FRAGRANCE
Menthyl Lactate
- fragrance
A gentler cooling agent than menthol, with less scent.
- products in our library
- 62
- of researched products
- 0.9%
- on the label, in our scalp treatments
- usually #17
- most common in
- Scalp treatment
- 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.
How specifically the label has to name it.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Declaration | Declared blend | 3 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Menthyl Lactate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A declared blend: the individual components are not named unless rules require it.
Named on the label for a specific purpose rather than for texture.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Scalp treatment
25 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Shampoo
18 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Conditioner
7 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Co-wash
5 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Dry shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Leave-in
2 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
secondary · #22 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scalp treatment | 25 | 9% | 17 | 8 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 18 | 1% | 12 | 6 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 7 | 1% | 12 | 7 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 5 | 5% | 22 | 15 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 3 | 2% | 13 | 9 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 2 | 0% | 22 | 20 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 3% | 12 | 12 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 22 | 22 | 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 | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 7 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 25 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 23 |
| 26+ | Trace | 7 |
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.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
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 scented product
- an ingredient included for a stated purpose
- something that lasts through the day
- 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 fragrance, listed below the main ingredients in our scalp treatments
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that the product will suit you if you react to scent
- 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.
- Menthol · 33
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil · 28
- Sodium Hydroxide · 27
- Propanediol · 25
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 24
- Benzyl Alcohol · 19
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice · 18
- Tocopherol · 18
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 17
- Geraniol · 14
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, 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.
Better Not Younger · Shampoo
Silver Lining Purple Brightening Shampoo For Gray & White Hair
#6 on the label · $3.45/oz
Bread Beauty Supply · Shampoo
clear-wash
#7 on the label
EVO · Conditioner
Normal Persons Daily Conditioner
#7 on the label · $3.76/oz
Creme of Nature · Shampoo
Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse
#8 on the label · $0.29/oz
OGX · Conditioner
Clarifying Strength + Rosemary Mint Conditioner
#8 on the label · $0.69/oz
OGX · Shampoo
Clarifying Strength + Rosemary Mint Shampoo
#8 on the label · $0.69/oz
Philip Kingsley · Scalp treatment
Density Preserving Scalp Drops
#8 on the label · $26.13/oz
Bouclème · Shampoo
Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo
#9 on the label · $4.56/oz
OGX · Shampoo
Rosemary Mint Extra Strength Hair Shampoo
#9 on the label · $0.60/oz
Oribe · Dry shampoo
Serene Scalp Oil Control Dry Shampoo Powder
#9 on the label · $28.75/oz
Briogeo · Shampoo
Scalp Revival Dandruff Relief Shampoo with Charcoal + 3% Salicylic Acid
#10 on the label · $5.00/oz
DevaCurl · Scalp treatment
Scalp Puri(pH)y Easy-Rinse Exfoliating Spray
#10 on the label · $5.13/oz
See all 62 products in the library that list Menthyl Lactate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Menthyl Lactate
- CAS 61597-98-6
- PubChem 7076215
- active
- menthyl lactate
For your hair?
Whether Menthyl Lactate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
62 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 7076215, CAS 61597-98-6, C13H24O3 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 62 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.
