Design Essentials

STS Express Cleansing Sulfate-Free Shampoo Step 1

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

Shampoo
Sulfate-free
Curly-method
Lightweight
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size16 fl oz (473 ml)

Price$29.95 Good valueseen at one store · 16 oz

Price / oz$1.87/ozat 16 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: designessentials.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate 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 Present Not in your profile

Protein Minor Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup Low 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 None 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 Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it Salons · Grocery / mass 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.

Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$1.87/oz at 16 oz, more than 58% 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

Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals

Silicone-free routinesit does contain silicones, the water-soluble kind

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

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 Moderate

An ordinary shampoo lather.

Slip and detangling High

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

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Scalp active None

No over-the-counter scalp active.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

Needs detergent to remove Rinses with water

The silicones here are the water-soluble kind.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

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/Water/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
Polyquaternium-10	conditioning agent	Puts conditioning back as it washes	Detangles
PEG-12 Dimethicone	emollient	A softening touch, low in the list	Shine
Hydrolyzed Oat Protein	film former	A supporting film former	Protein
FragranceFragrance (Parfum)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Contains fragrance.

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 · Aqua/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 ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

General function
A gentle, dense-lathering cleanser used as the primary detergent in many sulfate-free shampoos.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
- mild anionic 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 Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate

General function
A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water.

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

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

PubChem
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
5 Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

General function
A mild cleanser that gives a creamy lather and leaves hair less stripped than sulfates.

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

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
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
7 Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

General function
A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water and rinses cleanly.

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

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
8 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.

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

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 PEG-12 Dimethicone

General function
A water-soluble silicone that smooths without the build-up concern of standard silicones.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
The PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.

May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Delivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.
- emollient
- silicone
- water-soluble silicone
10 Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copolymer

General function
A conditioning polymer that stays on the hair after rinsing to reduce static and frizz.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
11 Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
12 Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
13 Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

General function
A protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It fills gaps on damaged strands and firms the feel for a few washes; too much reads as stiff.

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
Filling 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 styling
Film 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 hair
Hydrolysed 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
14 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 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
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 Pentylene Glycol

General function
A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
- preservative
17 Propanediol · 1,3-Propanediol

General function
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

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
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
18 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- preservative
- humectant
19 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
20 Limonene

General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to 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
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 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

5 cleansers
4 mild anionic cleansers
4 humectants
3 solvents
3 film formers
3 fragrances
3 preservatives
2 conditioning agents
2 polymers
2 emollients
2 named fragrance allergens
1 amphoteric cleanser
1 secondary cleanser
1 silicone

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

Price · 16 oz

Seen at $29.95 1 store · checked Aug 25

Good value under $33 Under $2.04/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 $33 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $62 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 16 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Payne’s Beauty Supply
$29.95

16 oz · $1.87/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

16 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 $29.95 is the price we have observed for the 16 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $33 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.04/oz; at 16 oz that is $33. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $62 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 16 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

The formula carries the systems a shampoo is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.

How the score is counted

Costs more per ounce than 58% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
Covers 7 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
Salon tier, sold at Salons and Grocery / mass
Salon 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.

hOURS haircareClosest function High Noon Shampoo $4.00/oz $2.13/oz more

Sulfate-free
Deep clean
Curly method

Function: Slip and detangling
Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Sold online

Compare

KloraneClose function Ultra-Gentle Shampoo Bar with Oat Milk $50.85/oz $48.98/oz more

Function: Slip and detangling
Needs detergent to remove
Also: Masstige tier

Compare

Eden BodyWorksLowest cost per oz Coconut Shea Moisture Shampoo $0.63/oz $1.24/oz less

Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Deep clean

· Related function

Function: Silicone type
Protein
Needs detergent to remove
Also: Mint scent
Drugstore 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?

Good for the right person

Best user

Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, dry or damaged hair, or very dry or very humid climates

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

Cleanses hair before the STS Express system.

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Sulfate-free formula with biotin.

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

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.

Reviewers describe the shampoo as effective and long-lasting

Walmart exact-product reviewers

A reviewer reports leakage/late delivery rather than product performance

Walmart exact-product 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.
4 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
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 2026-09-05.

STS Express Cleansing Sulfate-Free Shampoo Step 1

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

What people report

More from Design Essentials

How this page was made

Hair Care Consultation