Co-Wash for Natural Hair - Natural Hair Cleanser

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 · Water (Aqua, 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 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
• 3 Cetrimonium Chloride
  General function

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

  Leading ingredient

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

  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
• 4 Isostearamidopropyl Morpholine Lactate
  General function

  A cationic conditioning agent: an amidoamine salt that attaches to the negatively charged hair surface to cut combing friction and static. Milder and less substantive than a quaternary ammonium conditioner.

  Supporting ingredient

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

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

  A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

  • conditioning agent
• 5 Polysorbate 80
  General function

  A solubiliser that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 6 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  General function

  Castor oil hardened into a wax. It thickens balms and gives a firm, sealing feel.

  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

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

  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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

  • wax
  • emollient
  • sealant
• 7 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
• 8 Glycerin
  General function

  Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

  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

  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
• 9 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.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  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
• 10 Butylene Glycol
  General function

  A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 11 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.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  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
• 12 C12-14 Isoparaffin
• 13 C13-16 Isoparaffin
  General function

  A branched hydrocarbon of the stated chain length. It spreads other ingredients thinly and evaporates, leaving the hair without added weight.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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.

  • emollient
  • solvent
• 14 C13-15 Alkane
  General function

  A plant-derived light alkane used as a clean-feeling replacement for silicone or mineral oil.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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.

  • emollient
  • solvent
• 15 Ceteareth-20
  • emulsifier
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 16 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
  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
• 17 Peg-75
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 18 DMDM Hydantoin
  • formaldehyde releaser
  • preservative
• 19 Hydroxyethylcellulose
  General function

  A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible 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 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 helps flyaways lie down.

  May not suitMaximum-hold styling

  Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

  PubChem
  • gum
  • thickener
  • film former
• 20 Propylene Glycol
  General function

  A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 21 Blue 1 (CI 42090)
  General function

  A certified colour used to tint the product itself, not 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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.

  • colourant
  • direct dye
  • blue dye
• 22 Yellow 5 · Yellow 5 (CI 19140)
  General function

  A certified colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour 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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.

  • colourant
• 23 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
• 24 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
• 25 Trideceth-12
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 26 Cyclopentasiloxane · Cyclomethicone
  General function

  A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

  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

  It leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

  PubChem
  • silicone
  • emollient
• 27 Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
  General function

  Wheat protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It adds temporary strength and body; too much can feel stiff.

  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

  Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

  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.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.

  • film former
  • protein
  • hydrolysed protein
• 28 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone · Alpha Isomethyl Ionone
  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
• 29 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
• 30 Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
  • preservative
• 31 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
• 32 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 33 Methylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 34 Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Extract
  • botanical extract
• 35 Chondrus Crispus Extract
  General function

  Irish moss, a seaweed gum that thickens and gives a slippery, cushioned 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

  Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

  • gum
  • thickener
  • botanical extract
• 36 Laminaria Saccharina Extract
  • botanical extract
• 37 Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
  • botanical extract
• 38 Butylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 39 Ethylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 40 Propylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 41 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

What the whole list adds up to

• 7 preservatives
• 6 solvents
• 6 emollients
• 5 humectants
• 4 fragrances
• 4 parabens
• 4 botanical extracts
• 3 thickeners
• 3 conditioning agents
• 3 emulsifiers
• 3 film formers
• 3 named fragrance allergens
• 2 cleansers
• 2 solubilizers

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-30. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.