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Side by side

Nexxus Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo vs Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

80% function match · 10 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 39%. Nexxus Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo and Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth 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.

  • Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo — fast-oiling scalps
  • Nexxus Ultralight Smooth 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 Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo — 13.5 oz container Nexxus

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Masstige
  • Silicone-free
  • Moisture-rich
Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo — 13.5 oz container Nexxus

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$20–21 13.5 oz · $1.49/oz
$16–18 13.5 oz · $1.26/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 50% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 56% 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 Same
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. 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
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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Differs
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. 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
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • 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
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
  • 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
Line
Keraphix
—
Where to buy
Grocery / mass · Target · Ulta …
Target · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • silicone-free
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Not vegan · ingredient list
—
Scent
Scented, not described
Floral · Sweet & vanilla

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

IngredientNexxus Keraphix ShampooNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#3Leading
Sodium Gluconate
Stabilizes
#5Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#11Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#10Below the 1% line
#4Supporting
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#14Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#24Below the 1% line
#22Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo (24)
Full ingredient list — Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo (22)

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.

VerdictsNexxus Keraphix ShampooNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo

  • 24X Stronger HairStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Instant Repair + Damage Shield System: visibly transforms damaged hair in one useSupportedReinforces a damaged strand.

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

  • Blocks frizz in up to 98% humidity when used as a systemStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Keeps hair smooth for up to 72 hours as part of the complete systemSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Contains H4 Complex with almond protein and white jasmine flowersStated by brandCheck the position, not the name.

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 Keraphix Shampoo draws complaints about residue or cast and how it cleanses; Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo draws complaints about dryness and frizz.

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo

Cleans thoroughly without drying hair out

Hair feels noticeably softer and more manageable from the first wash

damaged/chemically-treated hair

Reduces breakage and adds shine over repeated use

damaged/color-treated hair

A minority of reviewers report excessive shedding/hair fall after continued use

Some users report a filmy residue that weighs hair down and cleans the scalp poorly

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

Reviewers frequently compliment the shampoo's pleasant fragrance

Many reviewers report hair feeling noticeably softer after use

A subset of reviewers report scalp irritation and dryness with regular use

Reviewers with frizz-prone hair say the shampoo alone gives insufficient frizz control unless used with the full 3-step system

frizz-prone hair

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.

$1.26/oz vs $1.49/oz — Nexxus Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $1.49/oz Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo $1.26/oz Nexxus Ultralight Smooth S

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

Value readNexxus Keraphix ShampooNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo
Label
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
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.

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo vs TRESemme Healthy Volume ShampooTRESemme · 98% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Ultra Rich Softening ShampooKristin Ess · 100% function matchNexxus Keraphix Shampoo vs Oat Protein & Henna Deep Cleansing ShampooDesign Essentials · 96% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Hydralight Hydrating ShampooNexxus · 98% function matchNexxus Keraphix Shampoo vs Fiber Pre-Styling ShampooAmerican Crew · 95% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Super Smooth ShampooPaul Mitchell · 98% function matchNexxus Keraphix Shampoo vs Anti-Dandruff + Dry Scalp ShampooAmerican Crew · 95% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Shampoo Moisture RepairSuave · 98% function match

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo · Nexxus Ultralight Smooth 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.
  • 8 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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