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Side by side

Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.RINSE vs Kevin Murphy SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

83% function match · 6 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 23%. Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.RINSE and Kevin Murphy SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE 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.

  • PLUMPING.RINSE — maximum slip
  • SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE — dry, thirsty 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 PLUMPING.RINSE — 8.45 oz container Kevin Murphy

PLUMPING.RINSE

  • Conditioner
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Kevin Murphy SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE — 8.45 oz container Kevin Murphy

SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

  • Conditioner
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Price, size & price per ounce
$48 8.45 oz · $5.68/oz
$38 8.45 oz · $4.50/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 93% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 88% of the 689 conditioners 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 Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
High Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula. Your hair
Moderate Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse 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 Same
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. 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
High Your hair
High Your hair
Hard-water defence Differs
None No chelating agent in the list. 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
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
  • A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
  • A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a 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
Conditioner
Conditioner
Line
PLUMPING
Smooth Again
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
Vegan
Not vegan · ingredient list
Not vegan · ingredient list
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Citrus · Fresh & airy
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

IngredientPLUMPING.RINSESMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#3Leading
#3Leading
Behentrimonium Chloride
Detangles
#4Supporting
#27Below the 1% line
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Heavy
#8Supporting
#12Secondary
Keratin Amino Acids
Protein
#24Below the 1% line
#10Secondary
Isopropyl Alcohol
Drying
#28Below the 1% line
#23Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

PLUMPING.RINSE

SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

Full ingredient list — PLUMPING.RINSE (47)
Full ingredient list — SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE (48)

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.

VerdictsPLUMPING.RINSESMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE
Supported
1
3
Partly supported
0
1
Stated by brand
1
1
Potential conflict
1
0

PLUMPING.RINSE

  • Treat fine, thin or ageing hair to a lavish level of conditioning goodnessStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Delivers essential nourishment to help restore thickness, and boost volumePotential conflictLikely to weigh hair down.
  • Imparting sublime shine and silky-soft textureSupportedReflects light for visible shine.

SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

  • Targeted smoothing and refining conditionerSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Uses ion-based cationic technologyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Contains Keratin Proteins that mimic natural hair structureSupportedThe named ingredient is really there.
  • Provides a layer of protection to help seal torn, split endsPartly supportedSupports the surface, not a treatment.
  • Reduces the appearance of frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.

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.

PLUMPING.RINSE

Helps with thinning hair, fantastic results, highly recommended

thinning hair concern

Major improvement over prior conditioner; noticeable volume boost

switched from another brand

Works well against flat hair caused by mineral-heavy, low-humidity water conditions when paired with matching wash

hard-water/low-humidity climate (Albuquerque)

SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

Controls frizz effectively even in humid conditions when paired with the matching wash

humid-climate reviewers

Lightweight enough for daily use as a go-to conditioner

daily-use reviewers

Leaves coarse or curly hair smooth and easy to comb through without heaviness

coarse/curly-haired reviewers

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.

$4.50/oz vs $5.68/oz — Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.RINSE costs about 1.3× more per ounce than Kevin Murphy SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE.

$0.09/oz median $1.60/oz $56.25/oz $5.68/oz PLUMPING.RINSE $4.50/oz SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 689 conditioners with a computable unit price.

Value readPLUMPING.RINSESMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE
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.

PLUMPING.RINSE vs Aunt Jackie's In Control 'Anti-Poof' Moisturizing & Softening ConditionerAunt Jackie's · 97% function matchSMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE vs EVERLASTING.COLOUR RINSEKevin Murphy · 95% function matchPLUMPING.RINSE vs Repair Bond +Rescuplex ConditionerMarc Anthony · 96% function matchSMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE vs Rosemary & Mint Stimulating Super Moisturizing ConditionerDesign Essentials · 95% function matchPLUMPING.RINSE vs Daily Cleanse ConditionerFairy Tales · 95% function matchSMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE vs GEMSTONE Color ConditionerR+Co · 95% function matchPLUMPING.RINSE vs Curly-Q Hydrating ConditionerFairy Tales · 95% function matchSMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE vs Peppermint & Aloe Soothing Scalp Care ConditionerDesign Essentials · 95% function match

PLUMPING.RINSE · SMOOTH.AGAIN.RINSE · All conditioners 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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