Pro Clinical Density Defend Volumizing + Thickening Mousse

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/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 Isobutane
  General function

  A pressurised gas that pushes an aerosol out of the can and evaporates on contact.

  Leading ingredient

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

  PubChem
  • propellant
• 3 Propane
  General function

  An aerosol propellant, usually blended with butane to set the spray pressure.

  Leading ingredient

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

  PubChem
  • propellant
• 4 Polyquaternium-11
  General function

  A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.

  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

  Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

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

  A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

  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.

  • film former
  • polymer
  • conditioning agent
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 5 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 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.

  PubChem
  • preservative
• 6 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 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
• 7 Laureth-4
  General function

  An oil-side emulsifier that helps a cream hold together.

  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.

  • emulsifier
• 8 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
• 9 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
• 10 Methylparaben
  • paraben
  • preservative
• 11 Cetrimonium Chloride
  General function

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

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

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

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

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

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

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

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science
  • conditioning agent
  • cleanser
• 12 Caprylyl Glycol
  General function

  A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

  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

  Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

  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
  • preservative
  • humectant
• 13 Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
  General function

  Cornmint oil, used for a cooling sensation and mint scent.

  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
  • botanical extract
• 14 Benzyl Salicylate
  General function

  A soft floral fragrance component listed 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
• 15 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
• 16 Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
  General function

  Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.

  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

  Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.

  • botanical extract
  • essential oil
  • fragrance
• 17 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
• 18 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
• 19 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
• 20 Limonene
  General function

  A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 21 Citronellol
  General function

  A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen

What the whole list adds up to

• 9 fragrances
• 6 named fragrance allergens
• 3 preservatives
• 2 propellants
• 2 conditioning agents
• 2 hard-water chelators
• 2 humectants
• 2 botanical extracts
• 1 solvent
• 1 film former
• 1 polymer
• 1 declared fragrance
• 1 emulsifier
• 1 conditioning agent

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