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Side by side

Biolage Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo vs Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo

74% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 88%. Biolage Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo and Biolage Strength Recovery 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.

  • Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo — protein-sensitive hair
  • Strength Recovery 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”.

Trait
Biolage Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo — 33.8 oz container Biolage

Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo — container, alternate view Biolage

Strength Recovery Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
Price, size & price per ounce
$43–45 33.8 oz · $1.33/oz
$6.50 17 oz · $0.38/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 54% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Lower cost than most shampoos $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 94% 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
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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low 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
  • Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • 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
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
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
  • 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
Ultra Hydra Source
—
Where to buy
Target · Salons · Brand website
Salons · Specialty beauty
Free of
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
—
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
How often
—
every wash

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 Ultra HydraSource ShampooStrength Recovery Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Coco-Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#3Leading
Glycol Distearate
Softens
#4Supporting
#5Supporting
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#5Supporting
#4Supporting
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#7Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#8Below the 1% line
#9Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#9Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Salicylic Acid
Active
#13Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#15Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line
Hexyl Cinnamal
Fragrance
#16Below the 1% line
#19Below the 1% line
Coumarin
Fragrance
#17Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo

Strength Recovery Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo (26)
Full ingredient list — Strength Recovery Shampoo (27)

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 Ultra HydraSource ShampooStrength Recovery Shampoo
Supported
0
0
Partly supported
1
1
Stated by brand
2
1
Potential conflict
1
1
Suitable for color-treated hair
Potential conflictLikely to pull colour faster.
Potential conflictLikely to pull colour faster.

Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo

  • Gently cleanses very dry, thick, or coarse hair without stripping essential oilsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Infused with cupuacu butter to deliver deep hydration and softnessPartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • Helps prevent frizz and flyaways for up to 72 hoursStated by brandMay help, but not a primary focus.

Strength Recovery Shampoo

  • cleanses & detangles for less breakage & more strengthPartly supportedSupports the surface, not a treatment.
  • 3x stronger hair after one useStated 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.

Biolage Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo draws complaints about how it cleanses and breakage; Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo draws complaints about irritation.

Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo

Reviewers frequently mention pairing it with the matching conditioner/leave-in as part of a full hydrating routine, reporting best results as a system

used as part of full Ultra HydraSource system

Reviewers with very dry or curly hair report meaningful moisture improvement, softness, and multi-day manageability

dry/curly hair users

A recurring complaint describes the product stripping or dulling color-treated (especially grey/blonde) hair, contradicting the brand's color-safe claim

color-treated hair, particularly grey/blonde

Some reviewers with curly or fragile hair report breakage or increased shedding after use

curly/fragile hair

Strength Recovery Shampoo

Makes hair feel soft, silky, and healthy when formula works effectively for the user

Users who find the product effective reporting positive hair texture results

Formula has been reformulated and customers prefer the discontinued FiberStrong predecessor

Long-term product users expressing strong preference for the original FiberStrong formula that was discontinued

Product contains silicones despite marketing claims of being silicone-free

Users comparing ingredient list to marketing claims and finding misleading labeling

Causes scalp irritation, itchiness, and reported hair loss in some users

Users with sensitive or previously healthy scalps experiencing adverse reactions after using the product

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.

$0.38/oz vs $1.33/oz — Biolage Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo costs about 3.5× more per ounce than Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $1.33/oz Biolage Ultra HydraSource $0.38/oz Strength Recovery Shampoo

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

Value readBiolage Ultra HydraSource ShampooStrength Recovery Shampoo
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Lower cost than most shampoosCosts less per ounce than most shampoos we have researched.

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 Ultra HydraSource Shampoo vs Ultra Hydra Source ShampooBiolage · 100% function matchStrength Recovery Shampoo vs L'Oreal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy Protecting Shampoo for Color Treated HairL'Oreal Paris Elvive · 96% function matchBiolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo vs Elvive Collagen Peptide + Lifter Volumizing Shampoo for Thin, Flat HairL'Oreal Paris Elvive · 96% function matchStrength Recovery Shampoo vs Extreme ShampooRedken · 96% function matchBiolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo vs Hydra Source Shampoo for Dry HairBiolage · 96% function matchStrength Recovery Shampoo vs Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Fortifying ShampooGarnier Fructis · 94% function matchBiolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo vs Wonder Curl ShampooFanola · 96% function matchStrength Recovery Shampoo vs Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche ShampooKerastase · 94% function match

Biolage Ultra HydraSource Shampoo · Strength Recovery 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.
  • 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.

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