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Side by side

Act+Acre Balancing Shampoo vs Act+Acre Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™

84% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 9%. Act+Acre Balancing Shampoo and Act+Acre Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ share 4 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Balancing Shampoo — fragrance-free
  • Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ — colour-treated hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
Act+Acre

Balancing Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Act+Acre Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ — 10 oz container Act+Acre

Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$18 10 oz · $1.85/oz
about $42 10 oz · $4.20/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 59% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 88% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Cleansing strength Differs
Moderate Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind. Your hair
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Weight on hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Expected lather Same
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. Your hair
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. Your hair
Scalp active Same
None No over-the-counter scalp active. Your hair
None No over-the-counter scalp active. Your hair
Hard-water defence Same
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a light scent
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Shampoo
Shampoo
Line
Essential Hydration System
Plant Based Stem Cell
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Scent
Scented, not described

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

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The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientBalancing ShampooPlant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#8Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Full ingredient list — Balancing Shampoo (43)
Full ingredient list — Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ (37)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsBalancing ShampooPlant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™
Supported
1
0
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Balancing Shampoo

  • Nourishes scalpSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Strengthens hairStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™

  • Supports scalp healthStated by brandDepends on your scalp.
  • Promotes thicker, fuller-looking hairStated by brandNot something a label can show.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for the scent.

Balancing Shampoo

Reviewers say it balances the scalp and leaves it feeling clean

Liked for its mild, low-intensity scent by repeat users

repeat/loyal users

A reviewer using it as part of the dry/damaged hair system said it cleans well and pairs nicely with the mask

Some reviewers note stock/availability issues with other Act+Acre shampoo variants driving them to try this one

Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™

Multiple reviewers report improved hair thickness/fullness with continued use of the shampoo+conditioner system

Praised for improved scalp health alongside hair thickness

Scent is called out as a strong positive

A reviewer found the system drying for their hair despite liking the scent

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$1.85/oz vs $4.20/oz — Act+Acre Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ costs about 2.3× more per ounce than Act+Acre Balancing Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $1.85/oz Balancing Shampoo $4.20/oz Plant Based Stem Cell Sham

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 817 shampoos with a computable unit price.

Value readBalancing ShampooPlant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™
Label
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Balancing Shampoo · Plant Based Stem Cell Shampoo™ · All shampoos in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 7 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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