FRAGRANCE
anethole
- fragrance
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
- products in our library
- 31
- of researched products
- 0.5%
- on the label, in our masks and treatments
- usually #33
- most common in
- Mask / treatment
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How specifically the label has to name it.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Declaration | Declared blend | 3 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What anethole does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A declared blend: the individual components are not named unless rules require it.
It takes a surfactant to remove, which matters on a low-detergent routine.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Mask / treatment
5 products
|
secondary · #33 | |
Conditioner
3 products
|
secondary · #30 | |
Finisher: oil
3 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #28 | |
Styler: volumizer
3 products
|
secondary · #38 | |
Finisher: serum
2 products
|
secondary · #34 | |
Scalp treatment
2 products
|
secondary · #47 | |
Styler: curl cream
2 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Styler: paste
2 products
|
secondary · #31 | |
Dry shampoo
1 product
|
secondary · #28 |
5 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Heat protectant
1 product
|
secondary · #31 | |
Leave-in
1 product
|
secondary · #22 | |
Styler: mousse
1 product
|
secondary · #31 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
secondary · #31 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
1 product
|
secondary · #41 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mask / treatment | 5 | 1% | 33 | 22 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 3 | 0% | 30 | 19 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 3 | 1% | 17 | 14 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 3 | 0% | 28 | 26 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 3 | 2% | 38 | 19 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 2 | 1% | 34 | 29 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 2 | 1% | 47 | 40 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 2 | 1% | 22 | 17 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 2 | 1% | 31 | 21 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 1 | 1% | 28 | 28 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 1 | 0% | 31 | 31 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 1 | 0% | 22 | 22 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 1 | 0% | 31 | 31 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 3% | 31 | 31 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 1 | 1% | 41 | 41 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 0 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 1 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 7 |
| 26+ | Trace | 23 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
Read from this ingredient’s chemical class. Where we have researched the ingredient itself, that reading replaces the class one.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- a scented product
- something that lasts through the day
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary fragrance, listed below the main ingredients in our masks and treatments
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that the product will suit you if you react to scent
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Linalyl Acetate · 24
- Benzyl Alcohol · 19
- Geranyl Acetate · 17
- Pinene · 16
- Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil · 12
- Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes · 12
- Citronellol · 12
- Eucalyptus Globulus Oil · 10
- Terpineol · 10
- Citral · 10
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to give it a scent and carry the formula and let it dry.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Maria Nila · Finisher
Cica Oil
#14 on the label · $12.10/oz
Curlsmith · Finisher
Bonding Oil
#17 on the label · $15.00/oz
Curlsmith · Styler
Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream
#17 on the label · $3.50/oz
Davines · Conditioner
Volu Conditioner
#19 on the label · $5.09/oz
Davines · Styler
VOLU Hair Mist
#19 on the label · $5.21/oz
Sexy Hair · Styler
Style Sexy Hair Matte Clay (Matte Texturizing Clay)
#21 on the label · $8.78/oz
Davines · Leave-in
MELU Spray
#22 on the label · $5.21/oz
Maria Nila · Mask / treatment
Structure Repair Booster Masque
#22 on the label · $6.45/oz
Living Proof · Shampoo
Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
#26 on the label · $6.75/oz
Curlsmith · Styler
Feather-Light Protein Cream
#27 on the label · $3.50/oz
Davines · Shampoo
MELU Shampoo
#28 on the label · $4.50/oz
Living Proof · Dry shampoo
Perfect hair Day™ Sheer Clean Dry Shampoo Mist
#28 on the label · $9.71/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
anethole
- anethole
For your hair?
Whether anethole matters for your hair depends on your hair.
31 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Seed entry, sourcing in progress Written from our reference work; primary sourcing is still being attached.
No published source is attached to this entry yet.
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 31 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
