Specifically created for blonde and silver hair
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Clairol · Shimmer Lights
Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo
Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning
- Shampoo
- Silicone-free
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size31.5 fl oz
Price$18.97seen at one store · 31.5 oz
Price / oz$0.65/ozat 31.5 oz
Where to buy3 stores · $18.97–22.16
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
Notes: fresh.
Listing used for research: amazon.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.
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- 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
None found
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
Minor
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Scent
Fresh & airyStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Sulfates
Sulfate detergent
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
Present
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not 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
21 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Grocery / mass · Amazon
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.
Your avoid-list
Lower cost than most shampoos
$0.65/oz at 31.5 oz, less than 81% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
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
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
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)
None found
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
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
Minor
Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium Laureth Sulfate | sulfate cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | sulfate cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Glycol Distearate | opacifier | Makes the product look creamy | Softens |
| FragranceFragrance/Parfum | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Glycol Stearate | opacifier | Adjusts appearance | Softens |
| Disodium Phosphate | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Salicylic Acid | active | A secondary active | Active |
| Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no silicones or drying alcohols. Fragrance is on the label. Hard-water chelators are present.
Full ingredient list (21)
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/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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
General function
A strong, high-foaming cleanser and the most common shampoo detergent. It removes oil and product efficiently, which can be more than dry or colour-treated hair wants.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesA 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 hairFine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
General function
A high-foaming, strongly cleansing detergent. It clears build-up thoroughly and is the harsher of the two common sulfates.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesA 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 hairFine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
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.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairAmong 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.
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
5
Glycol Distearate
General function
A wax that gives shampoo its pearly look and a slightly richer feel.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- opacifier
- emollient
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
6
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
7
Glycol Stearate
General function
A wax that makes shampoo look pearly and adds a slightly richer feel.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- opacifier
- emollient
-
8
Disodium Phosphate
General function
A buffering salt that keeps pH stable as the product ages.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH 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.
- pH adjuster
- salt
-
9
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
10
Ricinoleamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate
- conditioning agent
- conditioning agent
-
11
Cocamide MEA
General function
A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises foam and gives shampoo its body.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA 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 routinesGentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.
- secondary cleanser
- nonionic cleanser
- thickener
-
12
Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
General function
A conditioning agent that carries fatty acids onto the strand for slip without heaviness.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
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 zoneIt 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 holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairCationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
14
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 zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesHolds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe 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 hairWhere a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
15
Salicylic Acid
- active
- exfoliant
-
16
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
General function
A general plant protein blend used for strength and body; the silanetriol form binds more firmly.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairFilling 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 stylingFilm 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 hairHydrolysed 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
-
17
Tetrasodium EDTA
General function
Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds 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 hairCopper 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.
- hard-water chelator
-
18
Ext. Violet 2 (CI 60730)
· Ext. Violet 2
General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairA violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- direct dye
- violet dye
-
19
Methylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
- 20 Stearamide AMP
-
21
Violet 2
- colourant
- direct dye
- violet dye
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 cleansers
- 3 conditioning agents
- 2 sulfate cleansers
- 2 secondary cleansers
- 2 opacifiers
- 2 emollients
- 2 pH adjusters
- 2 preservatives
- 2 hard-water chelators
- 2 colourants
- 2 direct dyes
- 2 violet dyes
- 1 solvent
- 1 amphoteric cleanser
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 31.5 oz
Seen at
$18.97
Good value under
$14
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $14 line; products that do this job typically go for about $43 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Ocean Salon Systems
$18.9731.5 oz · $0.60/ozOct 22Lowest per oz
-
Target
$19.9932 oz · $0.62/ozAug 21
-
Walmart
$22.1631.5 oz · $0.70/ozOct 22
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
- 31.5 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 $18.97 is the price we have observed for the 31.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $14 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.46/oz; at 31.5 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $43 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 31.5 oz.
Formula
8
Formula score
8 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
- 2 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 81% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- 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.
EquateLowest cost per oz
Blonde & Silver Shampoo for Hair Care of Blonde and Silver Hair
$0.34/oz $0.31/oz less
- Deep clean
- Hard water
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
Old SpiceLighter feel
Tea Tree Shampoo for Men
$0.36/oz $0.29/oz less
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Hard water
- Function
- Also
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 suitsBest user
Scalps that oil up within a day, for a proper reset wash and a hard-water chelator
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair
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.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Tone down brassiness
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Shampoo away yellow
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Refresh highlights without affecting ash tones
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.
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.
Leaves hair feeling shiny and soft
Effective at removing yellow/brassy tones from blonde and gray hair
Works well on salt-and-pepper/gray hair specifically
reviewers with gray hairStrong chemical/purple-shampoo odor noted
Can leave a purple/violet cast if left on too long or used too frequently
More from Clairol
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, 5 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
- Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 14 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.
