Carol's Daughter

Born To Repair Defining Leave-In Cream with Shea Butter

Leave-in / Everyday leave-in, medium-weight

Leave-in
cream
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size6.8 fl oz

Price$13.99seen at one store · 6.8 oz

Price / oz$2.06/ozat 6.8 oz

Where to buy1 store

Scent:

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

Strength: Strong

Manufacturer page: carolsdaughter.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Oils and butters Moderate Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance Prominent Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Scent ScentedStrong strength 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 None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

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

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants 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 21 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Prestige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand websiteOne 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.

Priced with its peers

$2.06/oz at 6.8 oz — less than 51% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a strong scent

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

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.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Slip and detangling High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

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

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula.

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
WaterAqua/Water/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil	oil	Coats and softens the strand	Softens
Hydroxypropyl Guar	gum	Natural hold and clump definition	Holds
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
FragranceParfum/Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Cetyl Esters	light ester	A light, silky feel	Softens
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Geraniol	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Citronellol	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label.

Full ingredient list (21)

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 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.

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

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
4 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

General function
A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.

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.

International Journal of Trichology
- oil
- emollient
5 Hydroxypropyl Guar

General function
A modified guar gum used to thicken and give a slippery, cushioned feel.

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 suitMaximum-hold styling
A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- gum
- thickener
- polymer
6 Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine

General function
A gentle conditioning agent activated by the acid in the formula. It smooths the cuticle without much build-up.

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
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
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
7 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
8 Cetyl Esters

General function
A waxy ester blend that replaces spermaceti in creams. It thickens and leaves a smooth, non-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
- thickener
9 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
10 Glyceryl Stearate

General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.

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.

PubChem
- emulsifier
- emollient
11 Tartaric Acid

General function
A fruit acid used to set an acidic pH; at higher levels it also loosens surface build-up.

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
pH 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.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- exfoliant
12 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter

General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

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
Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

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.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
13 Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil · Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

General function
Babassu oil - solid at cool temperatures, lighter than coconut oil in 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 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
14 Bertholletia Excelsa (Brazil Nut/Amazonian Nut) Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
15 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
16 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
17 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
18 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
19 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
20 Citral

General function
A lemon-scented 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
21 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

What the whole list adds up to

7 emollients
6 fragrances
5 named fragrance allergens
3 thickeners
3 oils
2 solvents
2 humectants
2 preservatives
2 pH adjusters
1 fatty alcohol
1 gum
1 polymer
1 conditioning agent
1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 6.8 oz

Seen at $13.99 1 store · checked Aug 22

Good value under $8 Under $1.13/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $8 line; products that do this job typically go for about $11 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 6.8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Brand website
$13.99

6.8 oz · $2.06/oz

Aug 22Lowest 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

6.8 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 $13.99 is the price we have observed for the 6.8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $8 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.13/oz; at 6.8 oz that is $8. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6.8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

9 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among leave-ins, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted

4 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 51% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
Covers 5 of the 6 things a leave-in should do
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs

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.

Taliah WaajidLowest cost per oz Easy Herbal Comb Out Conditioner $0.93/oz $1.13/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

· Same function

Differs: Mint scent
Drugstore tier
8 oz bottle

Compare

MielleSame function Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner $1.17/oz $0.89/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

Differs: Citrus scent
Drugstore tier
12 oz bottle

Compare

MielleClose function Organic White Peony Ultra Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner $1.54/oz $0.52/oz less

Curly method
Silicone-free
Rinses clean

Function: Protein
Also: Floral scent
Drugstore tier
8 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?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates

Best alternative if not

Consider Taliah Waajid Easy Herbal Comb Out Conditioner, 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

Visibly seals up to 84% of split ends

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.

Helps fight up to 1 year of visible damage in 1 use

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

10X More Moisturized

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.

4X Stronger, 6X Smoother

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.

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.

Praise: curls become bouncy, hydrated, defined and noticeably healthier with regular use

Praise: leaves hair feeling silky-soft and holds curl definition well

Mixed: effective but fragrance is noticeably strong for some users; a few say it isn't their preferred leave-in from the brand and can "get stuck in the crease"

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.
3 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 18 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.

Born To Repair Defining Leave-In Cream with Shea Butter

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 Carol's Daughter

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan