Nº.4FINE Bond Maintenance Shampoo

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 Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
  General function

  A mild amino-acid cleanser with a soft, low foam.

  Leading ingredient

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

  May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Cleansing is what lifts deposited films off the strand. How completely depends on which detergent it is and how high on the list it sits.

  DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.

  • cleanser
• 3 Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
  General function

  A mild cleanser that gives a creamy lather and leaves hair less stripped than sulfates.

  Leading ingredient

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

  May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

  • mild anionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 4 Coco-Glucoside
  General function

  A sugar-derived, low-foaming cleanser used in gentle and curly-method shampoos.

  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

  Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

  PubChem
  • nonionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 5 Lauryl Glucoside
  General function

  A mild sugar-derived cleanser with a soft, low lather.

  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

  Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

  PubChem
  • nonionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 6 Propanediol
  General function

  A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

  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 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
• 7 Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
  General function

  A mild co-cleanser that keeps foam stable in hard 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

  Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

  • amphoteric cleanser
  • secondary cleanser
  • cleanser
• 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 Acrylates Copolymer
  General function

  A hold polymer that forms a firm, humidity-resistant film. It is the usual source of a hard cast in gels.

  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 set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  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.

  • film former
  • polymer
• 10 Polyquaternium-80
  General function

  A positively charged conditioning polymer. It leaves a thin film that cuts static and eases combing, and it survives rinsing better than a simple conditioner.

  Secondary ingredient

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

  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.

  • conditioning agent
  • film former
  • polymer
• 11 Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate
  General function

  A bond-repair ingredient that reacts with sulfur groups in the hair. It is the active in one of the widely marketed bond-building systems.

  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

  Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

  • conditioning agent
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 12 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 13 Sodium Chloride
  • salt
  • thickener
• 14 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
• 15 Coconut Acid
  • emulsifier
  • salt
• 16 Cocamide MIPA
  General function

  A coconut-derived thickener that stabilises shampoo foam and gives the liquid its body.

  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

  Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A sugar-derived non-ionic detergent, among the gentlest in use. It cleanses with little foam of its own and little sebum removal.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Gentle cleansing leaves water-insoluble deposits largely in place; they come off with a stronger wash, not this one.

  • secondary cleanser
  • nonionic cleanser
  • thickener
• 17 Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
  General function

  A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.

  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.

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

  Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

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

  • conditioning agent
  • polymer
  • gum
• 18 Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 19 Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 20 Polyimide-1
  General function

  A flexible hold polymer used for touchable styling and humidity resistance.

  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 suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  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.

  • film former
  • polymer
• 21 Chlorphenesin
  • preservative
• 22 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
• 23 Xanthan Gum
  General function

  A fermented sugar gum that thickens water-based formulas and adds soft, natural hold.

  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.

  • gum
  • thickener
  • film former
• 24 Polyquaternium-7
  General function

  A conditioning polymer that improves wet combing and adds body. Repeated use can build up on fine 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 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.

  • conditioning agent
  • film former
  • polymer
• 25 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
• 26 Ethylhexylglycerin
  General function

  A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

  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

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

  PubChem
  • preservative
  • emollient
• 27 Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
  • botanical extract
  • antioxidant
• 28 Hydrolyzed Quinoa
  General function

  A quinoa-derived protein used for light strengthening and colour retention 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 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
• 29 Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
  General function

  A readily biodegradable chelator used in place of EDTA to bind hard-water minerals.

  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
• 30 Sarcosine
  General function

  An amino acid derivative used for moisture binding and in scalp-positioned formulas.

  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.

  • amino acid
• 31 Pisum Sativum (Pea) Seed Extract
  • botanical extract
• 32 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract
  • botanical extract
• 33 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
• 34 Sclerotium Gum
  General function

  A fermented 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

  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.

  • film former
  • gum
  • thickener
• 35 1,2-Hexanediol
  General function

  A preservative booster that also holds a little moisture and helps other ingredients dissolve.

  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
  • preservative
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 36 Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
  • botanical extract
  • antioxidant
• 37 Tocopherol
  • antioxidant
  • vitamin
• 38 Sodium Hydroxide
  General function

  A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

  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.

  DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • pH adjuster
• 39 Algin
  General function

  A seaweed gum used to thicken and stabilise a 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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

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

  • gum
  • thickener
• 40 Sodium Hyaluronate
  General function

  A large water-binding molecule that sits on the surface holding 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 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

  A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

  • humectant
• 41 Sodium Benzoate
  • preservative
• 42 Benzyl Alcohol
  • preservative
  • solvent
• 43 Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
  General function

  A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.

  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
• 44 Potassium Sorbate
  • preservative
• 45 Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
  • botanical extract
• 46 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Sprout Extract
  • botanical extract
• 47 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
• 48 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
• 49 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
• 50 Citral
  General function

  A lemon-scented 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
• 51 Yellow 5 · CI 19140 (Yellow 5)
  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
• 52 Ci 15985 (Yellow 6)
  General function

  A certified colour that tints 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

What the whole list adds up to

• 7 film formers
• 7 preservatives
• 6 cleansers
• 6 humectants
• 6 botanical extracts
• 5 solvents
• 5 polymers
• 5 thickeners
• 4 conditioning agents
• 4 fragrances
• 4 gums
• 3 nonionic cleansers
• 3 emulsifiers
• 3 antioxidants

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.