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Aussie

Ultra Smooth Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Sulfate-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size10.1 fl oz
Price$9.97 Good valueseen at one store · 10.1 oz
Price / oz$0.99/ozat 10.1 oz

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

“Summer fruits, White Florals, grounding amber” — Brand page

Manufacturer page: aussie.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Priced with its peers

$0.99/oz at 10.1 oz — less than 68% of the 817 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this much cleansing is right for you depends on how fast your scalp oils, how much product you layer, and your water — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Cleansing strength Strong

Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash.

Expected lather High

Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair.

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Scalp active None

No over-the-counter scalp active.

Hard-water defence Chelators present

Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Protein Prominent

Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate olefin sulfonate cleanser Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine amphoteric cleanser Cleanses
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
Cocamide MEA secondary cleanser Softens the main detergent Cleanses
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Hydrolyzed Silk film former A supporting film former Protein
Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed OilAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil oil A small amount of oil for softness Softens
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient A softening touch, low in the list Buildup
Dimethiconol silicone A little smoothing and shine Buildup
Sodium Salicylate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-forward — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.
Full ingredient list (21)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

  • 1 Water
    General function

    The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 2 Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
    General function

    A strong non-sulfate detergent used in "sulfate-free" shampoos. It cleans about as thoroughly as a sulfate despite the label difference.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A strong detergent with no sulfate on the label. It removes deposited films about as completely as a sulfate does.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Sulfate-free on the label is a naming fact, not a mildness one: this is an efficient detergent, and hair short of moisture can feel it.

    PubChem
    • olefin sulfonate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Cocamidopropyl Betaine
    General function

    A mild coconut-derived co-cleanser that boosts foam and softens the effect of stronger detergents. It appears in most shampoos, gentle or not.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Among the mildest detergents in use — it is what baby shampoos are built on — but it is almost always the second detergent in a formula. How much a wash strips is still decided by the primary detergent listed above it.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology
    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 4 Sodium Chloride
    General function

    Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    PubChem
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 5 Cocamide MEA
    General function

    A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises foam and gives shampoo its body.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

    • secondary cleanser
    • nonionic cleanser
    • thickener
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 6 Fragrance
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 7 Hydrolyzed Silk
    General function

    A light protein used for slip and shine rather than strength.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.

    • film former
    • protein
    • hydrolysed protein
  • 8 Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil · Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
    General function

    Baobab oil, a medium-weight oil used in textured-hair conditioners.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 9 Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
    General function

    Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 10 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
    General function

    Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

    • emollient
    • light ester
    • oil
    • wax
  • 11 Aleurites Moluccanus (Kukui) Seed Oil · Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
    General function

    Kukui nut oil - a light oil used for softness on fine textured hair.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 12 Sodium Xylenesulfonate
    • solubilizer
  • 13 Dimethiconol
    General function

    A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 14 Histidine
    General function

    One of the amino acids that make up hair protein, added for moisture binding.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.

    DependsProtein-sensitive hair

    The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.

    PubChem
    • amino acid
  • 15 Citric Acid
    General function

    Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 16 Polyquaternium-10
    General function

    A cellulose-based conditioning polymer that leaves a thin, static-reducing film. Very common in shampoos as the ingredient that keeps them from stripping.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 17 Sodium Salicylate
    • preservative
    • exfoliant
  • 18 Sodium Citrate
    General function

    Used with citric acid to hold the formula at a steady, slightly acidic pH. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 19 TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
    General function

    A strong detergent used mainly in clarifying and deep-cleansing shampoos.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Cleansing is what lifts deposited films off the strand. How completely depends on which detergent it is and how high on the list it sits.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.

    PubChem
    • cleanser
  • 20 Tetrasodium EDTA
    General function

    Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

    PubChem
    • hard-water chelator
  • 21 Laureth-23
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer

What the whole list adds up to

  • 5 emollients
  • 4 oils
  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 hard-water chelators
  • 2 secondary cleansers
  • 2 thickeners
  • 2 film formers
  • 2 solubilizers
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 olefin sulfonate cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 salt
  • 1 nonionic cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-13. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 10.1 oz

Seen at $9.97 1 store · checked Sep 14
Good value under $13 Under $1.29/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $13 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $19 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
  • Walmart
    $9.97
    10.1 oz · $0.99/oz
    Sep 14Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 10.1 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $9.97 is the price we have observed for the 10.1 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $13 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.29/oz; at 10.1 oz that is $13. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $19 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 10.1 oz.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a shampoo does and costs about what shampoos cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 68% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
  • No humectant in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Grocery / mass
  • A working detergent systemWhat actually removes oil and product.3 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A hard-water chelatorBinds the minerals that dull hair in hard water.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
  • No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

OGXLowest cost per oz Anti-Breakage + Keratin Oil Shampoo $1.38/oz $0.39/oz more
  • Sulfate-free
  • Deep clean
  • Protein
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Film formers
Also
  • Masstige tier
  • 13 oz bottle
Compare
Kevin MurphyLighter feel STIMULATE-ME.WASH $4.38/oz $3.39/oz more
  • Sulfate-free
  • Deep clean
  • Protein
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
  • Film formers
Also
  • Mint scent
  • Salon tier
  • 8.4 oz bottle
Compare
AlternaClose function Caviar Anti-Aging Sheer Dry Shampoo $3.62/oz $2.63/oz more
  • Protein
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Film formers
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 5 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Colour-treated hair — for washing without sulfates and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

4
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
9X hydration

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

4 days frizz control, even in high humidity

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Hydrolyzed Silk
  • Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil
  • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

cleanses & smooths

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Hydrolyzed Silk
  • Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil
  • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

long lasting frizz control

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Hydrolyzed Silk
  • Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil
  • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

sulfate and paraben free formula

No parabens appear in the ingredient list.

Supported

Preserved without parabens.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Strong, effective lather that cleanses well without feeling stripping, alongside a widely praised scent

reviewers across hair types, several comparing it favorably to salon/high-end brands

Reduces frizz and leaves hair smooth, soft, and hydrated; several reviewers describe it as comparable to pricier salon shampoos

reviewers with thick or curly hair

Rinses cleanly with no residue, and the packaging/bottle design is called out as sleek

repeat buyers

One reviewer reported a drying result ('felt like hay') and a pleasant initial scent that turned into an unpleasant 'cigarette'-like note

a single verified-purchase reviewer (also reported the same pattern on the matching conditioner)

One reviewer found frizz control inconsistent depending on styling method -- helped when hair was worn straight but not when worn curly

a reviewer alternating between straight and curly styling

More from Aussie

How this page was made

  • Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
  • 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.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • 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.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-13.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 16 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
  • We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-09-14.