Head & Shoulders vs Herbal Essences:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Head & Shoulders had more branded searches than Herbal Essences among shampoo and haircare brands in Australia. Head & Shoulders had about 6,600 branded searches, while Herbal Essences had 1,900. Head & Shoulders made up 4.8% of all shampoo and haircare brand searches we track, and Herbal Essences accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about shampoo and haircare brands, neither Head & Shoulders nor Herbal Essences appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Head & Shoulders, about 3 searches for every 1 for Herbal Essences
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top shampoo and haircare brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Head & Shoulders nor Herbal Essences showed up in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Olaplex4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kérastase2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Redken2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
OGX2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kevin.Murphy1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Davroe1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pureology1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Moroccanoil0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Head & Shoulders0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Herbal Essences0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about shampoo and haircare brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which shampoo should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best shampoo brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best shampoo for dry, damaged hair?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“shampoo”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best shampoo”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Head & Shoulders or Herbal Essences more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Head & Shoulders and Herbal Essences by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 shampoo and haircare brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Kérastase | Olaplex | Redken | Moroccanoil | Head & Shoulders | Kevin.Murphy | OGX | Dove | Sukin | Davroe | Pantene | Pureology | TRESemmé | Herbal Essences | ELEVEN Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.7% | 13.1% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.7% | 17.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.9% | 18.8% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 4.6% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 42% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 41.6% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 40.2% | 14.7% | 9.8% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.1% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 37.1% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 4% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.1% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 4% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 36.2% | 13.2% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.1% | 14.7% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 36.3% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4% | 4% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
How has the Head & Shoulders and Herbal Essences comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Head & Shoulders was ahead of Herbal Essences in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Head & Shoulders’ share of searches among shampoo and haircare brands in Australia moved from 3.9% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 6.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Herbal Essences’ share of searches among shampoo and haircare brands in Australia moved from 1.7% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for Australia shampoo and haircare brands in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Head & Shoulders in Australia rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 6.6K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Herbal Essences in Australia fell 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Head & Shoulders’ and Herbal Essences’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Head & Shoulders
1 branded search term
- head and shoulders
Herbal Essences
1 branded search term
- herbal essences
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