invigorates and calms the scalp
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Design Essentials
Peppermint & Aloe Soothing Scalp Tonic
Scalp treatment
- Scalp treatment
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size4 fl oz
Price$9–11 Good valuecommonly seen · 4 oz
Price / oz$2.50/ozat 4 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $8.99–12.00
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
Reviewers describe it as peppermint.
“an aromatherapeutic scent that invigorates and calms the senses” (Brand page)
Manufacturer page: designessentials.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 20 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
None found
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Little
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
Moderate
Not in your profile
Scent
Mint & herbalStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Show all 20 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Essential oils
Present
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
High
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
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
10 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Retail
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 scalp treatments
$2.50/oz at 4 oz, less than 89% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/oz.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
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.
Slip and detangling
Little
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Water-binding (humectants)
None found
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Hard-water defence
None
No chelating agent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Denat.Alcohol | drying alcohol | Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry | Drying |
| Hydroxypropyl Guar | gum | Natural hold and clump definition | Holds |
| Camphor | fragrance | The scent, and a large share of the formula this high up | Fragrance |
| Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
| Clove Flower (Bud) OilEugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Oil | essential oil | — | Fragrance |
| Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
| Eugenol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Fd&C Yellow 5 | colourant | Colours the product, not the hair | Neutral |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or silicones. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Fast-drying alcohol is in the list.
Full ingredient list (10)
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
Alcohol Denat.
· Alcohol
General function
Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairPorous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairIt evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
2
Hydroxypropyl Guar
General function
A modified guar gum used to thicken and give a slippery, cushioned feel.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- gum
- thickener
- polymer
-
3
Camphor
General function
Produces a cooling, medicinal sensation on the scalp and contributes scent.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- active
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
4
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
General function
Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.
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 routinesEssential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
5
Clove Flower (Bud) Oil
· Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Oil
General function
The essential oil steam-distilled from clove flower buds, chiefly eugenol; used in shampoos and scalp tonics for scent and as a masking fragrance ingredient. Distinct from clove leaf oil, a different plant part with a different composition.
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.
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
6
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
General function
Tea tree essential oil, used in scalp products for its sharp scent and traditional clarifying reputation.
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 routinesEssential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
7
Eugenol
General function
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
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 not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
8
Fd&C Yellow 5
- colourant
-
9
Blue 1
· FD&C Blue 1
- colourant
- direct dye
- blue dye
-
10
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 5 fragrances
- 3 essential oils
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 colourants
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 solvent
- 1 gum
- 1 thickener
- 1 polymer
- 1 active
- 1 named fragrance allergen
- 1 direct dye
- 1 blue dye
- 1 preservative
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-12. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 4 oz
Commonly seen
$9–11
Good value under
$20
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $20 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $35 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
-
Beauty Depot Online
$8.994 oz · $2.25/ozSep 12Lowest per ozSale · was $10.99
-
EP Distributors
$9.994 oz · $2.50/ozSep 12
-
Sally Beauty
$11.994 oz · $3.00/ozSep 12
-
Design Essentials (designessentials.com)
$12.004 oz · $3.00/ozSep 12
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
- 4 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 4 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $20 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $5.04/oz; at 4 oz that is $20. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $35 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 4 oz.
Formula
0
Formula score
0 of 10
It costs less per ounce than most scalp treatments, and the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front, which a scalp treatment is usually built around.
How the score is counted
- Costs less per ounce than 89% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced
- No conditioning agents up front in the formula
- No oils or butters in the working zone either
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.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.
NioxinClosest function
Pro Clinical Hair Fall Defense Serum
$16.97/oz $14.47/oz more
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
As I AmFragrance-free
Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Itch Soothing Drops
$5.50/oz $3.00/oz more
- Scalp active
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Function
- Also
Bella HueLowest cost per oz
Rosemary Scalp Scrub
$3.67/oz $1.17/oz more
- Fragrance-free
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- 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
Hair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and something that will not weigh hair down
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance or very dry or high-damage hair
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.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Several customers report the product works well for protective styles like braids and twists, helping to maintain scalp health while hair is in protective styling
customers using product with protective hairstylesCustomers consistently praise the invigorating peppermint sensation and pleasant scent that makes the product feel refreshing and therapeutic to apply
customers describing sensory experience and application feelMultiple reviewers report significant relief from scalp itching and irritation, including those with conditions like scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis
customers describing therapeutic scalp reliefSome customers report the product initially soothes but causes delayed itching or does not effectively treat severe scalp conditions like dandruff or psoriasis
customers noting limitations or delayed side effectsMore from Design Essentials
- Agave & Lavender Moisturizing & Detangling Conditioner
- Almond & Avocado Moisturizing & Detangling Conditioner
- Almond Butter Express Instant Moisturizing Conditioner
- Milk & Honey 6N1 Reconstructive Conditioner
- Peppermint & Aloe Soothing Scalp Care Conditioner
- Rosemary & Mint Stimulating Super Moisturizing Conditioner
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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-12.
- Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 6 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 2026-09-12.
