Sheer Hydration Shampoo

Paul Mitchell

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Paul Mitchell Sheer Hydration Shampoo is a misc. Our analysis of its 34 ingredients (28 low-risk) rates it Excellent (93/100). 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.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Misc
Ingredients
34
Low-risk
28
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 4/8
Good for dry skin
Glycol Distearate Glycol Stearate Propylene Glycol Dimethicone
Caution for dry skin
Glycol Stearate Salicylic Acid Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Laureth-23 Sodium Hydroxide Steareth-4 PEG-150 Distearate Laureth-4
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 2/7
Good for sensitive skin
Spirulina Platensis Extract Dimethicone
Caution for sensitive skin
Sodium Chloride Propylene Glycol Salicylic Acid Citric Acid Phenoxyethanol Methylisothiazolinone Laureth-4

Ingredients list

34 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (7)
All34 Skin Conditioning13 Hair Conditioning8 Viscosity Controlling8 Antistatic Agent7 Emulsifying7 Preservative6 Surfactant6 Fragrance5
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
2
B
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
Sulfate
Sulfate
1
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Cocamide MIPA
(Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Spirulina Platensis Extract
(Skin Protecting)
Chondrus Crispus Extract
(Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Lactobacillus Ferment
(Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Steareth-4
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
2
3
B
Laureth-4
(Antistatic Agent, Emulsifying, Masking, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
3
B
Laureth-23
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
Quaternium-80
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning)
1
Polyquaternium-44
(Antistatic Agent, Film Forming, Hair Conditioning)
3
B
Propylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Humectant, Skin Conditioningagent Miscellaneous, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning)
1
A
Glycol Stearate
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Glycol Distearate
(Opacifying, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
B
PEG-150 Distearate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Magnesium Nitrate
(Hair Conditioning)
1
Magnesium Chloride
(Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Tetrasodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
2
A
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative)
1
A
Sodium Dehydroacetate
(Preservative)
6
B
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
(Preservative)
7
B
Methylisothiazolinone
(Preservative)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

Browse similar misc
No close formula match yet — browse other products like this

Key ingredients

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin Protecting
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains sulfate
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Methylisothiazolinone — higher EWG
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

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 →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
Cocamide MIPA
Foam boosting, Viscosity increasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Foam boostingViscosity increasing agentEmulsifyingEmulsion stabilisingViscosity controlling
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin protecting
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin conditioning, Viscosity controlling
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningViscosity controlling
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Steareth-4
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant
Quaternium-80
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentHair conditioning
Polyquaternium-44
Antistatic agent, Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentFilm formingHair conditioning
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentHair conditioning
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactantViscosity controlling
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Deodorant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A DeodorantSkin conditioning
Magnesium Nitrate
Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Hair conditioning
Magnesium Chloride
Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Viscosity controlling
+ 6 more — see the full ingredients list above
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing, Foaming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR B CleansingFoamingSurfactant Sulfate
Panthenol
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Laureth-4
Antistatic agent, Emulsifying
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 2–3 CIR B Antistatic agentEmulsifyingMaskingSurfactant Bad for Oily Skin
Laureth-23
Cleansing, Emulsifying
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B CleansingEmulsifyingSurfactant Bad for Oily Skin
Propylene Glycol
Fragrance, Humectant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B FragranceHumectantSkin-conditioningagent - miscellaneousSolventViscosity decreasing agentSkin conditioningViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Glycol Stearate
Emulsion stabilising, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingOpacifyingSkin conditioningEmollientEmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Glycol Distearate
Opacifying, Viscosity increasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A OpacifyingViscosity increasing agentEmollientEmulsifyingSkin conditioningViscosity controlling Fungal-acne trigger
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 CIR B Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 7 CIR B Preservative

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Officially notified as a cosmetic in Malaysia (NPRA). Government registration record.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

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.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic 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.

From the community

0
Reviews
0
Saved by users
0
In collections

Ratings & reviews

Write a Review
0.0
from 0 ratings

Used this product? Rate it in 10 seconds

Alternatives