Gently cleanses, leaving hair nourished and purified
The detergent system is strong enough to strip build-up.
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Sodium Gluconate
Supported
Resets a coated scalp.
Nexxus
Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo
Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning
- Shampoo
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
Size13.5 fl oz
Price$17.99 Good valueseen at one store · 13.5 oz
Price / oz$1.33/ozat 13.5 oz
Where to buy1 store
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Listing used for research: target.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.
- In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
- A personalized routine for your daily life — 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.
$49.00 one-time consultation, no subscription
Add the optional $49/year membership for unlimited adjustments for changes in weather and lifestyle.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
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
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Prominent
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
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 yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
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
16 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Grocery / mass · Target
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.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$1.33/oz at 13.5 oz — less than 54% of the 817 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz.
Great for
Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
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
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater (Aqua) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate | olefin sulfonate cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Sodium Chloride | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Sodium Gluconate | hard-water chelator | Binds trace metals | Stabilizes |
| Lactic Acid | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | Moisturizes |
| Citric Acid | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Sodium Benzoate | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Hexyl Cinnamal | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Linalool | 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. Chelators for hard water.
Full ingredient list (16)
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)
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 ingredientListed 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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesA 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 hairSulfate-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.
- 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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairAmong 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.
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
4
Sodium Chloride
General function
Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- salt
- thickener
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
5
Sodium Gluconate
General function
A gentle, biodegradable chelator that binds hard-water minerals in place of EDTA.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds 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 hairCopper 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.
- hard-water chelator
-
6
Lactic Acid
General function
An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-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 hairBinds 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 hairA 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.
- pH adjuster
- humectant
- exfoliant
-
7
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 zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesHolds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe 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 hairWhere a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
8
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
9
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
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 zoneIt 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 holdCationic 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 hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm 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
-
11
Disodium EDTA
General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds 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 hairCopper 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.
- hard-water chelator
-
12
Ppg-7
- emulsifier
-
13
Hexyl Cinnamal
General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
14
Limonene
General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
15
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
16
Ext. Violet 2 (CI 60730)
General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairA violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- direct dye
- violet dye
What the whole list adds up to
- 4 fragrances
- 3 hard-water chelators
- 3 named fragrance allergens
- 2 cleansers
- 2 pH adjusters
- 1 solvent
- 1 olefin sulfonate cleanser
- 1 amphoteric cleanser
- 1 secondary cleanser
- 1 salt
- 1 thickener
- 1 humectant
- 1 exfoliant
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 13.5 oz
Seen at
$17.99
Good value under
$22
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $22 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $26 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
-
Target
$17.9913.5 oz · $1.33/ozAug 22Lowest per oz
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 13.5 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.
- Seen at $17.99 is the price we have observed for the 13.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $22 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.65/oz; at 13.5 oz that is $22. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $26 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 13.5 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 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
- Costs less per ounce than 54% of the 817 shampoos we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
- Drugstore tier, sold at Grocery / mass and Target
- Drugstore tier
- 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
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.
Sun BumLowest cost per oz
Blonde Purple Shampoo
$1.05/oz $0.28/oz less
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Function
- Also
CHIClose function
Royal Treatment Color Gloss Blonde Enhancing Purple Shampoo
$1.87/oz $0.54/oz more
- Sulfate-free
- Deep clean
- Curly method
- Function
- Also
OlaplexClose function
Nº.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo
$3.65/oz $2.32/oz more
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Function
- Also
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 suitsBest user
Colour-treated hair, looking for washing without sulfates and a protein-free formula
Biggest tradeoff
Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, dry or damaged hair, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein
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.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Formulated without silicones, dyes, and parabens
No silicones appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Nothing that needs a strong wash.
Visibly heal signs of hair damage through Nexxus H4 Complex
A named-ingredient story. What matters is where those sit in the list — see the ingredients table.
—
Stated by brand
Check the position, not the name.
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.
Reviewers value that the formula is confirmed paraben- and alcohol-free for daily-use suitability
general usersSeveral recent purchasers report the scent is notably stronger/different than they remember, suggesting a possible recent reformulation or batch inconsistency
recent repeat buyersShoppers with dandruff/dry scalp ask whether this replaces a medicated dandruff shampoo, indicating some confusion about the product's clarifying (not medicated) purpose
dandruff-prone reviewersBuyers with color-treated hair ask about and are reassured of color-safety, consistent with the product's detox/clarifying positioning
color-treated hair usersMore from Nexxus
- Clean & Pure Detox Conditioner
- Hy-Volume Conditioner
- HydraLight Weightless Moisture Conditioner for Oily Hair (Hydra-Light Conditioner)
- Nexxus Amino Bond Repair Conditioner (Bond Repair, Hydrolink Bonder with Amino5 Complex)
- Nexxus Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Conditioner with Elastin Protein and Marine Minerals
- Nexxus Color Assure Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair with Elastin Protein and Quinoa
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
- Ingredient references are linked for 9 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 2026-08-25.