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Side by side

Nexxus Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo vs Nexxus Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo

94% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 95%. Nexxus Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo and Nexxus Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free 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.

  • Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo — colour-treated hair
  • Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free 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”.

Trait
Nexxus Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo — 13.5 oz container Nexxus

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Nexxus Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo — 8.5 oz container Nexxus

Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$54.95 13.5 oz · $4.07/oz
$17.99 13.5 oz · $1.33/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs more than 87% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 54% 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
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Cleansing strength Same
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. Your hair
Strong Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash. 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
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 Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
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 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
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • 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
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 scent
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
  • Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
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
Target · Grocery / mass
Grocery / mass · Target
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
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

IngredientHydralight Hydrating ShampooNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#3Leading
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#4Supporting
#7Below the 1% line
Sodium Gluconate
Stabilizes
#5Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#6Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#7Below the 1% line
#4Below the 1% line
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#8Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Benzyl Salicylate
Fragrance
#14Below the 1% line
#18Below the 1% line
Hexyl Cinnamal
Fragrance
#15Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#16Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#17Below the 1% line
#22Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo

Nothing notable here that the others do not also carry.

Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo (17)
Full ingredient list — Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo (24)

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.

VerdictsHydralight Hydrating ShampooNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Supported
0
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo

No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.

Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo

  • Extends color vibrancy for up to 40 washesStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Sulfate-free and silicone-free formulaSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • Replenishes nutrients lost during colorationStated 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.

Nexxus Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo draws complaints about dryness and weight.

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo

Cleans thoroughly without stripping the scalp or over-drying, described as lightweight/non-heavy

normal-to-oily and fine hair

Roots stay fresh longer with less oil buildup between washes; well suited to oily scalps used once or twice weekly

reviewers with oily hair/scalp

Adds moisture and softness without weighing down fine hair

fine-hair reviewers

Rinses out cleanly with no residue and lathers easily

general users

Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Many reviewers praise the scent and describe hair feeling soft and shiny after use, especially when paired with the matching conditioner

general users

Some reviewers report dryness with regular use despite the moisture-focused positioning

general users

Packaging complaints note the pump mechanism malfunctions, prompting some buyers to decant into other bottles

general users

A recurring and serious complaint thread describes heavy shedding/hair loss with continued use, described as hair "falling out in clumps" over weeks of use

users reporting shedding

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.

$1.33/oz vs $4.07/oz — Nexxus Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo costs about 3.1× more per ounce than Nexxus Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $4.07/oz Hydralight Hydrating Shamp $1.33/oz Nexxus Color Assure Sulfat

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

Value readHydralight Hydrating ShampooNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Priced with its peersSits 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.

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo vs Super Smooth ShampooPaul Mitchell · 100% function matchNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo vs CurlBond CleanserDevaCurl · 100% function matchHydralight Hydrating Shampoo vs Nexxus Ultralight Smooth ShampooNexxus · 98% function matchNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo vs Curl Talk Clean Slate Daily ShampooNot Your Mother's · 100% function matchHydralight Hydrating Shampoo vs Shampoo Moisture RepairSuave · 98% function matchNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo vs Superfoods Matcha + Apple Replenishing Superfood ShampooBriogeo · 98% function matchHydralight Hydrating Shampoo vs Ultra Rich Softening ShampooKristin Ess · 98% function matchNexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free Shampoo vs Apple Cider Vinegar Soothing ShampoodpHUE · 98% function match

Hydralight Hydrating Shampoo · Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free 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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