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Paul Mitchell · Super Smooth

Super Smooth Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size10.14 fl oz
Price$18seen at one store · 10.14 oz
Price / oz$1.78/ozat 10.14 oz
Where to buy2 stores · $18.00–18.00

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Manufacturer page: paulmitchell.com

Personal fit

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Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$1.78/oz at 10.14 oz — more than 58% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

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
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much cleansing is right for you depends on how fast your scalp oils, how much product you layer, and your water — 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.

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 Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

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
WaterWater/Aqua/Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate olefin sulfonate cleanser — Cleanses
Cocamide MIPA secondary cleanser Softens the main detergent Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Betaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Oleth-10 emulsifier Keeps oil and water mixed Stabilizes
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate thickener Sets the texture Stabilizes
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Hexamethylindanopyran fragrance The scent Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal 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 (21)

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/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 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 ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A 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 hair

    Sulfate-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.

    PubChem
    • olefin sulfonate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Cocamide MIPA
    General function

    A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises shampoo foam and gives the liquid its body.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

    • secondary cleanser
    • nonionic cleanser
    • thickener
  • 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 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

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Among 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.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology
    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 5 Oleth-10
    General function

    An emulsifier used to disperse oils and fragrance.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 6 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
  • 7 Sodium Chloride
    General function

    Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 8 PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
    General function

    A sugar-derived thickener used to build body in sulfate-free cleansers.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • thickener
    • emulsifier
  • 9 Ethylhexyl Olivate
    General function

    A light olive-derived ester used as a plant alternative to silicone slip.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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
  • 10 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.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    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
  • 11 Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
    General function

    A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water and rinses cleanly.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    The 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 hair

    A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Cleanses 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
  • 12 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.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic 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 hair

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film 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
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 13 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 14 Ethylhexylglycerin
    General function

    A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

    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
    • preservative
    • emollient
  • 15 Tetrasodium EDTA
    General function

    Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.

    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
    • hard-water chelator
  • 16 Sodium Hydroxide
    General function

    A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

    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.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The 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.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
  • 17 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 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

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

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

    The 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 hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 18 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 19 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 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

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 20 Hexamethylindanopyran
    General function

    A synthetic musk used as a long-lasting fragrance base note.

    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

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
  • 21 Hexyl Cinnamal
    General function

    A jasmine-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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 3 cleansers
  • 3 thickeners
  • 3 emollients
  • 3 fragrances
  • 2 secondary cleansers
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 olefin sulfonate cleanser
  • 1 nonionic cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 solubilizer

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 10.14 oz

Seen at $18 1 store · checked Aug 30
Good value under $13 Under $1.25/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 $13 line; products that do this job typically go for about $29 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 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. and 1 listing we don’t count — grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out
  1. 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.
  2. Seen at $18 is the price we have observed for the 10.14 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $13 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.25/oz; at 10.14 oz that is $13. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $29 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 10.14 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 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
  • 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 58% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
  • Covers 7 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 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 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.

Kristin EssClosest function Ultra Rich Softening Shampoo $1.20/oz $0.58/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Vegan
  • Drugstore tier
  • 10 oz bottle
Compare
NexxusClose function Nexxus Ultralight Smooth Shampoo $1.26/oz $0.52/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Floral scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 13.5 oz bottle
Compare
SuaveLowest cost per oz Shampoo Moisture Repair $0.21/oz $1.57/oz less
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
· Close function
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 28 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

Colour-treated hair — 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

Consider Kristin Ess Ultra Rich Softening 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, 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
Up To 86% Smoother Hair (with shampoo + conditioner, third-party testing)

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.

Daily sulfate-free (without SLS, SLES, ALS) shampoo cleanses and smooths hair

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

Perfect prep for a smooth blowout

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Polyquaternium-10
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

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 with curly or thick, coarse hair report noticeably softer, more manageable, frizz-reduced results

curly and thick/coarse-hair users

Some reviewers with sensitive or easily-irritated scalps say the current formula feels calming rather than irritating

sensitive-scalp users

A protein-sensitive reviewer with low-porosity coily hair reports the formula does not cause the breakage they get from protein-heavy products

low-porosity/protein-sensitive coily hair

A reformulation is noted by long-time users, with mixed reactions including a report of an eczema flare-up after switching to the current formula

long-time users noticing a recent reformulation

More from Paul Mitchell

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.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (4 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 15 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.

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