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As I Am · Born Curly

Born Curly Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced

  • Shampoo
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Curly-method
  • Vegan · label states
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8 fl oz
Price$6.99 Good valueseen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$0.87/ozat 8 oz

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Priced with its peers

$0.87/oz at 8 oz, less than 72% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals

How much cleansing you need depends on how fast your scalp gets oily, how much product you layer and your water. The consultation works that out.

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 Moderate

Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind.

Expected lather Moderate

An ordinary shampoo lather.

Slip and detangling High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

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 Prominent

Protein high in the list: a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.

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. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Polyquaternium-10 conditioning agent Puts conditioning back as it washes Detangles
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract botanical extract A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function Neutral
Copper Tripeptide-1 protein Firms up soft, over-stretchy hair Protein
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate mild anionic cleanser — Cleanses
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate mild anionic cleanser — Cleanses
FragranceFragrance/Parfum fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one. Fragrance is on the label. Vegan and cruelty-free.
Full ingredient list (14)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Water
    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 ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 2 Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
    General function

    A very mild cleanser used in baby and sensitive-scalp shampoos.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    PubChem
    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Polyquaternium-10
    General function

    A cellulose-based conditioning polymer that leaves a thin, static-reducing film. Very common in shampoos as the ingredient that keeps them from stripping.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 4 Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
    General function

    An extract from the fruit of Vanilla Planifolia. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    • botanical extract
  • 5 Copper Tripeptide-1
    General function

    A copper-bound peptide used in thinning-positioned products. Evidence in hair is limited and mostly from skin research.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May not suitProtein-sensitive hair

    A large surface-depositing protein. If protein reliably makes your hair feel rigid, this is the form most likely to do it.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.

    • protein
  • 6 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice · Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
    General function

    Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Aloe 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
  • 7 Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
    General function

    A mild cleanser and emulsifier that also conditions slightly.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

    PubChem
    • mild anionic cleanser
    • emulsifier
    • cleanser
  • 8 Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
    General function

    An amino-acid-derived cleanser, among the mildest in common use, with a low-foam, creamy feel.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

    PubChem
    • mild anionic cleanser
    • cleanser
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 9 Citric Acid
    General function

    Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 10 Caprylyl Glycol
    General function

    A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • humectant
  • 11 Ethylhexylglycerin
    General function

    A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • emollient
  • 12 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 13 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 14 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 zone

    It 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 routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 preservatives
  • 3 cleansers
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 mild anionic cleansers
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 secondary cleanser
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 film former
  • 1 polymer
  • 1 protein
  • 1 gum
  • 1 emulsifier

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-21. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $6.99 1 store · checked Oct 22
Good value under $21 Under $2.62/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $21 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $22 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

8 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce

  • Target
    $6.99
    8 oz · $0.87/oz
    Oct 22Lowest per oz

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. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out
  1. 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.
  2. Seen at $6.99 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $21 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.62/oz; at 8 oz that is $21. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $22 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

A complete formula at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among shampoos, with the working systems in place.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 72% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 7 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
  • Reviewers mention 4 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website and Target
  • 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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

Bella HueFragrance-free Clarifying Shampoo (For Oily/Itchy Scalp) $2.83/oz $1.96/oz more
  • Fragrance-free
  • Unscented
  • Sulfate-free
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Film formers
Also
  • Unscented
  • Salon tier
  • 12 oz bottle
Compare
Carol's DaughterLowest cost per oz Black Vanilla Moisture & Shine Sulfate Free Shampoo $1.05/oz $0.18/oz more
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
· Close function
Function
  • Protein
Also
  • Sweet scent
  • 12 oz bottle
Compare
MopTopLighter feel Salon Gentle Shampoo $2.92/oz $2.05/oz more
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein
  • Curly method
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 12 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Built for wavy to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and protein high in the formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, hair that stiffens on protein, or very dry or very humid climates

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, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Gentle, tear free cleanser that softens, hydrates, and detangles curls from head to toe

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  • Caprylyl Glycol
  • Ethylhexylglycerin
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Safe for daily use

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Multiple reviewers specifically call out good slip and moisture for toddler/child hair textures.

Parents of toddlers

Parents report it leaves their child's hair soft, detangled, and easy to comb through, and note it is gentle on skin too.

Parents washing young children/toddlers hair

A parent managing a child's alopecia says it is the only product on the market that works for them and hopes the formula is never changed.

Parent of child with alopecia

Reviewers who tried the whole Born Curly line report their baby's or son's hair (and in one case skin) came out soft with a pleasant scent.

Parents using the full product line

More from As I Am

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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.
  • 5 sources consulted for this product (4 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 10 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • 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 v23. Record last updated 2026-08-25.

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