Medium Hold Spray Gel

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

• 1 Water · Aqua/Water/Eau
  General function

  The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  • solvent
• 2 PVP
  General function

  A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

  PubChem
  • film former
  • polymer
• 3 VP/VA Copolymer
  General function

  A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  • film former
  • polymer
• 4 Polysorbate 20
  General function

  Keeps fragrance and oils dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  • solubilizer
  • emulsifier
• 5 Propylene Glycol
  General function

  A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 6 Allantoin
  General function

  A soothing ingredient used in scalp formulas.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

  • conditioning agent
• 7 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  General function

  Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

  • humectant
  • botanical extract
  • gum
• 8 Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil
  General function

  A light oil that softens without much residue.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

  May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

  • oil
  • emollient
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 9 Citric Acid
  General function

  Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

  May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • pH adjuster
  • hard-water chelator
• 10 Keratin Amino Acids
  General function

  Keratin broken all the way down to individual amino acids. Small enough to sit inside the cuticle, used for softness rather than firmness.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.

  DependsProtein-sensitive hair

  The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.

  • protein
  • amino acid
• 11 Panax Ginseng Root Extract
  • botanical extract
• 12 PEG-12 Dimethicone
  General function

  A water-soluble silicone that smooths without the build-up concern of standard silicones.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  The PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.

  May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Delivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.

  • emollient
  • silicone
  • water-soluble silicone
• 13 Polyquaternium-4
  General function

  A cellulose-based hold polymer used in gels and sprays for flexible set.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

  • conditioning agent
  • film former
  • polymer
• 14 Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
  • botanical extract
• 15 Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract
  • botanical extract
• 16 Sodium Chloride
  • salt
  • thickener
• 17 Tetrasodium EDTA
  General function

  Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

  May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

  PubChem
  • hard-water chelator
• 18 Benzophenone-4
  General function

  A UV filter added to keep the product itself, and dyed hair, from fading in light.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  Sunlight oxidises hair pigment, and on gray, silver or lightened hair that shows up as yellowing. A UV filter on the label absorbs some of the light that drives it.

  PubChem
  • UV filter
• 19 Fragrance · Parfum (Fragrance)
  General function

  An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
  • declared fragrance
• 20 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
  General function

  A violet-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 21 Benzyl Salicylate
  General function

  A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 22 Citronellol
  General function

  A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 23 Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
  General function

  A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.

  • botanical extract
  • essential oil
  • fragrance
• 24 Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil · Citrus Limon Peel Oil
  General function

  A cold-pressed citrus oil used for a fresh scent; naturally high in limonene.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.

  • botanical extract
  • essential oil
  • fragrance
• 25 Geraniol
  General function

  A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to it.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 26 Geranyl Acetate
  General function

  A rose-scented fragrance component related to geraniol.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 27 Hexyl Cinnamal
  General function

  A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 28 Hydroxycitronellal
  General function

  A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 29 Limonene
  General function

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

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 30 Linalool
  General function

  A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 31 Linalyl Acetate
  General function

  A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  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.

  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 32 Menthol
  General function

  Produces the cooling, tingling feeling on the scalp. The sensation is real; it is not evidence that anything else is happening.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • active
• 33 Pinene
  General function

  A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 34 Terpineol
  General function

  A lilac-like fragrance component found naturally in several essential oils.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 35 Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
  General function

  A synthetic musk or woody-amber note used as a fragrance base.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 36 Methylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 37 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 38 Sodium Glycolate
• 39 Sodium Hydroxide
  General function

  A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • pH adjuster

What the whole list adds up to

• 17 fragrances
• 10 named fragrance allergens
• 6 botanical extracts
• 3 film formers
• 3 polymers
• 2 solvents
• 2 humectants
• 2 emollients
• 2 pH adjusters
• 2 hard-water chelators
• 2 essential oils
• 2 preservatives
• 1 solubilizer
• 1 emulsifier

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-12. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.