# Free & Clear Shampoo Alternatives Without CAPB or Glucosides

> Free & Clear shampoo is CAPB-free but cleans with lauryl and coco-glucoside. Its verified INCI, its strengths, and a glucoside-free alternative.

*Updated: 2026-09-21*

**Vanicream's Free & Clear shampoo is a genuinely cocamidopropyl-betaine-free, fragrance-free shampoo, and its two primary cleansers are alkyl glucosides (lauryl glucoside and coco-glucoside).** For most people avoiding CAPB that is fine. If your patch test also flagged decyl or lauryl glucoside, the 2017 Allergen of the Year, you need a shampoo that leaves out both families, and that is a shorter list. This page quotes Free & Clear's current ingredient list from the brand's own site, states plainly what it does well, and sets Baresel, a CAPB-free and glucoside-free option, next to it on composition facts only. A contact allergy is a medical matter: read the full INCI of whichever bottle you choose, and patch-test with a dermatologist or allergist.

**Fast facts**

- Free & Clear shampoo INCI, per vanicream.com: water, lauryl glucoside, coco-glucoside, acrylates copolymer, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, glycerin, sucrose cocoate, panthenol, pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, disodium EDTA, caprylyl glycol, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride.
- It contains no cocamidopropyl betaine, no betaine of any kind, no fragrance, no sulfates, no parabens, and no formaldehyde releasers, per the brand's own claims.
- It is sold in 12 oz (355 ml) and 2 oz sizes; Target listed the 12 oz bottle at $12.99 on 2026-09-21.
- Alkyl glucosides were the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year for 2017; in one 897-patient series, 5% reacted to decyl and/or lauryl glucoside, and 65% of those reacted to both.
- Baresel INCI: Aqua/Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol.
- Baresel is $22 for 250 ml, on pre-order, charged only when it ships, with free worldwide shipping. It is smaller and costs more per bottle than Free & Clear.
- Neither product is coconut-free, and neither is a treatment for an allergy.

## What Free & Clear does well

Free & Clear has been the default answer to "shampoo without cocamidopropyl betaine" for years, and the ingredient list explains why. Quoted from vanicream.com on 2026-09-21: "water, lauryl glucoside, coco-glucoside, acrylates copolymer, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, glycerin, sucrose cocoate, panthenol, pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, disodium EDTA, caprylyl glycol, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride." There is no cocamidopropyl betaine, no hydroxysultaine, no amidopropyl anything. The brand describes it as free of fragrance, parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde releasers, with no botanical extracts or essential oils, and as dermatologist tested and pH balanced. It contains no isothiazolinone preservative either; the glycols on the list (pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol) are the kind commonly used to support preservation without those systems.

It is also widely available and inexpensive. Vanicream sells it in 12 oz and 2 oz sizes, and on the day this page was written Target listed the 12 oz bottle at $12.99, roughly $1.08 per fluid ounce. It is stocked by major US pharmacies, which matters when you are mid-flare and need a bottle today. On those three counts, availability, price, and a betaine-free surfactant system, it is a good product, and this page does not claim otherwise.

## Where a reader might look further: the glucosides

The first two ingredients after water are lauryl glucoside and coco-glucoside. Alkyl glucosides are mild nonionic surfactants and are well tolerated by most people, but they are also a documented contact allergen. The American Contact Dermatitis Society named them Allergen of the Year for 2017. In a Columbia University series of 897 patients patch-tested for suspected cosmetic dermatitis, 48 (5%) reacted to decyl glucoside and/or lauryl glucoside, and 65% of those reacted to both, which led the authors to conclude that neither glucoside adequately screens for the other and that clinicians should test decyl, lauryl, and other alkyl glucosides together. Decyl glucoside has been on the North American Contact Dermatitis Group standard series since 2009, so if you have had a recent full panel, your report will say whether it is relevant to you.

The practical rule: if your patch test is positive to CAPB only, Free & Clear's ingredient list contains nothing from the betaine family and is a reasonable choice. If it is positive to CAPB and to an alkyl glucoside, or if you have reacted to glucoside-based "gentle" products before, Free & Clear's surfactant base is the wrong one for you, and you need a shampoo that leaves out both families. Do not guess; your dermatologist can tell you which case you are in.

## Baresel: CAPB-free and glucoside-free

Baresel is built to leave out both. Its full published INCI is: Aqua/Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol. The cleansers are an isethionate, a taurate, and an amino-acid glutamate; there is no betaine, no glucoside, and no sulfate. It is fragrance-free with no masking scent, and it is preserved with sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate rather than isothiazolinones or formaldehyde releasers. It is $22 for 250 ml, on pre-order, charged only when it ships, with free worldwide shipping. That is smaller and more expensive per bottle than Free & Clear, and it is not stocked in pharmacies. It is also not coconut-free: the isethionate, taurate, and glutamate are all coconut-derived, and Free & Clear's glutamate, glycinate, and sucrose cocoate are too. Any surfactant can, rarely, sensitize; Baresel makes no hypoallergenic or safe-for-everyone claim.

**Free & Clear shampoo vs Baresel, composition facts only**

|  | Vanicream Free & Clear Shampoo | Baresel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surfactant system | Lauryl glucoside, coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate | Sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, sodium cocoyl glutamate |
| Cocamidopropyl betaine or betaine family | None | None |
| Alkyl glucosides | Yes (lauryl glucoside, coco-glucoside) | None |
| Sulfates (SLS / SLES) | None | None |
| Fragrance | None (no fragrance, botanical extracts, or essential oils, per brand) | None (no parfum, no masking scent) |
| Preservation | No parabens, no formaldehyde releasers, no isothiazolinones on the list; pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol present | Sodium benzoate + potassium sorbate; no isothiazolinones, no formaldehyde releasers |
| Coconut-derived ingredients | Yes (coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, sucrose cocoate) | Yes (isethionate, taurate, glutamate) |
| Size | 12 oz (355 ml) or 2 oz | 250 ml |
| Price | $12.99 for 12 oz at Target, 2026-09-21 | $22 for 250 ml |
| Availability | Major US pharmacies and online retailers | Pre-order only, charged when it ships, free worldwide shipping |
| Full INCI published | Yes, on vanicream.com | Yes, on baresel.health |

## How to choose between them

Let the patch test decide, not the marketing. If your confirmed trigger is cocamidopropyl betaine alone, both products leave it out, and Free & Clear is the cheaper, larger, easier-to-find option. If your trigger list includes an alkyl glucoside as well, Free & Clear's base is the one to avoid, and Baresel's isethionate, taurate, and glutamate system is the composition difference that matters. If you have not been patch-tested and are guessing from symptoms, stop and get tested; DermNet calls patch testing the gold standard for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis, and without it you are comparing labels against an unknown. Whatever you pick, read the printed INCI on the bottle before first use, because both brands can reformulate, and do a small-area trial before switching your whole routine.

## Frequently asked

**Does Vanicream Free & Clear shampoo contain cocamidopropyl betaine?**

No. The ingredient list on vanicream.com, checked on 2026-09-21, is: water, lauryl glucoside, coco-glucoside, acrylates copolymer, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, glycerin, sucrose cocoate, panthenol, pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, disodium EDTA, caprylyl glycol, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride. There is no cocamidopropyl betaine, no hydroxysultaine, and no other amidopropyl surfactant. Always confirm against the label on the bottle you buy.

**Is Free & Clear shampoo glucoside-free?**

No. Its first two cleansers are lauryl glucoside and coco-glucoside, both alkyl glucosides. That is fine for most CAPB-avoiders, but alkyl glucosides were the American Contact Dermatitis Society's 2017 Allergen of the Year, and in one 897-patient series 5% reacted to decyl and/or lauryl glucoside. If your patch test flagged a glucoside, look for a shampoo that leaves them out.

**What is a CAPB-free and glucoside-free shampoo alternative?**

Baresel is one: its INCI is Aqua/Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol. It contains no betaine, no glucoside, no sulfate, and no fragrance. It costs $22 for 250 ml on pre-order with free worldwide shipping, which is more per bottle than Free & Clear. Check the list against your own patch-test results.

**Is Baresel better than Free & Clear?**

Not as a blanket statement. Free & Clear is cheaper, larger, stocked in pharmacies, and genuinely CAPB-free. Baresel's difference is composition: it leaves out the alkyl glucosides as well as the betaine family, and it is preserved with sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Which matters depends on what your patch test says. This page makes no tested-performance claim about either product.

**Are either of these shampoos coconut-free?**

No. Free & Clear contains coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, and sucrose cocoate; Baresel contains sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, and sodium cocoyl glutamate. A CAPB allergy is usually a reaction to manufacturing impurities in CAPB rather than to coconut itself, but if you react to coconut-derived surfactants broadly, neither product is a fit.

**Can I rely on the ingredient lists on this page?**

Treat them as a snapshot. Free & Clear's list was copied from vanicream.com on 2026-09-21, and a Target listing the same day noted the product may also contain disodium cocoyl glutamate. Baresel's list is its published formulation, and the brand states it will tell customers first if anything changes before an order ships. The legally definitive list is always the one printed on the packaging you hold.

**Keep reading**

- [Baresel ingredients, in full](/baresel-ingredients) — Every INCI name, its role, and what is deliberately left out.
- [How Baresel compares](/compare) — Clinical, drugstore, and 'gentle' shampoos framed by their public positioning.
- [Best cocamidopropyl-betaine-free shampoo](/best-cocamidopropyl-betaine-free-shampoo) — The buying criteria for a genuinely CAPB-free shampoo.
- [Cocamidopropyl betaine cross-reactors](/cocamidopropyl-betaine-cross-reactors) — Why 'no CAPB' is not the same as 'safe for you', including the glucosides.
- [Pre-order Baresel](/shop) — $22, 250 ml, charged only when it ships, free worldwide shipping.

**Sources**

- [Vanicream — Free & Clear Shampoo product page (ingredients, sizes, brand claims), accessed 2026-09-21](https://www.vanicream.com/product/free-and-clear-shampoo)
- [Target — Vanicream Shampoo for Sensitive Skin, 12 fl oz (price and ingredients), accessed 2026-09-21](https://www.target.com/p/vanicream-shampoo-12-fl-oz/-/A-49121578)
- [Severin RK, Belsito DV. Patch testing with decyl and lauryl glucoside: how well does one screen for contact allergic reactions to the other? Dermatitis, 2017 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29064883/)
- [Boozalis E, Patel S. Allergen of the Year alkyl glucoside is an ingredient in top-selling sunscreens and facial moisturizers. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2018 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29042229/)
- [Militello M et al. American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergens of the Year 2000 to 2020. Dermatol Clin, 2020 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32475509/)
- [DermNet — Cocamidopropyl betaine: allergic contact dermatitis](https://dermnetnz.org/topics/contact-allergy-to-cocamidopropyl-betaine)
- [Fowler JF et al. Allergy to cocamidopropyl betaine may be due to amidoamine. Contact Dermatitis, 1997 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9455630/)
- [DermNet — Allergic contact dermatitis (patch testing as the gold standard)](https://dermnetnz.org/topics/allergic-contact-dermatitis)
- [U.S. FDA — Cosmetics Safety Q&A: "Hypoallergenic"](https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/resources-consumers-cosmetics/cosmetics-safety-qa-hypoallergenic)

**Sources**

- [Vanicream — Free & Clear Shampoo product page, accessed 2026-09-21](https://www.vanicream.com/product/free-and-clear-shampoo)
- [Target — Vanicream Shampoo for Sensitive Skin, 12 fl oz, accessed 2026-09-21](https://www.target.com/p/vanicream-shampoo-12-fl-oz/-/A-49121578)
- [Severin RK, Belsito DV. Patch testing with decyl and lauryl glucoside. Dermatitis, 2017 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29064883/)
- [Boozalis E, Patel S. Allergen of the Year alkyl glucoside is an ingredient in top-selling sunscreens and facial moisturizers. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2018 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29042229/)
- [Militello M et al. ACDS Allergens of the Year 2000 to 2020. Dermatol Clin, 2020 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32475509/)
- [DermNet — Cocamidopropyl betaine: allergic contact dermatitis](https://dermnetnz.org/topics/contact-allergy-to-cocamidopropyl-betaine)
- [Fowler JF et al. Allergy to cocamidopropyl betaine may be due to amidoamine, 1997 (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9455630/)
- [DermNet — Allergic contact dermatitis](https://dermnetnz.org/topics/allergic-contact-dermatitis)
- [U.S. FDA — Cosmetics Safety Q&A: "Hypoallergenic"](https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/resources-consumers-cosmetics/cosmetics-safety-qa-hypoallergenic)