Here is a sentence that should not be controversial but somehow is: most "clean" and "natural" shampoos on the shelf at Target and Whole Foods are not independent companies. They are brands owned by the same conglomerates that sell Head & Shoulders and Pantene.
SheaMoisture? Unilever bought them in 2017 through its acquisition of Sundial Brands. Living Proof? Also Unilever, same year. Mielle Organics? Procter & Gamble acquired them in 2023 for $640 million. Love Beauty and Planet? That one was never independent -- Unilever created it in-house in 2018 to look like an indie brand. There was no founder. There was no garage. There was a corporate product development team that designed pastel bottles and a feel-good name.
This does not automatically mean the products are bad. Some of these brands have maintained decent formulas post-acquisition. But when you buy them, your money goes to Unilever or P&G. The original founders typically lose control over ingredients, sourcing, and manufacturing decisions. And there is a well-documented pattern of formulas quietly changing 12-24 months after acquisition -- a cheaper surfactant here, a synthetic fragrance there, a preservative swap nobody announces.
We wanted to find shampoos that score high on both our metrics: ingredient safety and ownership independence. Shampoos where the people who created the formula still run the company, still choose the ingredients, and still answer directly to their customers rather than a corporate board.
Here are six that passed.
1. ATTITUDE -- The EWG Verified Powerhouse
Ingredients: 10/10 · Independence: 10/10
ATTITUDE is a Canadian company that has accomplished something almost no other brand has: they got their entire product line EWG Verified. Not one product. Not a "clean" sub-line. Everything. That means every single ingredient in every ATTITUDE product has been reviewed and approved by the Environmental Working Group for safety.
Founded by Jean-Francois Bernier, ATTITUDE is also carbon-neutral, uses plant-based and mineral-derived ingredients, and packages many products in sugarcane-based plastic. Their shampoos are free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, and synthetic fragrances. The Super Leaves line uses grape seed and olive leaf extracts. The Sensitive Skin line is completely fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.
At $8-14 per bottle, ATTITUDE is the most affordable brand on this list by a significant margin. Their Little Leaves kids' shampoo starts under $9. Available at Whole Foods, Amazon, and directly from their website. A single bottle lasts most people 6-8 weeks with regular use.
Why we love it: Bernier still owns and runs the company. The EWG Verified certification is not something you can buy -- it requires every ingredient to meet strict safety thresholds. Carbon-neutral operations are independently verified. And the price point means you do not need a salon budget to wash your hair with clean ingredients.
One heads-up: ATTITUDE's formulas prioritize safety over luxury. The lather is lighter than salon shampoos, and the scents (from essential oils) are more subtle. If you are coming from a heavily fragranced conventional shampoo, the sensory experience will feel different. That is the point.
2. Acure -- The Family-Owned Clean Beauty OG
Ingredients: 9/10 · Independence: 10/10
Acure has been making clean beauty products since 2009, long before "clean beauty" became a marketing buzzword every brand slaps on its packaging. The company is owned and operated by the Guerra family, and it has remained independent through the entire wave of acquisitions that swallowed up most of the natural beauty market between 2015 and 2023.
Their shampoos are 100% vegan, sulfate-free, paraben-free, and silicone-free. They use plant-based performance ingredients like argan oil, marula oil, pumpkin seed oil, and rosehip extract. The Curiously Clarifying formula (lemongrass and argan) is their best-seller and works well for people transitioning from conventional shampoo. The Mega Moisture formula is better for dry or damaged hair.
At $10-12 per bottle, Acure sits in that sweet spot between drugstore and salon pricing. They are widely available at Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Thrive Market, and Amazon -- you will not have trouble finding them.
Why we love it: The Guerra family has had every opportunity to sell and has chosen not to. Fifteen years of independence in an industry where most brands sell within five. Their ingredient lists are straightforward, their pricing is accessible, and their retail distribution is wide enough that you can actually find them in stores rather than ordering online.
One heads-up: Acure reformulates occasionally, which means your favorite product might change slightly between purchases. They are generally transparent about reformulations on their website, but it can be frustrating if you find something you love and it shifts. Check the ingredient list if your bottle feels different.
3. Innersense -- Salon-Quality for the Clean-Conscious
Ingredients: 9/10 · Independence: 10/10
Innersense is the brand that hairstylists actually recommend when clients ask about clean alternatives to their usual salon products. Founded by Greg and Joanne Starkman, the company was built specifically to prove that non-toxic hair care could perform at a professional level -- and they have succeeded.
Their formulas use organic botanicals, cold-pressed oils, and naturally derived proteins. Everything is free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, gluten, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. The results are noticeably different from budget clean shampoos -- smoother slip during wash, better lather that still rinses clean, and more refined scent from carefully blended essential oils.
The Hydrating Cream Hairbath ($28) is their hero product and works for most hair types. The Pure Harmony Hairbath ($26) is a lightweight clarifying option for fine or oily hair. The Color Awakening Hairbath ($30) is specifically formulated for color-treated hair -- one of the harder problems to solve without silicones.
Why we love it: The Starkmans still own and run the company. The product performance genuinely rivals conventional salon brands. And they are proof that "clean" and "effective" are not opposites -- they are just harder to combine, which is why most brands do not bother. Innersense bothered.
One heads-up: At $24-32 per bottle, Innersense is a significant investment compared to drugstore alternatives. They are also not widely available at mass retailers -- you will mostly find them at Credo Beauty, The Detox Market, select salons, or their own website. If you want something you can grab at Target, look at ATTITUDE or Acure.
4. EVOLVh -- The Stylist's Secret
Ingredients: 9/10 · Independence: 10/10
EVOLVh was founded by Boris Oak, a hairstylist and clean beauty advocate who spent years behind the chair watching clients react to toxic ingredients in salon products. He wanted to create professional-grade hair care without any of the synthetic chemicals that conventional salon brands rely on. The name is "evolve" without the "e" -- a nod to the idea that beauty is evolving beyond chemicals.
EVOLVh uses organic plant oils, seed butters, and botanical extracts. Their formulas are free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, and gluten. They also avoid palm oil and use recyclable packaging. A standout feature: their products are concentrated, so you use significantly less per wash. The price per use is lower than the bottle price suggests.
The UltraShine Moisture Shampoo ($26) is their flagship daily-use formula. The SmartVolume Volumizing Shampoo ($28) is specifically designed for fine, flat hair that needs lift without buildup. The SmartCurl Hydrating Wash ($30) is built for curly and coily textures that need moisture without weight.
Why we love it: Boris Oak's background as a working stylist means these products were designed for real hair problems, not theoretical ones. The concentrated formulas are genuinely more economical than they appear. And Oak has kept the company independent despite the pressure to sell that every successful clean beauty brand faces.
One heads-up: Like Innersense, EVOLVh is primarily available through clean beauty retailers (Credo, The Detox Market) and their own website. You will not find it at Target or Walgreens. And the concentrated formula means you need to use less than you are used to -- over-dispensing is a common mistake that makes the product seem to run out fast.
5. 100% PURE -- Fruit-Pigmented and Proudly Indie
Ingredients: 9/10 · Independence: 10/10
100% PURE was founded by Ric Kostick and Susie Wang with a strict philosophy: if it is not safe to eat, it does not belong in their products. They use fruit pigments, plant-based vitamins, and food-grade ingredients across their entire beauty line, including hair care. This is not a marketing angle -- it is a formulation constraint they apply to every product.
Their shampoos use ingredients like honey, virgin coconut oil, kelp, sea buckthorn, and burdock root. Everything is free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and artificial colors. They test nothing on animals and use sustainable packaging wherever possible.
The Honey & Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo (~$30) is their best option for dry or damaged hair. The Burdock & Neem Healthy Scalp Shampoo (~$30) is one of the best natural anti-dandruff options on the market. The Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo (~$30) targets fine, limp hair.
Why we love it: Kostick and Wang still run the company. The "edible ingredient" philosophy creates the shortest, most recognizable ingredient lists in clean beauty. You do not need a chemistry degree to read the back of a 100% PURE bottle. Available at Ulta, Amazon, and The Detox Market, so accessibility is better than most premium clean brands.
One heads-up: At roughly $30 per bottle, 100% PURE is priced at the upper end of this list. The food-grade ingredient approach also means that some formulas have a shorter shelf life than conventional shampoos. Use within 6-9 months of opening for best results. If you have a bottle sitting in your shower for a year, it may lose effectiveness.
6. Sienna Naturals -- Clean Hair Care for Textured Hair
Ingredients: 9/10 · Independence: 10/10
Sienna Naturals was founded by Hannah Diop with partnership and backing from Issa Rae. The brand was built specifically for textured, curly, coily, and kinky hair -- a segment that has been historically underserved by both conventional and clean beauty brands. When P&G acquired Mielle Organics in 2023, Sienna Naturals became one of the most important remaining independent options in this space.
Their formulas are sulfate-free, silicone-free, paraben-free, and designed to work with -- not against -- natural curl patterns. They use plant-derived proteins, botanical oils, and gentle cleansers that preserve moisture while effectively removing buildup. The brand's approach centers on scalp health as the foundation for healthy hair, which is more scientifically grounded than most clean hair brands' marketing.
The H.A.P.I. Shampoo (~$28) is their hero product: a gentle sulfate-free cleanser that removes buildup without stripping moisture. The Dew Magic Leave-In Conditioner (~$25) provides lightweight moisture without heaviness. The Plant Power Scalp Serum (~$30) is a treatment product focused on scalp health.
Why we love it: Diop and Rae are still running the company. In a category where Black-founded brands keep getting acquired by conglomerates (SheaMoisture to Unilever, Mielle to P&G, Carol's Daughter to L'Oreal), Sienna Naturals remaining independent is both rare and meaningful. The scalp-health focus is backed by dermatological science rather than marketing trends.
One heads-up: Sienna Naturals is specifically formulated for textured hair. If you have straight or fine hair, the formulas may be too rich for your hair type. For straight or fine hair, look at ATTITUDE, Acure, or EVOLVh's SmartVolume line instead.
The Full Comparison
All six brands at a glance. ATTITUDE earned perfect 10s on both ingredients and independence -- the only brand on this list to do so.
| Brand | Ingredients | Independence | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTITUDE Recommended | 10 | 10 | $ | Top Pick |
| Acure | 9 | 10 | $ | Top Pick |
| Innersense | 9 | 10 | $$$ | Top Pick |
| EVOLVh | 9 | 10 | $$$ | Top Pick |
| 100% PURE | 9 | 10 | $$$ | Top Pick |
| Sienna Naturals | 9 | 10 | $$ | Top Pick |
Who to Avoid
These four brands dominate the "natural" and "clean" shampoo shelves at most retailers. All four are owned by -- or were created by -- multinational corporations. They are not independent, regardless of how the packaging looks.
SheaMoisture
Owned by Unilever
Acquired 2017Living Proof
Owned by Unilever
Acquired 2017Mielle Organics
Owned by Procter & Gamble
Acquired 2023Love Beauty and Planet
Owned by Unilever
Acquired Created in-house 2018SheaMoisture was founded by Richelieu Dennis and built on his grandmother's recipes from Sierra Leone. Unilever acquired the parent company Sundial Brands in 2017 for an estimated $1.6 billion. Since the acquisition, there have been persistent community concerns about formula changes, product availability issues for textured hair, and questions about the brand's authenticity under corporate ownership. We have written about who owns SheaMoisture in detail.
Living Proof was co-founded with MIT scientists and marketed as a science-backed clean brand. Jennifer Aniston was an early investor and spokesperson. Unilever acquired it the same year as SheaMoisture. The "science" branding is real -- the formulations are technically sophisticated -- but the independence is gone.
Mielle Organics was founded by Monique Rodriguez and became one of the most successful Black-owned beauty brands in the country. P&G acquired it in June 2023 for approximately $640 million. Community response was deeply mixed, with many loyal customers expressing concern about the same patterns seen after previous acquisitions of Black-founded brands.
Love Beauty and Planet is perhaps the most cynical example on this list. It was never an independent brand. Unilever created it from scratch in 2018, designed it to look like a small indie company -- minimal branding, "ethical" messaging, pastel bottles, sustainability claims -- and placed it on shelves next to actual indie brands. There was no founder. There was no origin story. There was no acquisition. Just a corporate product line engineered to look grassroots from day one.
For the full shampoo category page, we have scored every brand we have reviewed with detailed ingredient and ownership analysis.
How We Chose These Brands
Every brand on Trusted Labels is evaluated on two axes:
- Ingredient Safety (1-10): Cross-referenced against the EWG Skin Deep database and INCI safety data. We check for sulfates (SLS, SLES), silicones (dimethicone, cyclomethicone), parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde releasers, and synthetic fragrances. Third-party certifications like EWG Verified and MADE SAFE carry significant weight. We also evaluate the overall formulation philosophy -- are they minimizing ingredients for marketing, or because fewer ingredients actually perform better?
- Independence (1-10): Researched through Crunchbase, SEC filings, acquisition press releases, LinkedIn profiles, and corporate records. Founder-owned with zero outside investment earns a 10. VC-backed with founder in control gets 7-9 depending on dilution and board structure. Acquired by a multinational gets 1-3.
For this roundup, we started with every clean shampoo brand we could find, eliminated all corporate-owned brands, and ranked the rest by their combined scores. The threshold was a minimum of 9 on ingredients and 10 on independence. That is a high bar. Plenty of good shampoos scored well on ingredients but got cut because of VC funding or partial acquisition. We wanted the truly indie ones.
We earn affiliate commissions on some products linked in this article. Our commissions do not influence our scores. See our affiliate disclosure for full transparency, and our scoring methodology page for details on how every number is calculated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do sulfate-free shampoos actually clean your hair?
Yes. Sulfates (SLS, SLES) are aggressive surfactants -- they create a big lather and strip oil very effectively. Sulfate-free shampoos use gentler surfactants like coco-glucoside, decyl glucoside, or sodium cocoyl isethionate. These still clean your hair, but they do not strip your hair and scalp of all their natural oils. There is a 1-2 week adjustment period when switching from sulfate to sulfate-free shampoo where your hair may feel different -- sometimes greasier, sometimes drier. After that transition, most people find their hair is less dry, less frizzy, and their color lasts significantly longer.
Why does independence matter for shampoo brands?
When a conglomerate acquires a clean shampoo brand, the original founders typically leave within 1-3 years. After that, corporate product development teams take over formulation decisions. These teams are optimizing for margins, not mission. We have documented dozens of cases where acquired brands quietly reformulated -- swapping premium botanical oils for cheaper alternatives, adding synthetic fragrances labeled as "natural fragrance" for scent consistency, or changing preservative systems to extend shelf life. The changes are rarely announced. Independence means the people who chose the ingredients still have the authority to protect them.
What is the best budget option on this list?
ATTITUDE, by a wide margin. At $8-14 per bottle, it is comparable in price to conventional drugstore shampoo while holding EWG Verified certification for every product in their entire line. Their Little Leaves kids' shampoo starts under $9. If budget is your primary concern but you still want a genuinely clean, genuinely independent shampoo, ATTITUDE is the answer. Acure is a close second at $10-12, and it is even easier to find at everyday stores like Target and Sprouts.
Can I find any of these at regular stores?
ATTITUDE and Acure are the most widely available -- you will find them at Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Amazon. 100% PURE is at Ulta and Amazon. Sienna Naturals recently expanded into Sephora. Innersense and EVOLVh are primarily available through clean beauty retailers like Credo Beauty and The Detox Market, or directly from their websites. None of these brands are difficult to buy, but the salon-tier ones (Innersense, EVOLVh) generally require ordering online rather than grabbing them off a grocery store shelf.