Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Exfoliating Shampoo — 8 oz container

Mielle Organics

Mongongo Oil Exfoliating Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

Shampoo
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Curly-method
Not vegan · ingredient list

Size8 fl oz

Price$12.99seen at one store · 8 oz

Price / oz$1.62/ozat 8 oz

Where to buy3 stores · $5.00–12.99

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: mielleorganics.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Curly–Coily 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 Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein Minor Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Sulfates None listed 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 Not vegan · ingredient list Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not vegan · ingredient list 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 25 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand websiteOne channel 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.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$1.62/oz at 8 oz — more than 53% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash

Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit

Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans

Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

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 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) Low

Humectants appear, but low enough to be a minor part.

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 No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

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
WaterWater (Aqua, Eau)	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate	olefin sulfonate cleanser	—	Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Glycol Distearate	opacifier	Makes the product look creamy	Softens
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide	amphoteric cleanser	—	Cleanses
Glycol Stearate	opacifier	Makes the product look creamy	Softens
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil	oil	Coats and softens the strand	Softens
Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Oil	oil	Coats and softens the strand	Softens
FragranceFragrance (Parfum)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hydrolyzed Oat Protein	film former	A supporting film former	Protein

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters. Chelators for hard water.

Full ingredient list (25)

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 · Water (Aqua, 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 C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

General function
A strong non-sulfate detergent used in "sulfate-free" shampoos. It cleans about as thoroughly as a sulfate despite the label difference.

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

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
A strong detergent with no sulfate on the label. It removes deposited films about as completely as a sulfate does.

May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Sulfate-free on the label is a naming fact, not a mildness one: this is an efficient detergent, and hair short of moisture can feel it.

PubChem
- olefin sulfonate 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 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 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
4 Glycol Distearate

General function
A wax that gives shampoo its pearly look and a slightly richer feel.

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

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.

PubChem
- opacifier
- emollient
5 Cocamidopropylamine Oxide

General function
A foam booster and mild cleanser that thickens the formula.

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 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
6 Glycol Stearate

General function
A wax that makes shampoo look pearly and adds a slightly richer feel.

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

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.

PubChem
- opacifier
- emollient
7 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil

General function
A medium-weight oil used for softness and slip.

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
Coats 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 hair
A 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 hair
Near 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 Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Oil

General function
A light seed oil rich in fatty acids, used for softness without much weight.

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
Coats 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 hair
A 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 hair
Near 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
9 Argania Spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil
- oil
- emollient
10 Schinziophyton Rautanenii (Mongongo) Kernel Oil

General function
The oil pressed from Mongongo (Schinziophyton Rautanenii). How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats 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 hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
11 Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil

General function
A light oil used where softness is wanted without weight.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats 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 hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
12 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)

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
13 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
14 PEG-150 Distearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
15 Peg-75 Lanolin
- emulsifier
16 Polyquaternium-10

General function
A cellulose-based conditioning polymer that leaves a thin, static-reducing film. Very common in shampoos as the ingredient that keeps them from stripping.

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
17 Lauryl Glucoside

General function
A mild sugar-derived cleanser with a soft, low lather.

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
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
18 Benzoic Acid
- preservative
19 Ethylhexylglycerin

General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

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.

PubChem
- preservative
- emollient
20 Glycereth-2 Cocoate

General function
A coconut-derived emulsifier that softens a cleansing base.

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
21 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
22 Disodium EDTA

General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise 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.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds 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 hair
Copper 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.

PubChem
- hard-water chelator
23 Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

General function
A protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It fills gaps on damaged strands and firms the feel for a few washes; too much reads as stiff.

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
Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

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.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
24 Propanediol

General function
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

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 hydrates without contributing weight.

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
25 Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener

What the whole list adds up to

9 emollients
5 oils
4 cleansers
3 preservatives
3 emulsifiers
2 solvents
2 amphoteric cleansers
2 secondary cleansers
2 opacifiers
2 thickeners
2 film formers
2 hard-water chelators
1 olefin sulfonate cleanser
1 fragrance

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 $12.99 lowest of 2 stores · checked Aug 30

Good value under $5 Under $0.65/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 $5 line; products that do this job typically go for about $15 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores

Mielle Organics (brand DTC)
$5.00

8 oz · $0.63/oz

Aug 22Lowest per oz
Hattaché
$12.99

8 oz · $1.62/oz

Aug 30
The Spa of Charleston
$12.99

8 oz · $1.62/oz

Aug 30

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 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 $12.99 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $5 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.65/oz; at 8 oz that is $5. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $15 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 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 53% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
Covers 7 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.

Mielle OrganicsSame function Rice Water Hydrating Shampoo $0.75/oz $0.87/oz less

Sulfate-free
Deep clean
Curly method

Differs: Fresh scent
Sold in drugstores and mass retail

Compare

ORSLowest cost per oz ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Shampoo for Revitalizing Moisture $0.54/oz $1.08/oz less

Fragrance-free
Sulfate-free
Deep clean

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Cruelty-free
16 oz bottle

Compare

HaskLighter feel Hydrate + Coconut Oil Shampoo $0.54/oz $1.08/oz less

Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Deep clean

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Protein
Also: Cruelty-free
Vegan
Sold in drugstores and mass retail

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

Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or dry or damaged hair

Best alternative if not

Consider Mielle Organics Rice Water Hydrating Shampoo, 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

Sulfate-free formula

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

Removes build-up

The detergent system is strong enough to strip build-up.

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide

Supported

Resets a coated scalp.

Cleanses safely without stripping moisture

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Glycol Distearate
Glycol Stearate
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

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.

Helps with dandruff-like scalp buildup and is described as soothing for sensitive scalps

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

Pleasant scent and good value called out repeatedly, including favorable comparisons to other Mielle shampoos in the lineup

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

Cleanses scalp and removes buildup effectively without over-drying hair

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

At least one serious adverse-reaction report of scalp burning, sores, and hair loss after use

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

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.
5 sources consulted for this product (5 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 18 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.

Mongongo Oil Exfoliating Shampoo

Is this right for you?

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

What people report

More from Mielle Organics

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan