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Dark and Lovely

Au Naturale Anti-Shrinkage Beyond Gentle Sulfate-Free Wash

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

Shampoo
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Lightweight

Size13.5 fl oz

Price$7.99 Good valueseen at one store · 13.5 oz

Price / oz$0.59/ozat 13.5 oz

Where to buy1 store

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: softsheen-carson.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Wavy–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Low Not in your profile

Cleansing strength Strong Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Light 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 Sulfate detergent 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 Not yet verified 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 26 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

$0.59/oz at 13.5 oz, less than 84% 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

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear 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

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 High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.

Water-binding (humectants) Low

Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part.

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
WaterAqua	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Sodium Laureth Sulfate	sulfate cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamide MEA	secondary cleanser	Softens the main detergent	Cleanses
Sodium Chloride	salt	Thickens the formula	Stabilizes
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Phenoxyethanol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Polyquaternium-7	conditioning agent	A little conditioning left behind	Detangles
Potassium Sorbate	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Sodium Benzoate	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Benzyl Salicylate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo silicones or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Chelators for hard water.

Full ingredient list (26)

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 · Aqua

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 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
3 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 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.

Indian Journal of Dermatology
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
4 Cocamide MEA

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

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

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.
- secondary cleanser
- nonionic cleanser
- thickener
5 Sodium Chloride

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

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChem
- salt
- thickener
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
6 Fragrance

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

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

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
7 Phenoxyethanol

General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of 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.
PubChem
- preservative
8 Polyquaternium-7

General function
A conditioning polymer that improves wet combing and adds body. Repeated use can build up on fine hair.

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

May 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
9 Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
10 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
11 Glycol Stearate

General function
A wax that makes shampoo look pearly and adds 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
12 Mangifera Indica Seed Oil
13 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

General function
A light, refined coconut-derived oil that spreads easily and does not go rancid. It gives slip without a heavy 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
14 Polyquaternium-10

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

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

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

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
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 PCA

General function
A moisture-binding ingredient that occurs naturally in hair and skin.

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
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
A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

PubChem
- humectant
17 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
18 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
19 Benzyl Salicylate

General function
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised 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
20 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
21 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
22 Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
- botanical extract
23 Yellow 5 · CI 19140

General function
A certified colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour hair.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A 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
24 CI 14700
25 CI 17200

General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A 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
26 CI 42090
- colourant
- direct dye
- blue dye

What the whole list adds up to

4 preservatives
3 fragrances
3 colourants
2 solvents
2 secondary cleansers
2 cleansers
2 thickeners
2 conditioning agents
2 film formers
2 polymers
2 emollients
2 hard-water chelators
2 named fragrance allergens
1 amphoteric cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-25. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 13.5 oz

Seen at $7.99 1 store · checked Aug 25

Good value under $10 Under $0.71/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 $10 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $21 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 13.5 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

BeautyEP
$7.99

13.5 oz · $0.59/oz

Aug 25Lowest per oz

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

How we work this out

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 $7.99 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 $10 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.71/oz; at 13.5 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $21 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

This formula covers the systems a shampoo is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the shampoos we have researched.

How the score is counted

2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 84% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
Reviewers mention 2 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.

SuaveClosest function Invigorating Pump Shampoo Rosemary & Mint $0.27/oz $0.32/oz less

Protein-free
Deep clean
Hard water

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Mint scent
Value tier

Compare

SuaveLowest cost per oz Bamboo & Hibiscus Volumizing Shampoo $0.16/oz $0.43/oz less

Protein-free
Deep clean
Hard water

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Value tier

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

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair

Best alternative if not

Consider Suave Invigorating Pump Shampoo Rosemary & Mint, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Especially formulated for those curlies and coilistas who like to shampoo frequently

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

No parabens or silicone

No parabens appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Preserved without parabens.

For all curl types

No formula reads the same on every texture; our fit panel is the better guide.

—

Stated by brand

See the fit panel instead.

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.

General praise for straightforward, effective cleansing ("does the job", "great product", "just what I was looking for")

general reviewers

Reviewers with tight coils/4c-type hair report the shampoo helps tame and temporarily reduce shrinkage, especially when used together with the line's conditioner

4c-coil reviewers

A reviewer with looser (type 2) hair found the sulfate-free formula left hair feeling more coarse/expanded immediately after shampooing, though it softened again once the companion conditioner was applied -- read as a lower-porosity-hair mismatch rather than a formula defect

type 2 (looser curl) reviewer

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 (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 4 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 15 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 2026-09-04.