Side by side
Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo vs Moroccanoil Scalp Balancing Shampoo
69% function match · 7 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 4%. Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo and Moroccanoil Scalp Balancing Shampoo share 2 ingredients among each other's most prominent.
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.
- Clarifying Shampoo — colour-treated hair
- Scalp Balancing Shampoo — 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”.
Compared at different sizes — 8.5 oz against 2.4 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.
- Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
- Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
- 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
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
- Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- curly-method compatible
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- protein-free
- curly-method compatible
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.
$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
What only one of them carries
Clarifying Shampoo
Scalp Balancing Shampoo
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamide Methyl MEA
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
- TEA-Cocoyl Glutamate
- Polysorbate 20
- Menthol
- Salicylic Acid
- Isopropyl Alcohol
Full ingredient list — Clarifying Shampoo (44)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
5
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
6
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
7
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
8
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
-
10
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
11
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
12
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
13
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
14
Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
- film former
- polymer
-
15
Glycerin
- humectant
-
16
Sodium Sulfate
- salt
-
17
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
18
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
19
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
20
Tetrasodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
21
Sodium PCA
- humectant
-
22
Disodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
23
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
24
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
25
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
26
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- UV filter
-
27
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
- hard-water chelator
-
28
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
29
Sodium Laurate
- light ester
- emollient
-
30
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
- conditioning agent
-
31
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
32
Silk Amino Acids
- protein
- amino acid
-
33
Keratin Amino Acids
- protein
- amino acid
-
34
Magnesium Chloride
- salt
-
35
Magnesium Nitrate
- salt
-
36
Hydrolyzed Keratin
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
37
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
38
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
39
Chlorphenesin
- preservative
-
40
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
41
Yellow 5
- colourant
-
42
Ci 17200 (Red 33)
- colourant
-
43
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
44
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
Full ingredient list — Scalp Balancing Shampoo (34)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- olefin sulfonate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Cocamide Methyl MEA
- secondary cleanser
- nonionic cleanser
- thickener
-
5
Dipropylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
6
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
7
TEA-Cocoyl Glutamate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
8
Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
9
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Fumaria Officinalis (Fumitory) Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Hordeum Distichon (Barley) Extract
- botanical extract
-
12
Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
13
Prunus Yedoensis (Cherry) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
14
Swertia Japonica (Semburi) Extract
- botanical extract
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
15
Menthol
- fragrance
- active
-
16
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
- 17 DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE
- 18 GLUCOSYL HESPERIDIN
-
19
Niacinamide
- vitamin
- conditioning agent
-
20
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
21
Peg-160 Sorbitan Triisostearate
- emulsifier
-
22
Polyquaternium-10
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
23
Salicylic Acid
- active
- exfoliant
-
24
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
25
Isopropyl Alcohol
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
26
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
27
Disodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
28
Sodium Acetate
- salt
- pH adjuster
-
29
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
30
Sodium Citrate
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
31
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
- amino acid
-
32
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
33
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
34
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
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.
Clarifying Shampoo
Removes 88% of oil*
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.Removes 88% of copper pollutants*
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.Color-safe. Sulfate-free, phosphate-free and paraben-free.
SupportedGentler on colour and coils.
Scalp Balancing Shampoo
Gently yet effectively cleanses the scalp and hair without stripping natural oils
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.Helping to reduce visible flaking and buildup while easing discomfort
Stated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.Suitable for oily and dry scalps
Stated by brandSee the fit panel instead.
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 a clean rinse-out.
Clarifying Shampoo
Reviewers commonly describe using it on a periodic basis (e.g., weekly or biweekly) rather than as a daily shampoo, consistent with manufacturer directions
general reviewersReviewers report it removes product buildup effectively without stripping hair, useful after heavy styling-product use, swimming, or travel
general reviewersReviewers with curly (3c/4a-type) hair who use heavy amounts of styling product describe it as an effective periodic reset
curly-hair, heavy-product-user reviewersSome reviewers note the fragrance is lighter/subtler than other Moroccanoil products, viewed as a positive by fragrance-sensitive users
fragrance-sensitive reviewersScalp Balancing Shampoo
Reviewers with dry, itchy, or flaking scalps report noticeable reduction in flaking and improved comfort with regular use
reviewers with dry/flaky scalp concernsSeveral reviewers describe a cooling, refreshing sensation on the scalp during use, attributed to the menthol content
general reviewersSome reviewers note the scent is subtler/milder than other Moroccanoil products and wish it were more availabile in larger sizes
general reviewersReviewers with oily/greasy scalps report the shampoo helps manage oil, though a few wish it cleansed more thoroughly (more clarifying)
reviewers with oily scalp concernsPrice 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.
$3.53/oz vs $5.87/oz — Moroccanoil Scalp Balancing Shampoo costs about 1.7× more per ounce than Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo.
Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 817 shampoos with a computable unit price.
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.
Clarifying Shampoo · Scalp Balancing 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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