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Redken

Genius Wash Cleansing Conditioner for Coarse Hair

Co-wash / Low-lather cleanser, non-foaming

  • Co-wash
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size16.9 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$30seen at one store · 16.9 oz
Price / oz$1.83/ozat 16.9 oz
Where to buy3 stores · 2 sizes

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: sleekshop.com

Personal fit

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Priced with its peers

$1.83/oz at 16.9 oz — less than 55% of the 95 co-washes , which mostly run $1.08–2.76/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Frequent washerswho want gentler cleansing
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
A squeaky-clean feelthis deliberately leaves conditioning behind
Regular clarifyingthere is no detergent here to clear residue
Foam-heavy washesit barely lathers
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals

Whether washing without detergent suits you depends on your scalp oil rate and build-up history — that is what the consultation works 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 None

No detergent — the conditioners do the cleaning.

Slip and detangling High

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

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Body and cleansing feel — not a drying alcohol Softens
Behentrimonium Chloride conditioning agent Does the cleaning here — a co-wash cleans with conditioners Detangles
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Cetyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Body and cleansing feel — not a drying alcohol Softens
Stearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Body and cleansing feel — not a drying alcohol Softens
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Hydrolyzed Keratin film former A supporting film former Protein
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Potassium Sorbate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Fragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (18)

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
    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 Cetearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 3 Behentrimonium Chloride
    General function

    A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out conditioners.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Electrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.

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

    A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science
    • conditioning agent
    • cleanser
  • 4 Glycerin
    General function

    A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 5 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 6 Stearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 7 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.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Because it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.

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

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • 8 Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
    General function

    Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

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

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 9 Hydrolyzed Keratin
    General function

    Fragments of the same protein hair is made of. They fill gaps on damaged strands and make hair feel firmer for a few washes.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

    Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

    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.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Size decides where it goes. In fibre testing, fractions around 221 and 2,577 Da reached the cortex while a 75,440 Da fraction stayed on the surface. A label prints the name, never the size, so a protein line is a claim about the ingredient rather than about the depth.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science
    • film former
    • protein
    • hydrolysed protein
  • 10 Panthenol
    General function

    Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    It hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.

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

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • conditioning agent
    • vitamin
  • 11 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.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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
  • 12 Polyquaternium-7
    General function

    A conditioning polymer that improves wet combing and adds body. Repeated use can build up on fine hair.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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
  • 13 Hydroxyethylcellulose
    General function

    A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible film.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

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

    A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.

    May not suitMaximum-hold styling

    Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

    PubChem
    • gum
    • thickener
    • film former
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 14 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
  • 15 Sodium Chloride
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 16 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 17 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 18 Fragrance
    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

  • 5 emollients
  • 5 thickeners
  • 4 film formers
  • 3 fatty alcohols
  • 3 conditioning agents
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 oils
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 cleanser
  • 1 protein
  • 1 hydrolysed protein
  • 1 conditioning agent

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-15. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 16.9 oz

Seen at $30 1 store · checked Sep 16
Good value under $18 Under $1.05/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $18 line; products that do this job typically go for about $24 at this size.

Sizes

16.9 ozmost listed
$30
$1.77/oz
33.8 oz
$61.80
$1.95/oz

The sizes cost about the same per ounce.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores

16.9 ozmost listedBest per ounce

33.8 oz

  • ShopSimon
    $61.80
    33.8 oz · $1.83/oz
    Sep 16Lowest per ozSale · was $144.00
  • WeSaveinc
    $69.83
    33.8 oz · $2.07/oz
    Sep 16

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
  1. 16.9 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 $30 is the price we have observed for the 16.9 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $18 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.05/oz; at 16.9 oz that is $18. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $24 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 16.9 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among co-washes, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 55% of the 95 co-washes we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 6 things a co-wash should do
  • Salon tier, sold at Salons
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Gentle or no detergentCleans without stripping the conditioning back off.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.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, for less

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.

Eden BodyWorksClosest function Lavender Aloe Moisturizing Cowash $0.92/oz $0.91/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Gentle cleanse
  • Curly method
Function
  • Oils and butters
  • Film formers
Also
  • Floral scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
Compare
TGINClose function Quench 3-in-1 Co-Wash Conditioner and Detangler $1.17/oz $0.66/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Gentle cleanse
  • Curly method
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Masstige tier
  • 13 oz bottle
Compare
Eden BodyWorksLowest cost per oz Coconut Shea Cleansing CoWash $0.56/oz $1.27/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Gentle cleanse
  • Curly method
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Oils and butters
  • Film formers
Also
  • Sweet scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
Compare

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

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, looking for washing without sulfates and gentle cleansing without foam

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone who wants a squeaky-clean feel, or anyone who needs to clarify regularly

Best alternative if not

Eden BodyWorks Lavender Aloe Moisturizing Cowash, for similar results 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.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
cleanses and conditions in one step

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

paraben-free, no sulfates or harsh salts

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

for coarse hair: moisture, manageability, color radiance

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
  • Glycerin
  • Cetyl Alcohol
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

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.

More from Redken

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 (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 14 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 2026-09-16.

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