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Moroccanoil

Dry Scalp Treatment

Scalp treatment

  • Scalp treatment
  • oil
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size1.5 fl oz
Priceabout $42commonly seen · 1.5 oz
Price / oz$28.00/ozat 1.5 oz
Where to buy6 stores · $42.00–44.00

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

Notes: geranium, lavender.

“Natural aroma with a deeply relaxing lavender and geranium blend” (Brand page)

Manufacturer page: moroccanoil.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

  • About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
  • Every product matched against your hair across the 21 factors we check.
  • A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
  • Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$28.00/oz at 1.5 oz, more than 87% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Easy to findsold through several channels

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much richness suits you depends on your strand thickness, porosity and how easily your hair goes flat. We work that out in the consultation.

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 Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.

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 Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up 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. The 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
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Argania Spinosa Kernel OilArgania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Triethylhexanoin light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Dicaprylyl Carbonate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Rapeseed SterolsBrassica Campestris Sterols emollient Softens and smooths the strand Softens
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) Softens
Salicylic Acid active The over-the-counter active Active
Lavandula Hybrida Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Citronellol fragrance The scent Fragrance
Geraniol fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.
Full ingredient list (14)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
    General function

    A light, refined coconut-derived oil that spreads easily and does not go rancid. It gives slip without a heavy feel.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 2 Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil · Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil
    General function

    Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 3 Triethylhexanoin
    General function

    A light, stable ester used for slip and to carry oil-soluble ingredients.

    Leading ingredient

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

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 4 Dicaprylyl Carbonate
    General function

    A very light ester that spreads instantly and leaves a dry, silky finish.

    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.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 5 Rapeseed Sterols · Brassica Campestris Sterols
    General function

    Plant sterols from rapeseed used as an emollient and scalp-conditioning ingredient in scalp treatments.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • emollient
  • 6 Cetearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

    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

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 7 Salicylic Acid
    General function

    An oil-soluble acid that loosens flakes and clears build-up around the follicle. In dandruff shampoos it appears in the drug facts panel with a stated percentage.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • active
    • exfoliant
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 8 Lavandula Hybrida Oil
    General function

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

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    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
  • 9 Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
    • botanical extract
    • essential oil
    • fragrance
  • 10 Tocopheryl Acetate
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 11 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 12 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
  • 13 Citronellol
    General function

    A rose-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
  • 14 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 6 emollients
  • 5 fragrances
  • 3 light esters
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 essential oils
  • 2 antioxidants
  • 2 vitamins
  • 1 oil
  • 1 fatty alcohol
  • 1 thickener
  • 1 active
  • 1 exfoliant

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-08. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 1.5 oz

Commonly seen about $42 Midpoint $42 · 5 stores · checked Sep 8
Good value under $4 Under $2.46/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $4 line; products that do this job typically go for about $6 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 1.5 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 1.5 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $4 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.46/oz; at 1.5 oz that is $4. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $6 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
2 of 10

Sold through salons, and 7 products that do the same job cost less. Part of what you pay for is where it is sold.

How the score is counted
  • 7 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 87% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • No slip for detangling either
  • 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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

Bondi BoostSame function Elixir Pre-Wash Oil $5.44/oz $22.56/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
  • Silicone-free
Differs
  • Mint scent, not floral
  • Vegan
  • Masstige tier
Compare
LUSETASame function Tea Tree Hair & Scalp Treatment $8.24/oz $19.76/oz less
  • Fragrance-free
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
Differs
  • 3.4 oz bottle
  • Sold online
Compare
HaskLowest cost per oz Scalp Secret Strengthening Scalp & Hair Oil $2.21/oz $25.79/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
  • Silicone-free
· Same function
Differs
  • Mint scent, not floral
  • Drugstore tier
  • 4 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Built for curly to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person, not the lowest cost
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and a formula with real substance

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or people shopping on a budget

Best alternative if not

Bondi Boost Elixir Pre-Wash Oil 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, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
3
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
A pre-shampoo treatment to soothe dry, flaky, or itchy scalps

No over-the-counter anti-dandruff active appears in the list.

  • Salicylic Acid
Stated by brand

Soothing, not an active treatment.

96% said the scalp felt soothed

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.

94% said the feeling of scalp itchiness was reduced

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.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Effectively relieves dry, flaky scalp and reduces dandruff symptoms

Customers with dry or dandruff-prone scalps

More from Moroccanoil

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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 (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-08.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 8 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • 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 v23. Record last updated 2026-09-08.

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