Coconut Free Hair Products: Shampoos, Conditioners, & More

If you’re looking for coconut free hair products, this post is for you. We’ve rounded up the best coconut free shampoos, conditioners, and styling products for those that need to avoid coconut and its derivatives.

Read on to learn more about why coconut can be a problem and which products you can use.

Quick disclaimer: brands often change formulation so, please double-check before buying any of these products to make sure the formula did not change since this post was published.

Signs You Need to Use Coconut Free Hair Products

If you’re allergic to coconut, you would need to avoid coconut ingredients, and you might also have to avoid coconut derivatives in products too.

Coconut derivatives, or ingredients derived from coconut, have a milder to negligent effect than coconut oil or coconut water. Most people should be fine with them but some will need to avoid them.

These are commonly found in shampoos but can also appear in conditioners and styling products. More on coconut derivatives later.

Here are some signs coconut could be messing with your hair and scalp:

• a rash on your skin after using shampoo with coconut
• painful scalp with flaking after using coconut shampoo and conditioner
• scalp problems that don’t seem to go away
• dry, brittle hair lacking moisture no matter what you do

Some people with low porosity and coarse hair also struggle with coconut. This is because coconut is a larger molecule that isn’t easily absorbed by low-porosity hair and instead builds up, causing it to feel dry and brittle.

Coconut is a protein mimicker, so it can act as a protein on some hair types, and we know low porosity and coarse texture hair don’t like as much protein as other hair types.

If you already know your hair struggles with protein, then you might also have issues with coconut.

What to Do if You Think You Have a Coconut Sensitivity or Allergy

If you noticed that your hair or scalp is being negatively affected by coconut, then you need to use products with less or no coconut ingredients.

First, clarify dry or wet hair to remove any buildup from the coconut ingredients. Use mostly coconut-free products with caution. I would pay very close attention to how your hair feels and looks and test one product at a time.

Most people won’t need to cut out all coconut but just leave-in products with coconut or anything with coconut oil. You’ll have to figure out how much your hair can handle.

Why Most Shampoos Contain Coconut

Coconut oil is really popular right now, especially in the curly community. This is why you find coconut oil in so many products.

Shampoos also contain coconut derivatives because they are a great alternative to harsher sulfates. These coconut derivatives are the cleansing agents in shampoos.

Because of this, nearly all low-poo shampoos have coconut derivatives. Some common ones include cocomidopropyl betaine/coco betaine, capryl glycol, and cetearyl alcohol. You can find a full list of coconut derivatives here.

How To Tell If A Product Has Coconut?

Sometimes it’s not so obvious there is coconut in a product.

To check if a product has coconut, look at the ingredients list and scan for the words coconut, coconut oil, cocos nucifera, or the prefix coco- before anything.

Coconut Free Shampoos

If you need to avoid all coconut ingredients, then these coconut free shampoos are for you.

In my search for completely coconut-free shampoos, I only found 3.

• Clean Kids Naturally Tropical Orange Burst Shampoo
• Nourish & Heal Organic Black Soap Wash
• *Chagrin Valley Olive & Babassu Shampoo Bar – *Babassu is closely related to coconut and a reader reached out to say she had a reaction to this as well.

The other way to avoid all coconut derivatives in shampoos is to co-wash.

I did find some shampoos that contain some coconut derivatives, but are balanced with enough moisturizers that most people sensitive to coconut can use them without any problems.

Unless you have a true coconut allergy, these should be fine.

• Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo, 50:50 Hydrating Clarifying Shampoo (it’s not really clarifying)
• Acure Ultra Hydrating Shampoo
• The Mane Choice Easy on the Curls Detangling Hydration
• Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo

Coconut Free Conditioners

These conditioners are all free of coconut, but not derivatives:

• Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner
• MopTop Daily Conditioner – code HE10
• Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner, 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Conditioner
• Acure Mega Moisture
• Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner
• LUS Silicone Free Conditioner – code HOLISTICENCHILADA10

Coconut Free Leave-Ins & Creams

These leave-ins and creams are all free of coconut but not derivatives:

• Giovanni Direct Leave-in
• Kinky Curly Knot Today
• Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream
• Jessicurl Rocking Ringlets & Confident Coils
• Curl Keeper Leave-In Conditioner
• Bounce Curl Avocado & Rose Clump & Define Cream
• Miribel Naturals Dreamy Hair Cream – code HOLISTICENCHILADA

Coconut Free Deep Conditioners

These deep conditioners are all free of coconut, but not derivatives:

• Boucleme Intensive Moisture Treatment
• Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment
• Mielle Organics Babassu Oil & Mint Deep Conditioner
• Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Hair Mask
• MopTop Salon Deep Conditioner – code HE10
• Uncle Funky’s Heal & Renew Intensive Hair Mask
• LUS Deep Condition & Repair – code HOLISTICENCHILADA10
• Curlsmith Multi-Tasking Conditioner

Coconut Free Gels

These gels are all free of coconut, but not derivatives:

• Giovanni LA Hold Gel
• Miribel Naturals Flaxseed Gel – code HOLISTICENCHILADA
• Ecoslay Orange Marmalade
• Curl Keeper Original
• MopTop Curly Hair Custard – code HE10
• Jessicurl Spiralicious
• Kinky Curly Curling Custard
• Curls Blueberry Bliss
• Bounce Curl Light Cream Hair Gel
• Uncle Funky’s Curly Magic
• LUS Irish Sea Moss Gel – code HOLISTICENCHILADA10

Coconut Free Mousses & Foams

These foams are all free of coconut, but not derivatives:

• Innersense I Create Lift Volumizing Foam
• Giovanni Mousse Air Turbo Charged Foam

Coconut Free Brands

These brands are entirely coconut free, meaning none of their products contain coconut as a main ingredient, with the exception of shampoos. These do contain coconut derivatives.

• Miribel Naturals – code HOLISTICENCHILADA
• Giovanni Eco Chic
• Jessicurl – the Aloeba conditioner & oils do contain coconut
• Kinky-Curly
• LUS Brands – code HOLISTICENCHILADA10

Coconut Oil Free Hair Care FAQs

Is Coconut a Common Allergen?

Coconut allergies aren’t a common issue when it comes to consumption. However, most people allergic to coconut have an allergic reaction to coconut oil in their products. As a result, they may experience itchy skin, a painful scalp, or hair that breaks easily.

What Harmful Chemicals Should I Avoid in Hair Care Products?

Hair care products often contain harmful chemicals that do more damage than good. Common chemicals to avoid include sulfates, mineral oil, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and silicones.

You’ve likely noticed an increase in sulfate and paraben-free shampoos and conditioners because more people know that sulfates and parabens cause dry, damaged hair.

Are There Ingredients to Avoid for Low Porosity Hair?

If you have low porosity hair, it doesn’t absorb moisture well, which means you need moisturizing products and should avoid products with the following ingredients:

• Sulfates
• Silicone
• Mineral oil
• Formaldehyde
• Parabens
• Synthetic perfumes

What Does It Mean When Hair Products Are Sulfate Free?

Sulfate-free hair products don’t have sulfates. For example, in shampoo, sulfates make the lather. Without it, you may not have the telltale lathering shampoo usually has, but your hair won’t experience as much dryness or damage. Hair care product companies replace the sulfates with other, less damaging cleaning ingredients.

Does Coconut Oil Promote Hair Growth?

Coconut oil is one of the most natural ways to enhance hair growth. It provides your hair with the vitamins and nutrients needed to remove buildup and protect the scalp.

Does Coconut Thicken Fine Hair?

Coconut oil may help avoid hair loss, which can be a problem for people with fine hair. Coconut oil reduces hair’s protein loss, preventing breakage and protecting hair.

Can Argan Oil Be Used as an Alternative to Coconut Oil?

Argan oil can be a good replacement if you’re allergic to coconut oil. It fights frizz, promotes hair growth, and reduces damaged hair.

Bottom Line

While it may be tricky to find hair care items that don’t contain coconut and its derivatives, we’ve got you covered with our top picks for your kinky curly hair. So whether you have an allergy or are just looking to avoid any potential irritation, these products will help keep your locks healthy and happy!

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