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Jessicurl

Gentle Lather Shampoo, Citrus Lavender

Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced

  • Shampoo
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8 fl oz
Price$17.45seen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$2.18/ozat 8 oz

Scent:

Notes: citrus, floral, fresh.

Strength: Light

Manufacturer page: jessicurl.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$2.18/oz at 8 oz — more than 65% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented
Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a light scent
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals
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) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

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 None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua (Water) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Decyl Glucoside nonionic cleanser Cleanses
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate mild anionic cleanser Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine amphoteric cleanser Cleanses
Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) Flower Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel OilCitrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Peel Oil Expressed botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil fragrance The scent Fragrance
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate light ester A light, silky feel Softens
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Citral fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening.
Full ingredient list (18)

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 · Aqua (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 ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 2 Decyl Glucoside
    General function

    A sugar-derived, low-foam cleanser used in gentle and curly-method shampoos.

    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

    A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

    PubChem
    • nonionic cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
    General function

    A mild cleanser that gives a creamy lather and leaves hair less stripped than sulfates.

    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
  • 4 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.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 5 Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) Flower Oil
    General function

    The essential oil of Lavender (Lavandula Officinalis). Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.

    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.

    • botanical extract
    • essential oil
    • fragrance
  • 6 Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil · Citrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Peel Oil Expressed
    General function

    A cold-pressed citrus oil used for a fresh scent; naturally high in limonene.

    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

    Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.

    • botanical extract
    • essential oil
    • fragrance
  • 7 Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil
    General function

    The essential oil of Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi). Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.

    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
    • botanical extract
  • 8 C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
    General function

    A dry-feeling ester used for a silky, non-greasy finish - a common silicone substitute.

    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.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 9 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 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
  • 10 PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
    • thickener
    • emulsifier
  • 11 Panthenol
    General function

    Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.

    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

    It hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.

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

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • conditioning agent
    • vitamin
  • 12 Sodium Chloride
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 13 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 14 Benzoic Acid
    • preservative
  • 15 Dehydroacetic Acid
    • preservative
  • 16 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
  • 17 Linalool
    General function

    A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

    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
  • 18 Citral
    General function

    A lemon-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

    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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 6 fragrances
  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 botanical extracts
  • 3 preservatives
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 essential oils
  • 2 thickeners
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 nonionic cleanser
  • 1 mild anionic cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 secondary cleanser
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 emollient

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

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $17.45 1 store · checked Aug 30
Good value under $6 Under $0.81/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 $6 line; products that do this job typically go for about $18 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

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
  1. 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.
  2. Seen at $17.45 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. 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 $0.81/oz; at 8 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $18 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
8 of 10

The formula carries the systems a shampoo is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for shampoos per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 65% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 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, 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.

SheaMoistureClosest function Baby Wash & Shampoo Raw Shea, Chamomile & Argan Oil $0.75/oz $1.43/oz less
  • Fragrance-free
  • Unscented
  • Sulfate-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Unscented
  • Drugstore tier
  • 13 oz bottle
Compare
TRESemmeLowest cost per oz Pro Pure Curl Define Shampoo $0.36/oz $1.82/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
· Close function
Function
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Drugstore tier
Compare
Alba BotanicaClose function Colorific Shampoo, Plumeria $0.83/oz $1.35/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Curly method
  • Lightweight
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Protein
Also
  • Coconut scent, not citrus
  • Drugstore tier
  • 12 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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

People sensitive to fragrance — for a formula with no added fragrance and washing without sulfates

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or hard water without a chelating wash

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
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Sulfate-free cleansing that won't weigh hair down

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

Protein-free, silicone-free, glycerin-free, oil-free formulation

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.

Reviewers

What people report

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

Gentle, low-stripping cleanse works well on dyed/color-treated hair without fading it

reviewers with dyed hair

Leaves hair feeling clean and healthy with a subtle scent that does not clash with other styling products

general reviewers layering other Jessicurl products

Well suited to dry, coarse, protein-sensitive hair, leaving it soft and manageable

protein-sensitive coarse-hair reviewers

Thin/runny consistency makes it a little easy to spill or over-pour during application

general reviewers

Preferred over the brand's cream cleanser by reviewers with low-porosity hair who need more lather; some wish the brand offered a true clarifying shampoo to alternate with it

low-porosity-hair reviewers

More from Jessicurl

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.
  • 3 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 11 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.