Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Leave-In Conditioner

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

• 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 Glycerin
  General function

  A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

  Leading ingredient

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

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

  Scientific Reports
  • humectant
• 3 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.

  Leading ingredient

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

  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
• 4 Betaine
  General function

  A sugar-beet derived humectant that binds water. Despite the name it is not a cleanser like cocamidopropyl betaine.

  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

  High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

  PubChem
  • humectant
• 5 Cetearyl Alcohol
  General function

  A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

  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

  The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

  Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

  DependsFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

  PubChem
  • fatty alcohol
  • emollient
  • thickener
• 6 Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
  General function

  A heavy, coating oil traditionally used for deep conditioning.

  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
• 7 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
  General function

  One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.

  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

  Because it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.

  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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  The exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • oil
  • emollient
• ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
• 8 Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
  General function

  Tea tree essential oil, used in scalp products for its sharp scent and traditional clarifying reputation.

  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
• 9 Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract
  General function

  Flaxseed gel. A natural polysaccharide that gives soft, flexible hold in curl products.

  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

  A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

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

  A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.

  May not suitMaximum-hold styling

  Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

  • gum
  • film former
  • botanical extract
• 10 Quaternium-18
  General function

  A long-established conditioning agent that flattens the cuticle and cuts static. It is rich and rinses less completely than newer alternatives.

  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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

  • conditioning agent
• 11 Polysorbate 60
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 12 Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
  General function

  Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.

  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
• 13 Fragrance · Fragrance/Parfum
  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
• 14 Polyquaternium-37
  General function

  A thickening polymer that gives creams and curl products their bounce and helps them cling to the strand.

  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
  • thickener
• 15 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 16 Caprylyl Glycol
  General function

  A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

  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

  Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

  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
  • preservative
  • humectant
• 17 Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
  General function

  A light, dry-feeling ester that spreads other ingredients and softens without a greasy finish.

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

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

  Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

  • light ester
  • emollient
• 18 Piroctone Olamine
  • active
• 19 Phytosterols
  General function

  Plant lipids used to support the hair's own surface layer.

  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 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.

  • emollient
  • conditioning agent
• 20 Quaternium-80
  General function

  A conditioning silicone with a positive charge, so it deposits where hair is damaged and stays through rinsing.

  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 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

  Amino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.

  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.

  • silicone
  • conditioning agent
  • film former
• 21 Propanediol
  General function

  A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

  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
• 22 PPG-1 Trideceth-6
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 23 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
• 24 Ceramide NG
  General function

  A lipid of the kind that sits naturally between cuticle scales, added to help hold a damaged surface together.

  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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Restoring surface lipids lowers friction between strands, which is where much of the roughness in damaged hair comes from.

  May suitProtein-sensitive hair

  A lipid, not a protein, despite sitting alongside proteins in most repair claims. It does not carry the stiffening effect.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Ceramides are the lipid class bleaching and heat deplete. Replacing them works on the surface layer rather than adding protein stiffness.

  PubChem
  • ceramide
  • emollient
• 25 Laureth-9
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 26 PEG-8
  General function

  A polyethylene glycol of the stated chain length, used as a carrier and to hold a little water. At this size it is a formulation aid, not an active.

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

  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.

  • humectant
  • solvent
• 27 Peg-3 Distearate
  • thickener
  • emulsifier
• 28 Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
  General function

  An amino-acid-derived cleanser, among the mildest in common use.

  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

  The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

  PubChem
  • mild anionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 29 Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
  General function

  A mild cleanser that gives a creamy lather and leaves hair less stripped than sulfates.

  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

  The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

  • mild anionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 30 Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
  General function

  A mild cleanser and emulsifier that also conditions slightly.

  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

  The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

  PubChem
  • mild anionic cleanser
  • emulsifier
  • cleanser
• 31 Ceteareth-25
  • emulsifier
• 32 Propylene Glycol
  General function

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

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

  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
• 33 Sodium Benzoate
  • preservative
• 34 Potassium Sorbate
  • preservative
• 35 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
• 36 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
• 37 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
• 38 Coumarin
  General function

  A sweet, hay-like 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
• 39 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
• 40 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
• 41 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
• 42 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
• 43 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

What the whole list adds up to

• 12 fragrances
• 9 named fragrance allergens
• 7 humectants
• 6 emollients
• 6 emulsifiers
• 4 solvents
• 4 botanical extracts
• 4 preservatives
• 3 thickeners
• 3 film formers
• 3 conditioning agents
• 3 solubilizers
• 3 mild anionic cleansers
• 3 cleansers

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.