All Shampoos Are Not Created Equal: A Comparison of 28 Brands

Have you ever wondered why a bottle of generic shampoo costs 99 cents at the drug store while a bottle of salon shampoo can cost $20 or more? The price range is so extreme, that it would be easy to assume that cheap shampoos are bad for your hair, and expensive shampoos are good for your hair. Does a higher price equal higher quality? Let's find out! Before exploring the specifics of each brand of shampoo, here's a little background information on shampoo ingredients.

Water is the main ingredient in all shampoos. Detergent is the second ingredient listed on a shampoo label. The remaining ingredients are typically moisturizers, thickeners, conditioners, fragrances, extracts, and dyes. These are washed away by the detergent when you rinse the shampoo out of your hair. There are six major types of detergents commonly used to make shampoo, and each has a different effect on your hair. Some are mild while others are more abrasive.

Common Detergents Used in Shampoo:

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - very harsh

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate - harsh

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - slightly less harsh

Sodium Laureth Sulfate - mild

TEA or MEA Lauryl Sulfate - gentle

TEA or MEA Laureth Sulfate - gentle

All of these detergents are FDA approved, but the mild and gentle detergents are obviously a better choice for your hair. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a great choice for adult hair. The gentler TEA detergents are not used commonly in shampoos made for adults.

I decided to do some research to find out which brands of Shampoo are best for my hair. I chose 28 popular shampoo brands that can be purchased at most drug stores, grocery stores, discount stores, or salons. Each entry below contains a shampoo name, the detergent it contains, and the price of a specific sized bottle. I referenced prices at CVS pharmacy because their drug stores are accessible nationwide in the United States. The prices listed are the regular prices before tax. One or two types of shampoo are listed for each brand with a few exceptions. Make sure to note the differences in detergents among brands as you read.

A-M

Aussie Moisturizing Shampoo

Detergent: Ammonium Lauryl and Ammonium Laureth

Price: $3.99 for 13.5 oz.

Aveda Brilliant Shampoo

Detergent: Ammonium Lauryl (third on ingredient list after water and extracts)

Price: $13.99 for 8.5 oz.

Bed Head Dumb Blonde Shampoo

Detergent: Ammonium Lauryl

Price: $11.99 for 13.5 oz.

Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $10.99 for 13.5 oz.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $25.49 for 8 oz.

Christophe Beverly Hills Volumizing Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $7.99 for 10 oz.

Dove Shine Therapy Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $4.99 for 12 oz.

Finesse Moisturizing Shampoo

Detergent: Ammonium Lauryl and Ammonium Laureth

Price: $5.39 for 25.4 oz.

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $3.99 for 13 oz.

Garnier Fructis Fortifying 2 in 1

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $3.99 for 13 oz.

Head and Shoulders Smooth and Silky Dandruff Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Lauryl and Sodium Laureth

Price: $5.69 for 14.2 oz.

Head and Shoulders 2 in 1 Classic Clean Dandruff

Detergent: Sodium Lauryl and Sodium Laureth

Price: $5.69 for 14.2 oz.

Herbal Essences Body Envy Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth and Sodium Lauryl

Price: $3.99 for 12 oz.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration 2 in1

Detergent: Ammonium Laureth and Ammonium Lauryl

Price: $3.99 for 12 oz.

Infusium 23 Repair Ologie Shampoo Step 1

Detergent: Ammonium Lauryl and Ammonium Laureth

Price: $7.29 for 16 oz.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth and Ammonium Lauryl

Price: $6.79 for 8.45 oz.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Around Style-Starting Daily Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth and Sodium Lauryl

Price: $5.89 for 10 oz.

L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Shampoo for damaged hair

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $4.99 for 13 oz.

L'oreal Vive Pro for Men Daily Thickening 2 in 1

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $4.99 for 13 oz.

Mane N Tail Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Lauryl

Price: $6.99 for 32 oz.

Marc Anthony Instantly Thick Hair Thickening Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $7.99 for 12.9 oz.

Matrix Biolage Fortifying Shampoo

Detergent: TEA Lauryl

Price: $17.49 for 16.9 oz.

Matrix Biolage Hydrating Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth

Price: $17.49 for 16.9 oz.

Matrix Biolage Color Care Shampoo

Detergent: Sodium Laureth and Sodium Lauryl

Price $17.49 for 16.9 oz.

I know that's a lot of information to process, so let me sum it up for you. My conclusions are based solely on the detergents and the price per ounce of the shampoos on this list. I have not used most of these shampoos, so I can't tell you what they smell like or how they make your hair feel after washing and drying.

Gentlest Shampoo

Matrix Biolage Fortifying Shampoo gets the award for being the gentlest shampoo. It was the only shampoo on the list that contained TEA Lauryl Sulfate, one of the gentlest detergents. The gentleness comes with a high price tag though, costing more than $1 per ounce.

Overly Priced Shampoo

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo is the winner (or loser) in this category. At over $3 per ounce, this shampoo is definitely over priced. It contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a good mild detergent, but so do many other shampoos on the list with much lower price tags. I'd give some of the cheaper mild options a try before buying Bumble and Bumble.

Harshest Shampoo

I'm not sure if it is worse for a shampoo to contain just one harsh detergent or multiple harsh detergents. That being said, one shampoo on the list solely contained ammonium lauryl sulfate, the harshest detergent of all. Bed Head Dumb Blonde Shampoo receives the award for harshest shampoo. In addition to being very harsh, this particular shampoo is on the pricey side. It doesn't make sense to pay big bucks for a shampoo that treats your hair so harshly.

Best Buy All Around

The Best Buy award goes to a shampoo that is a great price but also contains the mild detergent sodium laureth sulfate. First place goes to Tresemme Moisture Shampoo with Vitamin E with a price tag of only 15 cents per ounce. What a deal! Second place is a tie between the two Garnier Fructis shampoos on the list. They both contained mild detergent and cost 31 cents per ounce.

Best Buy Salon Style

There were many salon style shampoos that contained the mild detergent sodium laureth sulfate and were reasonably priced. At 62 cents per ounce, Marc Anothony's Instantly Thick Hair Thickening Shampoo wins first place for being a best buy that's also good for your hair. At 65 cents per ounce, second place goes to Nexxus Therappe Luxury Moisturizing Shampoo.

If you plan on buying shampoo at a salon, look for coupons in the newspaper or online. Ulta, for example, regularly offers $3.50 off of a $10 purchase in store or online. That's 35% off. You can usually find manufacturers coupons in the newspaper for brands that are sold at drug stores and discount stores, such as Garnier Fructis, Dove, and L'oreal Vive Pro. Buy your shampoo when it is on sale to save even more on top of your coupons. By combining coupons with sales, I often pay $1 or less per bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Stock up at a low price so you won't have to pay full price later.

If you use salon shampoo, try finding it for less on Ebay or Craigslist. You might be able to get a great deal if you buy multiple bottles at once. Making your own shampoo at home might save money. I haven't ever done this, so I can't tell you how much money it would save. I imagine that homemade shampoos are gentler on your hair and scalp than store bought shampoos. Making your own shampoo is better for the environment than buying shampoo at the store because it eliminates the plastic bottle. Making shampoo sounds like a fun Saturday project, so give it a try. Click on one of the links below to find shampoo recipes.

How to Make Your Own Natural Shampoo

Spa At Home: Easy Home Recipes for Natural Shampoo

Organic Shampoo Recipes

Using your shampoo wisely also saves money. Many shampoo bottles instruct the user to lather, rinse, and repeat if desired. The repeat is not necessary. Manufacturers encourage a repeat lather because it uses more shampoo, resulting in higher sales. By lathering only once, your shampoo will last twice as long. You'll buy less shampoo, and therefore save money.

Take a look at the label on the bottle of shampoo in your shower. Are you surprised at what type of detergent it contains? I was! Prior to writing this article, I was using a Pantene Pro-V 2 in 1 shampoo. Before learning about shampoo detergents, I always assumed Pantene was a great choice. It was moderately priced, and the television and magazine ads had me convinced that the shampoo was good for my hair. I was shocked to find ammonium lauryl sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate, the harshest detergents, on the ingredient label.

I'm going to pay more attention to the shampoo I buy from now on. Just because it is a well known and highly advertised brand doesn't mean it's good for your hair. If you're disappointed with the findings on your shampoo bottle, try a new brand that contains a milder detergent. You might even be able to save some money by switching to a different brand. Enjoy pampering your hair with a new shampoo!