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Side by side

Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo

94% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 59%. Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo and Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy 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 Ultralight Smooth Shampoo — colour-treated hair
  • Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy 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 Ultralight Smooth Shampoo — 13.5 oz container Nexxus

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo — 8.5 oz container Paul Mitchell

Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$16–18 13.5 oz · $1.26/oz
$13.56 8.5 oz · $1.97/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 56% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 61% 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
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. 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 Differs
Chelators present Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals. Your hair
None No chelating agent in the list. 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
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
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
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
—
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · label states
Scent
Floral · Sweet & vanilla
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

IngredientNexxus Ultralight Smooth ShampooClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#3Leading
#4Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#6Below the 1% line
#48Below the 1% line
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#7Below the 1% line
#15Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#8Below the 1% line
#8Supporting
Linalool
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#50Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo

Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo (22)
Full ingredient list — Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo (50)

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 Ultralight Smooth ShampooClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo
Supported
1
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
4
Potential conflict
0
0

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.

Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo

  • Sulfate-free formulationSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • Vegan and cruelty-freeSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Gently cleanses while soothing the scalpStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Zinc helps rebalance sebum while strengthening strandsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • 87% natural origin ingredientsStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Suitable for all hair types, especially dry, oily, and sensitive scalpsStated 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.

Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo draws complaints about dryness and frizz.

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

Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo

Reviewers repeatedly describe the formula as very thin, watery and low-lather, needing extra product per wash.

Many reviewers with dandruff, psoriasis or a dry scalp say it cleared or greatly reduced flaking within a few washes.

A minority of reviewers say it stripped hair, left it dry and hard to detangle, or made their scalp worse.

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 $1.97/oz — Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo costs about 1.6× more per ounce than Nexxus Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $1.26/oz Nexxus Ultralight Smooth S $1.97/oz Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy

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

Value readNexxus Ultralight Smooth ShampooClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits 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 Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Ultra Rich Softening ShampooKristin Ess · 100% function matchClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo vs All Soft Mega Curls ShampooRedken · 96% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Hydralight Hydrating ShampooNexxus · 98% function matchClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo vs L'Oreal Paris EverPure Clarify Shampoo for Build UpL'Oreal Paris · 96% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Super Smooth ShampooPaul Mitchell · 98% function matchClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo vs Hair Under There Detox Tea Cleansing ShampooCurls · 96% function matchNexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo vs Shampoo Moisture RepairSuave · 98% function matchClean Beauty Scalp Therapy Shampoo vs Chroma Absolu Bain Chroma Respect ShampooKerastase · 94% function match

Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo · Clean Beauty Scalp Therapy 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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