LIGHT ESTER
Isopropyl Myristate
- light ester
A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.
- products in our library
- 299
- of researched products
- 4%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #6
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Oil-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.
Where the class sits between an ester and a butter.
How much it slows water leaving the strand.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Weight | Light | 2 of 5 |
| Sealing | Light | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Isopropyl Myristate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A light, fast-spreading lipid used where an oil would feel heavy.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
It takes a surfactant to remove, which matters on a low-detergent routine.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.
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
95 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Mask / treatment
40 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Dry shampoo
27 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Finisher: oil
24 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Leave-in
22 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Finisher: shine spray
18 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Heat protectant
13 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: serum
10 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Scalp treatment
10 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: curl cream
9 products
|
supporting · #4 |
12 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: paste
8 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Shampoo
4 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
4 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
3 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: edge control
2 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: hairspray
2 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: mousse
2 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: volumizer
2 products
|
secondary · #23 | |
Styler: gel
1 product
|
supporting · #4 | |
Styler: lotion
1 product
|
supporting · #4 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: texture spray
1 product
|
supporting · #6 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 95 | 8% | 6 | 2 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 40 | 7% | 6 | 3 | supporting |
| Dry shampoo | 27 | 21% | 8 | 5 | supporting |
| Finisher: oil | 24 | 9% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Leave-in | 22 | 3% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 18 | 17% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Heat protectant | 13 | 6% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Finisher: serum | 10 | 7% | 4 | 1 | supporting |
| Scalp treatment | 10 | 3% | 5 | 1 | supporting |
| Styler: curl cream | 9 | 4% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 8 | 4% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Shampoo | 4 | 0% | 8 | 6 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 4 | 5% | 4 | 3 | supporting |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 3 | 9% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: edge control | 2 | 5% | 15 | 12 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 2 | 1% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Styler: mousse | 2 | 1% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: volumizer | 2 | 1% | 23 | 17 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 1 | 0% | 4 | 4 | supporting |
| Styler: lotion | 1 | 3% | 4 | 4 | supporting |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 3% | 3 | 3 | leading |
| Styler: texture spray | 1 | 1% | 6 | 6 | supporting |
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 | 70 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 149 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 53 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 18 |
| 26+ | Trace | 9 |
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.
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
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.
- softness without weight
- a softer feel
- something that lasts through the day
- body without weight on fine hair
- 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 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.
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 109
- Benzyl Alcohol · 98
- Dimethicone · 95
- Citronellol · 93
- Isopropyl Alcohol · 86
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 84
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 81
- Propylene Glycol · 68
- Cetyl Alcohol · 64
- Geraniol · 62
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to improve feel after rinsing, carry the formula and let it dry, and smooth the surface.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Bigen · Finisher
Silkening Shine Serum
#1 on the label · $2.42/oz
Kristin Ess Hair · Finisher
Subtle Shine Softening Oil
#1 on the label · $10.65/oz
Mielle Organics · Scalp treatment
Rosemary Mint Scalp & Edge Cleansing Oil
#1 on the label · $2.50/oz
Mielle Organics · Scalp treatment
Sea Moss Anti-Shedding Scalp & Hair Oil
#1 on the label · $5.27/oz
Productos LATINA · Finisher
Repair Serum
#1 on the label · $14.79/oz
Rusk · Finisher
Deepshine PlatinumX Shine Spray
#1 on the label · $4.20/oz
Bigen · Leave-in
Daily Hydration Leave-In Conditioner
#2 on the label · $1.00/oz
Briogeo · Conditioner
Farewell Frizz Smoothing Conditioner
#2 on the label · $2.04/oz
Cantu · Styler
Weightless Smooth + Curl Enhancer Cream
#2 on the label · $0.70/oz
CÉCRED · Finisher
Nourishing Hair Oil
#2 on the label · $19.71/oz
Curl Keeper · Conditioner
Revive & Thrive - Treatment Conditioner
#2 on the label · $3.00/oz
Curl Keeper · Conditioner
Silk & Smooth - Moisturizing Conditioner
#2 on the label · $3.17/oz
See all 299 products in the library that list Isopropyl Myristate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Isopropyl Myristate
- CAS 110-27-0
- PubChem 8042
- emollient
- isopropyl myristate
- ispropyl myristate
For your hair?
Whether Isopropyl Myristate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
299 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
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 8042, CAS 110-27-0, C17H34O2 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 299 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.
