For consumers with color-treated hair who want to move away from traditional SLS/SLES/ALS shampoos without switching to a fully sulfate-free or co-wash routine. It's a mainstream retail shampoo, not a professional-only or medicated formula, and works across hair types as long as color protection is the main concern.

The specific value here is the combination of borage oil and pomegranate extract aimed at oxidative and environmental color fade, paired with a cleansing system that meets Paul Mitchell's SLS/SLES/ALS-free bar without going fully sulfate-free chemistry-wise. For someone who wants to ease off traditional sulfates on color-treated hair without switching to a co-wash or ultra-mild cleanser that might not remove product buildup, this sits in a practical middle ground.

Apply to damp hair, massage into a lather, and rinse. For the full color-protection routine, Paul Mitchell recommends following with the matching Clean Beauty Color Protect Conditioner and Leave-In Treatment.

Pros:

• Free of SLS, SLES, and ALS as claimed, with borage oil and pomegranate extract that target color fade specifically
• About 83% natural-origin ingredients per the brand's own disclosure
• Vegan and paraben-free

Cons:

• Still relies on a sulfate-type surfactant (sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate) for cleansing, so 'sulfate-free' here is a specific, narrower claim rather than zero sulfate-family ingredients
• Designed to be paired with a matching conditioner and leave-in for full effect, so used alone it may not deliver the brand's complete color-protection claim
• Contains synthetic preservatives (phenoxyethanol, phenethyl alcohol) and fragrance, so it's not suited to a strictly fragrance-free routine