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Side by side

Kevin Murphy KILLER.CURLS WASH vs Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.WASH

54% function match · 5 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 20%. Kevin Murphy KILLER.CURLS WASH and Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.WASH 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.

  • KILLER.CURLS WASH — colour-treated hair
  • PLUMPING.WASH — 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”.

Trait
Kevin Murphy KILLER.CURLS WASH — 8.45 oz container Kevin Murphy

KILLER.CURLS WASH

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.WASH — 8.45 oz container Kevin Murphy

PLUMPING.WASH

  • Shampoo
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Lightweight
Price, size & price per ounce
$37 8.45 oz · $4.38/oz
$45 8.45 oz · $5.33/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 90% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 95% 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
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
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Cleansing strength Differs
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
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
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Expected lather Differs
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. Your hair
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. 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 Same
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate 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
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
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
Line
Killer.Curls
PLUMPING
Where to buy
Brand website · Specialty beauty
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
Vegan
—
Not vegan · ingredient list
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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

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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

IngredientKILLER.CURLS WASHPLUMPING.WASH
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#4Supporting
Propanediol
Moisturizes
#4Supporting
#29Below the 1% line
Glycol Distearate
Softens
#6Supporting
#34Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#27Below the 1% line
#56Below the 1% line
PEG-150 Distearate
Stabilizes
#17Below the 1% line
#8Supporting

What only one of them carries

KILLER.CURLS WASH

PLUMPING.WASH

Full ingredient list — KILLER.CURLS WASH (27)
Full ingredient list — PLUMPING.WASH (59)

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.

VerdictsKILLER.CURLS WASHPLUMPING.WASH
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
1
Potential conflict
0
0

KILLER.CURLS WASH

  • Nourishing Oat Milk shampoo that gently cleanses hair while protecting the cuticleSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Define, enhance, and refine naturally textured or permed hairStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

PLUMPING.WASH

  • Plump up in all the right places, and take your hair to a whole new level of volume and thicknessSupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • Targets fine and ageing hair to create stronger, fuller-looking locksStated by brandNot something a label can show.

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 the scent.

KILLER.CURLS WASH

Bottle described as long-lasting, seen as good value by repeat users

Does not dry out hair even with frequent or daily washing, and carries a pleasant, non-overpowering scent

reviewer who washes hair daily and dislikes perfumed shampoos

Frequently reported to reduce frizz and enhance curl definition and bounce across curl types, including wavy hair

curly and wavy hair reviewers

Parents report success using it on children with curly, frizzy hair, reducing tangles and knots

parent using on a daughter with curly frizzy hair

PLUMPING.WASH

Strong scent and noticeable volume lift; used alongside other Kevin Murphy shampoos in rotation

multi-product rotation user

Makes hair feel fuller and softer after switching to travel size, plans to buy full size

new customer, travel-size trial

Reliable, consistent volumizing results wash after wash

repeat buyer

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.

$4.38/oz vs $5.33/oz — Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.WASH costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Kevin Murphy KILLER.CURLS WASH.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $4.38/oz KILLER.CURLS WASH $5.33/oz PLUMPING.WASH

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

Value readKILLER.CURLS WASHPLUMPING.WASH
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

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.

KILLER.CURLS WASH vs Cantu Avocado Hydrating Sulfate Free ShampooCantu · 98% function matchPLUMPING.WASH vs REPAIR-ME.WASHKevin Murphy · 99% function matchKILLER.CURLS WASH vs ESSENTIAL SHAMPOOR+Co · 98% function matchPLUMPING.WASH vs BLOW.DRY WASHKevin Murphy · 99% function matchKILLER.CURLS WASH vs Scalp Balancing ShampooMoroccanoil · 96% function matchPLUMPING.WASH vs Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume ShampooAlterna Haircare · 98% function matchKILLER.CURLS WASH vs Superfoods Mango + Cherry Balancing ShampooBriogeo · 96% function matchPLUMPING.WASH vs Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing ShampooOuidad · 96% function match

KILLER.CURLS WASH · PLUMPING.WASH · 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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