Haircare · Shampoo buying guide
Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint Shampoo: Soft Hair or Strong Scent?
In this guide
A floral, minty shampoo sounds like a pleasant way to deal with dry lengths, until the softness you wanted gets lost behind the scent. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo puts that tension at the center of the purchase: conditioning-focused cleansing with a noticeable aromatic personality. We’ll look at the formula, recent buyer experiences and two alternatives before the final recommendation. One useful distinction comes first: Lavender Mint shampoo and Lavender Mint CoWash are separate products.
A moisturizing shampoo still has a cleansing job
Paul Mitchell’s Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo targets coarse, dry hair. Its formula combines cleansing ingredients with conditioning ingredients and amino acids; the brand positions it around shine, manageability and replenishment. The lavender, mint and tea tree fragrance is a central part of the experience.
The current ingredient list includes cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, dimethicone and added fragrance. That makes this a sulfate-containing shampoo with silicone, rather than a cleansing conditioner. Someone shopping specifically for a sulfate-free CoWash would be making a different purchase.
The Sephora listing places it with medium and thick hair and lists the same cleansing combination. This is useful context for a shopper with dry, substantial lengths: the bottle’s job is cleansing plus conditioning support, with a separate conditioner following the wash.
The scent attracts fans; the dry finish divides them
Allure’s Annie Blackman highlighted the lavender and peppermint character of the shampoo-and-conditioner duo in a 2024 gift guide. That description captures its appeal as an aromatic washing ritual; it discusses the pair together, rather than isolating the shampoo’s conditioning result.
Recent Ulta buyer accounts make the tradeoff more concrete. Dina in Southern California praised the cleansing and lingering scent while using the matching conditioner. D. K. in Yakima reported a drier finish and felt the shampoo had changed. Those individual reports point to two things worth judging separately: fragrance enjoyment and the feel of the finished lengths.
There is also a practical shopping detail behind the mixed experiences. Ulta displays an ingredient list beginning with sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate, while the brand and Sephora display a different sequence. Check the ingredient panel on the bottle you receive, especially when replacing an older favorite. A buyer’s impression of change alone cannot identify the formula in their bottle.
The benefit is a deliberately fragrant, conditioning-focused wash. Its two clearest compromises are that persistent scent and uncertainty about how soft your own lengths will feel after drying. A pleasant shower fragrance and an easy-to-manage finish deserve equal attention.
Redken All Soft changes the softness comparison
Redken All Soft Shampoo is the familiar salon rival for dry, brittle hair. Its argan-oil positioning centers softness and manageability, with the original All Soft range aimed particularly at normal to medium hair. All Soft Mega belongs to a separate range for more severely dry, coarse hair.
Original All Soft contains sulfates and silicones, so this comparison is about the products’ conditioning aims and buying experience. Redken’s standard bottle carries a higher entry cost than Lavender Mint’s comparable bottle. That premium is the obvious downside; the appeal is a salon alternative whose main story is softness rather than a lavender-and-mint ritual.
| Buying detail | Lavender Mint Shampoo | Redken All Soft | Dove Daily Moisture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand’s main emphasis | Replenishing coarse, dry hair | Softening dry, brittle hair | Hydrating and smoothing dry hair |
| Formula detail | Sulfates, silicone and fragrance | Sulfates and silicones | Sulfates, dimethiconol and fragrance |
| Standout identity | Lavender, mint and tea tree scent | Argan-oil softness positioning | Hyaluronic Serum and Bio-Protein Care |
| Relative entry cost | Between these two alternatives | Highest for the standard bottle | Lowest standard-bottle outlay |
| Follow-up step | Matching conditioner suggested | All Soft Conditioner suggested | Daily Moisture Conditioner suggested |
| Buying compromise | Scent and finished-feel preferences | Greater spending commitment | Different fragrance and formula |
Dove brings the moisturizing wash to a smaller budget
Dove Damage Therapy Daily Moisture Shampoo approaches dry hair with Hyaluronic Serum and Bio-Protein Care positioning. The ingredient list contains sulfate cleansers, dimethiconol and fragrance. Its wash directions are straightforward: massage into wet hair, rinse, then follow with conditioner.
The US single-bottle Dove listing confirms a much smaller spending commitment than either salon option. The tradeoff is a separate scent and formula, rather than Lavender Mint’s signature experience. Dove’s longest-lasting hydration and maximum-smoothness claims also refer to a multistep regimen; shampoo alone is one part of that routine.
Separate the wash decision from the conditioner decision
Start with the brand’s directions: lather Lavender Mint into damp hair, rinse, then condition. When changing shampoo, keeping the rest of your routine consistent makes the result easier to judge. Notice how readily the lengths separate after conditioning and how they feel once dry, rather than comparing the shower scent alone.
For the original aromatic cleanser, see our Tea Tree Special Shampoo guide. Our Redken Frizz Dismiss versus All Soft comparison addresses a different smoothing decision. Browse haircare offers using the full shampoo name.
FAQ
Is Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo sulfate-free?
No. Ammonium lauryl sulfate appears in the brand’s ingredient list.
Is Lavender Mint shampoo the same as CoWash?
They are separate products. This guide covers the lathering Moisturizing Shampoo.
How often should you use it?
The brand describes a daily hydrating shampoo. Choose your wash schedule around your routine and the finished feel of your hair.
What does it smell like?
Its scent combines lavender, mint and tea tree, with added fragrance in the formula.
Verdict
Buy Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo for coarse, dry hair when a lasting lavender-and-mint washing experience is part of the appeal. It suits shoppers who want the salon product’s conditioning focus, enjoy scented hair and already follow shampoo with conditioner. Skip it when fragrance avoidance or a sulfate-free wash is your priority.
Choose original Redken All Soft when dry, brittle, normal-to-medium hair and a softness-focused salon routine lead the decision, accepting its higher entry cost. Choose Dove Daily Moisture for a moisturizing wash with the smallest spending commitment, accepting its different formula and fragrance. Match the purchase to both the wash you enjoy and the dry finish you want.
More to explore: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo: Original or Cheaper Dupe? · Redken Frizz Dismiss vs All Soft: Smoothing or Softness? · Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo: Fresh Roots or Dry Lengths?