dpHUE · Cool Brunette

Cool Brunette Shampoo

Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced

Shampoo
Sulfate-free
Lightweight
Not vegan · ingredient list

Size8 fl oz

Priceabout $28commonly seen · 8 oz

Price / oz$3.50/ozat 8 oz

Where to buy6 stores · $25.34–28.00

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Manufacturer page: dphue.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level Low Not in your profile

Cleansing strength Moderate Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Moderate 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 High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate 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 Not vegan · ingredient list Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not vegan · ingredient list 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 25 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Ulta Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Priced above most shampoos

$3.50/oz at 8 oz — more than 80% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash

Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove

Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much cleansing is right for you depends on how fast your scalp oils, how much product you layer, and your water — that is what the consultation works 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 Moderate

Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind.

Expected lather Moderate

An ordinary shampoo lather.

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

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

Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

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. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
WaterWater/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate	mild anionic cleanser	—	Cleanses
PEG-150 Distearate	thickener	Sets the texture	Stabilizes
Glycol Distearate	opacifier	Makes the product look creamy	Softens
Benzyl Alcohol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Blue 1 (CI 42090)CI 42090	colourant	Colours the product, not the hair	Neutral
Hydrolyzed Silk	film former	A supporting film former	Protein
FragranceFragrance (Parfum)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Quaternium-80	silicone	A little smoothing and shine	Buildup
Silk Amino Acids	protein	A small amount of protein	Protein

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off. Chelators for hard water.

Full ingredient list (25)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Water · Water/Eau

General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

Leading 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 Lauroyl Sarcosinate

General function
A gentle cleanser that leaves a soft after-feel; often paired with stronger detergents.

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 PEG-150 Distearate

General function
A thickener that gives shampoo and body wash their pourable, slightly gel-like texture.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- thickener
- emulsifier
6 Glycol Distearate

General function
A wax that gives shampoo its pearly look and a slightly richer feel.

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

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
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
7 Benzyl Alcohol

General function
A preservative and solvent that also occurs naturally in some essential oils.

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
- solvent
8 Blue 1 (CI 42090) · CI 42090

General function
A certified colour used to tint the product itself, not the 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
- direct dye
- blue dye
9 Ext. Violet 2 (CI 60730) · CI 60730

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
- direct dye
- violet dye
10 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
11 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
12 Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
- botanical extract
13 Hydrolyzed Silk

General function
A light protein used for slip and shine rather than strength.

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 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
16 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
17 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
18 Propylene Glycol

General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

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 hydrates without contributing weight.

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
19 Quaternium-80

General function
A conditioning silicone with a positive charge, so it deposits where hair is damaged and stays through rinsing.

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 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
Amino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.

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.
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
20 Silk Amino Acids

General function
Silk protein broken into amino acids, used for slip and shine rather than strength.

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
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.

DependsProtein-sensitive hair
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
- protein
- amino acid
21 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
22 Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
23 Sodium Hydroxide

General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

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.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
The 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.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
24 Tetrasodium EDTA

General function
Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull 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
25 Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

General function
A readily biodegradable chelator used in place of EDTA to bind hard-water minerals.

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

What the whole list adds up to

5 preservatives
3 solvents
3 cleansers
3 hard-water chelators
3 film formers
2 mild anionic cleansers
2 thickeners
2 emollients
2 colourants
2 direct dyes
2 pH adjusters
2 proteins
2 conditioning agents
1 amphoteric cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Commonly seen about $28 Midpoint $28 · 5 stores · checked Aug 30

Good value under $22 Under $2.70/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $22 line; products that do this job typically go for about $24 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores

Cult Beauty
$25.34

8 oz · $3.17/oz

Aug 30Lowest per ozSale · was $31.68
dpHUE (DTC)
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 22
Ulta Beauty
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 30
dpHUE
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 30
Dermstore
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 30
REVOLVE
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 30

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

8 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 8 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
Good value under $22 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.70/oz; at 8 oz that is $22. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $24 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

9 of 10

It costs more per ounce than 80% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced, and the formula carries the systems the format is built around. Nothing in our library comes close enough on formula to be a cheaper substitute.

How the score is counted

Nothing in our library does the same job at a lower price
Costs more per ounce than 80% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
Reviewers mention 4 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 is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

dpHUEClosest function Cool Blonde Shampoo $3.50/oz

Sulfate-free
Hard water
Lightweight

Function: Toning dye
Also: Floral scent

Compare

R+CoClose function SUNSET BLVD Blonde Shampoo $3.38/oz $0.12/oz less

Sulfate-free
Deep clean
Hard water

Function: Toning dye
Cleansing strength
Film formers
Also: Vegan
Prestige tier
8.5 oz bottle

Compare

It's a 10Lowest cost per oz Miracle Daily Shampoo Plus Keratin $2.50/oz $1.00/oz less

Sulfate-free
Deep clean
Hard water

· Related function

Function: Toning dye
Cleansing strength
Film formers
Also: 10 oz bottle

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Above-range price, specific fit

Best user

Colour-treated hair, looking for washing without sulfates and a hard-water chelator

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping

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, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Neutralizes brassiness and orange and red tones in brunettes as it cleanses hair

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Silk Proteins help strengthen hair, increase brightness, and improve luster

Protein or ceramides are present, but low enough that this reads as support, not treatment.

Hydrolyzed Silk
Polyquaternium-10
Quaternium-80

Partly supported

Supports the surface, not a treatment.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Described as a "game changer" for highlighted brunette hair that goes brassy about 4 weeks post-color

highlighted brunette hair

Used regularly (2-3x/week) specifically to maintain color freshness between salon visits

general reviewers

Reviewers with dark/colored brunette hair (including gray-coverage color) report the blue-pigment formula stops post-salon brassiness returning within weeks

colored brunette hair with grays

High repeat-purchase intent, most commonly used together with its matched conditioner for soft, shiny results

general reviewers

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per 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.
6 sources consulted for this product (5 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 17 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
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 v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.

Cool Brunette Shampoo

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, against what the formula shows

What people report

More from dpHUE

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan