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Side by side

Herbal Essences Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) vs Person & Covey DHS Tar Shampoo

95% function match · 8 of the 9 functions we compared match Formula overlap 31%. Herbal Essences Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) and Person & Covey DHS Tar Shampoo share 1 ingredient 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.

  • Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) — protein-sensitive hair
  • DHS Tar 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
Herbal Essences Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) — 9.2 oz container Herbal Essences

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)

  • Shampoo
  • Value
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Person & Covey DHS Tar Shampoo — container, alternate view Person & Covey

DHS Tar Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Masstige
Price, size & price per ounce
$13.99 33.8 oz · $0.46/oz
$15.36 8 oz · $1.92/oz

Compared at different sizes — 33.8 oz against 8 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most shampoos $$$$$ Value tier · costs less than 91% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 61% of the 805 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
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. Your hair
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
Cleansing strength
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling Same
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. 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
—
Protein
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
—
Silicone / wax buildup Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low 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
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
—
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
  • Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Hair that tangles wetnothing here reduces combing force
  • Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only
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
Where to buy
Grocery / mass · Drugstore
Brand website
Free of
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
—
Scent
Mint & herbal · CitrusStrong
—

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

IngredientHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)DHS Tar Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#2Leading
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#3Leading
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#6Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#7Below the 1% line
#6Supporting

What only one of them carries

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)

DHS Tar Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) (18)
Full ingredient list — DHS Tar Shampoo (7)

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.

VerdictsHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)DHS Tar Shampoo
Supported
3
0
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
5
Potential conflict
0
0

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)

  • Removes build-up and residue, leaving your hair squeaky clean and full of weightless volumeSupportedResets a coated scalp.
  • Crafted without mineral oil or siliconeSupportedNothing that needs a strong wash.
  • pH-balanced and gentle enough for daily useSupportedBrought to an acidic pH.

DHS Tar Shampoo

  • Tar-based formula for the treatment of dandruff and psoriasisStated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.
  • Designed for control of even chronic scalp conditionsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Helps prevent recurrence of scalp itching and flaking associated with Psoriasis, Seborrheic Dermatitis and DandruffStated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.
  • Fragrance and dye-freeStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • PABA freeStated 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 how gentle it is.

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)

Felt soothing on an easily-irritated, sun-sensitive scalp rather than causing burning or irritation

sensitive/sun-sensitive scalp

Refreshing tea tree scent described as strong but not overbearing, lingers pleasantly after washing

Clarifies and cleanses deeply, leaving hair squeaky clean without feeling overly stripped for most users

A returning customer asked whether the formula had changed from a prior year's version they preferred; the brand confirmed both packaging and formula were updated.

Some reviewers feel they need to double-cleanse to get the full clarifying benefit, rating it just okay for the price

DHS Tar Shampoo

Repeat buyers who have used the product for years say it leaves hair feeling soft despite being a medicated, tar-based formula.

long-time repeat customers

Several long-time users, including some directed by a doctor after trying prescription options, say it clears stubborn scalp itching and flaking within about a week when other treatments had not worked.

OTC/Rx tar-shampoo users with chronic scalp conditions

A reviewer who switched after his longtime tar shampoo (Neutrogena T/Gel) was discontinued calls this a solid direct replacement, though he would like it offered in larger bottle sizes.

shopper replacing a discontinued tar shampoo

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.

$0.46/oz vs $1.92/oz — Person & Covey DHS Tar Shampoo costs about 4.2× more per ounce than Herbal Essences Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree).

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $0.46/oz Herbal Essences Classic Cl $1.92/oz DHS Tar Shampoo

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

Value readHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree)DHS Tar Shampoo
Label
Lower cost than most shampoosCosts less per ounce than most shampoos we have researched.
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits in the middle of the range for shampoos 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.

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) vs Aussie Paraben-Free Miracle Volume Shampoo with Plum & Bamboo For Fine HairAussie · 93% function matchDHS Tar Shampoo vs A Curl Can Dream Deep Cleansing ShampooMatrix · 95% function matchHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) vs A Curl Can Dream Deep Cleansing ShampooMatrix · 93% function matchDHS Tar Shampoo vs Nioxin Scalp + Hair Thickening System 1 ShampooNioxin · 95% function matchHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) vs HydraLight Hydrating Shampoo for Oily Hair (Hydra-Light Weightless Moisture Shampoo)Nexxus · 91% function matchDHS Tar Shampoo vs Nioxin Scalp + Hair Thickening System 2 ShampooNioxin · 95% function matchHerbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) vs Pro-V Sheer Volume ShampooPantene · 89% function matchDHS Tar Shampoo vs Aussie Paraben-Free Miracle Volume Shampoo with Plum & Bamboo For Fine HairAussie · 95% function match

Herbal Essences Classic Clarifying Shampoo (Tea Tree) · DHS Tar 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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