Sizes & containers
10.14 fl. oz. · $14.40 at one store · UPC 009531137940
Clear Essential Conditioner
Conditioner / Light rinse-out, detangling
- Conditioner
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Manufacturer page: paulmitchell.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.
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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
Priced with its peers
$1.70/oz at 10.14 oz, less than 51% of the 1119 conditioners , which mostly run $0.94–3.41/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Maybe skip if
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.
Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.
No oils or butters in the list.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
No chelating agent in the list.
No fragrance is listed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater (Aqua, Eau) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Polyether-1 | polymer | The hold system | Holds |
| Cetrimonium Chloride | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens so hair combs through | Detangles |
| Propylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Quaternium-80 | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Softens |
| Citric Acid | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Phenoxyethanol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
Full ingredient list (9)
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
· Water (Aqua, 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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Polyether-1
- polymer
- thickener
-
3
Cetrimonium Chloride
General function
A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitFine or easily flattened hairThe C16 quat binds mostly by charge rather than by chain, so it deposits measurably less than the C22 ones. Less deposit is less conditioning and also less weight, which is usually the trade fine hair wants.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
-
4
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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
- solvent
-
5
Quaternium-80
General function
A conditioning silicone with a positive charge, so it deposits where hair is damaged and stays through rinsing.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairAmino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
6
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
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 hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- preservative
- emollient
-
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
Phenoxyethanol
General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
-
9
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 preservatives
- 2 solvents
- 2 conditioning agents
- 1 polymer
- 1 thickener
- 1 cleanser
- 1 humectant
- 1 silicone
- 1 film former
- 1 emollient
- 1 pH adjuster
- 1 hard-water chelator
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 10.14 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $7 line; products that do this job typically go for about $8 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
10.14 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce
-
Beauty Plus Salon
$14.4010.14 oz · $1.42/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Target
$20.0010.14 oz · $1.97/ozOct 7
2.5 oz
-
Paul Mitchell (brand site)
$10.002.5 oz · $4.00/ozOct 7Lowest 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
- 10.14 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 $14.40 is the price we have observed for the 10.14 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $7 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.66/oz; at 10.14 oz that is $7. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $8 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 10.14 oz.
Formula
A complete formula at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among conditioners, with the working systems in place.
How the score is counted
- 5 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 51% of the 1119 conditioners we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score 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.
- Protein-free
- Medium weight
- Budget
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Medium weight
- Widely sold
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- 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?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsPeople sensitive to fragrance who want a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Less suited to curly-method routines, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates
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.
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.
Many reviewers value the fragrance-free formula, saying it feels gentle on sensitive skin and scalps.
Reviewers sensitive to fragranceMany reviewers say their hair feels soft and smooth after rinsing, with fewer tangles.
Reviewers across hair typesMany reviewers say the light formula conditions without weighing fine or thin hair down.
Reviewers with fine or thin hairSome reviewers say it leaves hair dry and not moisturized enough, especially with curls or fine hair.
Reviewers with fine, curly or dry-ended hairSeveral reviewers find the thick texture hard to spread, with little slip while working it through.
Reviewers across hair typesMore from Paul Mitchell
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.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 5 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 2026-10-07.
