Bumble and bumble

Prep Detangling Hair Primer

Leave-in

Leave-in
spray
Moisture-rich
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size8 fl oz

Price$34seen at one store · 8 oz

Price / oz$4.25/ozat 8 oz

Where to buy1 store

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Oils and butters Moderate Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Moderate Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives Not determined Not in your profile

Essential oils Not determined Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Vegan · label statesCruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Show all 18 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Animal-derived ingredients Vegan · label states Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Not determined Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 25 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it RetailerOne channel 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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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Upper-mid price for a leave-in

$4.25/oz at 8 oz — more than 67% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

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

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works out.

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 Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

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
Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Ascophyllum Nodosum (Algae) Extract	—	—	Neutral
Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract	botanical extract	A trace plant extract	Stabilizes
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil	oil	A small amount of oil for softness	Softens
Tocopheryl Acetate	antioxidant	Protects the formula	Stabilizes
Glycerin	humectant	Adds a little water-binding	Moisturizes
Amodimethicone	silicone	A little smoothing and shine	Buildup
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
FragranceFragrance (Parfum)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesContains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off. Chelators for hard water. Recorded as vegan and cruelty-free.

Full ingredient list (25)

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

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 Ascophyllum Nodosum (Algae) Extract
3 Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract

General function
Hops extract, used at low levels in scalp-positioned products.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- botanical extract
4 Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract

General function
A seaweed extract used at low levels for moisture and mineral claims.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
5 Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract

General function
Rosemary extract, used both as a scent note and as a natural antioxidant in scalp 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.
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
6 Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil

General function
A light oil that softens without much residue.

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 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.
- oil
- emollient
7 Tocopheryl Acetate

General function
A stable form of vitamin E used to keep the oils in a formula from oxidising. It is used at fractions of a percent.

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.
PubChem
- antioxidant
- vitamin
8 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.

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 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
9 Biotin
- vitamin
10 Cysteine

General function
A sulfur amino acid from hair protein, used in repair-positioned formulas.

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.
- amino acid
11 Retinyl Palmitate
- vitamin
- antioxidant
12 Linoleic Acid

General function
An essential fatty acid found in most plant oils, used for softness and to support the hair's surface lipids.

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
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emollient
13 Gluconolactone

General function
A gentle acid that holds water and helps loosen surface build-up. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.

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 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 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
- humectant
- exfoliant
- hard-water chelator
14 Linolenic Acid

General function
An omega-3 fatty acid from plant oils, used for softness at low levels.

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
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emollient
15 Amodimethicone

General function
A silicone modified to stick where hair is damaged, so it smooths selectively instead of coating everything. It resists rinsing more than plain dimethicone.

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.

International Journal of Trichology
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
16 Distearyldimonium Chloride

General function
A rich conditioning agent used in heavier masks for detangling and a coated, smooth feel.

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.

PubChem
- conditioning agent
17 Calcium Gluconate

General function
A mineral salt used in trace amounts to stabilise 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
- salt
18 Isoceteth-20
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
19 Cetrimonium Chloride

General function
A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.

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
The C16 quat binds mostly by charge rather than by chain, so it deposits measurably less than the C22 ones. Less deposit is less conditioning and also less weight, which is usually the trade fine hair wants.

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.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
20 Trideceth-10
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
21 Disodium EDTA

General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the 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
22 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
23 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
24 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
25 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

What the whole list adds up to

4 hard-water chelators
3 botanical extracts
3 antioxidants
3 emollients
3 vitamins
2 humectants
2 conditioning agents
2 emulsifiers
2 solubilizers
2 fragrances
1 solvent
1 oil
1 amino acid
1 exfoliant

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-13. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $34 1 store · checked Sep 13

Good value under $10 Under $1.26/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $10 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Ulta Beauty
$34.00

8 oz · $4.25/oz

Sep 13Lowest per oz

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 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 $34 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $10 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.26/oz; at 8 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

7 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a leave-in does and costs about what leave-ins cost per ounce.

How the score is counted

5 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 67% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
No conditioning agents up front in the formula
Salon tier, sold at Retailer

Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.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.

CHIClosest function BioSilk Color Therapy Lock and Protect $2.13/oz $2.12/oz less

Protein
Alcohol-free
Medium weight

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Drugstore tier
5.6 oz bottle

Compare

OGXClose function Smooth Emulsion + Argan Oil Conditioning Hair Mist $1.69/oz $2.56/oz less

Protein-free
Lightweight
Alcohol-free

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Drugstore tier
6.5 oz bottle

Compare

CurlyKidsLowest cost per oz Curly Creme Conditioner $0.83/oz $3.42/oz less

Rich
Alcohol-free
Budget

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Drugstore tier
6 oz bottle

Compare

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

Best user

Hair that craves moisture, looking for moisture that stays in and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or people shopping on a budget

Best alternative if not

CHI BioSilk Color Therapy Lock and Protect, for similar results at a lower price

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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

lightweight detangler

Conditioning agents are present, but low in the list.

Amodimethicone
Distearyldimonium Chloride
Cetrimonium Chloride

Partly supported

A little slip, not a lot.

preps hair for styling

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

refreshes hair

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

vegan formulation

Our researched record has this brand or product as vegan.

—

Supported

Matches our researched record.

sustainable packaging

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

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.

Several reviewers call it a daily staple step in their routine rather than an occasional detangler.

Reviewers with fine or thin hair say it detangles well without weighing hair down or leaving a greasy feel.

Many reviewers describe using it on damp hair before blow-drying to make hair noticeably softer and easier to comb through.

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.
4 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 4 editorial), last checked 2026-09-14.
Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 14 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 2026-09-14.

Prep Detangling Hair Primer

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

What people report

More from Bumble and bumble

How this page was made

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