Head & Shoulders Review, Is Head & Shoulders Non-Toxic?
Head & Shoulders averages 75 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 4 Head & Shoulders products graded as of October 2026, and all 4 reach its 70 point pass mark.
Head & Shoulders grades Excellent on our four-band scale.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
What Head & Shoulders says and does about PFAS
Procter & Gamble, which owns Head & Shoulders, publishes one PFAS statement and it covers menstrual products only, saying it does not formulate any of them with any type of PFAS. That statement does not extend to shampoo, and we found no P&G statement covering Head & Shoulders.
- Brand statementP&G’s ingredients page says it does not formulate any of its menstrual products with any type of PFAS, and describes work with supply chain partners to eliminate unintentional PFAS in those products. The statement names menstrual products only. P&G ↗
Sources checked September 17, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
Head & Shoulders is one of the brands we researched by hand for our record of what every brand has published about PFAS, where the same question is answered for each of them in one line.
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Does Head & Shoulders have PFAS, by category
Which Head & Shoulders products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
- aqueous surfactant shampoo formulation
- 1,4-dioxane (contaminant in surfactants). Anionic surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate can contain trace…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo formulation, typical surfactants and conditioning agents
- 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing contaminant). Conventional shampoos may contain trace 1,4-dioxane as an unintended…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo base with surfactants, silicones, and Vitamin E
- Fragrance allergens. Head & Shoulders Classic Clean contains fragrance compounds; individuals with fragrance…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo formulation, surfactants, conditioning agents
- 1,4-dioxane (contaminant in surfactants). Dioxane is a known contaminant in ethoxylated surfactants used in…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What to buy instead Good or better, in the categories Head & Shoulders sells
- aqueous liquid shampoo (typical surfactants, conditioning agents, water)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Surfactant irritation (skin/eye contact)
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based shampoo/cream emulsion
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Formaldehyde / VOCs
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- salt crystals, mineral-based scrub
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Mechanical irritation from particle size
Head & Shoulders and PFAS, common questions
- Does Head & Shoulders have PFAS?
- Head & Shoulders averages 75 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 4 Head & Shoulders products graded as of October 2026, and all 4 reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. P&G’s only published PFAS statement covers its menstrual products, not its shampoos, so we found none covering Head & Shoulders.
- Is Head & Shoulders non-toxic?
- Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo is the highest-graded Head & Shoulders product we have scored, at 75/100. It depends on the product line rather than the brand, so check the grade of the exact item you are buying.
- Which Head & Shoulders products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Head & Shoulders products we have scored are Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo, Head Shoulders Smooth Silky Dandruff Shampoo, Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff Classic Clean Shampoo with Vitamin E. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →