EMULSIFIER
Glyceryl Stearate
- emulsifier
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.
- products in our library
- 411
- of researched products
- 6%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #9
- most common in
- Conditioner
- 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.
How much oil it strips, as a class.
The foam the class is known for, not a measured volume.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 2 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with shampoo | 4 of 5 |
| Cleansing strength | Not a cleanser | 1 of 5 |
| Lather | Little | 1 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Glyceryl Stearate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Without one, a cream separates in the bottle.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
It does not truly dissolve, and ordinary shampooing removes it.
Hair neither pulls it in nor pushes it away.
Charge
Carries no charge, so it neither clings to hair nor is pushed away by it. Nonionic ingredients are the mild, pH-tolerant workhorses of a formula.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Conditioner
104 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Leave-in
61 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Mask / treatment
56 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: curl cream
44 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: paste
41 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Shampoo
31 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Scalp treatment
16 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
15 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Heat protectant
10 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Co-wash
9 products
|
secondary · #11 |
12 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: serum
3 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: gel
3 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Styler: lotion
3 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: volumizer
3 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: oil
2 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Styler: mousse
2 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Styler: refresh spray
2 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Finisher: shine spray
1 product
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: edge control
1 product
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: hairspray
1 product
|
secondary · #19 | |
Styler: texture spray
1 product
|
secondary · #14 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 104 | 9% | 9 | 2 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 61 | 9% | 10 | 2 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 56 | 10% | 10 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 44 | 19% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 41 | 21% | 7 | 3 | supporting |
| Shampoo | 31 | 2% | 11 | 4 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 16 | 5% | 8 | 4 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 15 | 19% | 7 | 3 | supporting |
| Heat protectant | 10 | 5% | 9 | 3 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 9 | 9% | 11 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 3 | 2% | 12 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 3 | 1% | 29 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 3 | 8% | 17 | 15 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 3 | 2% | 14 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 6% | 9 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 2 | 1% | 9 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 2 | 1% | 19 | 15 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 2 | 6% | 5 | 4 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 1 | 1% | 14 | 14 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 1 | 3% | 5 | 5 | supporting |
| Styler: hairspray | 1 | 0% | 19 | 19 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 1 | 1% | 14 | 14 | 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 | 29 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 165 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 131 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 53 |
| 26+ | Trace | 33 |
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.
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 stable cream that does not separate
- 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 emulsifier, listed below the main ingredients in our conditioners
- 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.
- Cetyl Alcohol · 194
- Benzyl Alcohol · 173
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 136
- Tocopherol · 131
- Stearyl Alcohol · 122
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · 121
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 117
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 115
- PEG-100 Stearate · 112
- Caprylyl Glycol · 102
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to soften the strand, carry the formula and let it dry, 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.
Ceremonia · Leave-in
Guava Leave-In Conditioner
#2 on the label
Davines · Finisher
MOMO Serum
#2 on the label · $6.51/oz
SheaMoisture · Conditioner
Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate & Repair Conditioner
#2 on the label · $0.85/oz
Suavecito · Conditioner
Hydrating Conditioner
#2 on the label · $0.95/oz
UNITE Hair · Styler
Grooming Cream
#2 on the label · $12.00/oz
Acure · Conditioner
Ultra Hydrating Conditioner
#3 on the label · $1.25/oz
Aveda · Conditioner
Rosemary Mint Weightless Conditioner
#3 on the label · $4.21/oz
Camille Rose · Styler
Sweet Puddin'
#3 on the label · $1.12/oz
CurlyKids · Leave-in
Curly Creme Conditioner
#3 on the label · $0.83/oz
CurlyKids · Mask / treatment
Curly Deep Conditioner
#3 on the label
Design Essentials · Styler
Almond & Avocado Curl Stretching Crème
#3 on the label · $1.44/oz
Ginger Milk · Conditioner
Conditioner For Normal to Oily Scalp and Hair – BE HONEST
#3 on the label · $2.35/oz
See all 411 products in the library that list Glyceryl Stearate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Glyceryl Stearate
- CAS 11099-07-3
- PubChem 93066
- emollient
- glyceryl stearate
- glyceryl strearate
For your hair?
Whether Glyceryl Stearate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 6th most-listed cleanser or emulsifier in our libraryWhat 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
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 93066, CAS 11099-07-3, C21H44O5 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 411 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.
