Lightweight hydration for fine hair
Humectants and emollients are present, but lower in the list than the claim implies.
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Panthenol
Partly supported
Some hydration, at a low level.
Aveda
Rosemary Mint Weightless Conditioner
Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, detangling
- Conditioner
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Curly-method
- Vegan · brand states
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8.5 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$39.50seen at one store · 8.5 oz
Price / oz$4.65/ozat 8.5 oz
Where to buy4 stores · 2 sizes
Scent:
Notes: floral, herbal, mint.
Listing used for research: needhaircolors.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Oils and butters
Low
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
High
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Medium
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
Minor
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
High
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
High
Not in your profile
Scent
Mint & herbal · FloralStrength not recorded
Not in your profile
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
Present
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Vegan · brand statesCruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Vegan · brand states
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
Adjusted
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
20 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Salon
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Target · Specialty beauty
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
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Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$4.65/oz at 8.5 oz — more than 89% of the 689 conditioners , which mostly run $0.91–3.10/oz.
Great for
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Slip and detangling
High
Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.
Oils and butters
Present, lower down
Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.
Weight on the hair
Medium
Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.
Water-binding (humectants)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
Protein
Minor
Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Hard-water defence
None
No chelating agent in the list.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater/Aqua/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Cetyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol | Softens |
| Glyceryl Stearate | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water | botanical extract | A plant extract, marketed as much as functional | Neutral |
| Stearalkonium Chloride | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through | Detangles |
| Polyquaternium-11 | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Detangles |
| Apple Cider VinegarVinegar/Acetum/Vinaigre | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Wheat Amino Acids | protein | A small amount of protein | Protein |
| Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil | emollient | A softening touch, low in the list | Buildup |
| Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Contains fragrance. Recorded as vegan and cruelty-free.
Full ingredient list (20)
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
· Water/Aqua/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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Cetyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
3
Glyceryl Stearate
General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
4
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water
General function
Water distilled with Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis), standing in for some of the plain water in the formula. It carries scent and marketing more than measurable effect.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
5
Stearalkonium Chloride
General function
A long-standing conditioning agent that flattens the cuticle and cuts static. It rinses less completely than newer alternatives.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA 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 hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
6
Polyquaternium-11
General function
A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdCationic 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 hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
7
Apple Cider Vinegar
· Vinegar/Acetum/Vinaigre
General function
Dilute acetic acid from fermented apples, used to bring a rinse to an acidic pH so the cuticle lies flatter. The effect comes from the acid, not from the apples.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
8
Wheat Amino Acids
General function
Wheat protein broken into amino acids, used for lightweight moisture binding.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairAmino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
DependsProtein-sensitive hairThe lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
- protein
- amino acid
-
9
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
- 10 Oryzanol
-
11
Panthenol
General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairIt hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
12
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
General function
Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
- emollient
- light ester
- oil
- wax
-
13
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
General function
Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 routinesEssential 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
-
14
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
General function
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
15
Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
16
Caprylyl Glycol
General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHumectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- preservative
- humectant
-
17
Olealkonium Chloride
General function
A positively charged conditioning agent. Damaged hair carries a negative charge, so it deposits where the damage is and makes wet hair comb through.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairA 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 hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
18
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
19
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
20
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 4 emollients
- 3 botanical extracts
- 3 conditioning agents
- 3 preservatives
- 2 vitamins
- 2 humectants
- 2 oils
- 2 fragrances
- 1 solvent
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 thickener
- 1 emulsifier
- 1 film former
- 1 polymer
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8.5 oz
Seen at
$39.50
Good value under
$14
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $14 line; products that do this job typically go for about $22 at this size.
Sizes
5 oz
$24.99
$5.00/oz
8.5 ozmost listed
$39.50
$4.65/oz
The sizes cost about the same per ounce.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
8.5 ozmost listedBest per ounce
-
Brand website
$16.998.5 oz · $2.00/ozAug 22Lowest per oz
-
Target (3rd-party seller)
$32.148.5 oz · $3.78/ozAug 22
-
Hotel Home Pillows
$39.508.5 oz · $4.65/ozAug 29
5 oz
-
Target
$24.995 oz · $5.00/ozAug 29Lowest per ozSale · was $29.99
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 8.5 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $39.50 is the price we have observed for the 8.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $14 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.70/oz; at 8.5 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
- About $22 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.5 oz.
Formula
10
Formula score
10 of 10
The formula carries what a conditioner is built around, and 5 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is buying the label, not a different formula.
How the score is counted
- 5 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 89% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
- Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.
Mielle OrganicsSame function
Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner
$1.87/oz $2.78/oz less
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Alcohol-free
- Differs
Sun BumLowest cost per oz
Revitalizing Conditioner
$1.18/oz $3.47/oz less
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
Mane 'n TailClose function
Mane 'n Tail Original Formula Conditioner
$2.04/oz $2.61/oz less
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costBest user
People who want maximum slip who want real detangling slip and a curly-method-compatible formula
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone stretching time between washes, or people shopping on a budget
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, against what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Infused with rosemary and peppermint oils
A named-ingredient story. What matters is where those sit in the list — see the ingredients table.
- Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water
- Wheat Amino Acids
- Tocopherol
Stated by brand
Check the position, not the name.
97% naturally derived
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
—
Stated by brand
Only the brand’s testing shows this.
White vinegar helps enhance shine
The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
Supported
Reflects light for visible shine.
Safe for color treated hair
It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.
- Stearalkonium Chloride
- Polyquaternium-11
- Tocopherol
Supported
Less fade per wash.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
Reviewers report smoother, less tangled hair and clean rinsing without weight.
jy******, Hwahae reviewer; May 2026An oily-scalp reviewer likes the lightweight quick-rinse formula and frizz calming.
ha********, Hwahae reviewer; Mar 2022Users report a cooling refreshed scalp and some frizz control but limited hydration for severe damage.
di******, Hwahae reviewer; Jul 2025More from Aveda
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 5 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 5 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
- Ingredient references are linked for 5 of 13 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
- We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.