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Side by side

CHI Scalp-ology Scalp Masque vs Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum

75% function match · 6 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 41%. CHI Scalp-ology Scalp Masque and Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum 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.

  • Scalp-ology Scalp Masque — fragrance-free
  • Scalp Recovery Serum — flaking 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
CHI Scalp-ology Scalp Masque — 8 oz container CHI

Scalp-ology Scalp Masque

  • Scalp treatment
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Fragrance-free
Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum — front of package Nioxin

Scalp Recovery Serum

  • Scalp treatment
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$21.99 8 oz · $3.37/oz
$46–54 3.38 oz · $15.59/oz

Compared at different sizes — 8 oz against 3.38 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 72% of the 152 scalp treatments we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a scalp treatment $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 66% of the 152 scalp treatments 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 Differs
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
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
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Differs
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. 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
High Your hair
High Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. 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
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented
  • 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
  • Flaking scalpsthis carries an over-the-counter active
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Non-medicated routinesthis is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic
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
Scalp treatment
Scalp treatmentlotion
Where to buy
Salons · Brand website
Brand website · Salons · Amazon
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • fragrance-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
—
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
—
Scented, not described
How often
weekly
—

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

IngredientScalp-ology Scalp MasqueScalp Recovery Serum
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cetyl Alcohol
Softens
#2Leading
#2Leading
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#3Leading
#12Below the 1% line
Dimethicone
Buildup
#5Supporting
#10Below the 1% line
Propylene Glycol
Moisturizes
#6Supporting
#20Below the 1% line
Benzyl Alcohol
Stabilizes
#36Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#24Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Scalp-ology Scalp Masque

Scalp Recovery Serum

Full ingredient list — Scalp-ology Scalp Masque (38)
Full ingredient list — Scalp Recovery Serum (57)

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.

VerdictsScalp-ology Scalp MasqueScalp Recovery Serum
Supported
2
1
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
1
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Scalp-ology Scalp Masque

  • Intensive treatment designed to restore moisture balance while calming dry, flaky scalpSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Clears away impurities while replenishing essential nutrientsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Helps to repair and fortify hair strandsPartly supportedSupports the surface, not a treatment.
  • A breakthrough in scalp wellness designed to restore balance, hydration, and vitality at the rootsSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.

Scalp Recovery Serum

  • ANTI-DANDRUFF TREATMENTSupportedA recognised active does the work.

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.

$3.37/oz vs $15.59/oz — Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum costs about 4.6× more per ounce than CHI Scalp-ology Scalp Masque.

$1.25/oz median $7.12/oz $55.03/oz $3.37/oz Scalp-ology Scalp Masque $15.59/oz Scalp Recovery Serum

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 152 scalp treatments with a computable unit price.

Value readScalp-ology Scalp MasqueScalp Recovery Serum
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for scalp treatments per ounce.
Upper-mid price for a scalp treatmentSits in the middle of the range for scalp treatments 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.

Scalp-ology Scalp Masque vs Detox Reset Revive & Restore Scalp & Hair Treatment MaskDrybar · 88% function matchScalp Recovery Serum vs Detox Reset Revive & Restore Scalp & Hair Treatment MaskDrybar · 75% function matchScalp-ology Scalp Masque vs Ghost Exfoliating Scalp NectarVerb · 88% function matchScalp Recovery Serum vs Revitalizing Scalp MaskOmorovicza · 70% function matchScalp-ology Scalp Masque vs Scalp Relief WipesCreme of Nature · 85% function matchScalp Recovery Serum vs ORS HAIRestore Hair FertilizerORS · 70% function matchScalp-ology Scalp Masque vs Overnight Scalp & Hair ElixirVirtue Labs · 83% function matchScalp Recovery Serum vs Scalp Therapy Densifying & Rebalancing Leave-In MistR+Co · 70% function match

Scalp-ology Scalp Masque · Scalp Recovery Serum · All scalp treatments 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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