sulfate free
No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Gentler on colour and coils.
Head & Shoulders
Supreme Nourish & Smooth Hair & Scalp Conditioner
Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, detangling
- Conditioner
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size9.4 fl oz
Price$9.97seen at one store · 9.4 oz
Price / oz$1.38/ozat 9.4 oz
Where to buy3 stores · $9.97–15.94
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: headandshoulders.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 20 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
High
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Medium
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
High
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
High
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
Present
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Show all 20 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
No adjuster listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
13 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Drugstore · 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.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$1.38/oz at 9.4 oz, less than 59% of the 1119 conditioners , which mostly run $0.94–3.41/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Flaking scalpsit has an over-the-counter active
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list
Non-medicated routinesthis is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Slip and detangling
High
Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.
Oils and butters
Present, high in the list
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
Weight on the hair
Medium
Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.
Water-binding (humectants)
None found
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Hard-water defence
None
No chelating agent in the list.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc PyrithionePyrithione Zinc (0.5%) | active | The over-the-counter active | Active |
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Stearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Behentrimonium Chloride | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens so hair combs through | Detangles |
| Cetyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil | emollient | Softens and smooths the strand | Buildup |
| Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.
Full ingredient list (13)
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
Zinc Pyrithione
· Pyrithione Zinc (0.5%)
General function
An over-the-counter anti-dandruff active that reduces the yeast associated with flaking. Its percentage is stated in the drug facts panel.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- active
-
2
Water
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
-
3
Stearyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
4
Behentrimonium Chloride
General function
A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out conditioners.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairElectrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
-
5
Cetyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
6
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
General function
Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
- emollient
- light ester
- oil
- wax
-
7
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
General function
Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
8
Dimethicone
General function
The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
9
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 zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
10
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
11
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
12
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
13
Methylisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 5 emollients
- 4 preservatives
- 2 solvents
- 2 fatty alcohols
- 2 thickeners
- 2 oils
- 2 isothiazolinones
- 1 active
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 cleanser
- 1 light ester
- 1 wax
- 1 silicone
- 1 conditioning agent
Drug facts actives
- Pyrithione Zinc 0.5%
This product is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic. It treats a cosmetic scalp condition; it does not diagnose or treat disease.
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-15. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 9.4 oz
Seen at
$9.97
Good value under
$6
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $6 line; products that do this job typically go for about $8 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
How we work this out
- 9.4 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $9.97 is the price we have observed for the 9.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $6 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.59/oz; at 9.4 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $8 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 9.4 oz.
Formula
8
Formula score
8 of 10
The formula carries the systems a conditioner is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for conditioners per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 5 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 59% of the 1119 conditioners we’ve priced
- Covers 4 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
- Masstige tier, sold at Drugstore and Grocery / mass
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, 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.
Head & ShouldersClosest function
Dry Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Conditioner with Almond Oil
$0.64/oz $0.74/oz less
- Scalp active
- Protein-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
Head & ShouldersClose function
Sulfate Free Shea Butter Conditioner
$0.69/oz $0.69/oz less
- Scalp active
- Protein-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
Herbal EssencesLowest cost per oz
Purifying Tea Tree Conditioner
$0.44/oz $0.94/oz less
- Protein-free
- Alcohol-free
- Medium weight
- 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 personBest user
Flaking scalps who want an over-the-counter scalp active and a protein-free formula
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein
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.
1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
with jojoba oil and naturally derived argan oil
"Natural" has no agreed definition, so we do not score it.
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Stated by brand
A brand’s own definition.
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.
A small number of reviewers report a serious adverse reaction — one describes significant hair shedding they trace to the ingredient list's methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone preservative and warns people who have reacted to that preservative in other brands to avoid it.
A number of reviewers received the product as a free PINCHme or Influenster sample and report using it paired with the matching shampoo as a routine for dandruff and dry-scalp relief.
Many reviewers say the conditioner leaves hair noticeably smoother and softer, often naming frizz control and easier detangling or brushing as the specific benefit.
Reviewers repeatedly describe the fragrance as pleasant and noticeable rather than medicinal, several noting it lingers on hair for a day or more after washing.
A recurring complaint is that the conditioner feels slick or weighs hair down, with some reviewers saying it left their scalp or roots oily the day after use, especially those with fine or already-oily hair.
More from Head & Shoulders
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.
- 7 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 5 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
- Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 7 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 2026-09-16.
