EMOLLIENT
Glycol Distearate
- emollient
A wax that gives shampoo its pearly look and a slightly richer feel.
- products in our library
- 665
- of researched products
- 10%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #8
- most common in
- Shampoo
- 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.
Where the class sits between an ester and a butter.
How much it slows water leaving the strand.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 2 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with shampoo | 4 of 5 |
| Weight | Light | 2 of 5 |
| Sealing | Light | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Glycol Distearate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
Purely how the product looks in the bottle.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
614 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Conditioner
22 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Mask / treatment
15 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Co-wash
4 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Scalp treatment
4 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: curl cream
2 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Heat protectant
1 product
|
secondary · #22 | |
Leave-in
1 product
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: mousse
1 product
|
supporting · #6 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
secondary · #15 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 614 | 39% | 8 | 3 | supporting |
| Conditioner | 22 | 2% | 6 | 3 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 15 | 3% | 6 | 3 | supporting |
| Co-wash | 4 | 4% | 4 | 3 | supporting |
| Scalp treatment | 4 | 1% | 15 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 2 | 1% | 16 | 7 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 1 | 0% | 22 | 22 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 1 | 0% | 15 | 15 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 1 | 0% | 6 | 6 | supporting |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 15 | 15 | 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 | 25 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 346 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 174 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 101 |
| 26+ | Trace | 19 |
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 softer feel
- a creamy-looking product
- 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 supporting emollient alongside the main ingredients in our shampoos
- 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.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 479
- Sodium Chloride · 406
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 363
- Sodium Hydroxide · 240
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate · 221
- Benzyl Alcohol · 220
- Polyquaternium-10 · 203
- Polyquaternium-7 · 183
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 176
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate · 174
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to clean and build foam, keep the formula stable, and improve feel after rinsing.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Africa's Best · Co-wash
Originals Honey Castor Co-Wash
#3 on the label · $0.83/oz
amika · Shampoo
Normcore Signature Shampoo
#3 on the label · $2.93/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Co-wash
Coco Wash Coconut Milk Conditioning Cleanser
#3 on the label · $1.00/oz
Garnier Fructis · Shampoo
Grow Strong Fortifying Shampoo
#3 on the label · $0.29/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
2-in-1 Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner with Tea Tree Oil for Dry Scalp
#3 on the label · $0.44/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
2-in-1 Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner, Apple Cider Vinegar
#3 on the label · $0.56/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
2-in-1 Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner, Deep Scalp Hydration
#3 on the label · $0.56/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Clinical Strength Anti-Dandruff Citrus Shampoo for Advanced Oil Control
#3 on the label · $1.04/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Clinical Strength Cooling Itch Relief Tangerine Shampoo
#3 on the label · $0.89/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Clinical Strength Dry Scalp Rescue Shampoo (Herb Floral)
#3 on the label · $0.89/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Deep Scalp Cleanse Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
#3 on the label · $0.56/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Smooth & Silky Shampoo
#3 on the label · $0.56/oz
See all 665 products in the library that list Glycol Distearate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Glycol Distearate
- CAS 627-83-8
- PubChem 61174
- opacifier
- ethylene glycol distearate
- glycol distearate
For your hair?
Whether Glycol Distearate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 9th most-listed oil, butter or emollient 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 61174, CAS 627-83-8, C38H74O4 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 665 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.
