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Side by side

Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo

86% function match · 9 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 72%. Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo and Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care 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.

  • Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo — flaking scalps
  • Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo — cuticle-smoothing pH

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 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
Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo — 12.8 oz container Head & Shoulders

Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
Price, size & price per ounce
$6.99 12.5 oz · $0.56/oz
$8.42 12.8 oz · $0.66/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most shampoos $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 87% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
Lower cost than most shampoos $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 82% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Moisture level Same
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
Cleansing strength
Moderate Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind. 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
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
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
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. Your hair
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. Your hair
Scalp active Differs
pyrithione zinc, 1% Carries an over-the-counter scalp active, listed under Drug Facts. Your hair
None No over-the-counter scalp active. 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
  • 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
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
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
Shampoocream
Where to buy
Target
Grocery / mass
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

IngredientHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter ShampooRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#2Leading
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#2Leading
#3Leading
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleanses
#3Leading
#4Supporting
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Cleanses
#4Supporting
#5Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#5Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#6Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Sodium Citrate
pH balancer
#7Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Acrylates Copolymer
Holds
#8Below the 1% line
#11Below the 1% line
Dimethiconol
Buildup
#10Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#12Below the 1% line
#14Below the 1% line
Sodium Salicylate
Stabilizes
#14Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

Nothing notable here that the others do not also carry.

Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo

  • Pyrithione Zinc (1%)
Full ingredient list — Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo (17)
Full ingredient list — Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo (16)

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.

VerdictsHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter ShampooRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo
Supported
0
0
Partly supported
2
1
Stated by brand
2
4
Potential conflict
0
0

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo

  • Clinically proven: Up to 100% dandruff protectionStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 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.

Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo

  • Infused with moisturizing Coconut Oil and Apple Cider VinegarPartly supportedSome hydration, at a low level.
  • For Curly & Coily CrownsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Balances and restores scalp health with regular useStated by brandDepends on your scalp.
  • Sulfate-free, Paraben-free, and Dye-freeStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Healthier Scalp, Healthier Hair in 3 weeksStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

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 how it cleanses. Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo draws complaints about weight and irritation.

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

Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo

reviewers say it relieved persistent dry, itchy scalp after other dandruff products had failed them

reviewers with long-standing dry-scalp issues

reviewers describe a mild, pleasant scent that isn't overpowering

general reviewers

several say it leaves the scalp feeling clean and moisturized without stripping natural oils

general reviewers

some reviewers, including a parent buying for a teenager and for their own aging/dry hair, say it works well across ages and hair concerns

multi-generation household use

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 $0.66/oz — Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $0.56/oz Head & Shoulders Sulfate F $0.66/oz Royal Oils Sulfate Free Sc

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 805 shampoos with a computable unit price.

Value readHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter ShampooRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo
Label
Lower cost than most shampoosCosts less per ounce than most shampoos we have researched.
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.

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Supreme Nourish & Smooth Dandruff Scalp & Hair ShampooHead & Shoulders · 96% function matchRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo vs Lavender Lychee Scalp Moisturizing ShampooMielle · 95% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Supreme Color Protect Shampoo with Argan Oil and Manuka HoneyHead & Shoulders · 89% function matchRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo vs SUPER GARDEN ShampooR+Co · 94% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Lavender Lychee Scalp Moisturizing ShampooMielle · 85% function matchRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo vs GEMSTONE Color ShampooR+Co · 94% function matchHead & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo vs Supreme Soothe & Strengthen Shampoo with Argan Oil and Rose EssenceHead & Shoulders · 81% function matchRoyal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care Shampoo vs INGENIOUS THICKENING SHAMPOOR+Co · 94% function match

Head & Shoulders Sulfate Free Shea Butter Shampoo · Royal Oils Sulfate Free Scalp Care 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.
  • 9 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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