Air Dry Cream - Sugared Amber

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 Glyceryl Stearate Se
  General function

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

  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

  Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

  PubChem
  • emulsifier
  • emollient
• 4 Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax
  General function

  A plant wax used as a vegan alternative to beeswax for hold and sheen.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  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.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.

  DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold

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

  • wax
  • film former
• 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 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
  General function

  One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive 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

  Because it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.

  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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  The exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • oil
  • emollient
• 7 Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax
  General function

  A plant wax used as a vegan alternative to beeswax for hold and body.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  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.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.

  DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold

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

  • wax
  • film former
• 8 Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
  General function

  A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.

  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
• ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
• 9 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 10 Pullulan
  General function

  A fermented sugar polymer that dries to a thin, flexible film — used for light hold and a temporary tightening feel.

  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.

  • film former
  • gum
• 11 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
  General function

  A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

  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
• 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 Cetrimonium Chloride
  General function

  A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.

  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

  The C16 quat binds mostly by charge rather than by chain, so it deposits measurably less than the C22 ones. Less deposit is less conditioning and also less weight, which is usually the trade fine hair wants.

  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
• 14 Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
  General function

  A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.

  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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.

  • conditioning agent
  • polymer
  • gum
• 15 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
• 16 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
• 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 Amyl 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 Vanillin
  General function

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

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
• 20 Panthenol
  General function

  Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.

  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

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

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

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

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

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

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • conditioning agent
  • vitamin
• 21 Squalane
  General function

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

  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

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

  PubChem
  • emollient
  • conditioning agent
• 22 Terpineol
  General function

  A lilac-like fragrance component found naturally in several essential oils.

  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
• 23 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
• 24 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
• 25 hydroxycitronellol
  General function

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

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 26 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
• 27 benzaldehyde
  General function

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

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 28 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
• 29 Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
  General function

  A water-dispersible jojoba derivative used for softness and a light film.

  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.

  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.

  • light ester
  • emollient
  • film former
• 30 Linalyl Acetate
  General function

  A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.

  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

What the whole list adds up to

• 11 fragrances
• 8 emollients
• 6 named fragrance allergens
• 4 film formers
• 3 conditioning agents
• 2 humectants
• 2 emulsifiers
• 2 waxs
• 2 oils
• 2 preservatives
• 2 gums
• 2 conditioning agents
• 1 solvent
• 1 fatty alcohol

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.