Frizz Rescue Curl Retainer

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 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 ingredient

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

  • solvent
• 2 Propanediol
  General function

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

  Leading ingredient

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 3 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
  General function

  A sunflower seed extract used at low levels for antioxidants and label appeal.

  Leading ingredient

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

  • botanical extract
  • antioxidant
• 4 Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
  General function

  A starch fragment used for light body and film, not a protein despite where it often appears on a label.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.

  DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.

  DependsMaximum-hold styling

  Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.

  • film former
  • starch
• 5 Corn Starch Modified
  General function

  A modified starch. It soaks up oil and water and leaves a dry, slightly grippy feel, which is what puts starches in dry shampoos and texture products.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.

  DependsMaximum-hold styling

  Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.

  • starch
  • absorbent
• 6 Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil · Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil
  General function

  Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

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

  A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

  May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

  • oil
  • emollient
• 7 Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil
  General function

  A light, quick-absorbing seed oil used where weight is a concern.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

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

  A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

  May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

  • oil
  • emollient
• 8 Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil
  General function

  The oil pressed from Black Currant (Ribes Nigrum). 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.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

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

  A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

  May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

  • oil
  • emollient
• 9 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.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  It hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.

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

  Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • conditioning agent
  • vitamin
• 10 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
  General function

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

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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.

  DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

  It works on the surface. In the comparison that established coconut oil's penetration, sunflower oil did not reduce protein loss from washing — its fatty acids are bulkier and less linear. It softens and smooths; it does not reinforce the fibre.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • oil
  • emollient
• 11 PVP
  General function

  A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

  PubChem
  • film former
  • polymer
• 12 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Seed Butter
  • butter
  • emollient
  • sealant
• 13 Niacinamide
  General function

  Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

  Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

  PubChem
  • vitamin
  • conditioning agent
• 14 Squalane
  General function

  The fully hydrogenated form of squalene, now made from olive or sugarcane rather than shark liver. Hydrogenation is what makes it so slow to oxidise; it spreads very lightly and absorbs without a greasy film.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

  Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

  PubChem
  • emollient
  • conditioning agent
• 15 Glycerin
  General function

  Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

  Role in this product type

  In styling gel, glycerin helps retain moisture as the product dries, supporting a softer, more flexible finish. The hold itself comes from the formula's film-forming polymers.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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.

  Cosmetic Ingredient Review
  • humectant
• 16 C9-12 Alkane
  General function

  A very light plant-derived carrier that evaporates quickly.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  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
  • solvent
• 17 Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
  General function

  A plant-derived light ester used where a silicone-free but silky feel is wanted.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

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

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

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

  • light ester
  • emollient
• 18 Behentrimonium Chloride
  General function

  A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out conditioners.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  Electrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.

  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
• 19 Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
  General function

  A plant or fermented gum. Gums thicken a water-based formula and give it a slippery, cushioned feel; in a styler they also contribute soft hold.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

  • gum
  • thickener
• 20 Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
  General function

  A cross-linked thickener that gives gels a smooth, bouncy texture and light hold.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  • thickener
  • polymer
  • film former
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 21 Tocopherol
  • antioxidant
  • vitamin
• 22 Laureth-2
  • emulsifier
• 23 Pentylene Glycol
  General function

  A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
  • preservative
• 24 Sodium Gluconate
  General function

  A gentle, biodegradable chelator that binds hard-water minerals in place of EDTA.

  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
• 25 Sodium Hydroxide
  General function

  A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

  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

  The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • pH adjuster
• 26 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
• 27 Ethylhexylglycerin
  General function

  A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

  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
  • preservative
  • emollient
• 28 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 29 Sodium Benzoate
  • preservative
• 30 Potassium Sorbate
  • preservative
• 31 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
• 32 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
• 33 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
• 34 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
• 35 alpha-terpinene
  • fragrance
• 36 Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
  General function

  A fresh, floral fragrance component.

  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
• 37 Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
  General function

  A synthetic musk or woody-amber note used as a fragrance base.

  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
• 38 Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil
  General function

  A cold-pressed citrus oil used for a fresh scent; naturally high in limonene.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.

  • botanical extract
  • essential oil
  • fragrance
• 39 Citrus Aurantium (Orange) Peel Oil
  General function

  The essential oil of Orange (Citrus Aurantium). Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.

  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
  • botanical extract
• 40 Pinene
  General function

  A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.

  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
• 41 Rose Ketones
  General function

  An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.

  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
• 42 Vanillin
  General function

  The main scent compound in vanilla, used as a fragrance note.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance

What the whole list adds up to

• 12 fragrances
• 9 emollients
• 5 preservatives
• 4 solvents
• 4 humectants
• 4 oils
• 3 botanical extracts
• 3 film formers
• 3 conditioning agents
• 3 vitamins
• 3 named fragrance allergens
• 2 antioxidants
• 2 starchs
• 2 polymers

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-12. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.