How to Choose Shampoo (洗髮精) in Taiwan: Silicone-Free, Fragrance, and the Real Cost per ml
Shampoos all wash your hair, but a basic cleansing shampoo, a perfume and plant-extract shampoo, and a treatment shampoo (anti-dandruff, oil control, repair for dyed or permed hair) make very different claims, and the price can differ by several times. This guide explains the 3 types, 4 things to check, and how to work out what is really a good deal, so you can decide which one to buy.
First, Understand the 3 Types of Shampoo
| Type | Features | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic cleansing | Focuses on basic cleaning power with fairly simple ingredients, and usually has the lowest unit price | People who put price first, have an oily scalp, or wash their hair every day |
| Perfume / fragrance and plant extract | Stresses a layered fragrance that lasts, plus moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or plant extracts, and often comes with a "silicone-free" claim. The unit price is medium to high | People who care about a lasting scent after washing and want moisture with a clean feel |
| Treatment (anti-dandruff / oil control / color care / damage repair) | Has extra ingredients aimed at a specific problem such as dandruff, hair loss, or damage from dyeing and perming. The price is usually the highest | People with a specific scalp or hair problem (flakes, itching, breakage, faded color) |
No single type is "the best". It depends on how oily your scalp is, whether you have a specific problem, and how much extra you are willing to pay for fragrance or treatment. Words such as "plant extract" and "natural" are marketing terms, not a guarantee of how much of an ingredient there is or how well it works, so you still need to read the ingredient list.
4 Things to Check When Choosing Shampoo
| What to check | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Silicone and how it feels | Silicone coats the hair, so it feels smooth and easy to comb right after washing, but if you do not rinse well over a long time it can feel built up. Silicone-free shampoo feels lighter and is gentler on the scalp, but may feel a little dry when you first switch, and you can use a conditioner to make up the smoothness. Which is better depends on your hair and habits, and there is no absolute answer |
| pH and scalp sensitivity | A mildly acidic shampoo (for example pH 5.5) is closer to the natural pH of the scalp. Look at this first if your scalp is sensitive or your hair is often dyed or permed. A more alkaline cleanser may leave the scalp drier and tighter |
| How long the fragrance lasts | An ordinary fragrance fades soon after the hair dries. Types that state a technology such as "microcapsule slow release" last longer, but they usually have more fragrance ingredients too. If you are sensitive to fragrance, pregnant, or breastfeeding, try a small amount first |
| Certification and ingredient labels | Specific labels, such as a third-party organic certification (for example Ecocert) or "no parabens", are more useful than the words "plant extract" or "natural" alone |
How to Work Out the Real Cost per ml
Do not look only at "how much for one bottle". Work out "total price ÷ volume (ml)" to get the price per ml, so you can fairly compare different sizes and types. For example, if 700ml costs $300, that is about $0.43 per ml. If 350ml costs $180, that is about $0.51 per ml, so the larger bottle usually has the lower unit price. But watch the shelf life after opening and how often you actually use it, because a bottle that is too big to finish before it expires is a waste. For a product where you can pick any of several scents, the same size usually has the same price, so you can choose by scent alone without affecting how good a deal it is.
Choosing by Situation
- You wash your hair every day and your scalp is oily — Look first at a light formula, and avoid treatment types that stress heavy moisture. Basic cleansing or silicone-free types usually feel lighter.
- Dyed or permed hair that is damaged or splits and breaks easily — Choose a treatment type that lists specific repair ingredients such as amino acids, and do not buy it just because the pack says "repair".
- A sensitive scalp that easily turns red or itchy — Look first at a mildly acidic formula with as simple an ingredient list as possible, and try a small amount first to see how your scalp reacts.
- You care about a lasting scent, or want something to give as a gift or use yourself — A perfume / fragrance and plant-extract type is the main choice. You can pick by scent, and a series with several scents to choose from is good for using in turns.
Searching on Shopee Taiwan: Chinese Keywords and What They Mean
Shopee Taiwan uses Chinese, so searching in English usually returns nothing useful. Copy the keywords below and paste them into the Shopee search box.
| Keyword / text (Chinese) | Pinyin | Meaning | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 洗髮精 | xǐfà jīng | shampoo | The most common search keyword |
| 無矽靈 | wú xìlíng | silicone-free | A common claim on shampoo packs |
| 香水洗髮精 | xiāngshuǐ xǐfà jīng | perfume shampoo | A shampoo that stresses a lasting scent |
| 植萃 | zhí cuì | plant extract | A marketing term, so check the ingredient list |
| 弱酸性 | ruò suānxìng | mildly acidic | Closer to the natural pH of the scalp |
| 玻尿酸 | bōniàosuān | hyaluronic acid | A moisturizing ingredient |
| 控油 | kòng yóu | oil control | For an oily scalp |
| 抗屑 | kàng xiè | anti-dandruff | For dandruff |
| 染燙受損 | rǎn tàng shòusǔn | damaged by dyeing and perming | For repairing treated hair |
| 補充包 | bǔchōng bāo | refill pack | A cheaper pack to refill a bottle you already have |
| 月銷熱賣 | yuè xiāo rèmài | best sellers this month | A sorting option in Shopee Taiwan search results (the display name may change), useful for finding what many people buy |
Brand names on packaging are usually written in Chinese too. If you are not sure, use your phone's camera translation (for example Google Translate) on the packaging or the product page and compare it with the table above. This list is only a keyword guide, not an official translation, and the text on a product page may differ.
Show this to the shop staff, or paste it into the Shopee chat
請問這瓶洗髮精適合油性頭皮嗎？
Qǐngwèn zhè píng xǐfàjīng shìhé yóuxìng tóupí ma?
Is this shampoo suitable for an oily scalp?
請問這一款有含矽靈嗎？
Qǐngwèn zhè yì kuǎn yǒu hán xìlíng ma?
Does this one contain silicone?
請問有哪些香味可以選？
Qǐngwèn yǒu nǎxiē xiāngwèi kěyǐ xuǎn?
Which scents can I choose from?
Mei Wu Fa Perfume Series Silicone-Free Hyaluronic Acid Plant-Extract Shampoo 700ml (several scents: freesia / verbena / sage and sea salt / amber and sandalwood)
Shopee Mall direct store listing information (shown on September 29, 2026; prices and promotions may change): you can choose from 5 options (freesia, verbena fresh and watery, verbena fresh and cooling, sage and sea salt, amber and sandalwood). The displayed price was $116 (after coupon), with 1,000+ sold, and the freesia version is No. 1 in the shop's shampoo best-seller list. Installments at 0% interest from $39 per period are shown, and ordering now it shows delivery as early as tomorrow, with shipping from $0 (free shipping on orders of $69 or more). The size is 700ml per bottle, the shelf life is 3 years, it is made in Taiwan and sold as an official brand-company product, and it ships from Guanyin District, Taoyuan City. The whole series claims flower and plant extracts, no added silicone, a nearly mildly acidic pH of 5.5, and no artificial colors. This is an upgraded version, and the hyaluronic acid content is said to be double that of the original, claiming better water retention and a softer shine. The four main scents and ingredients are: freesia (a pear-extract perfume shampoo, with freesia extract to condition the scalp and keep hair fresh and hydrated), verbena (a fresh watery shampoo, with verbena extract, orange fruit extract, and royal jelly protein to condition the scalp and hair, plus a fresh cooling version with added mint), sage and sea salt (with Ecocert-certified organic sage extract, okra extract for a silky shine, and sarcosine, a hair-strengthening ingredient to strengthen hair, repair damage from dyeing and perming, and help prevent split ends and breakage), and amber and sandalwood (North African cedar oil plus bodhi and sandalwood extracts to condition the scalp and repair hair, and small-molecule hyaluronic acid for water balance, with the formula upgraded to have no added parabens). We only quote these claims and have not checked them one by one. Before you buy: each version claims different benefits and suits different hair conditions, so choose by your own scalp (whether it is oily, and whether your hair is dyed or permed and damaged), and not only by the scent you like.
Quick Checklist Before You Buy
- Wash every day and your scalp is oily? → Choose a light formula, and avoid treatment types that stress heavy moisture
- Dyed or permed hair that splits and breaks? → Choose a repair type with specific ingredients, and do not go only by the word "repair"
- A sensitive scalp that turns red easily? → Look first at a mildly acidic formula, and try a small amount first
- Care about a lasting scent, or want to give it as a gift? → A perfume and plant-extract type can be chosen by scent
- Before you order → work out "total price ÷ volume (ml)" for the real unit price, and check the shelf life after opening
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is silicone-free shampoo really better?
- Silicone-free is not automatically better; it is a trade-off. Silicone coats the hair, so it feels smooth and easy to comb right after washing, but if you do not rinse well over a long time it can feel built up on the hair or scalp. Silicone-free shampoo feels lighter and is gentler on the scalp, but may feel a little dry when you first switch, and if you need to you can use a conditioner to make up the smoothness. Which suits you depends on your hair, how oily your scalp is, and your habits, and silicone-free is not necessarily better.
- How is the lasting scent of a perfume shampoo different from an ordinary fragrance?
- An ordinary fragrance mostly fades soon after the hair dries. In a perfume shampoo that states "top, middle, and base notes" or a "microcapsule slow release" technology, the scent molecules are held in tiny capsules and released gradually as the hair rubs and as your body warms, so the scent lasts longer. But a scented shampoo usually has more fragrance ingredients than an unscented one, so if you are sensitive to fragrance, pregnant, or breastfeeding, check the ingredients on the pack first, or test a small area of skin before using it all over.