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Carol's Daughter

Born To Repair Reviving Hair Oil with Shea Butter

Finisher / Hair oil, glossing

  • Finisher
  • oil
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size4.2 fl oz
Price$13.99seen at one store · 4.2 oz
Where to buy1 store

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: carolsdaughter.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

  • About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
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  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.

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Not enough priced hair oils to place it

We have not priced enough hair oils to place this one.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

Whether a finisher this rich looks shiny or greasy on you depends on your strand thickness and how oily your hair gets. Your consultation answers that.

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.

Shine system Oil blend

A silicone or oil blend does the shine work here.

Weight on the hair Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Oils and butters Rich

Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

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

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up 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. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil / Sunflower Seed Oil oil The shine and softening system Shine
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil / Olive Fruit Oil oil The shine and softening system Heavy
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil / Jojoba Seed Oil emollient Softens and smooths the strand Buildup
Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil oil The shine and softening system Shine
FragranceParfum / Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter / Shea Butter butter A little richness, low in the list Heavy
Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed OilOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil oil A little oil for shine Shine
Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil oil A little oil for shine Shine
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. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.
Full ingredient list (17)

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

  • 1 Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil / Sunflower Seed Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Helianthus Annuus's flower. It is one of the lighter plant oils, absorbing faster and leaving less residue.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 2 Olea Europaea Fruit Oil / Olive Fruit Oil
    General function

    Olive oil. It is one of the heavier plant oils — rich on coarse or dry hair, and enough to flatten fine hair.

    Leading ingredient

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

    • oil
    • emollient
    • sealant
  • 3 Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil / Jojoba Seed Oil
    General function

    Jojoba. Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and smooths without a heavy finish.

    Leading ingredient

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

    • emollient
    • light ester
    • oil
    • wax
  • 4 Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Cocos Nucifera. It is one of the heavier plant oils — rich on coarse or dry hair, and enough to flatten fine hair.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • oil
    • emollient
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 5 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
  • 6 Butyrospermum Parkii Butter / Shea Butter
    General function

    The solid fat from Butyrospermum Parkii. Plant butters seal the surface and soften coarse or dry hair; high on a list they make a product decidedly rich.

    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
  • 7 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
  • 8 Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Bertholletia Excelsa. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    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
  • 9 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 10 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
  • 11 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
  • 12 Benzyl Alcohol
    • preservative
    • solvent
  • 13 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
  • 14 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
  • 15 Glycine Soja Oil / Soybean Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Glycine Soja. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    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
  • 16 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
  • 17 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

  • 8 emollients
  • 7 oils
  • 6 fragrances
  • 5 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 sealants
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 wax
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 butter
  • 1 antioxidant
  • 1 vitamin
  • 1 preservative
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 pH adjuster

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

Price · 4.2 oz

Seen at $13.99 1 store · checked Sep 13
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

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
  1. 4.2 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.
  2. Seen at $13.99 is the price we have observed for the 4.2 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Too few comparable prices in our library to place this one; that is a gap in our data, not a fact about the product.

How the score is counted
  • No weightless carrier in the formula
  • Masstige tier, sold at Brand website
  • Masstige tier
  • 6 sources consulted for this record
  • A shine systemThe silicone, oil, or ester that produces gloss.3 pts
  • A weightless carrierDelivers the shine without leaving grease.2 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • An antioxidantKeeps the oils in the bottle from going off.1 pt
  • No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Similar products

Built for curly to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Depends on your hair: see who it suits
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and a formula with real substance

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone stretching time between washes

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely 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.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Reviewers use it as a finishing step at the end of the Born to Repair shampoo-treatment-conditioner routine.

Multiple reviewers say the oil is not heavy and hydrates without leaving hair looking greasy.

A reviewer notes the spray-style applicator can be messy and prefers dispensing into hands first before applying.

Reviewers frequently praise the light, pleasant scent as a highlight of the routine, though a couple find the line's scents inconsistent product to product.

More from Carol's Daughter

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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.
  • 6 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 4 editorial), last checked 2026-09-13.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 5 of 12 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • 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 v23. Record last updated 2026-09-15.

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