Skip to main content

Side by side

Redken Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo vs Redken Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo

63% function match · 8 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 25%. Redken Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Redken Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo share 3 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.

  • Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo — colour-treated hair
  • Acidic Grow Full System Densifying 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
Redken Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo — 10.1 oz container Redken

Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Redken Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo — 10.1 oz container Redken

Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo

  • Shampoo
  • Salon
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$32.95 10.1 oz · $3.29/oz
$37 10.14 oz · $3.65/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 78% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 83% 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
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. 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
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 Differs
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate 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
None No chelating agent in the list. 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
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • 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
Acidic Color Gloss
Where to buy
Target · Ulta
Salons · Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
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

IngredientAcidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free ShampooAcidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleanses
#4Supporting
#3Leading
Propylene Glycol
Moisturizes
#8Supporting
#5Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#11Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Salicylic Acid
Active
#20Below the 1% line
#29Below the 1% line
Sodium Chloride
Stabilizes
#14Below the 1% line
#4Supporting
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#12Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#27Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Full ingredient list — Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo (37)
Full ingredient list — Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo (29)

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.

VerdictsAcidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free ShampooAcidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo
Supported
1
0
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
4
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo

  • pH-balanced shampoo specially formulated for color-treated hairSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Infused with a specially-made RCT protein complex for ultra-soft and silky resultsStated by brandSubjective feel varies by hair.
  • Helps prolong the life of your salon-grade haircolorStated by brandA channel, not a formula.
  • Soy protein creates structure from root to tipStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Safe for all hair typesStated by brandSee the fit panel instead.

Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo

  • Densifying Complex for thin, flat hairStated by brandCheck the position, not the name.
  • Gently cleanses while delivering scalp rebalancing benefitsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

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.

Redken Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo draws complaints about dryness.

Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Reviewers with easily-tangling hair report the shampoo helps detangling

tangle-prone hair

Reviewers with red/vivid color report it does a lovely job maintaining their color

color-treated, red/vivid tones

Some bleached/color-processed users report exclusive loyalty to the full Redken color-care system (shampoo/conditioner/mask)

bleached/heavily color-treated hair

Users report the shampoo works well and smells good, general satisfaction

general users

A rare but serious complaint of significant hair loss/shedding after first use, though scent was liked

general users

Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo

Reviewers with fine or thin hair report it cleanses and adds fullness/density without feeling heavy

fine/thin hair

Praised for scalp care/deep cleansing without stripping the scalp

Lightweight, clear formula that lathers well and rinses cleanly

A minority of reviewers found it drying on the hair despite liking the scent

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.

$3.29/oz vs $3.65/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.

$0.00/oz median $1.47/oz $17.29/oz $3.29/oz Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate $3.65/oz Acidic Grow Full System De

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

Value readAcidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free ShampooAcidic Grow Full System Densifying Shampoo
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
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.

Acidic Color Gloss Sulfate-Free Shampoo · Acidic Grow Full System Densifying 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.

Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.

Your personalized hair plan

Tell us what’s going on with your hair, see what we understand, and get a plan built around it — with the reason behind every recommendation.

Free to start · $49.00 for your consultation and hair profile · No subscription · Nothing you must buy

Start your consultation