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Mixed Chicks

Kids Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-in / Everyday leave-in, medium-weight

  • Leave-in
  • lotion
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8 fl ozusual store size · 2 sizes
Price$13 Good valueseen at one store · 8 oz · from $1.39/oz in the 33 oz
Price / oz$1.69/ozat 8 oz
Where to buy4 stores · 2 sizes

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

Manufacturer page: mixedchicks.net

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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$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.

Start your consultation

Priced with its peers

$1.69/oz at 8 oz, less than 67% of the 749 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.31–5.50/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list

Maybe skip if

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Whether this weight suits your hair depends on density, porosity and how much you already layer. That is what the consultation looks at.

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 Medium

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

Slip and detangling High

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

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Oils and butters Present, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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
WaterAqua (Water) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) Softens
PVP film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
Stearalkonium ChlorideSteralkonium Chloride conditioning agent Conditions and softens so hair combs through Detangles
Amodimethicone silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Methyl Gluceth-20 humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Hydroxypropyl Guar gum Natural hold and clump definition Holds
Caprylhydroxamic Acid preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Benzyl Alcohol preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Soluble Collagen protein A small amount of protein Protein
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient A softening touch, low in the list Buildup
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, drying alcohols, or fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off. Chelators for hard water.
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 · Aqua (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 Glycerin
    General function

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

    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 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.

    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 PVP
    General function

    A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

    May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

    PubChem
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 5 Stearalkonium Chloride · Steralkonium Chloride
    General function

    A long-standing conditioning agent that flattens the cuticle and cuts static. It rinses less completely than newer alternatives.

    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.

    PubChem
    • conditioning agent
  • 6 Amodimethicone
    General function

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

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

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

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

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

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

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

    International Journal of Trichology
    • silicone
    • conditioning agent
    • film former
  • 7 Methyl Gluceth-20
    General function

    A sugar-derived humectant that holds water with a lighter, satin feel rather than glycerin's tack. It also helps other ingredients stay dissolved.

    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

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

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

    • humectant
    • emollient
    • solvent
  • 8 Hydroxypropyl Guar
    General function

    A modified guar gum used to thicken and give a slippery, cushioned feel.

    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 suitMaximum-hold styling

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

    • gum
    • thickener
    • polymer
  • 9 Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
    • conditioning agent
  • 10 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
    General function

    A UV filter added to protect the product's colour and, in leave-ins, to slow colour fade.

    Secondary ingredient

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

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Sunlight oxidises hair pigment, and on gray, silver or lightened hair that shows up as yellowing. A UV filter on the label absorbs some of the light that drives it.

    PubChem
    • UV filter
  • 11 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

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

    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

    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
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 12 Caprylhydroxamic Acid
    General function

    A coconut-derived preservative booster that also binds trace metals.

    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
    • preservative
    • hard-water chelator
  • 13 Polysorbate 60
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 14 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
  • 15 Benzyl Alcohol
    • preservative
    • solvent
  • 16 Soluble Collagen
    • protein
  • 17 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
    General function

    Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy 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 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 suitMaximum-hold styling

    A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

    • emollient
    • light ester
    • oil
    • wax
  • 18 Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil
    General function

    A light oil that softens without much residue.

    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
  • 19 Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil
    General function

    A light oil rich in fatty acids, used in scalp and dry-hair treatments.

    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
  • 20 Stearyl Alcohol
    General function

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

    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
  • 21 Silk Amino Acids
    General function

    Silk protein broken into amino acids, used for slip and shine rather than strength.

    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.

    • protein
    • amino acid

What the whole list adds up to

  • 7 emollients
  • 5 thickeners
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 fatty alcohols
  • 3 film formers
  • 3 oils
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 gums
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 proteins
  • 1 silicone
  • 1 conditioning agent

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-05. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $13 lowest of 2 stores · checked Sep 6
Good value under $16 Under $1.98/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 $16 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $34 at this size.

Sizes

8 ozusual store size
$13
$1.69/oz
33 oz
$45.99
$1.39/oz

The 33 oz costs 18% less per ounce than the 8 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

8 ozusual store size

33 ozBest per ounce

  • Target
    $45.99
    33 oz · $1.39/oz
    Sep 6Lowest 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. 8 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 $13 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $16 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.98/oz; at 8 oz that is $16. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $34 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
9 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
  • Costs less per ounce than 67% of the 749 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a leave-in should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Masstige tier, sold at Brand website and Grocery / mass
  • 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 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.

Mixed ChicksSame function Leave-In Conditioner for Curl Definition & Frizz Control $2.00/oz $0.31/oz more
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Differs
  • 10 oz bottle
  • Sold online
Compare
Mixed ChicksLowest cost per oz His Mix Leave-In Conditioner for Men $1.67/oz $0.02/oz less
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
  • Budget
· Same function
Differs
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
Mixed ChicksSame function CBD Leave-in Conditioner for Frizz-Free Curls $1.92/oz $0.23/oz more
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
  • Budget
Differs
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6 oz bottle
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

Built for wavy to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

People sensitive to fragrance, looking for a formula with no added fragrance and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for curly-method routines or very dry or very humid climates

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.

4
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Reduces frizz

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • PVP
  • Amodimethicone
  • Hydroxypropyl Guar
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

Defines curls

Film formers or natural gums are present, which is what holds a clump together.

  • PVP
  • Amodimethicone
  • Hydroxypropyl Guar
Supported

Holds a clump together.

Soft-styled hold

Not measurable from ingredients; depends on personal preference.

—

Stated by brand

Subjective feel varies by hair.

Colorless

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Fragrance-free

No fragrance is listed.

—

Supported

Safer for scent-sensitive scalps.

Paraben-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.

Several parents describe the leave-in as lightweight enough that it does not weigh down fine or curly children's hair while still holding curl definition through the day.

parents of young children with fine or curly hair

Several reviewers say it tames unruly or tightly coiled hair on toddlers and grandchildren without extra product layered on top.

parents and grandparents of toddlers with coily or unruly curls

Multiple reviewers say they keep repurchasing this leave-in as their default detangler after trying other brands first.

repeat customers, several buying for children or grandchildren

More from Mixed Chicks

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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-06.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 16 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 2026-09-06.

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