Unapologetic Define, Style & Hold Mousse

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
  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 Isopentyldiol
  General function

  A light solvent and humectant used to dissolve extracts and improve feel.

  Leading ingredient

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

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

  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
  • solvent
  • humectant
• 3 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  General function

  A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

  Leading ingredient

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

  • solubilizer
  • emulsifier
• 4 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  General function

  Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.

  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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

  • humectant
  • botanical extract
  • gum
• 5 Oleth-20
  General function

  An emulsifier that keeps oils dispersed in water-based formulas.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• 6 Cocamidopropyl Betaine
  General function

  A mild coconut-derived co-cleanser that boosts foam and softens the effect of stronger detergents. It appears in most shampoos, gentle or not.

  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 not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

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

  DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Among the mildest detergents in use — it is what baby shampoos are built on — but it is almost always the second detergent in a formula. How much a wash strips is still decided by the primary detergent listed above it.

  Indian Journal of Dermatology
  • amphoteric cleanser
  • secondary cleanser
  • cleanser
• 7 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
• 8 Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate
  General function

  A plant-derived polyglycerol ester. It emulsifies without ethoxylation, which is why it turns up in formulas positioned as PEG-free, and leaves a soft feel.

  Supporting ingredient

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

  • emulsifier
  • emollient
• ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
• 9 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 10 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
• 11 Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
  General function

  A very mild sugar-derived cleanser, often used to boost the foam of other gentle surfactants.

  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.

  • nonionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 12 Lauryl Glucoside
  General function

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

  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.

  PubChem
  • nonionic cleanser
  • cleanser
• 13 Maltodextrin/VP Copolymer
  General function

  A starch-based hold polymer that sets softly and washes out with water.

  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
• 14 Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract · Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
  General function

  Flaxseed gel. A natural polysaccharide that gives soft, flexible hold in curl products.

  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.

  • gum
  • film former
  • botanical extract
• 15 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
  General function

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

  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

  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
• 16 Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
  • botanical extract
• 17 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.

  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

  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
• 18 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
• 19 Sodium Chloride
  • salt
  • thickener
• 20 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 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.

  • gum
  • thickener
  • film former
• 21 Maltodextrin
  General function

  A starch fragment that soaks up oil and water, which is what puts it in dry shampoos. It also carries spray-dried plant extracts and leaves a light 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Takes up oil at the root, which is where fine hair goes flat first.

  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.

  DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold

  How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.

  • absorbent
  • film former
  • binder
• 22 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
• 23 Emblica Officinalis Seed Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 24 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
• 25 Benzyl Alcohol
  • preservative
  • solvent
• 26 Caprylic Acid
  • preservative
  • emulsifier
• 27 Hydroxypropyl Guar
  General function

  A modified guar gum used to thicken and give 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

  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
• 28 Benzyl Benzoate
  General function

  A fragrance component with a faint balsamic scent, named separately on the label because it is 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
• 29 Elaeis Oleifera Kernel Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 30 Xylitol
  General function

  A sugar alcohol that binds water and gives a light, non-sticky moisturised 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 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.

  PubChem
  • humectant
• 31 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
• 32 Linalyl Acetate
  General function

  A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.

  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.

  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 33 Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 34 Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract
  • botanical extract
• 35 Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
  General function

  The oil pressed from Nigella Sativa. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than 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 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
• 36 Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Oil
  • fragrance
  • botanical extract
• 37 Hexamethylindanopyran
  General function

  A synthetic musk used as a long-lasting fragrance base note.

  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.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
• 38 Potassium Sorbate
  • preservative
• 39 Bacopa Monnieri Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 40 Coffea Arabica Seed Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 41 Eclipta Prostrata Oil
  • oil
  • emollient
• 42 Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
  General function

  The essential oil of Citrus Aurantium. Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.

  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
• 43 Sodium Benzoate
  • preservative
• 44 Sodium Acetate
  General function

  A buffering salt used to hold the formula at a steady pH.

  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

  pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

  • salt
  • pH adjuster
• 45 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
• 46 Sodium Phosphate
  General function

  A buffering salt used to hold the formula at a steady pH.

  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

  pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

  • pH adjuster
  • salt
• 47 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 hydrates without contributing weight.

  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
• 48 BHT
  • antioxidant
• 49 Sodium Borate
• 50 Fd&C Yellow 6
  • colourant
• 51 Fd&C Yellow 5
  • colourant

What the whole list adds up to

• 9 emollients
• 7 fragrances
• 7 oils
• 6 humectants
• 6 botanical extracts
• 6 preservatives
• 5 film formers
• 4 solvents
• 4 emulsifiers
• 4 gums
• 4 pH adjusters
• 3 cleansers
• 3 polymers
• 3 salts

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