Side by side
amika The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner vs L'Oreal Paris L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner
88% function match · 7 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 5%. amika The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner and L'Oreal Paris L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner share 1 ingredient 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.
- The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner — fine hair
- L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner — maximum slip
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”.
amika
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner
- Conditioner
- Salon
- Sulfate-free
- Lightweight
L'Oreal Paris
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner
- Conditioner
- Drugstore
- Sulfate-free
- Moisture-rich
Compared at different sizes — 28 oz against 9.2 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.
- Fine hairthat flattens under most products
- Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
- Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
- Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
- Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
- Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
- Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
- Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
- Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- sulfate-free
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
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamide MIPA
- Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- Glycol Stearate
- Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant/Cassis) Fruit Extract
- Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
- Benzyl Benzoate
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner
Full ingredient list — The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner (38)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- olefin sulfonate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
5
Cocamide MIPA
- secondary cleanser
- nonionic cleanser
- thickener
-
6
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
7
Glycol Stearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
8
Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant/Cassis) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
9
Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn/Agrousier) Fruit/Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
11
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
12
Amodimethicone
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
- 13 Sodium Polyaspartate
-
14
Polyquaternium-113
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
15
Polyquaternium-53
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
16
Polyquaternium-7
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
17
Polyquaternium-92
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
18
Glycerin
- humectant
-
19
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
20
Caprylyl Glycol
- preservative
- humectant
-
21
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
22
Sodium Carrageenan
- gum
- thickener
-
23
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
24
Aminomethyl Propanol
- pH adjuster
-
25
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
26
Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
27
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
28
Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
-
29
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
30
Sodium Metabisulfite
- antioxidant
- preservative
-
31
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
32
Sodium Citrate
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
33
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
34
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
35
Benzyl Benzoate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
36
Hydroxycitronellal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
37
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
38
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- fragrance
Full ingredient list — L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner (20)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Cetearyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
3
Amodimethicone
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
-
4
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- conditioning agent
- emulsifier
-
5
Behentrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
6
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
7
Dipropylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
8
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
9
Benzoic Acid
- preservative
-
10
Trideceth-6
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
11
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
12
Hydroxypropyl Guar
- gum
- thickener
- polymer
-
13
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
14
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
15
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
16
Potassium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
-
17
Benzyl Salicylate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
18
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
19
Cetrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
-
20
Limonene
- 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.
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner
Protect your hair color for up to 40 washes with this nourishing color-protecting conditioner
SupportedLess fade per wash.
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner
Up to 9% Repair Concentrate with Protein, formulated with ceramide to strengthen damaged hair
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
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. L'Oreal Paris L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner draws complaints about the packaging.
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner
Reviewers report reduced frizz and improved manageability without a heavy or weighed-down feel
general users, some noting thick hairReviewers with dyed/vivid hair (e.g., ruby red) report the conditioner keeps color vibrant and hair soft
color-treated hair, including vivid/fashion-color usersReviewers describe the formula as creamy with good slip, and note a little goes a long way
general usersScent is repeatedly called out as a positive alongside performance
general usersL'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner
Softness and improved manageability, including reports on heat-damaged/curly hair
reviewer with heat-damaged curly hairPleasant fragrance, though intensity/allergy complaints from some users
fragrance-sensitive reviewers report negative reactionRecurring pump/dispenser packaging defects
Reformulation complaints: newer batches described as watery/oily, underperforming vs older formula
long-term repeat buyersPrice 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.
$0.27/oz vs $3.26/oz — amika The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner costs about 12× more per ounce than L'Oreal Paris L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner.
Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 689 conditioners 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.
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner · L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner · All conditioners 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.
- 8 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.
- This particular combination is not listed in our sitemap: we only submit pairs of comparable products that our similarity data says people would actually weigh against each other.
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