Dermatologist-tested formulation
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
—
Stated by brand
Only the brand’s testing shows this.
Herbal Essences
Jojoba Oil & Lavender Curls Shampoo
Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning
- Shampoo
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Moisture-rich
- Cruelty-free · label states
Size13.5 fl oz
Price$8.19seen at one store · 13.5 oz
Price / oz$0.61/ozat 13.5 oz
Where to buy2 stores · $5.99–8.19
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
“A floral arrangement of lavender combined with jojoba oil that evokes relaxation and beauty” — Brand page
Manufacturer page: herbalessences.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
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- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
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- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Cleansing strength
Strong
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Moderate
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
Moderate
Not in your profile
Sulfates
Sulfate detergent
Not in your profile
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · label states
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
High
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
Adjusted
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
17 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Grocery / mass
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.
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Your avoid-list
Lower cost than most shampoos
$0.61/oz at 13.5 oz — less than 85% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
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
Removes oil, buildup, and most residue — a reset wash.
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)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
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
None
No protein or amino acids 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | sulfate cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Sodium Chloride | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Sodium Xylenesulfonate | solubilizer | Keeps oils dissolved in water | Stabilizes |
| Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil | emollient | Softens and smooths the strand | Buildup |
| Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, marketed as much as functional | Neutral |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no silicones or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Hard-water chelators are present.
Full ingredient list (17)
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
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
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
General function
A high-foaming, strongly cleansing detergent. It clears build-up thoroughly and is the harsher of the two common sulfates.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesA sulfate detergent removes deposited silicone, wax and styling films in one wash, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairFine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.
- sulfate 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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairAmong 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.
- 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 ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- salt
- thickener
-
5
Sodium Xylenesulfonate
General function
A hydrotrope that keeps a shampoo clear and pourable.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- solubilizer
-
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
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract
General function
Lavender extract, used at low levels for scent association and a calming claim.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
8
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.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically 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
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
General function
A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.
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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairCationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
-
11
Peg-60 Almond Glycerides
- emulsifier
-
12
Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
General function
A conditioning agent that carries fatty acids onto the strand for slip without heaviness.
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 hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
13
Sodium Citrate
General function
Used with citric acid to hold the formula at a steady, slightly acidic pH. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.
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.
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
- hard-water chelator
-
14
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
15
Sodium Salicylate
- preservative
- exfoliant
-
16
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 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 TrichologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesHolds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe 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 hairWhere a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
17
Tetrasodium EDTA
General function
Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the 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.
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 hard-water chelators
- 2 cleansers
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 gums
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 pH adjusters
- 2 preservatives
- 1 solvent
- 1 sulfate cleanser
- 1 amphoteric cleanser
- 1 secondary cleanser
- 1 salt
- 1 thickener
- 1 solubilizer
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-15. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 13.5 oz
Seen at
$8.19
Good value under
$7
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $7 line; products that do this job typically go for about $11 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
-
Herbal Essences (herbalessences.com)
$5.9913.5 oz · $0.44/ozSep 15Lowest per oz
-
Pasteur Pharmacy
$8.1913.5 oz · $0.61/ozSep 16
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
- 13.5 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.
- Seen at $8.19 is the price we have observed for the 13.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $7 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.51/oz; at 13.5 oz that is $7. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 13.5 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 of 10
It carries the working systems a shampoo needs and still sits in the lower part of the price range for shampoos per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 2 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 85% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
- Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website and Grocery / mass
- 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, for less
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.
DoveLowest cost per oz
Coconut Hydration Shampoo Pump with Coconut Oil & Bio-Protein Care
$0.32/oz $0.29/oz less
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Hard water
- Function
- Also
AussieClose function
Miracle Waves Anti-Frizz Hemp Shampoo
$0.34/oz $0.27/oz less
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Hard water
- Function
- Also
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?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and a proper reset wash
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair
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.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
PETA certified cruelty-free
Our researched record has this brand as cruelty-free.
—
Supported
Matches our researched record.
Free from silicones and minerals
No silicones appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Nothing that needs a strong wash.
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.
More from Herbal Essences
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.
- 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 10 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 2026-09-16.