Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced
Scent:
Notes: fresh.
Listing used for research: nordstrom.com
Personal fit
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Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$4.32/oz at 6.7 oz — more than 90% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
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.
Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind.
An ordinary shampoo lather.
Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.
Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.
No over-the-counter scalp active.
Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
Ingredients that matter
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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater/Aqua/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Sodium Chloride | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Propanediol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Cocamide MIPA | secondary cleanser | Softens the main detergent | Cleanses |
| Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Glycol Stearate | opacifier | Makes the product look creamy | Softens |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Eugenol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Amyl Cinnamal | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
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.
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
A mild cleanser built on a coconut- or plant-derived fatty acid. Cleansers of this family lather less aggressively than a sulfate and leave hair less stripped.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
A mild co-cleanser that keeps foam stable in hard water.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.
The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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.
A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises shampoo foam and gives the liquid its body.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.
Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.
A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water and rinses cleanly.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
A wax that makes shampoo look pearly and adds a slightly richer feel.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
A light, soft-feeling oil common in leave-ins and finishing products.
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
An amino acid that holds water and carries a positive charge, so it is drawn to damaged spots on the strand.
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
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.
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
A light macadamia-derived ester used for a dry, silky finish.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
A polymer ester that thickens oils into a gel and leaves a cushioned, glossy film.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
A guar-bean conditioning polymer that deposits during rinsing. It is why a strong shampoo can still leave hair combable.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.
A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
A gentle, biodegradable chelator that binds hard-water minerals in place of EDTA.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
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.
A coconut-derived preservative booster that also softens.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the 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.
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to it.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A rice-derived chelator that binds hard-water minerals without EDTA.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
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.
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-24. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 6.7 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $9 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.
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.
Formula
The formula carries what a shampoo is built around, and 6 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is buying the label, not a different formula.
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, for less
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.
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
Final decision
Colour-treated hair — for washing without sulfates and a protein-free formula
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates
Act+Acre Clarifying Hard Water 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
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.
Plant-powered shampoo protects color for up to 8 weeks (ex vivo testing on tresses washed 24 times).
It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.
Less fade per wash.
Defends against fading and water wash-out.
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
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Can’t be confirmed from label.
100% vegan color protection and care.
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
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Only the brand’s testing shows 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
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
Positive reviewers, including those with curly hair, say it helps colour last longer, softens hair, and controls frizz when used with the matching conditioner
color-treated/curly hair usersReviewers who liked the discontinued predecessor Color Conserve report the new Color Control formula leaves hair feeling greasy, straw-like, or not clean, and several are unhappy about the rename/reformulation
former Aveda Color Conserve customersSome reviewers report scalp itchiness/irritation after switching to this shampoo
sensitive-scalp users
