L'Oreal Professionnel

Metal Detox Pre-Shampoo Treatment

Mask / Light treatment, lean

Mask / treatment
cream
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free

Size8.4 fl oz

Price$35seen at one store · 8.4 oz

Price / oz$4.17/ozat 8.4 oz

Where to buy1 store

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: us.lorealprofessionnel.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Oils and butters None 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 None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Show all 21 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not yet verified 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 Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 21 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it Salons · Brand website 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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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Upper-mid price for a treatment

$4.17/oz at 8.4 oz — more than 57% of the 341 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.63–5.59/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

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

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

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether your hair needs moisture, protein, or bond repair right now depends on your damage history and how your hair behaves wet — that is what the consultation works out.

Wash day

How it fits into wash day

Read from the product’s own directions on the date shown. A step the label leaves out is shown as not stated, never filled in.

When: Before shampoo — Bond-care treatment (manufacturer claim)
Start on: wet hair
Where: lengths, ends
Label wait: 1–2 minutes
Then: no rinse — go straight to the named companion
Needs: Metal Detox Shampoo
Conditioner after: not stated on the label
How often: not stated on the label

Separate wet hair into 2 sections.
Apply 2-4 pumps per section depending on length.
Work the product through lengths and ends for 1 to 2 minutes until lather appears. Detangle.
Do not rinse. In a layering technique, apply Metal Detox shampoo directly over the top, then rinse and follow with the routine.

Not yet complete on our side: the companion product it needs. We list a product here once its label states a before-shampoo use. We only put it into a routine once every step is on record.

This product works as part of a system whose companion we have not verified; it is listed, not recommended on its own.

Browse technique guides (general — not matched to this product’s directions)

Source: brand page · checked 2026-09-17

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.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Weight on the hair Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

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
WaterAqua/Water/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Laureth-5 Carboxylic Acid	cleanser	Does the cleaning	Cleanses
Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Detangles
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Sodium Chloride	salt	Thickens the formula	Stabilizes
PEG-150 Distearate	thickener	Sets the texture	Stabilizes
Phenoxyethanol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	solubilizer	Helps dissolve the oils	Stabilizes
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal	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. Contains fragrance.

Full ingredient list (21)

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/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 Laureth-5 Carboxylic Acid

General function
A mild cleanser used to soften a detergent base.

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

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Cleansing is what lifts deposited films off the strand. How completely depends on which detergent it is and how high on the list it sits.

DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair
Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.
- cleanser
3 Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane

General function
A silane that bonds to the hair surface, used in repair-positioned products to anchor a smoothing layer.

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

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

DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold
How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
- film former
- conditioning agent
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
5 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
6 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
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
7 Phenoxyethanol

General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of 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.
PubChem
- preservative
8 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

General function
A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

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.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
9 Polyquaternium-67

General function
A positively charged conditioning polymer. It leaves a thin film that cuts static and eases combing, and it survives rinsing better than a simple conditioner.

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
10 Lactic Acid

General function
An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.

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
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- humectant
- exfoliant
11 Laureth-4
- emulsifier
12 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
13 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

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
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

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
- preservative
- humectant
14 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
15 Hexyl Cinnamal

General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named 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
16 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
17 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
18 Geraniol

General function
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
19 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
20 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
21 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

What the whole list adds up to

6 fragrances
5 named fragrance allergens
3 film formers
3 emulsifiers
3 preservatives
2 cleansers
2 thickeners
2 conditioning agents
2 polymers
2 pH adjusters
2 humectants
1 solvent
1 conditioning agent
1 amphoteric cleanser

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-17. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8.4 oz

Seen at $35 1 store · checked Sep 17

Good value under $10 Under $1.19/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $10 line; products that do this job typically go for about $12 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8.4 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Valley Beauty (valley-beauty.com)
$35.00

8.4 oz · $4.17/oz

Sep 17Lowest per oz

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

8.4 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 $35 is the price we have observed for the 8.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $10 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.19/oz; at 8.4 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $12 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.4 oz.

Formula

Formula score

2 of 10

It costs about what other masks and treatments cost per ounce, but the formula leaves out rich emollients, which most of the format carries.

How the score is counted

6 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 57% of the 341 masks and treatments we’ve priced
No rich emollients in the formula
No conditioning agents up front either

Rich emollientsThe depth a treatment step is built around.3 pts
Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
Protein or amino acidsThe strengthening side of a treatment.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
A stated dwell timeThe brand says how long to leave it on.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.

Pattern BeautyClosest function Breakage Barrier Hair Mask $2.27/oz $1.90/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Film formers
Also: Sweet scent
Cruelty-free
Masstige tier
Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

Compare

MielleClose function Sea Moss Anti Shedding Gel Masque $1.44/oz $2.73/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

Function: Slip and detangling
Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Drugstore tier
8 oz bottle
Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

Compare

African PrideLowest cost per oz Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-Shampoo $0.83/oz $3.34/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

· Close function

Function: Slip and detangling
Water-binding (humectants)
Film formers
Also: Drugstore tier
12 oz bottle
Wash day: this one is not a before-shampoo product

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?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein — for a protein-free formula and a curly-method-compatible formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or coarse, very dry hair that wants real richness

Best alternative if not

Pattern Beauty Breakage Barrier Hair Mask, for similar results 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

Refill hair micro-breaks for 96% less breakage

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.

2x hydration

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.

Instant & efficient fiber detangling

Conditioning agents that reduce combing force sit high in the list.

Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane
Polyquaternium-67
Polyquaternium-7

Supported

Easier detangling, less breakage.

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.

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 (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-17.
Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 14 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 2026-09-17.

Metal Detox Pre-Shampoo Treatment

Is this right for you?

How it fits into wash day

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

More from L'Oreal Professionnel

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan