Redken All Soft vs Extreme (The Definitive Guide)

We all know and love Redken. They've definitely been having their fair share of the limelight recently, and they've been consistently delivering quality hair care products for decades now.

Two of Redken's most popular ranges designed for dry, brittle, and damaged hair are Redken All Soft and Redken Extreme. Which is better, you ask? That's what we'll be finding out in today's deep dive. Redken All Soft vs Extreme - let's get into it.

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Redken All Soft vs Extreme

While cleansing your hair is obviously necessary, stripping your locks of their natural oils can make for brittle strands if not replenished. Thus, finding a shampoo and conditioner that do double duty in the realms of gently cleansing and moisturizing is imperative. Even better would be to add a restorative treatment into the mix. That's where the Redken All Soft and Redken Extreme ranges come in...

The All Soft shampoo and conditioner lean on argan oil to promote nourishment and softness. Additionally, All Soft credits its RCT Protein Complex, soy protein, arginine, and sepicap to treat hair from root to core to tip. Further, this powerhouse of ingredients works together to first stimulate the scalp, then lock in moisture, and, lastly, restore splitting ends. To complement the impact of these two, follow with the treatment mask for five minutes, then rinse it out thoroughly. Even after just one use, you can expect to see softer, stronger, more manageable tresses.

Created to restore damaged hair and prevent future breakage, the Extreme shampoo and conditioner are formulated with Redken’s Strength Complex, which contains amino acids, arginine, and citric acid. To further fortify and strengthen strands, Redken recommends applying their anti-breakage treatment to protect against the mechanical damage that brushing may cause. (Oh, and it provides defense against chemical damage and heat damage, too.) So, if breakage is one of your top concerns, look no further.

Talk about an apples to apples comparison, right? On paper, both formulas lean on proteins to deliver heavy-duty hair restoration benefits, so how exactly can we differentiate the two? Well, in practice I uncovered some distinct experiences that actually went beyond their advertised benefits.

Starting with the All Soft range, what struck me the most was the immediate transformation in texture. My hair, usually prone to dryness, felt significantly silkier and more pliable after the first wash; it's silkiness I've only really ever experienced before after a trip to the salon. The shampoo and conditioner duo worked wonders in harmonizing moisture levels throughout my hair, from roots to tips.

Switching to the Extreme line, the change was more about resilience than softness. After a few uses, I noticed a marked improvement in my hair’s strength and elasticity, particularly when brushing after drying. This was a game changer for my hair, which is exposed to hair product after hair product (for the sake of the reviews!). The Extreme products seemed to infuse my strands with a fortitude that protected against breakage, a contrast to the All Soft’s emphasis on texture and softness.

In essence, while both lines focus on protein-based strengthening, All Soft is the go-to for dry hair. On the other hand, Extreme offers a solution for hair that is susceptible to breakage, fortifying it from the inside out. If your mane is desperate for some TLC, you can expect a more than satisfactory outcome with either treatment trio.

As a slight addendum, we’d like to note that Redken states that 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 February 2024.

Other Redken Best-Sellers

For blonde hair:
Try Color Extend Blondage

For dry/brittle hair:
Try All Soft

For fine hair:
Try Volume Injection

This article was originally published on October 20th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on February 19th 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.