Skip to main content

Side by side

American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo vs Ouidad Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo

88% function match · 9 of the 11 functions we compared match Formula overlap 65%. American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo and Ouidad Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building 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.

  • Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo — fast-oiling scalps
  • Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo — fragrance-free

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
American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo — 8.4 oz container American Crew

Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Masstige
Ouidad Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo — container, alternate view Ouidad

Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$17 8.4 oz · $2.02/oz
$26 8.5 oz · $3.06/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 62% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 76% 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
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Cleansing strength Same
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Fragrance
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Weight on hair
—
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Protein
—
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Your hair
Expected lather Same
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. Your hair
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. 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
  • 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
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
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
Shampoocream
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
—
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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

$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

IngredientForming Pre-Styling ShampooUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#3Leading
Jojoba Esters
Buildup
#5Supporting
#10Secondary
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#8Below the 1% line
#28Below the 1% line
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Buildup
#26Below the 1% line
#13Secondary
Benzyl Alcohol
Stabilizes
#30Below the 1% line
#43Below the 1% line
Decyl Glucoside
Cleanses
#9Below the 1% line
#4Supporting

What only one of them carries

Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo

Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo (38)
Full ingredient list — Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo (44)

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.

VerdictsForming Pre-Styling ShampooUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo
Supported
0
3
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
2
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo

  • Formulated as a vegan product without silicones or parabensStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Contains jojoba oil for hydration and frizz preventionPartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • Balances scalp microbiome while cleansingStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo

  • sulfate-freeSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • dermatologist-testedStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • bond-building technologySupportedReinforces a damaged strand.
  • strengthens curlsSupportedReinforces a damaged strand.
  • prevents damageStated 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.

Forming 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.

Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo

Many reviewers value that it is fragrance-free and say it leaves hair soft and clean without stripping it out.

A number of reviewers report the opposite effect — dry, straw-like or crunchy hair after using it.

Several reviewers describe a strange residue, clumping or tangling left in hair after shampooing.

A few reviewers warn of protein or product buildup leading to hair breakage with regular use, urging frequent clarifying.

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 $3.06/oz — Ouidad Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo costs about 1.5× more per ounce than American Crew Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $2.02/oz Forming Pre-Styling Shampo $3.06/oz Unbreakable Bonds Bond Bui

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

Value readForming Pre-Styling ShampooUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building 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.

Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo vs STIMULATE-ME.WASHKevin Murphy · 97% function matchUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo vs Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair ShampooAlterna Haircare · 93% function matchForming Pre-Styling Shampoo vs Hair Alchemy Resilience ShampooOribe · 96% function matchUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo vs The Scalp Restore Shampoo - Jojoba + AloeRaw Sugar · 93% function matchForming Pre-Styling Shampoo vs Potion Miracle Daily ShampooIt's a 10 · 95% function matchUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo vs Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Sulfate-Free ShampooGarnier Fructis · 89% function matchForming Pre-Styling Shampoo vs Fine Hair ShampooOuai · 93% function matchUnbreakable Bonds Bond Building Shampoo vs Keratin ShampooCHI · 88% function match

Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo · Unbreakable Bonds Bond Building 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.
  • 10 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