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Mielle Organics · Rice Water

Rice Water Hydrating Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Curly-method
  • Not vegan · ingredient list
Size8 fl oz
Price$5.99 Good valueseen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$0.75/ozat 8 oz

Scent:

Notes: fresh.

Manufacturer page: mielleorganics.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Lower cost than most shampoos

$0.75/oz at 8 oz — less than 78% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz.

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
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
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

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 Prominent

Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula.

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
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
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide amphoteric cleanser Cleanses
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water botanical extract A trace plant extract Neutral
Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil oil A small amount of oil for softness Softens
Citrus Junos Peel Extract botanical extract A trace plant extract Neutral
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. Chelators for hard water.
Full ingredient list (20)

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 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
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 5 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
  • 6 Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water
    General function

    Water distilled with Rice (Oryza Sativa), standing in for some of the plain water in the formula. It carries scent and marketing more than measurable effect.

    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
  • 7 Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil
    General function

    A light, inexpensive plant oil used as a base emollient.

    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

    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
  • 8 Citrus Junos Peel Extract
    General function

    An extract from the peel of Citrus Junos. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

    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
  • 9 Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
    General function

    A plant-derived polyglycerol ester. It emulsifies without ethoxylation, which is why it turns up in formulas positioned as PEG-free, and leaves a soft feel.

    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
  • 10 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
  • 11 Polyquaternium-10 · 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
  • 12 Sodium Chloride
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 13 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
  • 14 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
  • 15 Peg-75 Lanolin Peg-150 Distearate
    • emulsifier
  • 16 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 17 Benzoic Acid
    • preservative
  • 18 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
  • 19 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
  • 20 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 emollients
  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 emulsifiers
  • 3 preservatives
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 amphoteric cleansers
  • 2 secondary cleansers
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 film formers
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 1 olefin sulfonate cleanser
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 oil

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-21. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $5.99 1 store · checked Aug 30
Good value under $9 Under $1.08/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $9 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $15 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. and 1 listing we don’t count — grey-market or unverified sellers.

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 $5.99 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 $9 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.08/oz; at 8 oz that is $9. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. 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
9 of 10

This formula covers the systems a shampoo is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the shampoos we have researched.

How the score is counted
  • 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 78% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 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.

ORSLowest cost per oz ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Shampoo for Revitalizing Moisture $0.54/oz $0.21/oz less
  • Fragrance-free
  • Sulfate-free
  • Deep clean
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • 16 oz bottle
  • Sold online
Compare
HaskClose function Hydrate + Coconut Oil Shampoo $0.54/oz $0.21/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Protein
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Vegan
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

Colour-treated hair — for washing without sulfates and a proper reset wash

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, dry or damaged hair, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping

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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Daily moisturizer

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil
  • Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
  • Ethylhexylglycerin
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Strengthens hair, adds shine, helps reduce split ends

Protein or ceramides are present, but low enough that this reads as support, not treatment.

  • Hydrolyzed Oat Protein
  • Polyquaternium-10
Partly supported

Supports the surface, not a treatment.

Formulated for all hair types

No formula reads the same on every texture; our fit panel is the better guide.

Stated by brand

See the fit panel instead.

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.

Hydrates and softens hair, including bleached locs and 4c coily hair, without stripping

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

Pleasant scent repeatedly called out as a favorite feature

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

Provides strong slip that eases detangling, especially paired with the matching conditioner

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

A minority of users found it less moisturizing than expected, with some noting white residue left in curls

Bazaarvoice reviews via mielleorganics.com PDP

More from Mielle Organics

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.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (4 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 13 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.