Red Boosting Shampoo
The John Frieda Red Boosting Shampoo is a misc. Our analysis of its 46 ingredients (34 low-risk) rates it Excellent (88/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The John Frieda Red Boosting Shampoo is a misc. Our analysis of its 46 ingredients (34 low-risk) rates it Excellent (88/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
Dry Skin
6/9
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin
3/0
Sensitive Skin
2/19
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
|
Water
(Solvent) |
|
|
3
|
|
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Foaming, Surfactant) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Sulfate
|
|
1
|
|
Sorbitol
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Humectant, Plasticizer, Skin Conditioning) |
|
4
|
B
|
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
Coco-glucoside
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant) |
|
|
1
2
|
|
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
(Cleansing, Denaturant, Emulsifying, Foaming, Surfactant) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Sulfate
|
|
|
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Lauric Acid
(Fragrance, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Lauric Acid., Emulsifying) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Film Forming, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
5
|
A
|
Benzyl Alcohol
(External Analgesic, Fragrance, Oral Health Care Drug, Preservative, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Masking) |
Allergens
|
|
1
|
|
Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
|
Hydroxycetyl Hydroxyethyl Dimonium Chloride
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
|
Erythritol
(Humectant, Moisturising) |
|
|
3
4
|
B
|
Malic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Glycine
(Buffering Agent, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Agent Miscellaneous, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
PEG-12 Dimethicone
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
6
|
|
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
1
|
B
|
PPG-9
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Benzophenone-4
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
|
|
1
|
|
STEAROXYPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE
(Hair Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
C14-28 Isoalkyl Acid
(Hair Conditioning) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Propylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Humectant, Skin Conditioningagent Miscellaneous, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
1
|
|
C14-28 Alkyl Acid
(Hair Conditioning) |
|
|
6
|
B
|
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
(Preservative) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Stearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foambooster, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Foam Boosting, Masking, Opacifying, Refatting, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
7
|
B
|
Methylisothiazolinone
(Preservative) |
|
|
2
|
|
Alcohol
(Antifoaming Agent, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling) |
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
2
|
A
|
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
3
|
|
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
|
3
|
A
|
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking) |
|
|
|
|
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous) |
|
|
1
|
|
Punica Granatum Extract
(Astringent, Masking, Tonic) |
|
|
1
|
|
Prunus Domestica Fruit Extract
(Moisturising, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant) |
|
|
2
3
|
|
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient) |
|
|
1
|
|
Caramel
(Colorant, Fragrance, Cosmetic Colorant, Masking) |
|
|
2
|
|
CI 17200
(Cosmetic Colorant) |
|
|
3
|
|
CI 14700
(Cosmetic Colorant) |
|
|
2
|
|
CI 42090
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant) |
|
|
5
|
|
Linalool
(Fragrance, Deodorant, Masking) |
Allergens
|
|
7
|
|
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
(Perfuming) |
Allergens
|
|
5
|
|
Hexyl Cinnamal
(Fragrance, Masking) |
Allergens
|
|
6
|
|
Limonene
(Deodorant, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Allergens
|
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.
Malic Acid
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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