NAMED FRAGRANCE ALLERGEN

Limonene

named fragrance allergen

A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.

1506products in our library

38%of researched products

usually #27on the label, in our shampoos

Shampoomost common in

Oil-solublein water

products in our library: 1506
of researched products: 38%
on the label, in our shampoos: usually #27
most common in: Shampoo
in water: Oil-soluble

At a glance

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

Buildup risk Needs a cleanser

How much of it is left on hair between washes.

Rinse-out behaviour Rinses with a cleanser

What it takes to get it off the hair again.

Declaration Named allergen

How specifically the label has to name it.

Prominence in our shampoos Secondary

Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.

The same figures as a table. The at-a-glance levels for Limonene.
Property	Level	Out of
Buildup risk	Needs a cleanser	4 of 5
Rinse-out behaviour	Rinses with a cleanser	2 of 5
Declaration	Named allergen	5 of 5
Prominence	Secondary	2 of 5

What it does for a formula

What Limonene does

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

Gives it a scent

A declared blend: the individual components are not named unless rules require it.

A named scent component

EU rules require this one to be listed by name rather than inside "fragrance".

Stays until washed

It takes a surfactant to remove — worth knowing on a low-detergent routine.

Charge

Not recorded not recorded for this entry

Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.

Solubility

Water-solubleOil-solubleWater-dispersibleInsolubleVolatile

Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.

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 301 products	35%	secondary · #27
Conditioner 258 products	36%	secondary · #27
Leave-in 169 products	39%	secondary · #27
Mask / treatment 141 products	35%	secondary · #26
Heat protectant 82 products	57%	secondary · #22
Finisher: oil 68 products	38%	secondary · #16
Styler: mousse 68 products	49%	secondary · #25
Styler: gel 67 products	42%	secondary · #21
Styler: paste 49 products	53%	secondary · #22
Styler: hairspray 43 products	42%	secondary · #18

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

14 more product types

Product type	How common	Typical position on label ?
Styler: curl cream 38 products	36%	secondary · #29
Styler: texture spray 33 products	57%	secondary · #20
Styler: volumizer 33 products	49%	secondary · #22
Finisher: serum 32 products	40%	secondary · #18
Scalp treatment 31 products	18%	secondary · #24
Styler: smoothing cream 29 products	52%	secondary · #30
Co-wash 24 products	24%	secondary · #26
Finisher: shine spray 24 products	36%	secondary · #18
Finisher: anti frizz finish 4 products	17%	secondary · #17
Styler: edge control 4 products	25%	secondary · #31
Styler: refresh spray 4 products	31%	secondary · #23
Finisher: end oil 3 products	33%	secondary · #35
Styler: lotion 2 products	17%	secondary · #21
Dry shampoo 1 product	11%	secondary · #14

The same figures as a table. Where Limonene sits on the ingredient list, by product type.
Product type	Products	Share of category	Median position	Earliest position	Band
Shampoo	301	35%	27	10	secondary
Conditioner	258	36%	27	10	secondary
Leave-in	169	39%	27	8	secondary
Mask / treatment	141	35%	26	9	secondary
Heat protectant	82	57%	22	5	secondary
Finisher: oil	68	38%	16	6	secondary
Styler: mousse	68	49%	25	12	secondary
Styler: gel	67	42%	21	9	secondary
Styler: paste	49	53%	22	8	secondary
Styler: hairspray	43	42%	18	7	secondary
Styler: curl cream	38	36%	29	18	secondary
Styler: texture spray	33	57%	20	9	secondary
Styler: volumizer	33	49%	22	12	secondary
Finisher: serum	32	40%	18	4	secondary
Scalp treatment	31	18%	24	12	secondary
Styler: smoothing cream	29	52%	30	14	secondary
Co-wash	24	24%	26	14	secondary
Finisher: shine spray	24	36%	18	7	secondary
Finisher: anti frizz finish	4	17%	17	9	secondary
Styler: edge control	4	25%	31	13	secondary
Styler: refresh spray	4	31%	23	14	secondary
Finisher: end oil	3	33%	35	8	secondary
Styler: lotion	2	17%	21	18	secondary
Dry shampoo	1	11%	14	14	secondary

No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.

Position footprint

Leading 1Supporting 20Secondary 227Lower 679Trace 847

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

Every listing of Limonene in our library, grouped by its position on the label.
Positions	Zone	Listings
1-3	Leading	1
4-8	Supporting	20
9-15	Secondary	227
16-25	Lower	679
26+	Trace	847

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

Conditional formulation guidance, scoped to a hair condition and to the positions where it is meaningful. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, and not a conclusion about you.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

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 this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.

A good sign if you want

a scented product
scent components named individually
something that lasts through the day

Less relevant if you want to know

an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number

Seeing it usually means

a secondary fragrance, listed below the main ingredients in our shampoos
it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy

It does not automatically mean

that the product will suit you if you react to scent
that it is riskier than the unnamed components of a fragrance blend
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

Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — 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 give it a scent, 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.

Rene Furterer · Scalp treatment Complexe 5 Stimulating Plant Concentrate #1 on the label · $36.25/oz

Qhemet Biologics · Finisher Castor & Moringa Softening Serum #4 on the label · $8.65/oz

Biolage · Finisher Smooth Proof Hair Serum for Anti-Frizz and Hair Shine #5 on the label · $8.24/oz

Phyto · Scalp treatment SCALP SOLUTIONS Balancing Concentrate Polleine #5 on the label · $41.23/oz

Sexy Hair · Heat protectant Healthy Love Oil Moisturizing Oil #5 on the label · $9.79/oz

Carol's Daughter · Finisher Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend Hair & Scalp Oil #6 on the label · $3.57/oz

AG Care · Finisher The Oil Extra-Virgin Argan Smoothing Oil #7 on the label · $16.50/oz

Paul Mitchell · Finisher Gloss Drops #7 on the label · $6.16/oz

Redken · Finisher Shine Flash Glistening Mist #7 on the label · $4.40/oz

UNITE Hair · Styler MAXCONTROL Spray #7 on the label · $2.90/oz

American Crew · Styler Molding Clay #8 on the label · $6.66/oz

amika · Finisher Superfruit Star Lightweight Hair Styling Oil #8 on the label · $18.82/oz

See all 1506 products in the library that list Limonene

Identity

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

Canonical name

Limonene

Identifiers

CAS 138-86-3
PubChem 22311

Most-listed rank

#2 of 141 fragrance in our library, by how many products list it

Also classified as

fragrance

Also listed as

d-limonene
d'limonene
dl-limonene
limonene
limonene†
limoneneᵻ

For your hair?

Whether Limonene matters for your hair depends on your hair.

the 2nd most-listed fragrance ingredient in our library

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

We do not physically test your hair. Everything above is read 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 22311, CAS 138-86-3, C10H16 · accessed 2026-08-28

How this page was made

Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 1506 of 4008 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
The dots are levels, not scores. Each one is read from what kind of ingredient it is — its chemical class, its charge, its 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; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.

Limonene

What Limonene does

Where it appears

Position footprint

Whether Limonene matters for your hair depends on your hair.

References

This ingredient

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan