Side by side
Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo vs Pureology Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo
91% function match · 10 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 22%. Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo and Pureology Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo share 4 ingredients 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.
- Core Strength Shampoo — colour-treated hair
- Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo — 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”.
- Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Fine hairthat flattens under most products
- Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
- Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
- Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
- Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals
- Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
- Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- curly-method compatible
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- curly-method compatible
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
Core Strength Shampoo
Full ingredient list — Core Strength Shampoo (32)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
5
Decyl Glucoside
- nonionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
6
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
7
Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
8
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
9
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
10
Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
12
Lentinus Edodes (Shiitake Mushroom) Extract
- botanical extract
-
13
Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
14
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
15
Hydroxypropylgluconamide
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
16
Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
17
Glycerin
- humectant
-
18
Propanediol
- humectant
- solvent
-
19
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
20
Polyquaternium-10
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
21
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
22
Tartaric Acid
- pH adjuster
- exfoliant
-
23
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
24
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
25
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
26
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
27
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
28
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
29
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
30
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
31
Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
- fragrance
-
32
Citrus Aurantium (Orange) Peel Oil
- fragrance
- botanical extract
Full ingredient list — Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo (41)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
5
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
6
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
7
Glycol Distearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
8
Glycereth-26
- humectant
- solvent
-
9
Decyl Glucoside
- nonionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
10
Coconut Acid
- emulsifier
- salt
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
11
Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
-
12
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
13
Sodium Isethionate
- cleanser
-
14
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
15
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
16
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
17
Coco-Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
18
Polyquaternium-7
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
19
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
20
Propylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
21
Polyquaternium-10
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
22
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
23
Carbomer
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
-
24
Benzoic Acid
- preservative
-
25
Glycerin
- humectant
-
26
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
27
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
29
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
30
Salicylic Acid
- active
- exfoliant
-
31
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
32
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
33
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
34
Magnesium Nitrate
- salt
-
35
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
36
Benzophenone-4
- UV filter
-
37
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
38
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
39
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
40
Magnesium Chloride
- salt
-
41
Methylisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
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.
Core Strength Shampoo
A protein-enriched gentle cleanser that melts away dirt and build-up while helping hair feel stronger and more resilient.
Partly supportedSupports the surface, not a treatment.
Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo
Keep color-treated hair vibrant with AntiFade Complex
SupportedLess fade per wash.Lightweight formula is great for fine hair
SupportedLess likely to weigh hair down.Moisturizes and softens while repairing damage
SupportedHelps 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.
Core Strength Shampoo
Pleasant guava-like scent frequently called out
general reviewer baseRestores a strengthened, refreshed feeling to hair after heat or chemical damage
reviewers with heat/chemical damageGentle without over-drying already-weakened hair
international reviewers, damaged hairUsed successfully for gentle daily cleansing on children's and teens' hair
parents of younger curly-haired usersCited as a go-to for helping curls hold definition longer between washes
general reviewer basePureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo
Noticeable texture and volume improvement after initial use
generalAllows more days between washes and leaves hair smooth/soft without heaviness
fine/thin hairHair reported strong and shiny after color and highlights
color-treated hairSome long-time users report a reformulation that feels watered down/less effective
long-time repeat buyersFragrance is polarizing -- some love it, others find it overpowering (patchouli-like)
generalPrice 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.
$2.17/oz vs $3.77/oz — Pureology Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo costs about 1.7× more per ounce than Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo.
Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 817 shampoos 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.
Core Strength Shampoo · Pureology Hydrate Sheer 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.
- 7 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.
Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.
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