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Side by side

Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief vs Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

57% function match · 4 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief and Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

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.

  • Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief — short ingredient lists
  • Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo — 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
Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief — 12.5 oz container Head & Shoulders

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo — 12.5 oz container Head & Shoulders

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$31.20 12.5 oz · $2.60/oz
$6.99 12.5 oz · $0.56/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs more than 70% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Lower cost than most shampoos $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 87% 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
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. Your hair
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. Your hair
Expected lather Differs
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. Your hair
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. 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
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
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
Cleansing strength
—
Moderate Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind. Your hair
Weight on hair
—
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Protein
—
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Scalp active Differs
None No over-the-counter scalp active. Your hair
pyrithione zinc, 1% Carries an over-the-counter scalp active, listed under Drug Facts. Your hair
Hard-water defence
—
None No chelating agent in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
  • Flaking scalpsthis carries an over-the-counter active
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • 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
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
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
Shampoocream
Shampoo
Where to buy
Grocery / mass
Target
Free of
—
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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

IngredientDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp ReliefHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#2Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#6Supporting
#6Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#7Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#11Below the 1% line
#12Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief (15)
Full ingredient list — Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo (17)

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.

VerdictsDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp ReliefHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo
Supported
1
0
Partly supported
1
2
Stated by brand
2
2
Potential conflict
0
0
CLINICALLY PROVEN: Up to 100% dandruff protection
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief

  • SOOTHES SCALP: Soothes scalp itch associated with dandruffStated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.
  • ALOE VERA: moisturizes and relieves scalp discomfortPartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • PARABEN FREESupportedPreserved without parabens.

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

  • Deeply moisturizes and helps strengthen hair against damagePartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • For curly to coily hair: cleanses and moisturizesPartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • Infused with creamy shea butterStated by brandCheck the position, not the name.

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.

Both praised for moisture, the scent, and a clean rinse-out. Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo draws complaints about weight and irritation.

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief

reviewers say it lathers well and leaves a pleasant scent in the shower

general reviewers, some buying for whole households

reviewers say it cleans and conditions hair without leaving it dry or unmanageable

general reviewers

reviewers report it clears up dandruff and flaking with regular use

reviewers with dandruff

several say it's gentle enough to use on kids in the household without irritation

parents buying for family use

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

Leaves hair softer and less frizzy without residue buildup

curly and coily hair

Good value for the price relative to results

Reduces dandruff flaking within a few weeks without stripping moisture like older sulfate dandruff shampoos

dandruff-prone scalp

Pleasant, long-lasting shea butter fragrance and creamy lather texture

Small subset reported increased greasiness or scalp sensitivity

fine-density hair reported more often

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.

$0.56/oz vs $2.60/oz — Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief costs about 4.6× more per ounce than Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $2.60/oz Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Ver $0.56/oz Head & Shoulders Sulfate F

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

Value readDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp ReliefHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo
Label
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits 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.

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief vs Pro-V Radiant Color Shine ShampooPantene · 99% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Supreme Nourish & Smooth Dandruff Scalp & Hair ShampooHead & Shoulders · 96% function matchDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief vs Invigo Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing ShampooWella Professionals · 99% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Supreme Color Protect Shampoo with Argan Oil and Manuka HoneyHead & Shoulders · 89% function matchDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief vs Pro-V Volume & Body 2in1 Shampoo + ConditionerPantene · 99% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care ShampooHead & Shoulders · 86% function matchDandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief vs Pro-V Classic Clean ShampooPantene · 99% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Lavender Lychee Scalp Moisturizing ShampooMielle · 85% function match

Dandruff Shampoo, Aloe Vera for Soothing Scalp Relief · Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter 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.

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