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
- No working detergent system in the formula
- No slip for detangling either
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- A working detergent systemWhat actually removes oil and product.3 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A hard-water chelatorBinds the minerals that dull hair in hard water.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job
Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.
Alikay NaturalsLighter feel
Caribbean Coconut Milk Shampoo
$2.62/oz $0.56/oz more
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Gentle cleanse
- Function
- Also
ORSLowest cost per oz
ORS Olive Oil Braidzone Herbal Cleanse Dry Shampoo for Scalp & Hair Nourishment
$0.85/oz $1.21/oz less
- Sulfate-free
- Gentle cleanse
- Curly method
- Function
- Also
AcureFragrance-free
All Hair Types Dry Shampoo
$7.05/oz $4.99/oz more
- Fragrance-free
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and a protein-free formula
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone who wants a squeaky-clean feel
Best alternative if not
Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, against what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
1
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Great for taking down protective styles or weekly deep cleanses
The detergent system is gentle; it is unlikely to clear heavy build-up on its own.
—
Potential conflict
Too gentle for real build-up.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
Reviewer values that the formula is free of glycerin, a rarity noted as hard to find among comparable cleansers
one brand-site reviewLost much less hair than with regular shampoo; hair felt soft and moisturized even before conditioning
No lather or dryness like a regular shampoo; hair felt soft, natural oils not stripped
Did not clean scalp fully enough for reviewer; needed pairing with a clarifying shampoo to avoid buildup
Feels cool on application with an earthy smell; very liquidy, easy to over-dispense
More from Alikay Naturals
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
- 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.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- 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.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
- Ingredient references are linked for 1 of 6 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
- We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.