Joico vs Redken (The Definitive Guide)

Whether you’ve just dyed your hair for the first time or the umpteenth time, it’s fair to have a lingering worry regarding the health of your mane. (After all, some color treatments can cause considerable damage.) So, assembling a lineup of quality haircare products is vital to maintaining your hair’s wellbeing.

But before you start adding a slew of hair masques, oils, and dry shampoos to your shopping cart, consider investing in a new shampoo and conditioner.

Yep, your wash day pals are now part of your hair’s rescue team. You’ll want to choose a twosome that’s jam-packed with nutrients that color-treated hair yearns for. May we suggest Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner or Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner?

Of course, we’re not recommending buying all four formulas (unless you want to—do you!), so let’s dive into the deets about both to figure out which is best for you and your hair.

This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we earn commission from qualifying purchases.

Joico vs Redken

Although Joico and Redken aim to achieve similar results, they couldn’t approach their formulations more differently.

Joico’s K-Pak duo is created with African Manketti, which protects hair color from fading; keratin for repairing damaged strands; argan oils that deeply nourish; and Joico’s SmartRelease liposome technology—a one-of-a-kind system that strengthens from root to tip. In terms of effectiveness, Joico’s shampoo has earned a 4.7-star rating and the conditioner is slightly behind with 4.6 stars. Given that both collectively have over 5,000 reviews, it’s safe to say most users approve.

Designed to gently cleanse hair without depleting it of natural oils, Redken’s sulfate-free pair features an acidic formula that balances the pH of your tresses. Together, they enhance vibrancy, add smoothness and shine, and strengthen hair fibers. But do they actually work? With the shampoo at a 4.1-star rating and the conditioner at a 4.2-star rating, it seems plausible that you can expect favorable results.

On Amazon.com, Joico’s shampoo is $23 for a 10.1oz bottle and $21.60 for an 8.5oz bottle. Further, Ulta sells Redken’s shampoo and conditioner for $24 each for a 10.1oz bottle.

So far, it appears that Redken may be the lesser choice of the two (despite the price difference). But before we lock in our decision, business ethics should be taken into consideration.

As reported by Cruelty-Free Kitty, Joico is cruelty-free but not 100% vegan. However, their philanthropic and sustainability efforts are pretty impressive. They support organizations like Love Out Lavender, which fundraises the fight against cancer, and City of Hope, which is a leading research organization and treatment center for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases.

They’ve also committed to reducing their carbon footprint by 70% in the next several years. To achieve this, Joico is focusing mainly on energy efficiency and working with suppliers who can align with their efforts.

According to Redken’s site, L’Oréal—the parent company of Redken—no longer tests any of its products on animals. However, Cruelty-Free Kitty and Ethical Elephant both have reported that Redken isn’t cruelty free as recently as June 2022. (And it’s unclear if there have been any new developments in their cruelty-free efforts since then.)

Sustainability-wise, it seems that Redken began using sustainable packaging in early 2021, with at least 93% recycled plastic. Moreover, we couldn’t find any information about charitable efforts from Redken.

And there you have it: Joico wins our vote.

Redken Best-Sellers

For blonde hair:
Try Color Extend Blondage

For dry/brittle hair:
Try All Soft

For fine hair:
Try Volume Injection

Joico Best-Sellers

For damaged hair:
Try Defy Damage

For dry hair:
Try Hydra Splash

For blonde hair:
Try Blonde Life