Gently cleanse and instantly soften dry, damaged hair
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Pantene
Gold Series Sulfate Free Shampoo
Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced
- Shampoo
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8.5 fl oz
Price$32.95seen at one store · 8.52 oz
Price / oz$3.87/ozat 8.52 oz
Where to buy2 stores · $7.97–32.95
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: pantene.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 22 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Cleansing strength
Moderate
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 cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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
19 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Grocery / massOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$3.87/oz at 8.52 oz, more than 83% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.
Great for
Colour-treated hairthat fades faster in a sulfate wash
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel
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
Moderate
Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind.
Expected lather
Moderate
An ordinary shampoo lather.
Slip and detangling
Moderate
Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.
Water-binding (humectants)
High
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
Scalp active
None
No over-the-counter scalp active.
Hard-water defence
Chelators present
Contains chelators, which 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 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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Panthenol | humectant | Adds a little water-binding | Detangles |
| Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate | hard-water chelator | Binds trace metals | Stabilizes |
| Sodium Benzoate | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Phenoxyethanol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Salicylic Acid | active | A secondary active | Active |
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 (19)
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
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.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
General function
A gentle, dense-lathering cleanser used as the primary detergent in many sulfate-free shampoos.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdThe detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairA gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairCleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Scientific ReportsMay 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 hairWater 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.
- humectant
-
4
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 ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
5
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
General function
A very mild cleanser that softens the effect of stronger detergents.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairOne of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
6
Fragrance
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
-
7
Panthenol
General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairIt hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
8
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
General function
A readily biodegradable chelator used in place of EDTA to bind hard-water minerals.
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
-
9
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
10
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
11
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
-
12
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
General function
A gel-forming thickener that also keeps oils suspended. It contributes a little hold.
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 suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingSynthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSome acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
-
13
Salicylic Acid
- active
- exfoliant
-
14
Polyquaternium-7
General function
A conditioning polymer that improves wet combing and adds body. Repeated use can build up on fine 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 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
-
15
Titanium Dioxide
General function
A white mineral pigment that makes a product opaque or pearly.
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
- opacifier
- mineral
-
16
Glycolic Acid
General function
The smallest fruit acid, used in scalp products to loosen flakes and clear build-up.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- exfoliant
- pH adjuster
-
17
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
General function
A panthenol derivative used for the same softness and shine effect, with a lighter feel.
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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHumectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
18
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
General function
Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.
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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
19
Sodium Hydroxide
General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.
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 TrichologyDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 cleansers
- 3 humectants
- 3 film formers
- 3 polymers
- 2 amphoteric cleansers
- 2 secondary cleansers
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 preservatives
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 exfoliants
- 2 pH adjusters
- 1 solvent
- 1 mild anionic cleanser
- 1 fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-15. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8.52 oz
Seen at
$32.95
Good value under
$11
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 $22 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
-
Amazon.com
$7.978.5 oz · $0.94/ozSep 16Lowest per oz
-
FoodServiceDirect.com
$32.958.52 oz · $3.87/ozSep 16
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
- 8.52 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 $32.95 is the price we have observed for the 8.52 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $11 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.26/oz; at 8.52 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $22 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.52 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 of 10
The formula carries what a shampoo is built around, and 4 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is the label, not the formula.
How the score is counted
- 4 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 83% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
- Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
- A working detergent systemWhat actually removes oil and product.3 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A hard-water chelatorBinds the minerals that dull hair in hard water.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score 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.
CurlsmithSame function
Frizz Control Shampoo
$2.17/oz $1.70/oz less
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Differs
BosleyClose function
mendXtend Strengthening Shampoo
$1.48/oz $2.39/oz less
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Function
- Also
Palmer'sLowest cost per oz
Olive Oil Shampoo
$0.41/oz $3.46/oz less
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Function
- Also
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
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costBest user
Colour-treated hair who want washing without sulfates and a protein-free formula
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates
Best alternative if not
Consider Curlsmith Frizz Control Shampoo, 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.
1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Removes buildup without stripping natural oils
A moderate detergent system: enough for light residue, not a monthly reset.
- Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Partly supported
Light residue, not heavy build-up.
Free of parabens, sulfates and silicones
No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Gentler on colour and coils.
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.
The shampoo provides effective cleansing and hydration that leaves hair soft and manageable instead of the dry, straw-like feeling produced by other brands.
The formula performs particularly well on textured hair including curls, coils, and braids, removing buildup while maintaining softness and preventing brittleness.
Several customers raise concerns about ingredient transparency, specifically questioning the undisclosed components within the fragrance listing and the presence of certain chemicals like salicylic acid.
More from Pantene
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.
- 6 sources consulted for this product (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
- Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 15 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 2026-09-16.
