Side by side
Paul Mitchell Color Protect Shampoo vs Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo
44% function match · 4 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 19%. Paul Mitchell Color Protect Shampoo and Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo share 3 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
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When each one is the right call
What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.
- Color Protect Shampoo — fast-oiling scalps
- Forever Blonde 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 — 33.8 oz against 10.14 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.
- Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
- Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
- Fine hairthat flattens under most products
- Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
- Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
- Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
- Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
- Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
- Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
- Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
More facts about each one
- silicone-free
- sulfate-free
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
Color Protect Shampoo
Full ingredient list — Color Protect Shampoo (39)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- olefin sulfonate cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Cocamide MIPA
- secondary cleanser
- nonionic cleanser
- thickener
-
5
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
6
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
7
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
8
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
9
Rice Starch
- starch
- powder
-
10
Polyquaternium-44
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
11
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
12
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
-
13
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
14
Glycerin
- humectant
-
15
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
16
Glycol Stearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
17
Glycol Distearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
18
Steareth-4
- emulsifier
-
19
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
20
Propylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
21
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
22
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
23
Magnesium Nitrate
- salt
-
24
Magnesium Chloride
- salt
-
25
Tetrasodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
26
Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
-
27
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
28
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
29
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
30
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
31
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
32
Methylisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
33
BHT
- antioxidant
-
34
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
35
Benzyl Salicylate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
36
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
37
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
38
Hydroxycitronellal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
39
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
Full ingredient list — Forever Blonde Shampoo (40)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
5
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
- silicone
- film former
-
6
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
7
Glycerin
- humectant
-
8
Polyquaternium-7
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
9
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
-
10
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes
- oil
- emollient
-
11
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
- botanical extract
-
12
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
- botanical extract
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
13
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
14
Verbascum Thapsus Extract
- botanical extract
-
15
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
16
c12-13 alketh-23
- emulsifier
-
17
c12-13 alketh-3
- emulsifier
-
18
C11-15 Alketh-7
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
19
Polyquaternium-10
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
20
Amodimethicone
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
-
21
Trideceth-12
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
22
Laureth-9
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
23
Glycereth-26
- humectant
- solvent
-
24
Glycol Distearate
- opacifier
- emollient
-
25
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
26
Magnesium Nitrate
- salt
-
27
Magnesium Chloride
- salt
-
28
Sodium Sulfate
- salt
-
29
Disodium EDTA
- hard-water chelator
-
30
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
31
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
32
Methylisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
33
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
- 34 Glyoxal
-
35
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
36
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
37
Linalyl Acetate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
38
Terpineol
- fragrance
-
39
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- fragrance
-
40
Ext. Violet 2 (CI 60730)
- colourant
- direct dye
- violet dye
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.
Color Protect Shampoo
Daily shampoo for color-treated hair helps protect hair from sun damage, prevent color fade and boost shine
Potential conflictLikely to pull colour faster.Helps extend the life of hair color
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
Forever Blonde Shampoo
Brighten blonde hair with Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo.
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.This sulfate-free purple shampoo helps repair damage and enhance shine.
SupportedGentler on colour and coils.
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.
Paul Mitchell Color Protect Shampoo draws complaints about weight and residue or cast.
Color Protect Shampoo
Praised as effective for color-treated hair and versatile as a clarifying/travel shampoo
color-treated hair usersReported to work well on red hair color specifically
red-hair-color usersSome reviewers report a greasy or waxy residue despite thorough rinsing
general usersReviewers who scrutinize ingredients criticize the sulfate content as contrary to the "color protect" claim, reporting faster color fade/brassiness
ingredient-conscious/colored-hair usersForever Blonde Shampoo
Reviewers report a rich lather despite the sulfate-free formula, contrary to expectations for gentle cleansers
Reviewers describe hair feeling softer and less tangled after use
Several reviewers say the product was recommended by their stylist
Reviewers with thick hair note it cleans effectively while remaining sulfate-free, a combination they had trouble finding elsewhere
reviewers with thick hairReviewers say it maintains/brightens blonde tone and reduces brassiness
reviewers with colored/blonde hairPrice 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.
$1.22/oz vs $2.67/oz — Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo costs about 2.2× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Color Protect 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.
Color Protect Shampoo · Forever Blonde 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.
Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.
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