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Garnier Fructis

Grow Strong Thickening Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
Size12.5 fl ozusual store size · 2 sizes
Priceabout $5 Good valuecommonly seen · 12.5 oz · from $0.25/oz in the 33.8 oz
Price / oz$0.40/ozat 12.5 oz
Where to buy5 stores · 2 sizes

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: garnierusa.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.

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Lower cost than most shampoos

$0.40/oz at 12.5 oz, less than 93% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
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 has a scent
Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

How much cleansing you need depends on how fast your scalp gets oily, how much product you layer and your water. The consultation works that out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Cleansing strength Strong

A reset wash that removes oil, buildup, and most residue.

Expected lather High

Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair.

Slip and detangling 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 None

No chelating agent in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up a larger share of the formula.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua / Water / Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Sodium Laureth Sulfate sulfate cleanser — Cleanses
Coco-Betaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
PPG-5-Ceteth-20 emulsifier Keeps oil and water mixed Stabilizes
Citric Acid pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
FragranceParfum / Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
Salicylic Acid active A secondary active Active
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo silicones or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance.
Full ingredient list (23)

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 Laureth Sulfate
    General function

    A strong, high-foaming cleanser and the most common shampoo detergent. It removes oil and product efficiently, which can be more than dry or colour-treated hair wants.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A sulfate detergent can lift deposited silicone, wax and styling films, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Fine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology
    • sulfate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Coco-Betaine
    General function

    A coconut-derived mild cleanser that boosts foam and softens stronger detergents.

    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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 4 Sodium Chloride
    General function

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

    Supporting ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 5 PPG-5-Ceteth-20
    General function

    A solubiliser that keeps oils and fragrance dissolved in clear liquids.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 6 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
  • 7 Sodium Benzoate
    General function

    A food-grade preservative that works only in acidic formulas, which is why it usually appears alongside citric acid.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    PubChem
    • preservative
  • 8 Fragrance · Parfum / Fragrance
    General function

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

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 9 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
  • 10 Dicaprylyl Ether
    General function

    A light emollient used for slip without a greasy after-feel.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 11 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
  • 12 PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
    General function

    An emulsifier that softens a cleanser and helps it rinse without a stripped feel.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emulsifier
    • emollient
  • 13 Salicylic Acid
    • active
    • exfoliant
  • 14 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 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
  • 15 Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
    General function

    A guar-bean conditioning polymer that deposits during rinsing. It is why a strong shampoo can still leave hair combable.

    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

    Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.

    • conditioning agent
    • polymer
    • gum
  • 16 Oleyl Alcohol
    General function

    A liquid fatty alcohol that adds slip and helps other oils 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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
  • 17 PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • 18 Polyquaternium-7
    General function

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

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

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

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 19 Ascorbyl Glucoside
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 20 Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract / Orange Fruit Extract
  • 21 Biotin
    • vitamin
  • 22 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 23 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin

What the whole list adds up to

  • 3 emulsifiers
  • 3 emollients
  • 3 vitamins
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 cleansers
  • 2 solubilizers
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 fragrances
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 antioxidants
  • 1 sulfate cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 12.5 oz

Commonly seen about $5 Midpoint $4.99 · 4 stores · checked Oct 8
Good value under $25 Under $1.99/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 $25 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $33 at this size.

Sizes

12.5 ozusual store size
$5
$0.40/oz
33.8 oz
$8.53
$0.25/oz

The 33.8 oz costs 38% less per ounce than the 12.5 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 5 stores

12.5 ozusual store size

33.8 ozBest per ounce

  • Walmart
    $8.53
    33.8 oz · $0.25/oz
    Oct 8Lowest per ozSale · was $9.99

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. 12.5 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 12.5 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $25 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.99/oz; at 12.5 oz that is $25. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $33 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 12.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
9 of 10

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

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 93% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website
  • 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.

Garnier FructisLowest cost per oz Whole Blends Honey Water Moisture Restoring Shampoo $0.76/oz $0.36/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Lightweight
· Same function Compare
MatrixClose function A Curl Can Dream Weightless Moisture Shampoo $2.39/oz $1.99/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Lightweight
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Floral scent
  • Masstige tier
  • 10.1 oz bottle
Compare
RedkenClose function Extreme Length Shampoo $3.04/oz $2.64/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Lightweight
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 10.1 oz bottle
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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person
Best user

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

Biggest tradeoff

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

Best alternative if not

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.

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 reviewers love the fresh, fruity scent, though one says it turned odd the next day.

Reviewers across hair types

Several reviewers say their breakage lessened after using the shampoo for several weeks.

Reviewers across hair types

Several reviewers say it cleans well and leaves hair soft without feeling heavy or oily.

Reviewers with oily scalps and others across hair types

Shedding reports conflict, with one reviewer blaming it for heavy hair loss while others see normal shedding.

Reviewers across hair types

More from Garnier Fructis

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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 12 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 2026-10-19.

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