Skip to main content
Aveda · Cherry Almond Softening

Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Vegan · brand states
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8.5 fl oz
Price$21–24commonly seen · 8.5 oz
Price / oz$2.59/ozat 8.5 oz
Where to buy7 stores · 3 sizes

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

Notes: almond, sweet.

Listing used for research: needhaircolors.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

  • About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
  • Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
  • A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
  • Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.

Start your consultation

Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$2.59/oz at 8.5 oz, more than 69% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

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
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

How much cleansing you need depends on how fast your scalp gets oily, how much product you layer and your water. The consultation works that 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

A reset wash that removes oil, buildup, and most residue.

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) High

Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.

Scalp active None

No over-the-counter scalp active.

Hard-water defence Chelators present

Contains chelators, which bind hard-water and pool minerals.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

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. The 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
WaterWater\Aqua\Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate sulfate cleanser — Cleanses
Propanediol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Decyl Glucoside nonionic cleanser — Cleanses
Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
Babassuamidopropyl Betaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Prunus Serrulata Flower (Cherry) Extract botanical extract A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function Neutral
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Geraniol fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no silicones or drying alcohols. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Hard-water chelators are present.
Full ingredient list (25)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Water · Water\Aqua\Eau
    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 Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
    General function

    A sulfate detergent similar in strength to sodium lauryl sulfate, used for fast, high foam.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A sulfate detergent can lift deposited silicone, wax and styling films, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Fine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.

    PubChem
    • sulfate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Propanediol
    General function

    A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • solvent
  • 4 Decyl Glucoside
    General function

    A sugar-derived, low-foam cleanser used in gentle and curly-method shampoos.

    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.

    PubChem
    • nonionic cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 5 Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer
    General function

    A synthetic film-forming polymer. Polymers of this kind dry to a continuous film on the hair, which is how a styling product holds a shape.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

    • film former
    • polymer
  • 6 Babassuamidopropyl Betaine
    General function

    A babassu-derived mild cleanser used in place of coconut betaine.

    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

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

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

    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 7 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
    General function

    A medium-weight oil used for softness and slip.

    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

    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 not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 8 Prunus Serrulata Flower (Cherry) Extract
    General function

    An extract of Prunus Serrulata. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • botanical extract
  • 9 Glycerin
    General function

    Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 10 Glycol Distearate
    General function

    A wax that gives shampoo its pearly look and a slightly richer feel.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    PubChem
    • opacifier
    • emollient
  • 11 Acrylates Copolymer
    General function

    A hold polymer that forms a firm, humidity-resistant film. It is the usual source of a hard cast in gels.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

    • film former
    • polymer
  • 12 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.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    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
  • 13 Butylene Glycol
    General function

    A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • solvent
  • 14 Sodium Chloride
    • salt
    • thickener
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 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 Sodium Hydroxide
    General function

    A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

    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.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
  • 17 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
    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
  • 18 Linalool
    General function

    A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

    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

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 19 Geraniol
    General function

    A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to 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

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 20 Limonene
    General function

    A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to 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

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 21 Sodium Phytate
    General function

    A rice-derived chelator that binds hard-water minerals without EDTA.

    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
  • 22 Benzoic Acid
    • preservative
  • 23 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 24 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 25 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 fragrances
  • 4 preservatives
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 humectants
  • 3 film formers
  • 3 polymers
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 emollients
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 1 sulfate cleanser
  • 1 nonionic cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8.5 oz

Commonly seen $21–24 Midpoint $22 · 4 stores · checked Oct 31
Good value under $24 Under $2.77/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Good value on sale. Some stores sell it under the $24 line; products that do this job typically go for about $25 at this size.

Sizes

1.7 oz
$10.42
$6.13/oz
8.5 ozusual store size
$21–24
$2.59/oz
10 oz
$37.34
$3.73/oz

The 8.5 oz costs the least per ounce, 58% less than the 1.7 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it8 listings · 7 stores

8.5 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce

1.7 oz

10 oz

  • Target
    $37.34
    10 oz · $3.73/oz
    Aug 29Lowest per ozSale · was $65.35

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. 8.5 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. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 8.5 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $24 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.77/oz; at 8.5 oz that is $24. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $25 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

A complete formula at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among shampoos, with the working systems in place.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 69% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 7 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
  • Salon tier, sold at Target and Specialty beauty
  • 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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

Creme of NatureLowest cost per oz Plex Breakage Defense Restoring Shampoo $0.46/oz $2.13/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Hard water
· Same function
Differs
  • Drugstore tier
  • 12 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find 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

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair

Best alternative if not

Creme of Nature Plex Breakage Defense Restoring Shampoo for similar results 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, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Deeply, yet gently cleanse hair while maintaining healthy lipids and oils

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Restore softness and shine from roots to ends

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

  • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

Touchable soft and full of weightless bounce

Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.

  • Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer
  • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
  • Glycol Distearate
Supported

Natural movement without stiffness.

How to read this

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

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Several reviewers find the sweet, light scent pleasant, and one says it lingers through the day.

Reviewers across hair types

Several reviewers feel the price is too high for a small bottle, especially for everyday use.

Reviewers across hair types

Reviewers report mixed hair results, with some finding it leaves hair soft and shiny while others say it left hair dull or static.

Reviewers across hair types

More from Aveda

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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.
  • 5 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 4 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 11 of 18 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • 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 v23. Record last updated 2026-10-19.

Hair Care Consultation

A care plan made for your hair and goals, then follow-up questions and plan updates.

  • Answers to your hair concerns
  • Formula-based product picks
  • Routines for your lifestyle and preferences
  • Updates for weather, needs and goals

$49with 60 days of follow-ups

Start my consultation