Cantu Grapeseed Strengthening Shampoo — 13.5 oz container

Cantu

Grapeseed Strengthening Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

Shampoo
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size13.5 fl oz

Price$5.99 Good valueseen at one store · 13.5 oz

Price / oz$0.44/ozat 13.5 oz

Where to buy2 stores · $5.99–6.99

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

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: cantubeauty.co.uk

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Wavy–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Cleansing strength Strong Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Moderate Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance Prominent Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Sulfates None listed Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Cruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 29 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand websiteOne channel Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.

Lower cost than most shampoos

$0.44/oz at 13.5 oz, less than 90% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

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

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

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

Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

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) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

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 Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up 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. The 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
Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate	olefin sulfonate cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamide Dipa	secondary cleanser	Softens the main detergent	Cleanses
Acrylates Copolymer	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Glycol Distearate	opacifier	Adjusts appearance	Softens
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, 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 (29)

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

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 Cocamide Dipa

General function
A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises foam and adds body to a cleanser.

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

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
A secondary detergent adjusts foam and mildness rather than deciding how much a wash removes; read the primary detergent above it.
- secondary cleanser
- thickener
5 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.

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 Glycerin

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

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
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
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
7 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
8 Glycol Distearate

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

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

PubChem
- opacifier
- emollient
9 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
10 Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
11 PEG-150 Distearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
12 Polyester-37

General function
A polymer used to hold pigments and oils in a durable film.

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 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
13 Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

General function
A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.

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
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
14 Disodium EDTA

General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the 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
15 Panthenol

General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.

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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
It hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.

PubChem
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
16 Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil

General function
A light oil used where softness is wanted without weight.

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
17 Ethylhexylglycerin

General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

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

PubChem
- preservative
- emollient
18 Sodium Glycolate
19 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
20 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
21 Polyquaternium-39

General function
A hold-and-condition polymer used in styling products for a soft set.

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
22 C12-18 Fatty Acids
23 Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
- conditioning agent
24 Steareth-4
- emulsifier
25 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter

General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

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
Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

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.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
26 Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
27 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
28 Sodium Ferrocyanide
29 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

What the whole list adds up to

4 polymers
4 emollients
3 thickeners
3 film formers
3 preservatives
3 emulsifiers
3 conditioning agents
2 cleansers
2 secondary cleansers
2 humectants
2 fragrances
2 hard-water chelators
2 pH adjusters
1 solvent

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 13.5 oz

Seen at $5.99 1 store · checked Sep 17

Good value under $12 Under $0.86/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 $12 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $13 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 13.5 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

Camille’s Beauty Supply
$5.99

13.5 oz · $0.44/oz

Sep 17Lowest per oz
shopstarbeauty.com
$6.99

13.5 oz · $0.52/oz

Sep 17

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. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out

13.5 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.
Seen at $5.99 is the price we have observed for the 13.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $12 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.86/oz; at 13.5 oz that is $12. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $13 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 13.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score

9 of 10

It carries the working systems a shampoo needs and still sits in the lower part of the price range for shampoos per ounce.

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 90% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website
Drugstore tier

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

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.

CurlsmithSame function Curl Reset Detox Shampoo $3.50/oz $3.06/oz more

Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Deep clean

Differs: Fresh scent
Vegan
Masstige tier

Compare

LUSETALowest cost per oz Curl Enhancing Coconut Oil Shampoo $1.12/oz $0.68/oz more

Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Deep clean

· Close function

Function: Film formers
Also: Masstige tier
16.9 oz bottle

Compare

amikaLighter feel Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo $3.15/oz $2.71/oz more

Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Deep clean

· Close function

Function: Film formers
Also: Salon tier
9.2 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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and a protein-free formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, dry or damaged hair, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs 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, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

strengthening

No protein or bond ingredient appears in the list.

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

with grapeseed oil and shea butter

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

for curly, coily, wavy hair

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

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.

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.
3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-17.
Ingredient references are linked for 10 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 2026-09-17.

Grapeseed Strengthening Shampoo

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

More from Cantu

How this page was made

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