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Person & Covey

DHS Zinc Shampoo

Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning

  • Shampoo
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
Size8 fl oz
Price$22.67seen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$2.83/ozat 8 oz
Where to buy2 stores · $13.73–22.67

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: personandcovey.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$2.83/oz at 8 oz — more than 72% of the 805 shampoos , which mostly run $0.81–3.01/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Flaking scalpsthis carries an over-the-counter active
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Matte, textured stylesabsorbent powders do the mattifying

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Hair that tangles wetnothing here reduces combing force
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals

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 Little

Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Scalp active zinc pyrithione, 2%

Carries an over-the-counter scalp active, listed under Drug Facts.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

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 sits in the first eight ingredients — 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. 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
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Sodium Laureth Sulfate sulfate cleanser — Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Peg-8 Distearate thickener Sets the texture Stabilizes
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose gum Natural hold and clump definition Holds
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate clay Absorbs oil and adds texture Stabilizes
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no silicones or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Carries an over-the-counter scalp active (zinc pyrithione 2%).
Full ingredient list (10)

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
    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 Laureth Sulfate
    General function

    A strong, high-foaming cleanser and the most common shampoo detergent. It removes oil and product efficiently, which can be more than dry or colour-treated hair wants.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A sulfate detergent removes deposited silicone, wax and styling films in one wash, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Fine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology
    • sulfate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 3 Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
    General function

    A mild co-cleanser that keeps foam stable in hard water.

    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

    One 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 routines

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

    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 4 Peg-8 Distearate
    General function

    An ethoxylated fatty ester used to thicken a liquid and hold oil and water together. At high ethoxylation it is a thickener more than an emollient.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • thickener
    • emulsifier
  • 5 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
  • 6 Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
    General function

    A cellulose thickener used for slip and light hold in gels and creams.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

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

    A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.

    May not suitMaximum-hold styling

    Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

    • gum
    • thickener
    • film former
  • 7 Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
    General function

    A clay thickener that suspends particles and gives creams their body.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Absorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    An absorbent solid takes up oil, and hair already short of it has less to give.

    PubChem
    • clay
    • thickener
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 8 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 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
  • 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 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
  • 10 FD&C Yellow No. 6

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 thickeners
  • 2 cleansers
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 sulfate cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 secondary cleanser
  • 1 emulsifier
  • 1 salt
  • 1 gum
  • 1 film former
  • 1 clay
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 pH adjuster

Drug facts actives

  • zinc pyrithione 2%

This product is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic. It treats a cosmetic scalp condition; it does not diagnose or treat disease.

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-21. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $22.67 1 store · checked Aug 30
Good value under $3 Under $0.39/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $3 line; products that do this job typically go for about $4 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.

How we work this out
  1. 8 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 $22.67 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $3 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.39/oz; at 8 oz that is $3. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $4 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
6 of 10

Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for shampoos, on formula or on cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • Costs more per ounce than 72% of the 805 shampoos we’ve priced
  • No slip for detangling in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Pharmacy/Mail Order
  • 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

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.

AussieLowest cost per oz Aussie Paraben-Free Miracle Volume Shampoo with Plum & Bamboo For Fine Hair $0.32/oz $2.51/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Hard water
· Related function
Function
  • Scalp active
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Fresh scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • 30.4 oz bottle
Compare
NeutrogenaClose function Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Original Formula
  • Scalp active
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
Function
  • Scalp active
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • 16 oz bottle
Compare
PanteneClose function Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo $0.46/oz $2.37/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
  • Hard water
Function
  • Scalp active
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • 10.4 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

Flaking scalps, looking for an over-the-counter scalp active and a protein-free formula

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely 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.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
2% Zinc Pyrithione provides immediate relief of symptoms

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.

Only 11 ingredients to help avoid skin reactions for sensitive skin

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

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.

Provides relief for chronic/severe scalp conditions including scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis

long-term users with chronic scalp conditions

Minimal, gentle formula well tolerated on sensitive skin

reviewers with sensitive scalp

Effective, fast symptom relief from flaking and itching

Frequently out of stock / limited availability, a recurring frustration for repeat users

More from Person & Covey

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 3 of 6 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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