Tea Tree Special Detox Foaming Salt Scrub
Scalp treatment
- Scalp treatment
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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: 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 20 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 20 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
$4.92/oz at 6.5 oz, less than 68% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/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.
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No chelating agent in the list.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium Chloride | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| WaterWater (Aqua, Eau) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Sodium ChlorideSea Salt (Sel Marin, Maris Sal) | salt | Thickens the formula | Stabilizes |
| Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Melaleuca Alternifolia (TEA Tree) Leaf Water | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Menthol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Linalool | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Linalyl Acetate | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
Full ingredient list (29)
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
Sodium Chloride
General function
Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- salt
- thickener
-
2
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
-
3
Sodium Chloride
· Sea Salt (Sel Marin, Maris Sal)
General function
Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- salt
- thickener
-
4
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
General function
A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water and rinses cleanly.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
5
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
General function
A mild cleanser that gives a creamy lather and leaves hair less stripped than sulfates.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
6
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
General function
One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairBecause it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.
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.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.
- oil
- emollient
-
7
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
-
8
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
General function
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Montmorillonite
General function
A clay used for oil absorption and matte texture.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairAbsorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAn absorbent solid takes up oil, and hair already short of it has less to give.
- clay
- powder
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
10
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
· Rosa Canina Seed Oil
General function
Rosehip oil, used in small amounts for antioxidants and a light finish.
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
- antioxidant
-
11
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
-
12
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
- 13 Volcanic Sand
- 14 Quartz Powder
-
15
Ascorbic Acid
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
16
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
17
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 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
-
18
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
-
19
Lavandula Oil/Extract
- botanical extract
- essential oil
-
20
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
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 routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
21
Linalyl Acetate
General function
A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.
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 routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
22
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
-
23
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
-
24
Camphor
General function
Produces a cooling, medicinal sensation on the scalp and contributes scent.
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
- 25 Turpentine
-
26
Citronellol
General function
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
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 routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
27
Geraniol
General function
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to 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 routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Green 5 (Ci 61570)
General function
A certified colour that tints 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
-
29
Yellow 5
· Yellow 5 (CI 19140)
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 9 fragrances
- 4 emollients
- 4 named fragrance allergens
- 3 oils
- 3 antioxidants
- 2 salts
- 2 thickeners
- 2 mild anionic cleansers
- 2 cleansers
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 preservatives
- 2 vitamins
- 2 actives
- 2 colourants
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 6.5 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $20 line; products that do this job typically go for about $55 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores
-
Paul Mitchell (brand site)
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Ulta Beauty
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 8
-
Sephora
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 8
-
Target
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 8
-
John Paul Mitchell Systems
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 8
-
JCPenney
$32.006.5 oz · $4.92/ozOct 8
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
- 6.5 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 6.5 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $20 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.07/oz; at 6.5 oz that is $20. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $55 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6.5 oz.
Formula
It costs about what other scalp treatments cost per ounce, but the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front, which most of the format carries.
How the score is counted
- 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 68% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced
- No conditioning agents up front in the formula
- No slip for detangling either
- 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
- Silicone-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Silicone-free
- 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 personHair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and something that will not weigh hair down
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, people shopping on a budget, or anyone who wants to pick it up locally
Taliah Waajid Hair & Scalp Oil With Vitamin E 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.
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 say the scrub leaves their scalp feeling clean, fresh and lightly tingly after use.
Reviewers across hair typesSeveral reviewers say the scrub removes product buildup and oil that builds up between washes.
Reviewers across hair types, including those who use dry shampooSome reviewers say the scrub made their scalp itchier or flakier, and that it dried out their hair lengths.
Reviewers with sensitive scalps or dry hair endsReviewers split on the grit: some like the exfoliating texture and foam, while others found it too gritty or barely foamy.
Reviewers across hair typesSeveral reviewers praise the fresh tea tree and mint scent, while others dislike its essential-oil character.
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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 18 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.
