Sulfates are the detergents that make a shampoo lather hard. They are fine on healthy hair and useful once a week as a clarifier; on bleached, curly or coily hair they strip too much.
Sulfate-free shampoos lather less and cost more. Every curly and color-safe pick on this shelf is one.
Nothing here is medical advice. Patch-test anything new on the inside of a wrist for three days.
Pick your answers and the shelf shows only what fits.
Three ceramides, cholesterol, hyaluronic acid and petrolatum in a thick cream for face and body. The plain standard for dry skin, developed with dermatologists according to the maker.
Skip it if you are oily and it is humid
Ten percent niacinamide with zinc PCA in a water-based serum. Cheap enough to try, and sticky enough that owners complain about what it does under the next layer.
Skip it if you hate a tacky finish; owners call it sticky
A lotion cleanser with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid. No foam and no tight feeling, which is also why some owners feel it never quite washes off.
Skip it if you wear heavy sunscreen or makeup and want it off in one step
The gel version for normal to oily skin, with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Takes off oil and everyday makeup, and drier skin tends to object.
Skip it if your skin is dry or stings easily
Several weights of hyaluronic acid with panthenol, now in a reformulated version with ceramides. A cheap water layer, though it pills for some owners and old fans miss the old one.
Skip it if you expect it to replace a moisturizer; some owners stayed dry
Twenty percent L-ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid on a short list. It does what it says until it turns orange, and owners say some bottles arrive that way.
Skip it if you will not finish it quickly; owners report it oxidizes
Three percent of a tranexamic acid form with four percent niacinamide, both stated by the maker, for dark spots and uneven tone. Priced so you can finish a bottle, and many owners do and see nothing.
Skip it if you expect results in a few weeks; owners report none after months
A slippery essence that is mostly snail secretion filtrate, with sodium hyaluronate and panthenol. Most owners like the hydration, and a small group reacts within days.
Skip it if you are squeamish about the main ingredient
Two percent salicylic acid in a short-list, leave-on liquid, sold by the maker to unclog pores and control oil. It has a long record and a tacky finish some owners cannot stand.
Skip it if you hate a sticky finish; owners call this one tacky
A big bottle of seven percent glycolic acid for rough texture and dullness. The maker warns it off sensitive or peeling skin, and the burning reviews suggest it means that.
Skip it if your skin is sensitive or peeling; the maker says not to use it
A short-list wash with no fragrance, soap or sulfates, dermatologist tested according to the maker. Owners mostly like it, a few find it drying, and the list has acrylates copolymer.
Skip it if you want a scent
A creamy sulfate-free wash aimed by the maker at dry skin, in a big pump bottle. Owners either love the lotion-soft feel or feel it never quite rinses off.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one strong
Concentrated true soap from coconut, olive and hemp oils with no added fragrance. Dilute it, as the maker says; straight and on a dry face, owners find it harsh.
Skip it if your skin is dry; owners report tight, rough skin and itching
Petrolatum 41% with panthenol and glycerin, labeled by the maker as a skin protectant for chapped, dry, cracked or irritated skin and lips. A thin layer seals dry spots, and it does feel greasy.
Skip it if you hate a greasy film; owners report it on clothes and bedding
A dense glycerin cream the maker sells for extremely dry, cracked hands, with a money-back promise. It works by sitting on the skin, which some owners call greasy.
Skip it if you want it to sink in at once; owners call it greasy or clammy
A short-list cleanser with no fragrance, dyes, parabens or lanolin, dermatologist tested according to the maker. Very plain, which is the point.
Skip it if you want it to remove waterproof makeup
A low-pH gel with a little betaine salicylate and tea tree oil. Easy for mornings, but the tea tree smell divides owners, and the maker wants makeup off first.
Skip it if tea tree oil bothers you, or you dislike a medicinal smell
Three ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a light, oil-free lotion for face and body. Long-time users complain that recent bottles are not the lotion they knew.
Skip it if your skin is very dry in winter
Niacinamide, three ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a thin, oil-free night lotion. The maker marks it PM only, and some owners want more moisture from it.
Skip it if your skin is dry; owners call this too light
A thick, plain cream built on petrolatum and sorbitol, with no fragrance or botanical extracts, dermatologist tested according to the maker. No ceramides and no glycerin, and some owners find it sticky.
Skip it if you want ceramides or any other active
Zinc oxide, octinoxate and 5% niacinamide, by the maker's figure, in a thin lotion labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 46. A long-time favorite that still breaks some owners out.
Skip it if you want a mineral-only filter; this also has octinoxate
A zinc and titanium lotion labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 50, with no chemical filters and no fragrance on its list. It is thick, it can look white, and it takes effort to wash off.
Skip it if your skin is medium to deep; owners report a white or purple cast
Ten percent azelaic acid in a thick silicone cream, aimed by the maker at uneven tone and texture. It works for many owners, but the pilling is hard to get around.
Skip it if you layer other products; owners report pilling and flaking
Encapsulated retinol with niacinamide and ceramides, for night use. Some reviewers call it a gentle first retinol, but the strength is not on the label.
Skip it if you already use a prescription retinoid
Not a petrolatum balm: octyldodecanol and castor seed oil carry panthenol, glycerin and shea butter, preservative and fragrance free according to the maker. Owners like the relief and complain about the taste.
Skip it if you want Aquaphor ointment in a tube; this is a different formula
A cheap rinse-out conditioner with a silicone and a little argan oil to smooth frizz. The fruity scent is strong enough to notice, and fine hair can go greasy.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it weighs it down and turns greasy
Twelve percent lactic acid in a plain lotion the maker sells for rough, bumpy, dry skin. It carries a sunburn warning, and the maker warns it may sting broken skin.
Skip it if your skin is freshly shaved or broken; the maker warns of stinging
The foot version, with glycerin and allantoin, sold by the maker for extremely dry, cracked feet. The maker suggests using it at night; results and texture divide owners.
Skip it if you want a peel or an acid; this is a moisturizer
A cream face wash with glycerin, niacinamide and ceramide for normal to dry, sensitive skin, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. It suits light makeup, and a steady group of owners report burning.
Skip it if you wear heavy makeup; owners use a remover first
A creamy cleanser with glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. Many long-time users say it is not the cleanser they knew.
Skip it if you loved the old formula; owners say the new one stings or leaves a film
Ceramide, niacinamide, glycerin and squalane in a light cream, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. Pilling under makeup and through the day is the complaint that keeps coming back.
Skip it if you wear makeup over it; owners report pilling
Labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 60 for face and body, with alcohol denat. on the list. Most owners like it; the rest report a white cast and a greasy film that will not sink in.
Skip it if your skin is medium to deep and a white cast would show
A moisturizing sunscreen with birch sap and niacinamide, labeled by the maker as Broad Spectrum SPF 50. It uses US chemical filters, and its list includes chamomile and pine oils.
Skip it if you are oily; one owner calls it a grease bomb
Ten percent niacinamide in a thin, watery liquid you can use alone or mix into a moisturizer. Owners like how fast it absorbs, at $53.00 MSRP for less than an ounce.
Skip it if you want value; this is a small bottle at $53.00 MSRP
Retinal in a yellow night emulsion, the maker's strongest retinoid and meant for experienced users. Owners' biggest gripe is the color it leaves on their face and pillowcases.
Skip it if you are new to retinoids; the maker points you to milder ones
A scented, waxy overnight lip balm in a jar, with shea and murumuru butter. Pleasant to use, and a lot of money for what is mostly a lip balm.
Skip it if you want value; this is $24.00 MSRP for 20 g
A thick deep conditioner of coconut oil, shea and mafura butter for dry curls. The maker says five minutes, or up to thirty under a cap with heat. Fine hair tends to get a film.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners report a waxy film
The oil that made argan famous, though two silicones come before the argan on the list. A little on damp ends gives shine and less frizz; the scent is the brand.
Skip it if your hair is fine and goes flat or oily
A leave-on scalp serum with caffeine, peptides and plant extracts, sold for fuller, healthier-looking hair. Many owners like it, and plenty used a whole bottle and saw nothing.
Skip it if you want regrowth; the maker promises only a fuller look
A leave-in styling cream for frizz and heat, protective to 450°F according to the maker. Silicones do most of the smoothing, and owners say a bottle lasts months.
Skip it if you want it to spread easily; some owners call it gummy
A daily body wash with salicylic acid, niacinamide and ceramides, and no scrub beads. The maker sells it for rough, bumpy skin; owners split on how much it changes.
Skip it if you want a sure fix; some owners see no change after months
Salicylic and lactic acid with ceramides in a body lotion for rough, bumpy skin. Owners report softness more often than smoother bumps, and it carries a sun warning.
Skip it if you want fast results; some owners say other lactic lotions work quicker
Oat kernel flour, glycerin and petrolatum in a light pump lotion, with no fragrance according to the maker. A wave of long-time users say the new formula is not what they bought for years.
Skip it if your skin is very dry; owners say it wears off within hours
The lotion version of the cream: petrolatum and sorbitol with no fragrance or botanical extracts. It has no ceramides, urea or glycerin, and several owners say it feels filmy more than moisturizing.
Skip it if you want ceramides or urea
Niacinamide and a small dose of peptides in a light lotion with no fragrance on the list. A pleasant daily lotion in a pump that gives up near the bottom of the bottle.
Skip it if you want value; $30 MSRP is a lot for 200 ml
A big tub of sugar in shea and plant oils, scented loudly of rose. It leaves oil behind on purpose, which is the point for some and the problem for others.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; it also has orange oil and two dyes
A light water gel built on dimethicone and glycerin, with hyaluronic acid low on the list, plus fragrance and blue dye. The maker aims it at normal, oily and combination skin, and scent is the repeat complaint.
Skip it if you react to fragrance; the maker's gel cream is the fragrance-free version
A thick cream with 0.5% colloidal oatmeal, labeled by the maker as a skin protectant, plus shea and a ceramide. It also has eucalyptus oil, and long-time users say the current jar is greasier.
Skip it if you react to eucalyptus; it is on the list
A thick balm of sunflower oil, lanolin and beeswax for the driest patches: elbows, hands, heels. Too heavy for most whole faces, and the smell is not for everyone.
Skip it if you avoid lanolin or want it vegan
A clear silicone gel labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 50, made to sit under makeup with no white cast. Nice to wear until it breaks you out or runs into your eyes.
Skip it if you break out easily; owners report it within days
Labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 55 sunscreen that helps prevent sunburn, water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Many owners keep it for the body, because on the face it can sting, cast white or pill.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; it is on the list
The maker's newer ingredient, Melasyl, with 10% niacinamide, sold to visibly reduce the look of dark spots. Some owners see fading; many report no change after months, and the perfume is strong.
Skip it if you want a sure result; owners report no change after months
A mild AHA and BHA toner in a spray bottle, sold by the maker to beginners for daily use. Too gentle to do much for some, and it still breaks out others.
Skip it if you want a strong exfoliant; some owners see no effect on blackheads
A stated one percent retinol with peptides and vitamin C in a light lotion. For skin already used to retinol, and priced like it knows that.
Skip it if you are new to retinol
A water-based caffeine serum the maker aims at puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. Cheap, and owners split between those who see a change and those who see nothing.
Skip it if you want moisture; some owners say it feels dry and tight
A scented gel you sleep in, with squalane, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Most owners wake up plumper, and fans of the old formula are not happy with the new one.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one strong
A concentrated shampoo for dry, color-treated hair, sulfate-free according to the maker. A little goes a long way, which helps at $39 MSRP, and the scent divides people.
Skip it if you mind a strong herbal or powdery scent
A rich rinse-out conditioner with shea, olive and castor oils for curls and coils. Long-time buyers say the newer bottles are not what they used to buy.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it is too much
The partner to All Soft shampoo, sulfate-free according to the maker, with palm oil high on the list and argan oil well below it. Softens dry hair; long-time users preferred the old formula.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners report a coated feel
A giant bottle of everyday conditioner, with silicone for slip and a ceramide and hyaluronic acid on the list. Plenty of slip and softness for the money; the pump is the weak part.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it feels heavy
A weekly mask with rosehip, algae and avocado oil that stays light on fine hair for many owners. Thick hair gets less out of it, and some owners react badly to the scent.
Skip it if your hair is thick or very coily; owners report weak moisture
A leave-in spray that detangles and protects from heat to 450°F according to the maker. Owners like the frizz control; the strong perfume and the spray stream are what they complain about.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one overpowering
Dimethicone 1% with ceramides and niacinamide in a thin cream that sinks in fast. Labeled by the maker to help prevent and temporarily protect chafed, chapped or cracked skin.
Skip it if you want a thick cream; owners call this one watery
Booties you wear for an hour, then wait for your feet to peel. The maker says it can take 5 to 14 days, and for some owners nothing happens at all.
Skip it if you need to show your feet soon; peeling can last into the second week
A green gel with kale, spinach and green tea extracts in a mild surfactant base. It rinses off easily and costs far more than a drugstore gel; the herbal smell has added fragrance behind it.
Skip it if you are on a budget; $39 MSRP is a lot for a cleanser
A 15% vitamin C serum, by the maker's figure, with ferulic acid, in a vitamin powder you mix in yourself so it stays fresh. Clever, sticky, and it smells like it.
Skip it if you want value; $79 MSRP buys 28 ml
The well-known glycolic toner at five percent, with aloe and witch hazel. Fragrance and dye are on the list, and the scent is what its unhappy owners mention first.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one overpowering
What the maker calls pure retinol with niacinamide, and it says the serum suits sensitive skin. The list has alcohol denat. high up and fragrance, and owners split between smoother skin and red, swollen faces.
Skip it if fragrance or alcohol bothers you; both are on the list
An esthetician's retinol, stated at 1% encapsulated by the maker, with niacinamide and a tripeptide. Newcomers rate it well; people who used the old formula are its loudest critics.
Skip it if you loved the old version; owners say this one irritates
A fragrance-free eye cream with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, ophthalmologist-tested according to the maker. Most owners find it pleasant; a steady minority report burning.
Skip it if you want dark circles gone; owners often see no change
A squalane and avocado oil eye cream with caffeine, in a small green-tinted jar. It hydrates; people who bought the old thick version say this one is not the same.
Skip it if you wear concealer over it; owners report cracking and pilling
A soft wax-and-oil stick with petrolatum sixth on the list, plus shea butter, glycerin and vitamin E. It is not plain petroleum jelly, which surprises owners who wanted the small tub.
Skip it if you want plain petroleum jelly; this is not that
A glossy, cushiony balm with shea and murumuru butter in a squeeze tube. The packaging and flavors are half the appeal; moisture lasts less long than the shine.
Skip it if you want value; $24 MSRP is a lot for a balm
A clarifying shampoo with apple cider vinegar and keratin according to the maker, for lifting dry shampoo and hard-water build-up once or twice a week. Used more than that, it dries.
Skip it if your hair is dry, color-treated or low on moisture
A shampoo built around Olaplex's bond ingredient, sulfate-free and color-safe according to the maker. Plenty of owners like it; others ask what the $34 MSRP bought them.
Skip it if your hair runs dry; some owners say it left theirs like straw
The conditioner that goes with Nº.4, creamy and detangling according to the maker. Owners on processed hair like it best, and others say a cheaper bottle does the same job.
Skip it if your hair is unprocessed; reviewers doubt you would notice much
A light salon conditioner for fine to medium dry hair, with niacinamide and plant proteins according to the maker. Fine-haired owners like the weightlessness; others ask why it costs $48 MSRP.
Skip it if you want value; reviewers compare it to drugstore conditioners
A humidity-blocking spray that is heat-activated and lasts three to four shampoos according to the maker. It only works if you drench your hair and blow-dry it properly, and some owners still see frizz.
Skip it if you air-dry; the maker says it needs heat with tension
The pistachio and salted caramel body cream. People buy it for the scent and are right to; it moisturizes fine, and owners do not report the tightening the name sells.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; parfum is sixth on the list
The aluminum-free stick that made the category mainstream, now without baking soda on its list. The scents are still the draw; long-time owners are the ones complaining about the new formula.
Skip it if you loved the old stick; owners say this one does not match it
A mandelic acid cream for underarms and other body folds, with no aluminum or baking soda, OB/GYN developed according to the maker. Unscented does not mean odorless, and owners are vocal about it.
Skip it if you expect unscented to mean no smell; owners describe a sour odor
A soft cream cleanser that polishes rather than foams, with fine cellulose grit and rice powder. Lovely to use until you react to the fragrance, which is high on the list.
Skip it if you react to fragrance or citrus oils; both are on the list
Moisturizer and sunscreen in one pump, labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. Pilling and a white cast are the reasons to walk past it.
Skip it if you wear makeup over it; owners report pilling and clumps
A light, scented mineral oil with vitamin A and E. The maker says it helps the appearance of scars and stretch marks; owners are far more sure of the oily feel than the fading.
Skip it if fragrance or essential oils bother you; it has both
A plush cream with rice ferment, squalane and a silicone that leaves a dewy shine. The texture and the jar are most of what you pay for, and oily skin can look greasy within hours.
Skip it if you break out easily; owners report it within days
Olaplex's new version of No.3: three minutes on wet hair before shampoo, according to the maker. Most owners report softer hair, but fans of the old formula are angry.
Skip it if you loved the old No.3; owners say this is not the same product
A peptide leave-in: four minutes on damp, shampooed hair with no rinse, according to the maker. Alcohol denat is the second ingredient, and owners split hard over the $75 MSRP.
Skip it if your hair is healthy; this is a lot to spend on nothing
A finishing oil that leads with three silicones, then honey, almond and coconut oil. Good shine from a drop or two, and the bottle and name are doing a lot at $46 MSRP.
Skip it if your hair is fine or thin; owners say it weighs it down
An aluminum-free stick from the drugstore, formulated for sensitive skin according to the maker. Odor only, no sweat control, and long-time buyers are unhappy about what recent sticks smell like.
Skip it if you sweat; this is not an antiperspirant and owners feel damp
The most expensive cream on the shelf: plant oils, squalane and a blend of amino acids and peptides the brand calls TFC8, a name you will not find on the list. Owners who love it talk about feel.
Skip it if you expect a result the drugstore cannot match for less than $315 MSRP