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NULASTIN

Vibrant Scalp Mask

Scalp treatment

  • Scalp treatment
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free
Size6.7 fl oz
Priceabout $42commonly seen · 6.7 oz
Price / oz$6.27/ozat 6.7 oz

Scent:

No added fragrance on the label, but it carries scenting botanicals — essential oils smell even when they are not labelled as fragrance.

Manufacturer page: nulastin.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 19 factors we check.
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  • 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.

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Priced with its peers

$6.27/oz at 6.7 oz — less than 55% of the 152 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.22–20.64/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

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 High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.

Oils and butters Rich

Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Hard-water defence Chelators present

Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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
WaterAqua/Water/Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
Propanediol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter butter Heavy softening — this is what makes it rich Heavy
Lactic Acid pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH Moisturizes
Pentylene Glycol humectant Adds a little water-binding Moisturizes
Keratin protein A small amount of protein Protein
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil botanical extract A trace plant extract Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list. Hard-water chelators are present. Vegan and cruelty-free.
Full ingredient list (26)

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 · Aqua/Water/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 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.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 3 Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine
    General function

    A light conditioning agent favoured in silicone-free formulas for slip and detangling.

    Leading ingredient

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

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

    A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

    PubChem
    • conditioning agent
  • 4 Propanediol
    General function

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

    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

    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
  • 5 Glycerin
    General function

    A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

    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

    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

    Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 6 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.

    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

    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
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 7 Lactic Acid
    General function

    An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.

    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

    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
    • pH adjuster
    • humectant
    • exfoliant
  • 8 Pentylene Glycol
    General function

    A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative 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 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
    • preservative
  • 9 Squalane
    General function

    The fully hydrogenated form of squalene, now made from olive or sugarcane rather than shark liver. Hydrogenation is what makes it so slow to oxidise; it spreads very lightly and absorbs without a greasy film.

    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

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    PubChem
    • emollient
    • conditioning agent
  • 10 Acetyl Isoleucyl sh-Pentapeptide-47 SP
  • 11 Trifluoroacetic Acid
  • 12 sh-Polypeptide-50
  • 13 Keratin
    General function

    The protein hair is made of. On the outside of the strand it fills gaps and firms up the feel for a few washes.

    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.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.

    • protein
  • 14 Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
    General function

    Tea tree essential oil, used in scalp products for its sharp scent and traditional clarifying 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
  • 15 Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
  • 16 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
  • 17 Ellagic Acid
  • 18 Cetyl Glyceryl Ether
  • 19 Stearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.

    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

    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.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 20 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

    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

    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.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 21 Naringenin
  • 22 Butylene Glycol
    General function

    A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

    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
  • 23 Caprylhydroxamic Acid
    General function

    A coconut-derived preservative booster that also binds trace metals.

    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
    • preservative
    • hard-water chelator
  • 24 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 25 Isododecane
    General function

    A fast-evaporating carrier that lets oils and polymers spread thinly, then leaves nothing behind.

    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
    • solvent
    • emollient
  • 26 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative

What the whole list adds up to

  • 6 emollients
  • 5 solvents
  • 5 humectants
  • 4 preservatives
  • 3 fatty alcohols
  • 3 thickeners
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 essential oils
  • 2 fragrances
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 butter
  • 1 sealant
  • 1 pH adjuster
  • 1 exfoliant

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

Price · 6.7 oz

Commonly seen about $42 Midpoint $42 · 3 stores · checked Sep 5
Good value under $11 Under $1.63/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 $11 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
  • Dermstore
    $42.00
    6.76 oz · $6.21/oz
    Sep 5Lowest per oz
  • Ulta Beauty
    $42.00
    6.7 oz · $6.27/oz
    Sep 5
  • Nulastin
    $42.00
    6.7 oz · $6.27/oz
    Sep 5

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. 6.7 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 6.7 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 $11 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.63/oz; at 6.7 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6.7 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among scalp treatments, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted
  • 2 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 55% of the 152 scalp treatments we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 6 things a scalp treatment should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 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, 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.

Creme of NatureLowest cost per oz Pure Honey Scalp Refresh Restorative Daily Scalp Cream $1.59/oz $4.68/oz less
  • Rich
  • Silicone-free
  • Alcohol-free
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Weight on the hair
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 4.7 oz bottle
Compare
Taliah WaajidClose function Healthy Hair Under There Bamboo, Avocado And Peppermint Conditioning & Restoring Serum $2.50/oz $3.77/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Protein
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 4 oz bottle
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

People sensitive to fragrance, looking for a formula with no added fragrance and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or very humid climates, or people shopping on a budget

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
8
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
a first-of-its-kind, triple action mask inspired by red light

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

instantly transforms the look and feel of hair—softer, smoother, silkier

Nothing in the list reads as a smoothing system.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

helping rebalance the scalp and support elastin at the root for stronger, healthier looking hair over time

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

91% calmer scalp

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.

+57% immediate increase in scalp hydration

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.

100% showed improvement in softness, smoothness + shine

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.

Softens + smoothes

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

balances + revitalizes

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

strengthens + anchors

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

  • Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine
  • Keratin
Partly supported

Supports the surface, not a treatment.

hydrates + conditions

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
  • Propanediol
  • Glycerin
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.

Hair reads noticeably softer and easier to manage from the first wash, which is the change reviewers lead with rather than any scalp result

the single Ulta reviewer plus a brand-site testimonial from a parent describing her daughter's thick, wavy, very dry and frizzy hair

Reviewers describe a distinct cooling sensation on the scalp during the few minutes it is left on, and read that tingle as the product working

a verified Ulta shopper reviewing the mask shortly after its release

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 (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-05.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 16 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 2026-09-05.