Both live in the same aisle and both promise soft hair, but they do different jobs. Use them in the wrong order and you will wonder why your hair still feels dry.
Shea butter: the sealer
Rich, heavy and slow to absorb. It sits on top of the hair and holds moisture in, which makes it perfect as the last step of a routine and far too heavy as the first.
Coconut oil: the penetrator
Light enough to travel into the shaft. Excellent before washing or as a mid-week refresher, but it can leave hair feeling crispy if you apply it to dry ends and stop there.
How to combine them
Water, then leave-in, then a small amount of shea butter on the ends. Save the coconut oil for pre-poo treatments and scalp massages.