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Garnier Fructis · Grow Strong

Grow Strong Conditioner

Conditioner / Light rinse-out, detangling

  • Conditioner
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
Size12 fl ozmost listed · 3 sizes
Price$5–6commonly seen · 12 oz · from $0.31/oz in the 24.5 oz
Price / oz$0.44/ozat 12 oz
Where to buy5 stores · 3 sizes

Scent:

Notes: apple, citrus, sweet.

Manufacturer page: garnierusa.com

Personal fit

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Lower cost than most conditioners

$0.44/oz at 12 oz — less than 92% of the 689 conditioners , which mostly run $0.91–3.10/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
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list
Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Whether this much richness is right for you depends on your strand thickness, porosity, and how easily your hair flattens — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Slip and detangling High

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

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Weight on the hair Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

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.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua/water/eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
Pyrus Malus Fruit Water/Apple Fruit Water botanical extract A plant extract, marketed as much as functional Neutral
Niacinamide vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Detangles
Amodimethicone silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Behentrimonium Chloride conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
Isopropyl Alcohol drying alcohol A small amount, for fast drying Drying
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.
Full ingredient list (20)

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 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.

    Role in this product type

    In conditioner, cetearyl alcohol gives the emulsion its creamy structure and helps it spread evenly through the hair. Its emollient layer adds slip and a smoother feel.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    May suit dry, coarse, or high-porosity hair that benefits from added slip and a more substantial conditioning film.

    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

    Consider if hair is fine or easily flattened: a formula built heavily around fatty alcohols can feel richer than a lightweight conditioner.

    BASF
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 3 Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
    General function

    A biodegradable conditioning agent used for detangling in rich conditioners.

    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

    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
  • 4 Pyrus Malus Fruit Water/Apple Fruit Water
    General function

    Water distilled with Pyrus Malus, standing in for some of the plain water in the formula. It carries scent and marketing more than measurable effect.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • botanical extract
  • 5 Niacinamide
    General function

    Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.

    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

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

    PubChem
    • vitamin
    • conditioning agent
  • 6 Amodimethicone
    General function

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

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

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

    Amino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • silicone
    • conditioning agent
    • film former
  • 7 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.

    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

    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
  • 8 Sodium Chloride
    General function

    Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • salt
    • thickener
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 9 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
  • 10 Coco-Betaine
    General function

    A coconut-derived mild cleanser that boosts foam and softens stronger detergents.

    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

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 11 Isopropyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Well down the list it is a processing aid; near the top it can leave hair feeling dry.

    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

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 12 Biotin
    • vitamin
  • 13 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
  • 14 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
  • 15 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 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 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
  • 18 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
  • 19 Hexyl Cinnamal
    General function

    A jasmine-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 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 5 fragrances
  • 4 named fragrance allergens
  • 3 thickeners
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 emollients
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 vitamins
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 cleansers
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 1 fatty alcohol
  • 1 botanical extract
  • 1 silicone
  • 1 film former

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 12 oz

Commonly seen $5–6 Midpoint $5.29 · 3 stores · checked Aug 30
Good value under $4 Under $0.31/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 $4 line; products that do this job typically go for about $9 at this size.

Sizes

11.3 oz
$4–5
$0.40/oz
12 ozmost listed
$5–6
$0.44/oz
24.5 oz
$7.49
$0.31/oz

The 24.5 oz costs 23% less per ounce than the 11.3 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it7 listings · 5 stores

12 ozmost listed

  • Walmart
    $4.47
    12 oz · $0.37/oz
    Aug 30Lowest per oz
  • CVS
    $5.29
    12 oz · $0.44/oz
    Aug 30
  • Walgreens
    $6.29
    12 oz · $0.52/oz
    Aug 30

11.3 ozBest per ounce

  • ShopRite
    $3.84
    11.3 oz · $0.34/oz
    Aug 30Lowest per oz
  • Walmart
    $4.47
    11.3 oz · $0.40/oz
    Aug 30
  • CVS
    $5.29
    11.3 oz · $0.47/oz
    Aug 30

24.5 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Good value under $4 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.31/oz; at 12 oz that is $4. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $9 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

This formula covers the systems a conditioner is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the conditioners we have researched.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 92% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.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.

AussieLowest cost per oz Aussie Paraben-Free Miracle Volume Conditioner with Plum & Bamboo for Fine Hair $0.30/oz $0.14/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
  • Alcohol-free
· Close function
Function
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Fresh scent, not citrus
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
Compare
AussieClose function Aussie Kids Curly Conditioner $0.31/oz $0.13/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Function
  • Weight on the hair
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Coconut scent, not citrus
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
Compare
AussieClose function Aussie Moist Sulfate Free Conditioner for Kids' $0.31/oz $0.13/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Function
  • Weight on the hair
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Coconut scent, not citrus
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein — for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or very dry or high-damage hair

Best alternative if not

Consider Aussie Aussie Paraben-Free Miracle Volume Conditioner with Plum & Bamboo for Fine Hair, 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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
resist breakage

No protein or bond ingredient appears in the list.

  • Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
  • Behentrimonium Chloride
Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

moisturized, smooth, and detangled

Nothing in the list reads as a moisture system.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
  • Cetyl Esters
Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

no parabens, no phthalates, no DMDM hydantoin

No parabens appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Preserved without parabens.

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.

Reviewers report noticeably softer, shinier hair, some comparing results to salon treatments.

general users

Users with longer or curly hair note easier detangling and improved manageability.

curly and long-hair users

The citrus-apple fragrance is repeatedly called out as pleasant.

general users

Some reviewers feel the softening effect fades over the course of the day.

general users

At least one long-term user perceives the reformulated version as less effective for damaged hair than the prior formula.

long-term/repeat users

More from Garnier Fructis

How this page was made

  • Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 15 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.

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