Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Daily Moisturizing Lotion — 12 oz container

Design Essentials

Almond & Avocado Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight

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

Size12 fl oz

Price$16–17commonly seen · 12 oz

Price / oz$1.42/ozat 12 oz

Where to buy4 stores · $14.99–17.13

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: designessentials.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 Low Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Light Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Show all 21 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

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 No adjuster listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 29 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Retail 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

$1.42/oz at 12 oz — less than 67% of the 481 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.55/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

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

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 Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine 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, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

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
WaterDeionized Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Acetamide MEA	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Detangles
Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Ceteareth-20	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Stearalkonium Chloride	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
Hydroxyethylcellulose	gum	Natural hold and clump definition	Holds
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil	emollient	A softening touch, low in the list	Buildup
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Benzyl Benzoate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Citral	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 (29)

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 · Deionized 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 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 Acetamide MEA

General function
A humectant that also improves slip, used in conditioners and styling creams.

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

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
- humectant
- conditioning agent
4 Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether

General function
An ethoxylated or propoxylated formulation aid. Ingredients of this family keep oils, silicones and fragrance evenly dispersed in a water-based product.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
5 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.

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
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
6 Ceteareth-20

General function
An emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a conditioner or cream.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
7 Stearalkonium Chloride

General function
A long-standing conditioning agent that flattens the cuticle and cuts static. It rinses less completely than newer alternatives.

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
8 Hydroxyethylcellulose

General function
A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible film.

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
A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.

May not suitMaximum-hold styling
Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

PubChem
- gum
- thickener
- film former
9 Polyquaternium-11

General function
A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.

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
Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

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.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
10 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
11 Benzoic Acid
- preservative
12 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
13 Glycereth-2 Cocoate

General function
A coconut-derived emulsifier that softens a cleansing 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 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.
- emulsifier
- emollient
14 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

General function
Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.

Estimated lower-concentration 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.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
- emollient
- light ester
- oil
- wax
15 Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

General function
A heavy, coating oil traditionally used for deep conditioning.

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 Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter

General function
A firm plant butter used for sealing and hold in heavier styling creams.

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
17 Behentrimonium Methosulfate

General function
A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.

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.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- emulsifier
18 Butylene Glycol

General function
A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

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 hydrates without contributing weight.

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
19 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
20 Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
21 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
22 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
23 Aleuriteus Moluccanus (Kukui) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
24 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
25 Benzyl Benzoate

General function
A fragrance component with a faint balsamic scent, named separately on the label because it is 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
26 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
27 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
28 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
29 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

What the whole list adds up to

6 emollients
6 fragrances
5 botanical extracts
5 named fragrance allergens
4 emulsifiers
3 humectants
3 conditioning agents
3 preservatives
2 solvents
2 thickeners
2 film formers
2 oils
1 conditioning agent
1 fatty alcohol

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-12. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 12 oz

Commonly seen $16–17 Midpoint $16.99 · 3 stores · checked Sep 12

Good value under $14 Under $1.14/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 $14 line; products that do this job typically go for about $20 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 12 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

Design Essentials (designessentials.com)
$14.99

12 oz · $1.25/oz

Sep 12Lowest per oz
Sally Beauty
$14.99

12 oz · $1.25/oz

Sep 12
Walgreens
$16.99

12 oz · $1.42/oz

Sep 12
Walmart
$17.13

12 oz · $1.43/oz

Sep 12Sale · was $27.90

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

12 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.
Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 12 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
Good value under $14 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.14/oz; at 12 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $20 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 12 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

1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 67% of the 481 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.

Mielle OrganicsLowest cost per oz Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk $1.00/oz $0.42/oz less

Budget

· Close function

Function: Oils and butters
Also: 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, looking for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone stretching time between washes, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein

Best alternative if not

Consider Mielle Organics Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk, 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

softens, shines, and smooths

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

Hydroxyethylcellulose
Polyquaternium-11
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

lightweight

Light silicones and low wax content help it avoid visible residue.

Water
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Butylene Glycol

Supported

Less likely to weigh hair down.

non-greasy, flake-free

No flake-prone resins sit high in the list, but flaking depends on how much you use.

—

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.

Customers consistently mention enjoying the pleasant fragrance and noting how a small amount of the product goes a long way during styling

customers describing product characteristics and application

Multiple reviewers praise the product for making their hair exceptionally soft and moisturized without heavy residue or buildup

customers describing daily use results

Several long-time customers report that a formula or consistency change has affected performance, making the product heavier or less effective than the original version

long-term customers noting product differences

Some reviewers report the product leaves their hair sticky or creates residue, particularly when applied to dry hair or in certain climates

reviewers noting texture or residue issues

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
5 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 4 editorial), last checked 2026-09-12.
Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 19 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 2026-09-12.