Side by side
American Crew Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo vs American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo
64% function match · 6 of the 11 functions we compared match Formula overlap 29%. American Crew Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo and American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo share 4 ingredients among each other's most prominent.
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.
- Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo — fast-oiling scalps
- Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo — fast-oiling scalps
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”.
- Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
- Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
- Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
- Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
- Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
- Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
- Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
More facts about each one
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.
$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.
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
What only one of them carries
Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- Acrylates Copolymer
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate
- Benzyl Benzoate
- Citronellol
- Geraniol
Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo
Full ingredient list — Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo (34)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Acrylates Copolymer
- film former
- polymer
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
5
Capryloyl Glycine
- preservative
- cleanser
-
6
Caprylyl Glycol
- preservative
- humectant
-
7
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
- 8 Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate
-
9
Disodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
10
Hexylene Glycol
- solvent
- humectant
-
11
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
12
Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
13
Hydroxypropylgluconamide
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
14
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
- 15 Quaternium-22
-
16
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
17
Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
-
18
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
- film former
- polymer
-
19
Xylitylglucoside
- humectant
-
20
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
21
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
22
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
-
23
Tartaric Acid
- pH adjuster
- exfoliant
-
24
Blue 1 (CI 42090)
- colourant
- direct dye
- blue dye
-
25
Red 33 (CI 17200)
- colourant
-
26
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
27
Benzyl Benzoate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Citronellol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
29
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
30
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
31
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
32
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
33
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
34
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
Full ingredient list — Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo (38)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- olefin sulfonate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
- 4 Isostearamide MIPA
-
5
Jojoba Esters
- wax
- light ester
- emollient
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
6
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
7
Capryloyl Glycine
- preservative
- cleanser
-
8
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
9
Decyl Glucoside
- nonionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
10
Disodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
11
Glyceryl Laurate
- light ester
- emollient
-
12
Glycol Distearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
13
Glycol Stearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
14
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax
- wax
- film former
-
15
Hexylene Glycol
- solvent
- humectant
-
16
Hydroxyacetophenone
- preservative
- antioxidant
-
17
Lauryl Glucoside
- nonionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
18
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
19
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
20
PEG-150 Distearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
21
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
22
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
23
Polyglycerin-3
- humectant
-
24
Polyquaternium-10
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
25
Propanediol
- humectant
- solvent
-
26
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- emollient
- light ester
- oil
- wax
-
27
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
28
Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
29
Xylitylglucoside
- humectant
-
30
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
31
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
32
acetyl cedrene
- fragrance
-
33
Benzyl Salicylate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
34
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
35
Hexamethylindanopyran
- fragrance
-
36
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
37
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
38
Linalyl Acetate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
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.
Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo
No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.
Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo
Formulated as a vegan product without silicones or parabens
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.Contains jojoba oil for hydration and frizz prevention
Partly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.Balances scalp microbiome while cleansing
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
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.
Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo
Enhances hair texture and provides styling support, making hair look thicker and more defined when styled
multiple reviewers with different hair types report improved texture and easier stylingCleanses gently while maintaining softness and hair health, beneficial for people with flakiness or scalp sensitivity
reviewers report the shampoo removes buildup without stripping or irritating scalpSupports hair recovery from damage, particularly effective for chemically treated or compromised hair
reviewers with bleached, dyed, or previously damaged hair report the shampoo helps restore strength and elasticityOffers a pleasant, subtle scent that is not overpowering
multiple reviewers note the scent is good but not too strong or chemical-smellingForming Pre-Styling Shampoo
Many reviewers, several noting the product was gifted by the brand, say it left hair moisturized and reduced frizz.
Reviewers with curly or wavy hair report the cleanser makes curls more defined and manageable.
Multiple reviewers note a pleasant scent that carries into their subsequent styling routine.
Several reviewers say the shampoo cleanses without stripping natural oils compared to typical shampoos.
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.
$2.02/oz vs $2.02/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.
Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 817 shampoos with a computable unit price.
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.
Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo · Forming Pre-Styling 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.
- 12 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.
Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.
Your personalized hair plan
Tell us what’s going on with your hair, see what we understand, and get a plan built around it — with the reason behind every recommendation.
Free to start · $49.00 for your consultation and hair profile · No subscription · Nothing you must buy
Start your consultation
