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Side by side

Aveda Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo vs Aveda Color Control Shampoo Rich

78% function match · 8 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Aveda Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo and Aveda Color Control Shampoo Rich share 1 ingredient 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.

  • Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo — protein-sensitive hair
  • Color Control Shampoo Rich — 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
Aveda Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo — 8.5 oz container Aveda

Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Aveda Color Control Shampoo Rich — 6.7 oz container Aveda

Color Control Shampoo Rich

  • Shampoo
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$21–24 8.5 oz · $2.59/oz
$28.95 6.7 oz · $4.32/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 69% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 90% 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
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
Moderate Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind. 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
Weight on hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. 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 Differs
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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
Cherry Almond Softening
Where to buy
Target · Specialty beauty
Brand website · Target
Free of
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Vegan · brand states
Vegan · brand states
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Sweet & vanilla
Fresh & airy

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

IngredientAveda Cherry Almond Softening ShampooColor Control Shampoo Rich
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Propanediol
Moisturizes
#3Leading
#5Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#17Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#18Below the 1% line
#28Below the 1% line
Geraniol
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#27Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#20Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#14Secondary
#4Supporting

What only one of them carries

Full ingredient list — Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo (25)
Full ingredient list — Color Control Shampoo Rich (31)

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.

VerdictsAveda Cherry Almond Softening ShampooColor Control Shampoo Rich
Supported
2
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo

  • Deeply, yet gently cleanse hair while maintaining healthy lipids and oilsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Restore softness and shine from roots to endsSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Touchable soft and full of weightless bounceSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.

Color Control Shampoo Rich

  • Plant-powered shampoo protects color for up to 8 weeks (ex vivo testing on tresses washed 24 times).SupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Defends against fading and water wash-out.Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • 100% vegan color protection and care.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.

Aveda Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo draws complaints about dullness and the price; Aveda Color Control Shampoo Rich draws complaints about weight.

Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo

Reviewers frequently praise the almond/marzipan scent and describe a noticeable softening effect on hair.

general reviewer base

Some reviewers report the shampoo left their hair with static and looking surprisingly dull rather than shinier.

unspecified hair type

A subset of reviewers feel the shampoo does not cleanse thoroughly enough given its premium price point.

price-sensitive reviewers, likely oilier scalp/hair

Price-value objections recur even among otherwise satisfied reviewers, questioning whether results justify the cost.

general reviewer base

Color Control Shampoo Rich

Positive reviewers, including those with curly hair, say it helps colour last longer, softens hair, and controls frizz when used with the matching conditioner

color-treated/curly hair users

Reviewers who liked the discontinued predecessor Color Conserve report the new Color Control formula leaves hair feeling greasy, straw-like, or not clean, and several are unhappy about the rename/reformulation

former Aveda Color Conserve customers

Some reviewers report scalp itchiness/irritation after switching to this shampoo

sensitive-scalp users

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.

$2.59/oz vs $4.32/oz — Aveda Color Control Shampoo Rich costs about 1.7× more per ounce than Aveda Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $2.59/oz Aveda Cherry Almond Soften $4.32/oz Color Control Shampoo Rich

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

Value readAveda Cherry Almond Softening ShampooColor Control Shampoo Rich
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.

Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo · Color Control Shampoo Rich · 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.

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