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Side by side

Biolage Biolage Color Last Shampoo vs Matrix Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair

98% function match · 12 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 60%. Biolage Biolage Color Last Shampoo and Matrix Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair 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.

  • Biolage Color Last Shampoo — protein-sensitive hair
  • Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair — protein-sensitive 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
Biolage Biolage Color Last Shampoo — 33.8 oz container Biolage

Biolage Color Last Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Protein-free
Matrix Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair — 10.1 oz container Matrix

Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Protein-free
  • Moisture-rich
Price, size & price per ounce
$20–26 16.9 oz · $1.42/oz
$22 10.1 oz · $2.18/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 51% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 65% 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
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. 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
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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. 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
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
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
None No chelating agent in the list. Your hair
None No chelating agent in the list. 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
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list
  • 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
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
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
Color Last
Food For Soft
Where to buy
Target · Salons · Brand website
Beauty supply · Ulta
Free of
  • protein-free
  • protein-free
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
—
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
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

IngredientBiolage Color Last ShampooFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Coco-Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#15Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#4Supporting
#5Supporting
Glycol Distearate
Softens
#5Supporting
#6Supporting
Dimethicone
Buildup
#6Supporting
#13Below the 1% line
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#7Below the 1% line
#10Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#8Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#9Below the 1% line
#11Below the 1% line
Salicylic Acid
Active
#13Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#16Below the 1% line
#30Below the 1% line
Hexylene Glycol
Moisturizes
#11Below the 1% line
#7Supporting

What only one of them carries

Biolage Color Last Shampoo

Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair

Full ingredient list — Biolage Color Last Shampoo (24)
Full ingredient list — Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair (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.

VerdictsBiolage Color Last ShampooFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair
Supported
3
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
0
Potential conflict
1
0

Biolage Color Last Shampoo

  • Low pH formula gently cleanses without stripping away colorSupportedBrought to an acidic pH.
  • Helps prevent color fade for up to 4 weeks*Potential conflictLikely to pull colour faster.
  • Vegan formula: no animal-derived ingredients or byproductsSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Paraben free, mineral oil free, colorant freeSupportedPreserved without parabens.

Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair

  • Hydrating shampoo that moisturizes while cleansing and removing excess oilSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.

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.

Biolage Biolage Color Last Shampoo draws complaints about weight and hold.

Biolage Color Last Shampoo

Long-term users with color-treated hair report the shampoo keeps color vibrant and extends time between salon color visits.

frequent colorists, some describing curly or textured hair

Stylists specifically call out the low-pH formula as useful for closing the cuticle immediately after a color service.

professional stylists

A minority of reviewers who used the prior formula (called Color Care) say the reformulated Color Last version lathers less and leaves hair feeling different.

longtime repeat buyers comparing to an older formulation

A subset of reviewers report the shampoo leaves hair feeling oily or heavy, particularly with frequent use.

no specific hair type identified in these reviews

Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair

Many reviewers describe hair as noticeably softer and more manageable, praising the scent as a standout feature

general reviewers, several with dry/coarse hair

A recurring cluster of reviewers report unusual hair shedding/hair loss after switching to this shampoo-and-conditioner line, some stopping use as a result

multiple independent reviewers reporting shedding

Reviewers with fine or thin hair note the shampoo can feel weighty if the paired conditioner is over-applied, though the shampoo itself is not reported as weighing hair down

fine/thin-hair reviewers

Some reviewers find the fragrance overwhelmingly strong and unpleasant despite others praising the same scent

fragrance-sensitive reviewers vs. scent fans

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.

$1.42/oz vs $2.18/oz — Matrix Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair costs about 1.5× more per ounce than Biolage Biolage Color Last Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $1.42/oz Biolage Color Last Shampoo $2.18/oz Food For Soft Hydrating Sh

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

Value readBiolage Color Last ShampooFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.

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.

Biolage Color Last Shampoo vs Color Last ShampooBiolage · 100% function matchFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair vs Color Last ShampooBiolage · 98% function matchBiolage Color Last Shampoo vs Color Obsessed ShampooMatrix · 100% function matchFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair vs Color Obsessed ShampooMatrix · 98% function matchBiolage Color Last Shampoo vs Moroccan Infusion Shine ShampooSuave · 96% function matchFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair vs Elvive Glycolic Gloss Shine Boosting ShampooL'Oreal Paris Elvive · 96% function matchBiolage Color Last Shampoo vs Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Fortifying ShampooGarnier Fructis · 94% function matchFood For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair vs Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Fortifying ShampooGarnier Fructis · 96% function match

Biolage Color Last Shampoo · Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo for Dry & Brittle Hair · 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.
  • 11 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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