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Mixed Chicks

Kids Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-in

  • Leave-in
  • lotion
  • Moisture-rich
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$13seen 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

Manufacturer page: mixedchicks.net

Personal fit

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Priced with its peers

$1.69/oz at 8 oz — less than 60% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
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 sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

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

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Oils and butters Present, lower down

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

Needs detergent to remove Yes

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

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

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
Steralkonium Chloride — — Neutral
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 carriesThe silicones here need a detergent wash to come off. Chelators for hard water.
Full ingredient list (21)

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)
    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 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 Steralkonium Chloride
  • 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 hydrates without contributing weight.

    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 this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically 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 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.

    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 gums
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 proteins
  • 1 silicone
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 conditioning agent

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-05. Formulas change — 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 $6 Under $0.79/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 6 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $6 line; products that do this job typically go for about $15 at this size.

Sizes

8 ozmost listed
$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 ozmost listed

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 $6 comes from the 6 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.79/oz; at 8 oz that is $6. 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 $15 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a leave-in does and costs about what leave-ins cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 60% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

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

Does the same job, for less

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

SuaveClosest function All In One Magic Mist Multi-Benefit Leave In Spray $0.49/oz $1.20/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 11 oz bottle
Compare
Creme of NatureLowest cost per oz Certified Natural Ingredients Mango & Shea Butter Ultra-Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner $0.41/oz $1.28/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
  • Alcohol-free
· Close function
Function
  • Film formers
Also
  • Sweet scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 8.4 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Built for wavy to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person
Best user

Hair that craves moisture, looking for moisture that stays in and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

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

Best alternative if not

Suave All In One Magic Mist Multi-Benefit Leave In Spray, for similar results at a lower price

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

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

3
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
3
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

The fragrance status of this formula is not recorded.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

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

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

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 is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-06.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 15 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
  • We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-09-06.

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