Best Clarifying Shampoo? 701 Reviews of Redken, Paul Mitchell, Olaplex

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product links marked “paid link” earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which product we recommend. Offers and sellers change, so check the size and seller on the product page before you buy.

Review-analysis guide: 701 customer reviews read on Ulta (October 26, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 26, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 26, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

Of these three, Redken Hair Cleansing Cream (paid link) is the clarifying shampoo reviewers most often said removed buildup: 70% of 279 usable Ulta reviews, with 29% saying hair felt soft after and 8% giving one or two stars. Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two (paid link) drew buildup praise from 59% and the most stays-fresh-longer praise (14%). Olaplex No.4C (paid link) had 90 usable reviews, and 17% said hair felt dry or stripped.

Best clarifying shampoo: what 701 Ulta reviews say

Looking for the best clarifying shampoo for product buildup or hard water? We read 701 Ulta reviews of three clarifying formulas to see how often reviewers said it removed buildup and left hair soft, and how often hair felt dry, stripped or still coated: Redken Hair Cleansing Cream, Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two and Olaplex No.4C Bond Maintenance. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Redken drew buildup-removal praise from 70% of 279 usable reviews and soft-hair praise from 29%; 8% gave one or two stars. Paul Mitchell drew buildup praise from 59% of 283, scent praise from 23% and stays-fresh-longer praise from 14%; 7% gave one or two stars. Olaplex drew buildup praise from 48% of 90, and 17% said hair felt dry or stripped; 24% gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

Which reviews we read, and the 49 we set aside

Ulta's pages stop after about 300 reviews per product. They served the newest 287 of 512 shown for Redken and the newest 295 of 472 for Paul Mitchell, and 119 of 124 for Olaplex; we read every distinct one, kept 652 and set aside 49. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

What we set aside: 25 Olaplex reviews from October 2022. That one month held 25 of its 119 reviews and none gave one or two stars, against 22 of the 90 usable reviews from other months, so it would have skewed the picture. We also set aside 11 repeated on the same page, 4 about another product, 3 that said the product was free and 6 from people who had not used it, about shipping or with no text. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

We also read the Ulta reviews of OUAI Detox Shampoo and Kristin Ess Deep Clean Clarifying Shampoo but dropped both, because most of their reviews said the product was free (114 of 131 and 185 of 283). Some cautions: 132 of Paul Mitchell's 283 usable reviews are from 2019 and 2020, and with 90 reviews a few can move Olaplex's shares a lot. In reviews from 2023 on, one- and two-star shares were higher for both Redken (15 of 130, 12%) and Paul Mitchell (10 of 71, 14%). [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

Redken clarifying shampoo drew the most buildup-removal praise

Redken's listing describes Hair Cleansing Cream as a professional cleanser for all hair types that removes dry shampoo, product buildup, hard water minerals, excess oil and pollution residue, with AHA fruit acid and a cleansing complex, and says it suits color-treated hair. We link the 8.5 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A1]

Across 279 usable Ulta reviews of Redken Hair Cleansing Cream, 195 (70%) said it removed buildup or left hair truly clean, 80 (29%) said hair felt soft or smooth after, 52 (19%) said they repurchase it and 51 (18%) liked the scent. Complaints were few: 21 (8%) said hair felt dry or stripped and 9 (3%) mentioned scalp irritation. 22 (8%) gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-RED]

See Redken Hair Cleansing Cream, 8.5 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 8.5 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other sizes are on the same page.

Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two drew the most stays-fresh-longer praise

Paul Mitchell's listing describes Shampoo Two as a deep cleansing shampoo that removes dulling buildup and leaves hair squeaky clean, shiny and full of body, for all hair types and especially oily hair, and suggests it before a deep conditioning treatment. We link the 16.9 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A3]

In 283 usable Ulta reviews of Shampoo Two, 168 (59%) said it removed buildup, 64 (23%) liked the scent, 55 (19%) said hair felt soft and 40 (14%) said hair stayed fresh longer. 70 (25%) said they have oily hair or an oily scalp. Complaints: 24 (8%) said hair felt dry and 22 (8%) said it did not clean well. 20 (7%) gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-PMI]

See Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two, 16.9 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 16.9 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other sizes are on the same page.

Olaplex clarifying shampoo reviews leaned drier

Olaplex's listing describes No.4C Bond Maintenance as a pH-optimized deep cleansing shampoo, made without SLS or SLES, that removes chlorine, heavy metals, hard-water minerals, oil and product buildup and is meant to cleanse without stripping or affecting color. We link the 8.45 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A2]

Of 90 usable Ulta reviews of Olaplex No.4C, 43 (48%) said it removed buildup and 20 (22%) said hair felt soft. 15 (17%) said hair felt dry or stripped, 6 (7%) said it did not clean well and 6 (7%) said it cost too much for the size. 22 (24%) gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-OLA]

See Olaplex No.4C Bond Maintenance Shampoo, 8.45 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 8.45 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

Clarifying shampoo for oily, curly or fine hair, and how each one feels

For a clarifying shampoo for oily hair, 24 of 70 Paul Mitchell reviewers and 10 of 31 Redken reviewers with oily hair said it stayed fresh longer, about a third for each, while 8 and 3 said it did not clean well. Olaplex had 8 such reviewers. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

If you want a clarifying shampoo for curly hair or a clarifying shampoo for fine hair, note that these groups were small. Of curly-haired reviewers, 7 of 10 for Redken, 13 of 18 for Paul Mitchell and 6 of 8 for Olaplex said it removed buildup. Of fine-haired reviewers, 10 of 21 for Redken and 9 of 21 for Paul Mitchell said hair felt soft after. 72 Redken, 54 Paul Mitchell and 15 Olaplex reviewers said they use it weekly or occasionally rather than daily. [R-ULT-RED] [R-ULT-PMI] [R-ULT-OLA]

Keep reading

• Curly hair shampoo: Briogeo, Bumble and Color Wow
• Best dry shampoo: Living Proof, K18 and Batiste
• Hair growth oil: Mielle, Kitsch and Briogeo

Frequently asked questions

What is the best clarifying shampoo in these reviews?

It depends on your hair. Redken Hair Cleansing Cream drew the most buildup-removal praise (70%) and soft-hair praise (29%). Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two drew the most stays-fresh-longer praise (14%), and both had similar low-rating shares (8% and 7%).

Is the Olaplex clarifying shampoo drying?

Some reviewers said so. 17% of 90 usable Ulta reviews said Olaplex No.4C left hair dry or stripped, against 8% for Redken and 8% for Paul Mitchell. Its sample is the smallest of the three.

How does the Redken clarifying shampoo compare for color-treated hair?

Of 33 Redken reviewers who said their hair is color-treated, 10 said their color held and 4 said it faded. For Paul Mitchell it was 6 and 2 of 21. These groups are small.

How often do reviewers use a clarifying shampoo?

72 Redken, 54 Paul Mitchell and 15 Olaplex reviewers said they use it weekly or occasionally rather than daily. Check the directions on the bottle.