Reactive Hair Editorial Team
This post was most recently updated on May 6th, 2023
A basic hair care routine to achieve plumped-up, healthy hair starts in the shower with shampoo and conditioner. It helps to clean your hair so that it can absorb other hair treatments well. This Nexxus shampoo review covers if their shampoos will give your hair the nourishment it needs.
We cover all about the features & benefits of Nexxus shampoos, ingredient breakdown, authentic reviews, possible side effects, and more. Ultimately, this helps you to determine whether or not Nexxus is truly safe for you to take while enjoying the benefits it promises.
Let’s take a look at the brand story first.
A Quick Look at Nexxus
Nexxus, a Unilever subsidiary has provided a variety of hair care solutions for all your hair types, textures, and problems. For about 44 years, Nexxus has continued to innovate by launching shampoos, conditioners, serums, etc. Nexxus uses a silicone-free formula that replenishes and nourishes the hair.
With a scientific-based approach to product creation, Nexxus offers a wide array of shampoos for all hair types and textures. Each is formulated with patented ingredients called ProteinFusion™ to strengthen and moisturize your hair from within, making it frizz-free and smooth.
As Nexxus recently came under fire for the presence of controversial ingredients in some of their shampoos, such as DMDM Hydantoin, in the next section we discuss this further.
Nexxus Legal Issues – Investigation Closed
Lawsuit against business conglomerate Unilever have been filed over the presence of DMDM Hydantoin in certain products. ClassAction website lists 5 Nexxus shampoos among other Unilever brands. There were concerns that related ingredients could contribute to hair loss in some people.
On October 21, 2022, the investigation into this matter had been closed and Nexxus has not been sued over the claims at the time of writing.
Nexxus Product Recalling – Consumers Reimbursed
On October 18, 2022, Unilever announced a voluntary recall of multiple dry shampoo brands, such as Nexxus, Dove, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé. The reason is that these products could potentially increase the levels of a carcinogenic substance called benzene.
According to Nima Majlesi, DO, director of medical toxicology at Staten Island University Hospital, the benzene levels in Unilever’s recalled products is low and might not be high enough for concern. However, people who have bought those products must stop using them or return to the store where they bought them to avoid adverse effects.
The related products were produced prior to October 2021 and the consumer UPC code is 605592646638. Click here to see the full list. You can visit UnileverRecall.com to find the instructions on how to get reimbursement for eligible products.
While the company has been challenged on their products it’s worth noting that they have taken actions to remedy the situation. Now let’s take a look at the top 3 Nexxus shampoos.
Top Pick of Nexxus Shampoos
We have selected the top 3 Nexxus shampoos and decided to prioritize each of them in this review. All are free of silicones, parabens, and synthetic dyes.
Our top picks include:
- Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo
- Keraphix Keratin Shampoo
- Ultralight Smooth Weightless Frizz Protection Shampoo
Let’s take a deep dive into them one by one.
Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo
If you’ve noticed your hair is super greasy or tough to comb through, there’s a chance you need a clarifying shampoo. Nexxus Clean & Pure is formulated with Elastin Protein and Marine Minerals to cleanse build-up on your hair caused by sebum, heavy hairstyles, hard water, and frequent visits to the swimming pool.
- The shampoo may speed up color fade for those who have color-treated or highlighted hair.
- Along with the conditioner, both do a great job for oily-prone hair to reduce limp or greasy looks. However, this may work too gently for extremely oily hair.
- The shampoo has the potential to dry your hair, especially if you have extremely dry hair.
- It is better to use this shampoo once or twice a week to prevent over-drying and always finish with conditioner.
- It has a very strong fragrance, so people who are sensitive to fragrance may dislike the scent.
To sum up, this sulfate-free shampoo is great to revive your hair’s natural shine and replenish dull hair back to its fresh, healthy condition. Buy them on Amazon as a bundle and save more.
Keraphix Keratin Shampoo
Hair in need of hydration? Reach for Keraphix Keratin Shampoo which is infused with a special blend of Protein Keratin and Black Rice. This protein-rich shampoo helps heal your damaged hair caused by external aggressors, chemical treatment, and hot tools with continued use.
- Deeply penetrates the hair fiber to restore severely damaged hair from within.
- Pretty effective to reduce shedding, strengthen your hair from roots to tips, and give perfect hydration with its deep conditioning properties.
- Works better for extremely dry, bleaching, chemically-treated, brittle, and damaged hair.
- It has a thick texture that may leave your hair a bit greasy, so may not be suitable for normal or oily hair.
- The scent is very soft and pleasant, not as powerful as Nexxus Clean & Pure.
- The shampoo is not sulfate-free, so it may not be as gentle as claimed.
Keraphix Keratin Shampoo works best with the conditioner and hair mask to achieve maximum stronger and healthier hair. If you are stretching your budget thin, buy Keraphix Keratin as a bundle on Amazon consisting of a shampoo, a conditioner, and hair masks.
Ultralight Smooth Weightless Frizz Protection Shampoo
Those hot, humid summer days can be a real cause of frizz hair. Nexxus Ultralight Frizz Protection is infused with special frizz blockers: Almond Protein and Jasmine Flower, that moisturize, strengthen, and protect your tresses from external factors that deplete your hair’s natural moisture.
- A sulfate-free formula that locks hair moisture by up to 98% and softens your hair for 72 hours.
- It has a very mild scent, so maybe good for those who are sensitive to fragrances.
- The conditioner is a bit sticky and thick, so it may leave residue on your hair.
- Suitable for all hair types, except oily-prone hair since this shampoo may easily make your hair greasy.
Frizzy hair is often dry too, so a sulfate-free shampoo that locks in moisture is the best option. For extra results, follow with the Ultralight Frizz Protection Conditioner afterward. Save more by getting them as a bundle on Amazon.
These are our top picks of Nexxus shampoos and each is designed to cater to your specific hair conditions with its exclusive ingredient blend. Let’s take a quick look at other Nexxus shampoos in the next section.
Other Nexxus Shampoos For Specific Hair Needs
Whether you have colored hair or curly hair, it is time to treat your hair with Nexxus shampoo. In this section, we briefly cover seven other Nexxus shampoos.
 Unbreakable Care™ Anti-Breakage Shampoo | Helps gently reduce shedding and add hair volume. Works best for fine, thin hair. | Advanced Keratin Protein, Biotin, and Collagen |
 Sulfate-Free Curl Define Shampoo | Cleans your hair without striping, making your hair softer and the curls defined. Best for curly, wavy, or coily hair. | Amino Acids Silk Protein and Marula Oil |
 Hydra-Light Weightless Moisture Shampoo | Deeply moisturizes your hair and leaves your hair soft and weightless. It’s great for oily hair. | Deep Sea Minerals |
 Diametress Volume Shampoo | Works best for people with fine, flat hair who are looking for bouncy- and volume-looking hair. | Green Tea and Elastin Protein |
 Color Assure Colored Hair Shampoo | A sulfate-free shampoo for people with colored hair to extend color vibrancy by up to 40 washes. | Elastin Protein and Quinoa |
 Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo | Restores your hair’s natural protective barriers to lock moisture for up to 24 hours. Suitable for dry hair. However, it’s not sulfate-free. | Green Caviar and Elastin Protein |
 Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo | A purple shampoo for bleached, blonde, silver, and platinum hair that helps to reduce brassiness and intensify your blonde shade. | Keratin Protein and Violet Pigments |
Now we know that Nexxus offers lots of customized shampoos that are blended with their exclusive ingredients. Each of them has different and unique benefits, from reducing greasy to intensifying your blonde hair color. All of them are safe for both men and women.
Let’s break down Nexxus shampoo’s key active ingredients in the next section.
Nexxus Shampoo Key Ingredients – How It Works?
In their quest to create the shampoo line, Nexxus’ team of scientists applied the science of proteomics, the study of proteins, to find out which proteins are best for healthy hair. In this section, we look at the active ingredients of Nexxus shampoo one by one and what their benefits are for overall hair health.
Keratin Protein
Almost 90% of your hair is made up of keratin, which is responsible to protect your hair shaft from heat styling, chemical damage, or environmental aggressors. Keratin works by binding the porous spots on your hair cuticles, giving you glossy-looking, healthy hair.
A 2013 study concluded that keratin can penetrate the hair cortex to significantly improve hair moisture, elasticity, and softness.
Elastin Protein
Formed by peptides, fibroblasts, and amino acids, Elastin is mostly found in the dermis (middle layer) of the skin, blood vessels, and more. Often confused with collagen, elastin is actually 1,000 times more elastic than collagen and can give hair flexibility and prevent breakage.
Elastin also helps to give hair softness and protect it from external damage. Its moisture properties are great to keep your hair hydrated from within.
Marine Minerals
To remove build-up on your hair and scalp, Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo utilized marine minerals to do their jobs. These minerals have an exfoliant property to remove excessive oil (sebum), product buildup, dandruff, and over-styling, allowing your scalp to breathe again.
It also helps protect and hydrate your hair and scalp as well as gives more-manageable hair.
Black Rice
Nexxus scientists identified that hair damaged by frequent sun exposure, heat styling, and excessive coloring causes glutamic acid as the main amino acid in hair to be lost from your hair’s protein makeup. This is where black rice comes in to fill the void with glutamic acid contained therein.
Eventually, your hair will be more nourished with its nutrients, healthier, and smoother. It also has the ability to promote new hair growth.
Almond Protein
This protein helps fill the gaps in your hair at a cellular level by giving moisture properties to improve your hair texture from inside to outside. Almonds extract repairs and strengthen hair, prevents it from breakage, and mitigates split ends. It is also enriched with vitamin E antioxidants to fight against free radicals that can damage your hair.
Jasmine Flower
This extract is beneficial to soothe and lock moisture in your scalp and hair. This eventually leads to tame frizz and makes your hair easy to comb. Its antimicrobial properties are great to reduce dandruff or scalp infections. It also helps seal the hair cuticles, which may prevent and reduce breakage.
These are the key ingredients of the top 3 Nexxus shampoos that support your overall hair health and prevent damage caused by many factors. Now let’s check the real-life user experiences to see how the shampoos work for different people.
Nexxus Shampoo Review: Real-life User Experiences
Thousands of buyers have proven how Nexxus shampoos work to cleanse and hydrate their hair even if they are with different hair types and hair problems. Many of them are happy with the results. This section will cover user experiences on using Nexxus shampoos, specifically the top three of them we mentioned above.
Clean & Pure Detox Shampoo Reviews
Currently, Clean & Pure Detox Shampoo sits at 4.5 out of 5 stars from 1,079+ ratings on Amazon. This product got many positive testimonials, with 76% of the customers giving it a 5 star. Here is the rating by feature:
- Scent: 4.0 stars
- Softness: 3.8 stars
- Moisturizing: 3.7 stars
- Value for money: 3.6 stars
Check below what the customers are saying.
Hair Type & Hair Problem
“I have a sensitive scalp… My scalp no longer gets irritated.” – 5 stars
“I have very dry & frizzy hair… This set makes my hair feel fantastic.” – 5 stars
“My postpartum hair has been so oily but this is lightweight.” – 5 stars
“…I have “oily dandruff” (seborrheic dermatitis). However, it doesn’t seem to really clarify… If you need something that will work well on super oily hair, this is not it…” – 4 stars
Reliability
“…Cleans hair of product buildup and is safe to use every day. Being a former cosmetologist I love Nexxus…” – 5 stars
“…Don’t leave hair feeling gunked up. I have thick wavy hair and it cleanses well…” – 5 stars
“…This seems to leave the hair extremely dry and sort of coated…” – 3 stars
“…It’s unmanageable to comb because it gently strips your hair of all impurities but in the shower, I follow with the conditioner of my choice to be able to comb through…” – 5 stars
Keraphix Keratin Shampoo Reviews
Keratin Shampoo has 4.6 out of 5 stars from 1,836+ ratings and up to 81% of reviewers rate it as a 5 stars product. Here is the rating by feature:
- Easy to use: 4.2 stars
- Scent: 4.1 stars
- Softness: 4.0 stars
- Value for money: 3.9 stars
Let’s check what users think about this shampoo.
Hair Type & Hair Problem
“…I got my hair colored and permed, I had lots of tangled hair… Used the shampoo today and noticed a difference right away…” – 4 stars
“…My hair is so dry and damaged from color… Nexus has always worked for me since I was a teen…” – 5 stars
“…My hair is dry and damaged due to bleaching it a lot and straightening my hair a lot. On the first day, I noticed the big difference…” – 5 stars
“I have super curly hair… makes my curls feel smoother and more hydrated…” – 5 stars
Reliability
“I’m blown away by the difference in my hair after just one wash… This stuff left my hair clean, shiny, very soft, and manageable.” – 5 stars
“…Restored hair health after hair loss due to surgery… Helping to strengthen and restore my hair.” – 5 stars
“Smells great but began to weigh down my medium wavy hair with 3x per week of use. Once I got a clarifying shampoo it balanced out… The deep conditioner was thick and worked well.” – 5 stars
“…Thickens my hair… adds some bulk to my hair… makes my hair softer even before adding the conditioner.” – 4 stars
Ultralight Frizz Protection Shampoo Reviews
This shampoo sits at 4.2 out of 5 stars from 566+ ratings with 61% being 5 stars. Here is the rate by feature:
- Scent: 4.1 stars
- Softness: 3.8 stars
- Moisturizing: 3.8 stars
Check below what the customers are saying.
Hair Type & Hair Problem
“Tamed my gray hair frizz… Leaves my hair soft.” – 5 stars
“Light for my fine thin hair. Helps with frizz and static too.” – stars
“…Doesn’t weigh my hair down and I have very fine porous hair… It cleanses without drying out my hair.” – 5 stars
“My hair is slightly dry and fine… This makes my hair even drier.” – 2 stars
Reliability
“…I am suffering through the monsoon season in Arizona, and even when it’s not storming, the atmosphere is hot soup… My beautiful head of shiny curls back…” – 5 stars
“…This shampoo tames frizz without making hair feel heavy. It smells really good… It takes a bit more to create a lather.” – 4 stars
“…I live in Costa Rica, which has a very humid climate so my hair is frizzy, and with this product, my hair is beautiful and frizz-free all day long.” – 5 stars
“…I live in South Texas, and the humidity is no joke. This set did keep my hair relatively frizz-free and smooth. I don’t think it quite holds up the ‘frizz-free for 72 hours’ claim.” – 4 stars
Let’s take a look at side effects that may occur.
Nexxus Shampoos Possible Side Effects
In using hair care products, including shampoo, side effects may occur in some people who are sensitive to certain ingredients. So it’s a good idea to cross-check between the ingredients listed and the allergies you have. This section discusses known side effects that may occur when using Nexxus shampoo.
- The shampoo contains DMDM Hydantoin, a controversial preservative with formaldehyde-releasing ingredients that may cause allergic contact dermatitis or contact eczema for those who are sensitive to formaldehyde.
- Fragrance is present in all Nexxus shampoos. Some people who are sensitive to it experienced migraine due to its strong scent, while others love the scent.
- The shampoos contain Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone which may sensitize and irritate easily. It may cause flaky skin, swelling in the eye area, and redness or itchiness.
- Eyes and skin irritation may occur due to SLES present in Keraphix Keratin Shampoo.
Make sure you observe the full ingredients to help you avoid unwanted side effects. Check with the doctor if you have any allergies to certain ingredients. Now let’s take a look at the alternatives.
Alternatives to Nexxus Shampoo
Dozens of shampoos are available in retailers, from damaged hair shampoo to hair growth. You won’t find it hard to get one that caters to your specific hair conditions. Almost all hair care brands offer shampoos that are designed specifically for many hair needs.
Three alternatives to Nexxus shampoo come from Ouai, Olaplex, and OGX. Let’s check them one by one.
Ouai Detox Clarifying Shampoo
This shampoo is specially formulated with chelating agents to clean hard water mineral deposits and apple cider vinegar that exfoliates dead skin cells. The shampoo is great for dry and oily hair, including colored hair without fading the color. The scent is super strong, it may bother people who are sensitive to it.
Each pack of Ouai shampoo costs $30.00 for 10 fl oz, while Nexxus Clean and Pure Clarifying Shampoo only costs $15.99 for 13.5 fl oz. Ouai has 4.6 out of 5 stars from 2,408+ ratings on Amazon. As for Nexxus, it has 4.4 out of 5 stars from 2,005+ ratings.
Click here to read our full review of all Ouai shampoos.
Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Repairing Treatment Shampoo
If you have damaged hair due to coloring, perms, or bleaching, Olaplex No. 3 Shampoo can be a great alternative for restoring your hair to a healthy state. Olaplex’s patented ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, works at the molecular level to repair hair, providing healthy and shiny hair.
Click here to read our full review of Olaplex.
The current price for 3.3 fl oz of Olaplex No. 3 is $30,00, while Keraphix Keratin Shampoo currently only costs $18.97 for 33.8 fl oz. However, Olaplex is more popular than Keraphix, which has 4.6 out of 5 stars from 115,090+ ratings.
OGX Frizz-Free + Keratin Smoothing Oil Shampoo
This shampoo is made to provide smoothness and shine to your hair, especially for people with frizzy hair or those who live in humid areas. Exclusively formulated with island pineapple and golden amber, OGX Frizz-free is a 5-in-1 shampoo that improves your hair strength, improves flexibility, tames frizz, protects hair from humid conditions, and enhances hair shine.
The current price of OGX is $7.34 for 13 fl oz, which is more affordable than Nexxus Ultralight which currently costs $16.99 for 13.5 fl oz. Nexxus sits at 4.1 out of 5 stars from 144+ ratings, while OGX has 4.4 out of 5 stars from 576+ ratings. The rating seems as impressive as the two products above considering many customers get them through the OGX website and other shopping sites.
The Bottom Line
To conclude, Nexxus offers a wide range of shampoos that cater to your specific hair type, conditions, or needs. They are equipped with a patented blend formula, ProteinFusion™ to repair and strengthen your hair from within. Each shampoo is designed for specific hair concerns and goals that cleanse your hair while also offering extra benefits of preventing frizz and repairing damaged hair.
Hope this Nexxus shampoo review helped you to get clarity about the brand and the shampoos. Hit us in the comment section with thoughts and questions.
Read more articles on other shampoo and conditioner brands we cover:
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nexxus make your hair grow?
Nexxus Unbreakable Care™ Anti-Breakage Shampoo may be the top option to promote hair growth. Most Nexxus shampoos target your specific hair problems, such as repairing damage and breakage, adding volume, moisturizing your hair, etc. When your hair is in a healthy condition, it can provide the best environment for hair to grow.
Is Nexxus good for damaged hair?
Keraphix Keratin Shampoo is the best option to repair severely damaged hair that is suitable for all hair types, especially if you have dry or chemically-treated hair. Use the conditioner and hair mask afterward to get maximum results.
Is Nexxus shampoo good for everyday use?
Nexxus shampoo is likely safe for everyday use, including Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo. However, we recommend washing your hair every other day or 3 times a week to prevent over-drying hair or scalp.
