Apple Cider Vinegar Daily Scalp Serum
Finisher / Serum, lightweight
- Finisher
- serum
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Manufacturer page: dphue.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.
- 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.
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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
Same job for less elsewhere
$22.35/oz at 1.7 oz, more than 91% of the 136 serums , which mostly run $3.94–14.80/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
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.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
No oils or butters in the list.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
No fragrance is listed.
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 |
| Propanediol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Butylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Neutral |
| Polyquaternium-68 | conditioning agent | Adds slip, lower in the list | Detangles |
| 1,2-Hexanediol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Moisturizes |
| Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 | active | A secondary active | Active |
Full ingredient list (31)
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Propanediol
General function
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- humectant
- solvent
-
3
Butylene Glycol
General function
A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- humectant
- solvent
-
4
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-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 hairBinds 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 hairWater 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.
- humectant
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
5
Apple Cider Vinegar
General function
Dilute acetic acid from fermented apples, used to bring a rinse to an acidic pH so the cuticle lies flatter. The effect comes from the acid, not from the apples.
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.
DependsFrizz-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
-
6
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
General function
An apple extract used at low levels; it contributes a little natural acid and label appeal.
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.
- botanical extract
-
7
Polyquaternium-68
General function
A positively charged conditioning polymer. It leaves a thin film that cuts static and eases combing, and it survives rinsing better than a simple conditioner.
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 holdCationic 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 hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm 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
-
8
1,2-Hexanediol
General function
A preservative booster that also holds a little moisture and helps other ingredients dissolve.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- preservative
- humectant
- solvent
-
9
Hydroxyethylcellulose
General function
A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible film.
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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdA polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- gum
- thickener
- film former
-
10
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Xanthan Gum
General function
A fermented sugar gum that thickens water-based formulas and adds soft, natural hold.
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 holdA polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- gum
- thickener
- film former
-
12
Lecithin
General function
A soy- or sunflower-derived lipid that helps conditioning ingredients spread evenly on the strand.
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.
- emulsifier
- emollient
- 13 Lepidium Meyenii (Maca) Root Extract
-
14
Maltodextrin
General function
A starch fragment that soaks up oil and water, which is what puts it in dry shampoos. It also carries spray-dried plant extracts and leaves a light film.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairTakes up oil at the root, which is where fine hair goes flat first.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
DependsCurls or waves needing flexible holdHow rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
- absorbent
- film former
- binder
-
15
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
General function
A coconut-derived preservative booster that also binds trace metals.
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.
- preservative
- hard-water chelator
-
16
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
General function
A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.
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
-
17
Dextran
- polymer
- thickener
- binder
-
18
Sodium Hyaluronate
General function
A large water-binding molecule that sits on the surface holding moisture.
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 hairHigh-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 hairBinds 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 hairA 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.
- humectant
-
19
Sodium Acetate
General function
A buffering salt used to hold the formula at a steady pH.
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.
DependsFrizz-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.
- salt
- pH adjuster
-
20
Cellulose
General function
Plant fibre used to thicken and give body to a 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.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
- thickener
- gum
-
21
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
- active
- protein
-
22
Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
- 23 Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Water
-
24
Spathodea Campanulata Flower Extract
- botanical extract
-
25
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
General function
Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
-
26
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
- botanical extract
-
27
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
28
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
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.
- preservative
- emollient
-
29
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
30
Sodium Hydroxide
General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.
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 TrichologyDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
31
Sorbic Acid
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 humectants
- 6 botanical extracts
- 6 preservatives
- 4 solvents
- 4 film formers
- 4 gums
- 4 thickeners
- 3 pH adjusters
- 2 polymers
- 2 emollients
- 2 binders
- 2 hard-water chelators
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 emulsifier
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-08. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 1.7 oz
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 $17 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
-
Ulta Beauty
$38.001.7 oz · $22.35/ozOct 17Lowest per oz
-
dpHUE
$38.001.7 oz · $22.35/ozOct 17
-
revolve.com
$38.001.7 oz · $22.35/ozOct 17
-
dpHUE (dphue.com)
$49.001.7 oz · $28.82/ozOct 17
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.
How we work this out
- 1.7 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 1.7 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 $14 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $8.09/oz; at 1.7 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.7 oz.
Formula
It costs more per ounce than 91% of the 136 serums we’ve priced, the formula leaves out shine system, and 2 close matches sell for at least a quarter less per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 91% of the 136 serums we’ve priced
- No shine system in the formula
- No oils or butters in the working zone either
- A shine systemThe silicone, oil, or ester that produces gloss.3 pts
- A weightless carrierDelivers the shine without leaving grease.2 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- An antioxidantKeeps the oils in the bottle from going off.1 pt
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.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.
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Rinses clean
- 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?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costPeople sensitive to fragrance, looking for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Worth skipping for anyone who will not scrunch out a cast, hair that looks dull, or very dry or very humid climates
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.
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 who keep using it report a more comfortable, moisturized scalp, less itch or flaking, and hair that looks thicker over weeks.
Repeat buyers using it daily or in the eveningSeveral reviewers say it left their hair sticky, greasy or with a film that flattened it, which made daily use impractical.
Reviewers who applied it to the scalp as directedSome reviewers saw no change in scalp dryness or hair after weeks or months, found the scent unpleasant, and felt it was not worth the price.
Reviewers who tried it for up to three monthsMore from dpHUE
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 (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-17.
- Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 18 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-17.
