PROPELLANT

Isobutane

propellant

A pressurised gas that pushes an aerosol out of the can and evaporates on contact.

221products in our library

3%of researched products

usually #2on the label, in our styling mousses

Styler: moussemost common in

Volatilein water

products in our library: 221
of researched products: 3%
on the label, in our styling mousses: usually #2
most common in: Styler: mousse
in water: Volatile

At a glance

Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.

Buildup risk None left behind

How much of it is left on hair between washes.

Rinse-out behaviour Rinses clean

What it takes to get it off the hair again.

Drying speed Flashes off

How fast it leaves after the product is applied.

Residue None

What is still on the hair once it has evaporated.

The same figures as a table. The at-a-glance levels for Isobutane.
Property	Level	Out of
Buildup risk	None left behind	1 of 5
Rinse-out behaviour	Rinses clean	5 of 5
Drying speed	Flashes off	5 of 5
Residue	None	1 of 5

What it does for a formula

What Isobutane does

The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.

Pushes the product out

A liquefied gas that evaporates on contact and leaves nothing behind.

Evaporates after use

It carries the formula onto the hair and then leaves.

Charge

Not recorded not recorded for this entry

Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.

Solubility

Water-solubleOil-solubleWater-dispersibleInsolubleVolatile

Evaporates after application rather than staying on the hair, so it leaves nothing behind to remove.

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 ?
Styler: mousse 78 products	39%	leading · #2
Dry shampoo 59 products	45%	leading · #2
Finisher: shine spray 19 products	18%	leading · #2
Styler: hairspray 16 products	7%	leading · #3
Styler: volumizer 13 products	9%	leading · #3
Styler: texture spray 9 products	9%	supporting · #5
Heat protectant 6 products	3%	leading · #2
Shampoo 5 products	0%	leading · #2
Conditioner 2 products	0%	leading · #2
Finisher: oil 2 products	1%	leading · #3

Leading 1–3Supporting 4–8Secondary 9–15Lower 16–25Trace 26+

9 more product types

Product type	How common	Typical position on label ?
Leave-in 2 products	0%	leading · #3
Scalp treatment 2 products	1%	leading · #2
Styler: smoothing cream 2 products	2%	supporting · #5
Co-wash 1 product	1%	secondary · #9
Finisher: serum 1 product	1%	leading · #2
Mask / treatment 1 product	0%	supporting · #4
Styler: curl cream 1 product	0%	leading · #3
Styler: paste 1 product	1%	leading · #1
Styler: refresh spray 1 product	3%	leading · #1

The same figures as a table. Where Isobutane sits on the ingredient list, by product type.
Product type	Products	Share of category	Median position	Earliest position	Band
Styler: mousse	78	39%	2	2	leading
Dry shampoo	59	45%	2	1	leading
Finisher: shine spray	19	18%	2	1	leading
Styler: hairspray	16	7%	3	1	leading
Styler: volumizer	13	9%	3	2	leading
Styler: texture spray	9	9%	5	2	supporting
Heat protectant	6	3%	2	1	leading
Shampoo	5	0%	2	1	leading
Conditioner	2	0%	2	2	leading
Finisher: oil	2	1%	3	2	leading
Leave-in	2	0%	3	2	leading
Scalp treatment	2	1%	2	2	leading
Styler: smoothing cream	2	2%	5	5	supporting
Co-wash	1	1%	9	9	secondary
Finisher: serum	1	1%	2	2	leading
Mask / treatment	1	0%	4	4	supporting
Styler: curl cream	1	0%	3	3	leading
Styler: paste	1	1%	1	1	leading
Styler: refresh spray	1	3%	1	1	leading

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

Leading 154Supporting 63Secondary 2Lower 1Trace 1

Every listing in our library, by position on the label.

Every listing of Isobutane in our library, grouped by its position on the label.
Positions	Zone	Listings
1-3	Leading	154
4-8	Supporting	63
9-15	Secondary	2
16-25	Lower	1
26+	Trace	1

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.

Why it matters to shoppers

What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.

A good sign if you want

an aerosol format
nothing left on the hair

Less relevant if you want to know

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

Seeing it usually means

a primary propellant near the top of the ingredient list in our styling mousses
it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
it is a carrier, not something left on the hair

It does not automatically mean

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.

The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.

These ingredients tend to appear together to carry the formula and let it dry, give it a scent, and give the formula body and hold.

Found in these products

The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.

Alterna · Shampoo Caviar Anti-Aging Sheer Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $5.12/oz

amika · Finisher Top Gloss Hair Shine Spray #1 on the label · $6.04/oz

Bed Head · Dry shampoo Dirty Secret™ Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $2.80/oz

Bed Head · Dry shampoo Oh Bee Hive™ Volumizing Dry Shampoo for Day 2 Hair #1 on the label · $4.00/oz

Bondi Boost · Dry shampoo DRY SHAMPOO #1 on the label · $7.09/oz

CHI · Dry shampoo Vibes "Wake and Fake" Soothing Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $7.50/oz

Dove · Dry shampoo Fresh Coconut Advanced Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $1.37/oz

Dove · Dry shampoo Volume & Fullness Advanced Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $1.59/oz

Dove · Dry shampoo Workout Refresh Advanced Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $1.60/oz

Drybar · Dry shampoo Detox Clear Invisible Dry Shampoo #1 on the label · $8.57/oz Drybar · Dry shampoo Detox Dry Shampoo Coconut Colada Scent #1 on the label · $11.43/oz

Drybar · Dry shampoo Detox Dry Shampoo Lush Scent #1 on the label · $7.90/oz

See all 221 products in the library that list Isobutane

Identity

What this entry is, and what our references call it.

Canonical name

Isobutane

Identifiers

CAS 75-28-5
PubChem 6360

Most-listed rank

#14 of 56 alcohols, solvents and propellants in our library, by how many products list it

Also listed as

isobutane

For your hair?

Whether Isobutane matters for your hair depends on your hair.

221 products in our library list it

What this page is

What this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.

What it is not

A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.

Next

Build your hair profile and let the whole library sort itself

Use products with this ingredient? Get free recall alerts for them.

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 6360, CAS 75-28-5, C4H10 · accessed 2026-08-28

How this page was made

Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 221 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.

Isobutane

What Isobutane does

Where it appears

Position footprint

Whether Isobutane matters for your hair depends on your hair.

References

This ingredient

How this page was made

Hair Care Consultation