Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Detangler + Air Dry — 5 oz container

Garnier Fructis

Pure Clean Detangler + Air Dry

Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight

Leave-in
spray
Detangler
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free

Size5 fl oz

Price$6.97seen at one store · 5 oz

Price / oz$1.46/ozat 5 oz

Where to buy3 stores · $6.97–7.59

Scent:

Notes: fresh.

Listing used for research: target.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 None Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Some 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 None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Scent Fresh & airyStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not yet verified Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 24 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it TargetOne channel Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

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Priced with its peers

$1.46/oz at 5 oz — less than 66% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

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

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Hair that tangles wetnothing here reduces combing force

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

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

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

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

Weight on the hair Light

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

Slip and detangling Some

Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

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
WaterAqua/Water/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Inulin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Microcrystalline Cellulose	thickener	Sets the texture	Stabilizes
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	solubilizer	Keeps oils dissolved in water	Stabilizes
Sodium Benzoate	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate	light ester	A light, silky feel	Softens
Isopropyl Myristate	light ester	A light, silky feel	Softens
Caprylyl Glycol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Moisturizes
FragranceParfum/Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance.

Full ingredient list (24)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Water · Aqua/Water/Eau

General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

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

General function
A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

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

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

Scientific Reports
- humectant
3 Inulin

General function
A plant sugar used for light moisture and as a prebiotic scalp claim.

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

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.
- humectant
- botanical extract
4 Microcrystalline Cellulose

General function
Purified plant fibre used to thicken, stabilise and absorb. It leaves a dry, matte feel at higher levels.

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
Takes up oil at the root, which is where fine hair goes flat first.
- thickener
- absorbent
5 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

General function
A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
6 Sodium Benzoate

General function
A food-grade preservative that works only in acidic formulas, which is why it usually appears alongside citric acid.

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.
PubChem
- preservative
7 Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate

General function
A very light ester used for a dry, silky finish without silicone.

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.
- light ester
- emollient
8 Isopropyl Myristate

General function
A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the 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 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.

PubChem
- light ester
- emollient
9 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

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

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- preservative
- humectant
10 Dicaprylyl Carbonate

General function
A very light ester that spreads instantly and leaves a dry, silky 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.

PubChem
- light ester
- emollient
11 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
12 Glyceryl Stearate Se

General function
A self-emulsifying version of glyceryl stearate that builds a cream on its own.

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

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

PubChem
- emulsifier
- emollient
13 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.

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
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.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
14 Cellulose Gum

General function
A cellulose thickener used for body and slip.

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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
- gum
- thickener
15 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
16 Xanthan Gum

General function
A fermented sugar gum that thickens water-based formulas and adds soft, natural hold.

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 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.
- gum
- thickener
- film former
17 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
18 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
19 Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
20 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

General function
Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.

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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
21 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone · Alpha-Isomethylionone

General function
A violet-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
22 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
23 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
24 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative

What the whole list adds up to

6 fragrances
5 emollients
5 named fragrance allergens
4 humectants
4 thickeners
3 preservatives
3 light esters
3 gums
2 botanical extracts
2 emulsifiers
1 solvent
1 absorbent
1 solubilizer
1 declared fragrance

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

Price · 5 oz

Seen at $6.97 lowest of 2 stores · checked Aug 30

Good value under $6 Under $1.17/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 6 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $6 line; products that do this job typically go for about $9 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 5 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

Walmart
$6.97

5 oz · $1.39/oz

Aug 30Lowest per oz
Target
$7.59

5 oz · $1.52/oz

Aug 30

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

5 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Seen at $6.97 is the price we have observed for the 5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $6 comes from the 6 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.17/oz; at 5 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $9 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5 oz.

Formula

Formula score

8 of 10

The formula carries the systems a leave-in is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for leave-ins per ounce.

How the score is counted

1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 66% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
Covers 5 of the 6 things a leave-in should do
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs

Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

Garnier FructisLowest cost per oz Curl Refresher Spray $0.96/oz $0.50/oz less

Curly method
Lightweight
Silicone-free

· Close function

Function: Slip and detangling
Protein
Also: 8.5 oz bottle
Sold online

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 — for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Best alternative if not

Consider Garnier Fructis Curl Refresher Spray, 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

Silicone-free, paraben-free, and DMDM Hydantoin-free hair detangler that allows you to air-dry without tangles or frizz

No silicones appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Nothing that needs a strong wash.

Leave in conditioner spray helps to restore your hair's smoothness, softness, and shine

These are the brand’s directions for use, not a claim about the formula.

—

Stated by brand

How to use it, not a claim.

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.

Works very well for curly hair when air-drying (sprayed on wet hair, dries smooth and shiny)

Pleasant, clean scent

Some reviewers report it fails to detangle or even worsens tangles for their hair type

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 18 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.