CONDITIONING AGENT
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.
- products in our library
- 1295
- of researched products
- 19%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #15
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-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.
Whether hair pulls it in or pushes it away, read from its charge.
How much easier it makes a comb pass.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Stays where hair is damaged | 2 of 5 |
| Adhesion | Clings to damage | 5 of 5 |
| Slip | Some | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Positive charge is drawn to the negatively charged, worn patches of a strand.
The measurable part of conditioning: less force to pull a comb through.
A long-chain molecule that stays behind as the product dries.
Gives a gel its body and keeps heavier ingredients from sinking.
Charge
Positively charged, so it is drawn to the negatively charged, damaged areas of hair and stays behind after rinsing. That is why conditioning happens where the wear is.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
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
645 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Conditioner
280 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Mask / treatment
123 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Leave-in
66 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Co-wash
27 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: curl cream
25 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Scalp treatment
18 products
|
secondary · #20 | |
Styler: gel
17 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Heat protectant
16 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
15 products
|
secondary · #15 |
14 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: mousse
10 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Styler: volumizer
10 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Finisher: serum
9 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: hairspray
7 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Styler: paste
6 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: lotion
4 products
|
secondary · #28 | |
Styler: texture spray
4 products
|
secondary · #30 | |
Dry shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #37 | |
Finisher: oil
3 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Finisher: shine spray
2 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Finisher: end oil
1 product
|
secondary · #36 | |
Styler: edge control
1 product
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
secondary · #10 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 645 | 41% | 15 | 2 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 280 | 25% | 18 | 2 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 123 | 21% | 19 | 3 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 66 | 10% | 18 | 3 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 27 | 27% | 13 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 25 | 11% | 16 | 3 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 18 | 6% | 20 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 17 | 6% | 13 | 3 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 16 | 8% | 22 | 2 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 15 | 19% | 15 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 10 | 5% | 19 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 10 | 7% | 19 | 8 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 9 | 7% | 16 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 7 | 3% | 24 | 13 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 6 | 3% | 17 | 9 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 4 | 11% | 28 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 4 | 4% | 30 | 27 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 3 | 2% | 37 | 29 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 3 | 1% | 29 | 13 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 6% | 12 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 2 | 2% | 29 | 16 | secondary |
| Finisher: end oil | 1 | 13% | 36 | 36 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 1 | 3% | 10 | 10 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 3% | 10 | 10 | 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 | 15 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 96 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 496 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 466 |
| 26+ | Trace | 222 |
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.
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.
A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
Detangling and weight come from the same deposit; how much of each depends on the chain length of the specific conditioner.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8.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.
- detangling and less breakage from combing
- a style that holds
- a gel texture from a plant-derived thickener
- a rinse-clean feel
- 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 conditioner, listed below the main ingredients in our shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- it is meant to stay on the hair rather than rinse away
- 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 · 506
- Sodium Chloride · 485
- Benzyl Alcohol · 427
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 402
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 373
- Glycol Distearate · 363
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 359
- Tocopherol · 352
- Sodium Hydroxide · 332
- Caprylyl Glycol · 298
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 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.
Bread Beauty Supply · Co-wash
Hair-Wash Milky Hair Cleanser
#2 on the label · $2.38/oz
LUSETA · Shampoo
Biotin & Collagen Shampoo Bar
#2 on the label · $3.98/oz
Mixed Chicks · Heat protectant
Straightening Serum (Straight)
#2 on the label · $2.50/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Conditioner
Apple Cider Vinegar Renew Conditioner
#2 on the label · $1.65/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Shampoo
Beautiful Curls Defining Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.06/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Shampoo
Coconut & Tremella Lipid-Locking Ritual Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.06/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Conditioner
Voluminous Conditioner for Fine & Flat Hair
#2 on the label · $1.53/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Shampoo
Voluminous Sea Salt Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.18/oz
African Pride · Leave-in
Feel It Formula Peppermint Rosemary & Sage Strengthening Detangler Hair Cream
#3 on the label · $0.62/oz
African Pride · Mask / treatment
Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-Shampoo
#3 on the label · $0.83/oz
Mizani · Leave-in
25 Miracle Milk Curl Leave-In Conditioner Spray
#3 on the label · $3.19/oz
Nature Skin Shop · Conditioner
Gugo Strengthening Conditioner for Hair Fall & Thinning
#3 on the label · $1.70/oz
See all 1295 products in the library that list Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- polymer
- gum
- cationic guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
- guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
- guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (cationic guar)
- guarhydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
For your hair?
Whether Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 4th most-listed conditioning agent 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
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: 1295 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.
