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Side by side

R+Co ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO vs R+Co GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

56% function match · 6 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 12%. R+Co ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO and R+Co GEMSTONE Color Shampoo share 2 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.

  • ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO — colour-treated hair
  • GEMSTONE Color 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
R+Co ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO — 8.5 oz container R+Co

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO

  • Shampoo
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
R+Co GEMSTONE Color Shampoo — 8.5 oz container R+Co

GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$147 8.5 oz · $17.29/oz
$18–30 8.5 oz · $2.94/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 100% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a shampoo $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 74% 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
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Low Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part. 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
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 Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Expected lather Differs
High Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair. Your hair
Moderate An ordinary shampoo lather. 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
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
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
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • 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
ESSENTIAL
GEMSTONE
Where to buy
Sephora · Brand website
Sephora · Target
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
Vegan
Vegan · brand states
Vegan · brand states
Scent
Floral
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

IngredientESSENTIAL SHAMPOOGEMSTONE Color Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Cleanses
#5Supporting
#6Supporting
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#6Below the 1% line
#41Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#7Below the 1% line
#45Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#41Below the 1% line
#46Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#43Below the 1% line
#47Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO

GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

Full ingredient list — ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO (43)
Full ingredient list — GEMSTONE Color Shampoo (47)

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.

VerdictsESSENTIAL SHAMPOOGEMSTONE Color Shampoo
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
1
Potential conflict
0
0

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO

  • An everyday all-star created for all hair types.Stated by brandSee the fit panel instead.
  • Luxe lather, gentle cleansing, optimal hydration.SupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.

GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

  • Shine bright with GEMSTONE, a nourishing shampoo for color-treated hairSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Contains a color protection complex proven to keep your hue rich and vibrantStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.

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 moisture, shine, and how it cleanses.

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO

Reviewers note a little product goes a long way and avoids the straw-like feeling some other shampoos leave

general

Reviewers frequently praise the fragrance as a standout, floral scent

multiple reviewers across hair types

Several reviewers say it leaves hair soft and shiny after washing

general

Reviewers with fine hair report good lather and cleansing without drying, allowing longer stretches between washes

fine hair

GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

Reviewers describe it as strong enough to fully cleanse yet gentle enough to help color treatments last longer

general color-treated hair

Fine-haired curly reviewers report it keeps color good while reducing dryness

fine, curly, colored hair

Reviewers with thick, coarse hair note added shine and silkiness after use

thick/coarse hair type

Reviewers report the shampoo keeps color-treated hair vibrant and true over time, some using it for several years without switching

multi-year repeat customers, colored 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.

$2.94/oz vs $17.29/oz — R+Co ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO costs about 5.9× more per ounce than R+Co GEMSTONE Color Shampoo.

$0.00/oz median $1.48/oz $17.29/oz $17.29/oz ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO $2.94/oz GEMSTONE Color Shampoo

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

Value readESSENTIAL SHAMPOOGEMSTONE Color Shampoo
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
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.

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO vs Cantu Avocado Hydrating Sulfate Free ShampooCantu · 100% function matchGEMSTONE Color Shampoo vs SUPER GARDEN ShampooR+Co · 100% function matchESSENTIAL SHAMPOO vs Scalp Balancing ShampooMoroccanoil · 98% function matchGEMSTONE Color Shampoo vs INGENIOUS THICKENING SHAMPOOR+Co · 100% function matchESSENTIAL SHAMPOO vs KILLER.CURLS WASHKevin Murphy · 98% function matchGEMSTONE Color Shampoo vs Moisture Repair ShampooMoroccanoil · 99% function matchESSENTIAL SHAMPOO vs Total Results Glow Mania Color Protecting ShampooMatrix · 96% function matchGEMSTONE Color Shampoo vs Shampoo for Magnificent VolumeOribe · 98% function match

ESSENTIAL SHAMPOO · GEMSTONE Color 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.
  • 12 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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