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Mielle Organics

Rosemary Mint Clarifying Sugar Scalp Scrub

Scalp treatment

  • Scalp treatment
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Size6 fl oz
Price$9–10 Good valuecommonly seen · 6 oz
Price / oz$1.50/ozat 6 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $8.99–10.99

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?

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Lower cost than most scalp treatments

$1.50/oz at 6 oz — less than 96% of the 152 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.22–20.64/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this much richness is right for you depends on your strand thickness, porosity, and how easily your hair flattens — 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.

Slip and detangling Some

Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Weight on the hair Light

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

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Sucrose humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Sorbitol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate cleanser Does the cleaning Cleanses
Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate cleanser Does the cleaning Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
WaterAqua (Water) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) 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 (15)

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 Sucrose
    General function

    Table sugar, used as a humectant and, in scrubs, as a physical exfoliant.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
    • humectant
  • 2 Sorbitol
    General function

    A sugar-based humectant that adds moisture and a slight cushiony feel.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
    • humectant
  • 3 Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
    General function

    A mild cleanser that foams well in hard water, usually paired with disodium 2-sulfolaurate.

    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.

    PubChem
    • cleanser
  • 4 Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate
    General function

    A mild cleanser used with sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate in gentle shampoo systems.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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.

    PubChem
    • cleanser
  • 5 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
  • 6 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.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 7 Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
    General function

    A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.

    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 Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
    General function

    A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 9 Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil
    General function

    Rosemary essential oil, used for scent and its traditional scalp reputation.

    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
  • 10 Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
    General function

    Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.

    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
  • 11 Biotin
    • vitamin
  • 12 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
    General function

    A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

    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

    Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

    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.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.

    • butter
    • emollient
    • sealant
  • 13 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
  • 14 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 15 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 emollients
  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 fragrances
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 essential oils
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 secondary cleanser
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 oil
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 vitamin
  • 1 butter

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-03. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 6 oz

Commonly seen $9–10 Midpoint $8.99 · 3 stores · checked Sep 4
Good value under $20 Under $3.42/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $20 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $41 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it9 listings · 4 stores

6 ozmost listedBest per ounce

  • Target
    $8.99
    6 oz · $1.50/oz
    Sep 4Lowest per oz
  • Walmart
    $8.99
    6 oz · $1.50/oz
    Sep 4
  • CVS
    $10.99
    6 oz · $1.83/oz
    Sep 4

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. 6 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. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 6 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $20 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.42/oz; at 6 oz that is $20. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $41 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6 oz.

Formula

Formula score
4 of 10

It costs less per ounce than most scalp treatments, and the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front — which is part of what a scalp treatment is normally built around.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 96% of the 152 scalp treatments we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • No slip for detangling either
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.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

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.

IGKClosest function Hair Density Scalp Treatment $21.43/oz $19.93/oz more
Function
  • Slip and detangling
Also
  • Salon tier
Compare
Design EssentialsLowest cost per oz Peppermint & Aloe Soothing Scalp Care Treatment $2.80/oz $1.30/oz more · Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Mint scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • Masstige tier
Compare
Kreyòl EssenceClose function Save Our Scalp Serum Squeeze Bottle $30.77/oz $29.27/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Film formers
Also
  • Salon tier
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

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or very humid climates, or anyone who wants to pick it up locally

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely 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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
2
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Gently exfoliates scalp

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Removes excess oil and impurities

The detergent system is gentle; it is unlikely to clear heavy build-up on its own.

  • Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
  • Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate
  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Potential conflict

Too gentle for real build-up.

Removes stubborn product buildup

The detergent system is gentle; it is unlikely to clear heavy build-up on its own.

  • Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
  • Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate
  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Potential conflict

Too gentle for real build-up.

Non-drying formula

No fast-drying alcohol appears in the list.

  • Sucrose
  • Sorbitol
  • Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
Supported

Nothing in it flashes off dry.

Invokes scalp for wash day preparation

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

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.

People with dry, flaky, itchy scalps say the flaking and itch settle down and they can go longer between washes

reviewers who named a flaking or itching scalp as the reason they bought it

The nozzle applicator makes it easy to part the hair and reach the scalp directly, including on locs

reviewers commenting on the packaging rather than the formula

Used as a pre-shampoo step, reviewers report the shampoo that follows lathers better and the scalp feels cleaner than shampooing alone

repeat buyers describing a wash-day sequence

The directions leave it unclear whether to apply to a dry scalp before showering or to wet hair in the shower

first-time users

The sugar granules feel rough and gritty in the hair, and reviewers advise rinsing very thoroughly before shampooing

reviewers who liked the result but flagged the texture

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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-04.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 12 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 2026-09-04.

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