FILM FORMER
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
- film former
A plant-derived polymer that forms a light film and helps hold a style without a stiff feel.
- products in our library
- 126
- of researched products
- 2%
- on the label, in our leave-ins
- usually #12
- most common in
- Leave-in
- in water
- Water-dispersible
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.
What the polymer class can do, not what any bottle claims.
How well the film survives damp air, as a class.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 2 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with shampoo | 4 of 5 |
| Hold | Not recorded | not recorded |
| Humidity resistance | Not recorded | not recorded |
What it does for a formula
What Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
The film is what holds a shape once the water has gone.
How firmly depends on the polymer class and how much of it is used.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
It does not truly dissolve, and ordinary shampooing removes it.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Spreads through water without truly dissolving, and normal shampooing removes it.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Leave-in
38 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Conditioner
33 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Mask / treatment
19 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
6 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: curl cream
5 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Heat protectant
4 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Finisher: serum
3 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: mousse
3 products
|
secondary · #26 | |
Dry shampoo
2 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: shine spray
2 products
|
secondary · #16 |
7 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Scalp treatment
2 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Shampoo
2 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: hairspray
2 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: lotion
2 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: oil
1 product
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: paste
1 product
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
secondary · #21 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave-in | 38 | 6% | 12 | 4 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 33 | 3% | 12 | 3 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 19 | 3% | 15 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 6 | 7% | 18 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 5 | 2% | 17 | 6 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 4 | 2% | 18 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 3 | 2% | 8 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: mousse | 3 | 1% | 26 | 14 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 2 | 2% | 16 | 8 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 2 | 2% | 16 | 16 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 2 | 1% | 6 | 5 | supporting |
| Shampoo | 2 | 0% | 12 | 11 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 2 | 1% | 11 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 2 | 6% | 16 | 15 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 1 | 0% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: paste | 1 | 1% | 11 | 11 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 21 | 21 | 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 | 4 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 31 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 48 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 32 |
| 26+ | Trace | 11 |
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.
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
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 style that holds
- a softer feel
- a product ordinary shampooing removes
- less frizz and easier combing
- 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 film former, listed below the main ingredients in our leave-ins
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- 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.
- Diheptyl Succinate · 123
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 67
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 51
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · 44
- Cetyl Alcohol · 39
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · 35
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 35
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 33
- Tocopherol · 31
- Propylene Glycol · 29
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to soften the strand, improve feel after rinsing, and deliver a stated effect.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Eva Nyc · Styler
Satin Dream Anti-Frizz Cream
#2 on the label · $2.96/oz
Paul Mitchell · Finisher
MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment
#2 on the label · $23.50/oz
The Doux · Finisher
ACT RIGHT Anti-Humectant Serum
#2 on the label · $8.00/oz
Kevin Murphy · Conditioner
KILLER.CURLS RINSE
#3 on the label · $4.38/oz
amika · Conditioner
Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Conditioner
#4 on the label · $2.56/oz
Melanin Haircare · Leave-in
Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner
#4 on the label · $2.25/oz
Melanin Haircare · Conditioner
Plumping Deep Conditioner
#4 on the label · $3.00/oz
Paul Mitchell · Leave-in
Lavender Mint Moisture Milk Leave-In Conditioner
#4 on the label · $4.37/oz
Rizos Curls · Mask / treatment
Vitamin C Hair Repair Mask
#4 on the label · $3.00/oz
Fairy Tales · Leave-in
Curly-Q Refresher Curl Enhancer Spray
#5 on the label · $1.36/oz
JVN · Conditioner
Embody Volumizing Conditioner
#5 on the label · $2.40/oz
Kreyòl Essence · Scalp treatment
Save Our Scalp: Peptide + Clove Density Treatment Spray
#5 on the label · $22.35/oz
See all 126 products in the library that list Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
- emollient
- capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer
For your hair?
Whether Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer matters for your hair depends on your hair.
126 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: 126 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.
