#1 Scalp Care Conditioner (salon sales in US, Q3 2024-Q2 2025)
A sales or award claim. It says nothing about what is in the bottle.
—
Stated by brand
Popularity, not performance.
Sizes & containers
10.14 fl oz (300 ml) · $19.97 at one store
Paul Mitchell · Tea Tree
Tea Tree Special Conditioner
Conditioner / Light rinse-out, detangling
- Conditioner
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Vegan · label states
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size10.14 fl oz (300 ml)usual store size · 4 sizes
Price$19.97seen at one store · 10.14 oz · from $1.48/oz in the 33.8 oz
Price / oz$1.97/ozat 10.14 oz
Where to buy6 stores · 3 sizes
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
Notes: floral, menthol, mint.
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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
None found
Not in your profile
Oils and butters
None
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
High
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
Not in your profile
Scent
Mint & herbal · FloralStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
Present
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Vegan · label statesCruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Vegan · label states
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not 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
Salon
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Target · Ulta +1Widely sold
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
Upper-mid price for a conditioner
$1.97/oz at 10.14 oz, more than 54% of the 1119 conditioners , which mostly run $0.94–3.41/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list
Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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, so this is a detangling formula.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Water-binding (humectants)
None found
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Hard-water defence
Chelators present
Contains chelators, which bind hard-water and pool minerals.
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. 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 |
| Isododecane | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Softens |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Behentrimonium Methosulfate | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens so hair combs through | Detangles |
| Melaleuca Alternifolia (TEA Tree) Leaf Water | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Magnesium Nitrate | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Magnesium Chloride | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Tetrasodium EDTA | hard-water chelator | Binds trace metals | Stabilizes |
| Methylchloroisothiazolinone | isothiazolinone | — | Stabilizes |
| Methylisothiazolinone | isothiazolinone | — | Stabilizes |
| FragranceParfum (Fragrance) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Menthol | 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 (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
· 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
Isododecane
General function
A fast-evaporating carrier that lets oils and polymers spread thinly, then leaves nothing behind.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
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.
- solvent
- emollient
-
3
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.
Role in this product typeIn conditioner, cetearyl alcohol gives the emulsion its creamy structure and helps it spread evenly through the hair. Its emollient layer adds slip and a smoother feel.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
BASFMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMay suit dry, coarse, or high-porosity hair that benefits from added slip and a more substantial conditioning film.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairConsider if hair is fine or easily flattened: a formula built heavily around fatty alcohols can feel richer than a lightweight conditioner.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
4
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
General function
A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairA C22 conditioning quat, the chain length that deposits most heavily in electrokinetic testing. It is the slip coarse or porous hair usually needs, delivered by chain length rather than by charge alone.
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.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
- conditioning agent
- emulsifier
-
5
Melaleuca Alternifolia (TEA Tree) Leaf Water
General function
Tea tree water used in place of some of the plain water, for scent and label appeal.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
6
Magnesium Nitrate
General function
A stabilising salt that accompanies certain preservative systems.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- salt
-
7
Magnesium Chloride
General function
A mineral salt used to thicken a cleanser or stabilise the formula.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- salt
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
8
Tetrasodium EDTA
General function
Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairCopper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
- hard-water chelator
-
9
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
-
10
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
11
Methylisothiazolinone
- isothiazolinone
- preservative
-
12
Fragrance
· Parfum (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
-
13
Menthol
General function
Produces the cooling, tingling feeling on the scalp. The sensation is real; it is not evidence that anything else is happening.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- active
-
14
Terpineol
General function
A lilac-like fragrance component found naturally in several essential oils.
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
-
15
terpinolene
General function
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
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
-
16
Pinene
General function
A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.
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
-
17
beta-caryophyllene
General function
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
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
-
18
Yellow 5
· CI 19140 (Yellow 5)
General function
A certified colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairA violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
-
19
Ci 42090 (Blue 1)
- colourant
- direct dye
- blue dye
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 fragrances
- 2 solvents
- 2 emollients
- 2 salts
- 2 hard-water chelators
- 2 isothiazolinones
- 2 preservatives
- 2 colourants
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 thickener
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 emulsifier
- 1 botanical extract
- 1 pH adjuster
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 10.14 oz
Seen at
$19.97
Good value under
$1
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $1 line; products that do this job typically go for about $7 at this size.
Sizes
2.5 oz
$9–10
$3.80/oz
10.14 ozusual store size
$19.97
$1.97/oz
33.8 oz
$50
$1.48/oz
The 33.8 oz costs 61% less per ounce than the 2.5 oz.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 5 stores
10.14 ozusual store size
-
Walmart
$19.9710.14 oz · $1.97/ozAug 30Lowest per oz
2.5 oz
-
Target
$8.692.5 oz · $3.48/ozAug 30Lowest per oz
-
Ulta Beauty
$9.502.5 oz · $3.80/ozAug 30
-
John Paul Mitchell Systems
$9.502.5 oz · $3.80/ozAug 30
25 ozBest per ounce
-
JCPenney
$9.5025 oz · $0.38/ozAug 30Lowest per oz
33.8 oz
-
Target
$50.0033.8 oz · $1.48/ozAug 22Lowest per oz
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.
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 $19.97 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 $1 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.15/oz; at 10.14 oz that is $1. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
- About $7 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 10.14 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 of 10
The formula carries the systems a conditioner is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for conditioners per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 5 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 54% of the 1119 conditioners we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a conditioner 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 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.
Mane 'n TailClosest function
Gentle Replenishing Conditioner
$0.74/oz $1.23/oz less
- Budget
- Differs
Mane 'n TailFragrance-free
Moisture Balance Conditioner
$0.65/oz $1.32/oz less
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Protein-free
- Function
- Also
SuaveLowest cost per oz
Essentials Wild Cherry Blossom Conditioner
$0.15/oz $1.82/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- 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 suitsBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry hair that needs water-binding
Best alternative if not
Consider Mane 'n Tail Gentle Replenishing Conditioner, 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.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Invigorating conditioner helps to detangle, smooth and soften
Conditioning agents that reduce combing force sit high in the list.
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Supported
Easier detangling, less breakage.
Color safe, vegan, paraben-free, gluten-free
No parabens appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Preserved without parabens.
Made with 100% Australian tea tree from certified responsible sourcing
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.
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 cooling and tingling tea-tree-mint scent is consistently called out as a refreshing, enjoyable sensory experience.
general reviewer baseReviewers with scalp irritation or dry scalp report noticeable relief, with some describing improvement after the very first use.
buyers using it for scalp concerns, including on behalf of family membersSome users report weak lather and poor detangling performance, finding it does not fully work through tangles.
general reviewer baseShoppers question whether results justify the price point at the 33.8oz size ($50), citing value-for-money concerns.
price-sensitive reviewersMore 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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 12 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 2026-08-25.
