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Herbal Essences · Volume + Body Grapefruit

Grapefruit Volumizing Conditioner, For Fine Hair

Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, conditioning

  • Conditioner
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size13.5 fl oz
Price$9.99 Good valueseen at one store · 13.5 oz
Price / oz$0.74/ozat 13.5 oz
Where to buy1 store

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

Scent:

Notes: citrus, grapefruit, herbal, mint.

Strength: Strong

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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

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Lower cost than most conditioners

$0.74/oz at 13.5 oz, less than 82% of the 1119 conditioners , which mostly run $0.94–3.41/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers

Maybe skip if

this product has a strong scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Whether this much richness suits you depends on your strand thickness, porosity and how easily your hair goes flat. We work that out in the consultation.

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 Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.

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 Chelators present

Contains chelators, which bind hard-water and pool minerals.

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. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Stearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) Softens
Cetyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) Softens
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Juice botanical extract A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function Neutral
Menthol fragrance The scent Fragrance
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil emollient A softening touch, low in the list Softens
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Benzyl Alcohol preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone silicone A little smoothing and shine Buildup
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. 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 (21)

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
    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 Stearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 3 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 4 Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
    General function

    Tea seed oil - light, fast-absorbing, used for shine on 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
  • 5 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.

    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

    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
  • 6 Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Juice
    General function

    The juice pressed from Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi). Used in place of some of the water in a formula, so it often sits high on the list.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • botanical extract
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 7 Menthol
    General function

    Produces the cooling, tingling feeling on the scalp. The sensation is real; it is not evidence that anything else is happening.

    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
    • active
  • 8 Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)'s leaf/stem. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

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

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

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

    • emollient
    • essential oil
    • oil
  • 9 Mentha Arvensis Leaf/Stem Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Mentha Arvensis's leaf/stem. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

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

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

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

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 10 Histidine
    General function

    One of the amino acids that make up hair protein, added for moisture binding.

    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

    Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.

    DependsProtein-sensitive hair

    The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.

    PubChem
    • amino acid
  • 11 Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
    General function

    A gentle conditioning agent activated by the acid in the formula. It smooths the cuticle without much 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.

    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
  • 12 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
  • 13 Benzyl Alcohol
    • preservative
    • solvent
  • 14 Dicetyldimonium Chloride
    General function

    A conditioning agent used for slip in thick creams and masks.

    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.

    PubChem
    • conditioning agent
  • 15 Glutamic Acid
    General function

    An amino acid used for moisture binding and to bring the formula to an acidic pH.

    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

    Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.

    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.

    DependsProtein-sensitive hair

    The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.

    PubChem
    • amino acid
    • pH adjuster
  • 16 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 17 Peg-2m
    • emulsifier
  • 18 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
  • 19 Disodium EDTA
    General function

    Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.

    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
  • 20 Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
    General function

    An amino-modified silicone that binds to damaged spots for smoothing that survives rinsing.

    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 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.

    • silicone
    • conditioning agent
    • film former
  • 21 Polysorbate 20
    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier

What the whole list adds up to

  • 5 emollients
  • 3 oils
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 fatty alcohols
  • 2 thickeners
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 fragrances
  • 2 amino acids
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 1 humectant

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

Price · 13.5 oz

Seen at $9.99 1 store · checked Aug 22
Good value under $10 Under $0.74/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $10 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $13 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
  • Target
    $9.99
    13.5 oz · $0.74/oz
    Aug 22Lowest per 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. 13.5 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.
  2. Seen at $9.99 is the price we have observed for the 13.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $10 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.74/oz; at 13.5 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $13 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 13.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
6 of 10

The formula covers the core of what a conditioner does, and it costs less per ounce than most conditioners in our library.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 82% of the 1119 conditioners we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Grocery / mass and Target
  • 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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

Herbal EssencesSame function Scalp + Purify Eucalyptus Conditioner $0.74/oz
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Differs
  • Fruity scent, not citrus
Compare
Josie MaranClose function Argan Moisture Plump Conditioning Butter $6.00/oz $5.26/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
Herbal EssencesLowest cost per oz Argan Oil Repairing Conditioner, Color-Safe, For Damaged Hair $0.73/oz $0.01/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Suits every hair pattern

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 moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
2
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Volumizing conditioner for fine hair

A mid-weight formula: it will not flatten fine hair, but lift is not its main job.

  • Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Partly supported

Neutral on lift.

Lightweight formula that does not weigh hair down

A mid-weight formula: light on coarse hair, noticeable on fine hair.

  • Water
  • Benzyl Alcohol
  • Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Partly supported

Depends how fine your hair is.

Paraben-free, dye-free, phthalate-free

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 at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

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

Grapefruit scent described as pleasant and long-lasting through the day

general users

Lightweight without greasiness, adds manageable softness, well suited to fine or wavy hair

fine/wavy hair

Some users with thick hair report insufficient hydration or dryness

thick hair

A few longtime users note the price has risen over time and some feel volume results are not very noticeable

repeat customers

More from Herbal Essences

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 15 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-19.

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