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Side by side

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo vs Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo

94% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 62%. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo and Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special 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
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When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo — protein-sensitive hair
  • Tea Tree Special Shampoo — protein-sensitive 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
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo — 10.14 oz container Paul Mitchell

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Masstige
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo — 2.5 oz container Paul Mitchell

Tea Tree Special Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$20 10.14 oz · $1.98/oz
$8.69 2.5 oz · $3.64/oz

Compared at different sizes — 10.14 oz against 2.5 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 61% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 82% 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 Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. 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
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 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
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
—
Tea Tree
Where to buy
Brand website
Salons
Free of
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
Vegan
Vegan · label states
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Mint & herbal · Fresh & airy

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.

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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

IngredientTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening ShampooTea Tree Special Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleanses
#2Leading
#2Leading
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleanses
#3Leading
#4Supporting
Melaleuca Alternifolia (TEA Tree) Leaf Water
Neutral
#6Supporting
#6Below the 1% line
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Stabilizes
#20Below the 1% line
#19Below the 1% line
Methylisothiazolinone
Stabilizes
#21Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Panthenol
Detangles
#9Secondary
#7Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

Tea Tree Special Shampoo

Full ingredient list — Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo (27)
Full ingredient list — Tea Tree Special Shampoo (35)

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.

VerdictsTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening ShampooTea Tree Special Shampoo
Supported
2
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
2
Potential conflict
1
0

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

  • Plumps up fine strands so hair looks and feels clean, full and healthyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Color SafePotential conflictLikely to pull colour faster.
  • VeganSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Paraben FreeSupportedPreserved without parabens.
  • Made Without GlutenStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Tea Tree Special Shampoo

  • #1 best-selling tea tree shampooStated by brandPopularity, not performance.
  • #1 Scalp Care Shampoo Sold in SalonsStated by brandPopularity, not performance.
  • Color safe, vegan, paraben-free, gluten-freeSupportedPreserved without parabens.

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 the scent. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo draws complaints about the scent and volume.

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

Many reviewers with fine or thinning hair say it adds noticeable volume and body without weighing hair down.

fine or thinning-haired reviewers

Reviewers frequently call out the citrus and herbal scent as invigorating and pleasant.

general reviewers commenting on fragrance

A large cluster of long-time users are upset about a reformulation, saying the scent shifted from a fresh lemon-sage-tea-tree tingle to a more perfume-like smell, with several also reporting less volume, lift and the original cooling tingle.

long-time repeat buyers reacting to a formula/scent change

A couple of reviewers say it otherwise works well but leaves fine hair slightly dry.

fine-haired reviewers, one following a stylist's recommendation

Tea Tree Special Shampoo

Long-time repeat purchasers describe it as their go-to everyday shampoo, citing years of consistent use

multi-year repeat customers

The tea tree scent and tingling menthol sensation is called out as the standout feature at 4.4/5 average across 326 ratings

Reviewers with itchy or flaky scalp report the cooling, tingling sensation and reduced flaking feel

self-reported scalp itch/flaking, cosmetic sensation only

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.

$1.98/oz vs $3.64/oz — Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo costs about 1.8× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $1.98/oz Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thicke $3.64/oz Tea Tree Special Shampoo

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

Value readTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening ShampooTea Tree Special Shampoo
Label
Upper-mid price for a shampooSits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

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.

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo vs Fall Defense ShampooNioxin · 100% function matchTea Tree Special Shampoo vs ColorMotion+ ShampooWella · 98% function matchTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo vs Oil Control ShampooAmerican Crew · 100% function matchTea Tree Special Shampoo vs Fall Defense ShampooNioxin · 94% function matchTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo vs Ultimate Smooth ShampooWella Professionals · 100% function matchTea Tree Special Shampoo vs Au Naturale Anti-Shrinkage Beyond Gentle Sulfate-Free WashDark and Lovely · 94% function matchTea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo vs Quench Intense Hydration ShampooRusk · 100% function matchTea Tree Special Shampoo vs Ultimate Smooth ShampooWella Professionals · 94% function match

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo · Tea Tree Special 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.
  • 11 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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