When we set out to reformulate our shampoo, we had one clear mission: create the most effective natural daily shampoo for men that does exactly what a shampoo is supposed to do. Clean your hair and scalp thoroughly without stripping away natural oils or causing irritation. It took us ten months of testing, ingredient sourcing, and working with our team chemist to land on a formula built around the newest, highest-performing natural surfactants available today.

The result is a shampoo that cleanses styling products, oil, sweat, and buildup better than anything else in the natural space, while staying gentle enough for daily use. To show you why this matters, let's compare our formula to another popular natural option: Based Bodyworks shampoo.

Noun Naturals Shampoo is formulated around one core principle: a shampoo should clean hair effectively while maintaining scalp health. That means removing dirt, oil, and product buildup without over-stripping, while supporting the natural balance of your scalp. Our ingredient list reflects this focus.

Noun Naturals Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Decyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Fragrance (from natural essential oils and botanical extracts including Japanese Peppermint).

Based Bodyworks Shampoo takes a different approach. It is designed to be both a cleanser and a treatment, incorporating multiple conditioning oils, hydrolyzed keratin, and vitamins into the formula to repair and nourish hair during the washing process.

Based Bodyworks Ingredients: Water, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Guar Gum, Citric Acid, Peppermint Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Vitamin E, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Aloe Vera, Arginine.

Both are quality products with natural ingredients, but they serve slightly different purposes. Here's what makes each one effective and where Noun Naturals pulls ahead for daily cleansing performance.

The most critical difference between these two shampoos is the surfactant system, which is the foundation of any shampoo's ability to clean hair.

Noun Naturals uses a dual surfactant system with Decyl Glucoside and Lauryl Glucoside. Both are plant derived from coconut and corn, incredibly mild, and biodegradable. More importantly, they work together. Decyl Glucoside provides gentle cleansing and a light lather, while Lauryl Glucoside adds foaming power and ensures the shampoo rinses completely clean. Together, they create a cleansing system that effectively removes styling products like clays, pomades, and texture powders, lifts away oil and sweat, and clears buildup without leaving any residue or stripping the scalp's natural moisture barrier.

This is exactly what we spent ten months perfecting. We tested various concentrations and combinations of surfactants to find the ideal balance between cleaning power and gentleness. The result is a shampoo that performs like a professional clarifying treatment but feels gentle enough to use every single day.

Based Bodyworks uses Coco-Glucoside as its primary surfactant. Coco-Glucoside is also plant based and very mild, which makes it excellent for sensitive scalps. However, as a standalone cleanser, it is not as robust. It works well for light daily washing if you have minimal oil production or don't use styling products, but it may struggle to fully remove heavier products, excess sebum, or the kind of buildup that accumulates from daily styling routines.

For men who use pomades, clays, sea salt sprays, or oils in their hair, this difference matters. A single mild surfactant may require multiple washes to feel truly clean, or it may leave a slight residue that builds up over time. Our dual surfactant system eliminates that problem entirely.

Winner for Cleansing Power: Noun Naturals. The combination of Decyl Glucoside and Lauryl Glucoside delivers stronger, more thorough cleansing while maintaining the mildness that makes it safe for daily use and sensitive scalps.

One area where Based Bodyworks shines is in its conditioning and treatment ingredients. The formula includes Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Vitamin E, and Arginine. These are all excellent ingredients for nourishing dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair. If your hair is brittle, frizzy, or in need of repair, having these oils and proteins in your shampoo can provide some benefit during the wash.

However, this approach also introduces a trade off. Heavy conditioning oils in a shampoo can leave a slight coating on the hair, which may weigh it down or create buildup over time, especially for men with fine or oily hair. The presence of multiple emulsifiers like Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate in the Based formula suggests that the product needs to balance these oils with the cleansing agent, which can make the formula more complex and harder to rinse completely clean.

Noun Naturals takes a different philosophy. We believe a shampoo should cleanse, and a conditioner should condition. By keeping our shampoo focused on cleaning, we ensure that it rinses away completely, leaving no residue or buildup. The formula does include Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice for lightweight hydration and Glycerin as a humectant to help retain moisture, but we intentionally avoid heavy oils in the shampoo itself.

Instead, we deliver deep nourishment and repair through our 100% COSMOS certified conditioner, which features AminoSensyl HC, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Black Seed Oil. This allows the shampoo to do its job without compromise and the conditioner to deliver targeted treatment where it is most effective.

For men who use styling products daily or who have normal to oily scalps, this separation of cleansing and conditioning prevents the common problem of feeling like your hair is never fully clean or that products build up over the course of the week.

Winner for Pure Cleansing: Noun Naturals. If you want a shampoo that cleans thoroughly and rinses completely, leaving your hair ready for a dedicated conditioner or styling product, our formula is the better choice.

Winner for Built-In Treatment: Based Bodyworks. If you have very dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair and prefer an all in one approach, the added oils and keratin in Based may provide convenience.

Both shampoos include peppermint oil, which provides a refreshing, cooling sensation and helps stimulate circulation to the scalp. However, there is an important distinction in quality and sourcing.

Noun Naturals uses Japanese Peppermint Oil, which is widely recognized as a higher grade, more refined form of peppermint. Japanese peppermint contains a higher concentration of menthol and produces a cleaner, more vibrant cooling sensation without being overpowering. Our users consistently report that the scent and sensory experience of our shampoo feels more premium and balanced. The Japanese peppermint blends seamlessly with our other essential oils and botanical extracts, creating a sophisticated, spa quality experience that elevates the entire wash routine.

Based Bodyworks uses standard Peppermint Oil, which is effective and provides the classic cooling tingle that many people enjoy. It delivers a refreshing sensation and helps stimulate the scalp, making it a solid choice for an invigorating wash.

The difference is subtle but noticeable. Japanese peppermint offers a smoother, more refined aromatic profile and a cooling effect that feels cleaner and more controlled. For men who value premium ingredients and a luxury shower experience, this distinction matters.

Beyond peppermint, Noun Naturals also includes Turmeric Root Oil and Black Seed Oil, both of which are powerful anti inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients. Turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine to calm irritation and reduce redness. Black Seed Oil, rich in thymoquinone, soothes the scalp, supports healthy follicles, and creates an environment where hair can thrive. These oils are lightweight and do not leave residue, so they provide therapeutic benefits without weighing down your hair or interfering with the cleansing process.

Based Bodyworks includes Aloe Vera alongside its peppermint, which is soothing and hydrating, and pairs well with the other oils in the formula for a treatment focused approach.

Both approaches are valid, but the choice comes down to what you need. If you deal with scalp irritation, dandruff, or sensitivity, the anti inflammatory properties of Turmeric and Black Seed Oil in Noun Naturals are likely more therapeutic. If you prefer a cooling, stimulating sensation and enjoy a tingle on your scalp, both products deliver that experience, but the Japanese peppermint in Noun Naturals does so with noticeably higher quality and refinement.

Winner for Long-Term Scalp Health: Noun Naturals. The combination of Japanese Peppermint, Turmeric, and Black Seed Oil provides deeper anti inflammatory and antioxidant support, which is ideal for managing dandruff, irritation, and maintaining a balanced scalp over time.

Winner for Premium Sensory Experience: Noun Naturals. Users consistently report that the Japanese peppermint and overall scent profile feels more luxurious and well balanced compared to standard peppermint formulas.

Both shampoos use Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate as their primary preservatives, which is a common and effective natural preservative system approved by COSMOS and ECOCERT standards. This combination prevents microbial growth and keeps the product safe without relying on parabens or other synthetic preservatives.

Noun Naturals goes a step further by including Gluconolactone and Sodium Phytate. Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid that acts as both a gentle exfoliant and a preservative booster, improving the overall stability and shelf life of the formula. Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent derived from rice bran that binds to metal ions in water, preventing them from destabilizing the formula or reducing the effectiveness of other ingredients. Together, these additions create a more robust preservation system that maintains the integrity of the product over time, even in varying storage conditions.

Winner for Preservation: Noun Naturals. The inclusion of Gluconolactone and Sodium Phytate provides enhanced stability and ensures the formula stays fresh and effective from the first pump to the last.

Both products are formulated with natural ingredients, but Noun Naturals has a shorter, cleaner ingredient list that reflects our commitment to simplicity and transparency. Every ingredient serves a clear purpose, and nothing is added just for marketing appeal. Our formula is ISO 16128 compliant, which means every ingredient meets international standards for natural origin.

Based Bodyworks has a longer ingredient list, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The additional oils, keratin, and emulsifiers are included to provide treatment benefits within the shampoo itself. However, this does make the formula more complex and slightly harder to rinse completely clean, especially for men with fine or oily hair.

Winner for Clean Label Simplicity: Noun Naturals. If you prefer a minimalist approach with fewer ingredients and a focus on doing one thing exceptionally well, our formula aligns with that philosophy.

Choose Noun Naturals if:

• You use styling products like clays, pomades, or texture powders daily and need a shampoo that removes them completely without multiple washes.
  
• You have normal to oily hair or a scalp that produces sebum regularly.
  
• You prefer a shampoo that cleanses thoroughly and rinses completely clean, leaving no residue or buildup.
  
• You want a simple, clean label formula with the highest performing natural surfactants available.
  
• You deal with scalp sensitivity, dandruff, or irritation and benefit from anti inflammatory ingredients like Turmeric and Black Seed Oil.
  
• You value premium ingredients like Japanese Peppermint and want a luxury sensory experience that users consistently rate as higher quality.
  
• You follow up your shampoo with a dedicated conditioner for targeted treatment and moisture.
  

Choose Based Bodyworks if:

• You have very dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair and prefer an all in one shampoo that provides some conditioning during the wash.
  
• You love the cooling, stimulating sensation of peppermint on your scalp and don't mind standard peppermint oil.
  
• You do not use heavy styling products and need only light cleansing.
  
• You prefer a formula with built in oils and proteins for convenience.
  

Both are quality natural shampoos, and Based Bodyworks is a solid choice for certain hair types and needs. However, if your goal is to find a shampoo that does what a shampoo is supposed to do, clean your hair and scalp thoroughly, remove styling product buildup, and support long term scalp health without over stripping, Noun Naturals is the superior choice. We spent ten months perfecting this formula to ensure it delivers professional grade cleansing with the mildness, premium ingredients, and natural integrity that modern men demand.

Clean ingredients, powerful performance, and a formula that lets your hair breathe and reset every single day. That is what Noun Naturals delivers.