Understand what’s inside your hair care
Clear, independent information about the ingredients on hair-care labels, read from the actual labels in our product library. Decide for yourself what belongs in your routine.
2,252ingredients analyzed
6,816products researched
171,139label placements read
Chelators and pH adjusters
The quiet housekeeping of a formula: hard-water minerals tied up, acidity set where the hair cuticle prefers it.
43 published entries, most-listed first. The number beside a name is how many products in our library list it.
- Citric Acid3616
- Sodium Chloride1343
- Disodium EDTA1220
- Sodium Hydroxide1100
- Aminomethyl Propanol570
- Tetrasodium EDTA500
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate393
- Sodium Citrate349
- Sodium Gluconate268
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate238
- Sodium Phosphate184
- Sodium Phytate183
- Acetic Acid180
- Disodium Phosphate180
- Triethanolamine138
- Sodium Acetate128
- Potassium Hydroxide117
- Calcium Gluconate116
- Magnesium Chloride107
- Magnesium Nitrate99
- Phytic Acid99
- EDTA75
- Apple Cider Vinegar73
- Magnesium Sulfate69
- Sodium Sulfate69
- Potassium Chloride51
- Sodium Bicarbonate25
- Maleic Acid22
- Etidronic Acid16
- Itaconic Acid15
- Ethanolamine13
- Succinic Acid13
- Hydrochloric Acid9
- Pentasodium Pentetate9
- Sodium Carbonate8
- Trisodium EDTA7
- Tromethamine7
- Triisopropanolamine6
- Dimethylglucamine5
- Magnesium Citrate5
- Ammonium Chloride4
- Ammonium Hydroxide4
- Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate3
How the library works
- An entry gets a page once it has a written description and appears in at least three researched products. Below that we leave the name as plain text on the product pages rather than publishing a page with nothing on it.
- 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.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades.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.
- Nothing on these pages is paid placement, and we do not sell any of the products they link to.
