Defends against breakage
Protein or ceramides are present, but low enough that this reads as support, not treatment.
- Behentrimonium Chloride
- Quaternium-80
- Hydrolyzed Silk
Partly supported
Supports the surface, not a treatment.
Nioxin
Anti-breakage Strengthening Mask
Mask / Weekly treatment, lightly emollient
- Mask / treatment
- Sulfate-free
- Moisture-rich
- Not vegan · ingredient list
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size16.91 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$42–53commonly seen · 16.91 oz
Price / oz$2.57/ozat 16.91 oz
Where to buy7 stores · 2 sizes
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: nioxin.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.
- In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 21 factors we check.
- A personalized routine for your daily life — your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49.00 one-time consultation, no subscription
Add the optional $49/year membership for unlimited adjustments for changes in weather and lifestyle.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Oils and butters
Low
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
High
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Medium
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
Minor
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
High
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
Present
Not in your profile
Show all 21 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
Moderate
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not vegan · ingredient listNot cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not vegan · ingredient list
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
High
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
No adjuster listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
23 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Prestige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Salons +1Widely sold
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$2.57/oz at 16.91 oz — less than 59% of the 341 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.63–5.59/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Easy to findsold through several channels
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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.
Oils and butters
Present, lower down
Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.
Weight on the hair
Medium
Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.
Protein
Minor
Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.
Water-binding (humectants)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
Slip and detangling
High
Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAQUA/WATER/EAU | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Stearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol | Softens |
| Behentrimonium Chloride | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through | Detangles |
| Cetyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol | Softens |
| Isopropyl Alcohol | drying alcohol | Speeds drying — and can read dry on the hair | Drying |
| Benzyl Alcohol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Phenoxyethanol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Propylene Glycol | humectant | Adds a little water-binding | Moisturizes |
| Quaternium-80 | silicone | A little smoothing and shine | Buildup |
| FragrancePARFUM/FRAGRANCE | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Hydrolyzed Silk | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones — needs a detergent wash to remove. Hard-water chelators are present.
Full ingredient list (23)
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Stearyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
3
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.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairElectrokinetic 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 hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
-
4
Cetyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
5
Isopropyl Alcohol
General function
A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Well down the list it is a processing aid; near the top it can leave hair feeling dry.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairPorous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairIt evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
6
Benzyl Alcohol
General function
A preservative and solvent that also occurs naturally in some essential oils.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
- solvent
-
7
Phenoxyethanol
General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
-
8
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- humectant
- solvent
-
9
Quaternium-80
General function
A conditioning silicone with a positive charge, so it deposits where hair is damaged and stays through rinsing.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairAmino-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 stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
-
10
Fragrance
· PARFUM/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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
11
Methylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
-
12
Propylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
-
13
Disodium EDTA
General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds 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 hairCopper 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.
- hard-water chelator
-
14
Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
15
Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- 16 SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM/SUGAR CANE EXTRACT/EXTRAIT DE CANNE À SUCRE
-
17
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract
- botanical extract
-
18
Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract
- botanical extract
-
19
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
20
Hydrolyzed Silk
General function
A light protein used for slip and shine rather than strength.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairFilling 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 stylingFilm 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 hairHydrolysed 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
-
21
Aleurites Moluccanus (Kukui) Seed Oil
· ALEURITES MOLUCCANUS SEED OIL
General function
Kukui nut oil - a light oil used for softness on fine textured hair.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
22
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
23
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 preservatives
- 4 solvents
- 4 botanical extracts
- 3 emollients
- 2 fatty alcohols
- 2 thickeners
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 film formers
- 2 parabens
- 1 cleanser
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 humectant
- 1 silicone
- 1 fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-11. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 16.91 oz
Commonly seen
$42–53
Good value under
$27
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $27 line; products that do this job typically go for about $54 at this size.
Sizes
5.07 oz
$26.50
$5.31/oz
16.91 ozmost listed
$42–53
$2.57/oz
The 16.91 oz costs 52% less per ounce than the 5.07 oz.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it8 listings · 7 stores
16.91 ozmost listedBest per ounce
-
PerfumesClub US
$41.5216.91 oz · $2.46/ozSep 11Lowest per ozSale · was $70.22
-
Loja Glamourosa
$42.2116.91 oz · $2.50/ozSep 11Sale · was $56.28
-
Dressinn.com
$43.4916.91 oz · $2.57/ozSep 11Sale · was $51.16
-
Nioxin (nioxin.com)
$53.0016.91 oz · $3.13/ozSep 11
-
Ulta Beauty
$53.0016.91 oz · $3.13/ozSep 11
-
Amazon
$53.0016.9 oz · $3.14/ozSep 13
5.07 oz
-
United Salon Supplies
$26.505 oz · $5.30/ozSep 11Lowest per ozSale · was $53.00
-
Amazon
$27.005.07 oz · $5.33/ozSep 13
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
- 16.91 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 16.91 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $27 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.57/oz; at 16.91 oz that is $27. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
- About $54 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 16.91 oz.
Formula
6
Formula score
6 of 10
Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for masks and treatments, on formula or on cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 4 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 59% of the 341 masks and treatments we’ve priced
- No rich emollients in the formula
- Prestige tier, sold at Brand website and Salons
- Rich emollientsThe depth a treatment step is built around.3 pts
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
- Protein or amino acidsThe strengthening side of a treatment.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A stated dwell timeThe brand says how long to leave it on.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.
Marc AnthonyClosest function
Miracle Mask Damage Rescue Hair Mask
$1.47/oz $1.10/oz less
- Medium weight
- Budget
- Function
- Also
Wella ProfessionalsLowest cost per oz
Nutricurls Deep Treatment Waves & Curls Mask
$1.01/oz $1.56/oz less
- Protein-free
- Quick
- Medium weight
- Function
- Also
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
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right personBest user
People who want maximum slip who want real detangling slip and moisture that stays in
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or very dry or high-damage hair
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.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
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.
More from Nioxin
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.
- 6 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-13.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 10 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 2026-09-11.