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Paul Mitchell · Bond Rx

Bond Rx Conditioner

Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, conditioning

  • Conditioner
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Vegan · label states
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size6.8 fl oz
Priceabout $27commonly seen · 6.8 oz
Price / oz$3.97/ozat 6.8 oz

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Strength: Light

Manufacturer page: paulmitchell.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Same job for less elsewhere

$3.97/oz at 6.8 oz — more than 84% of the 689 conditioners , which mostly run $0.91–3.10/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight

Maybe skip if

this product carries a light scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much richness is right for you depends on your strand thickness, porosity, and how easily your hair flattens — 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.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

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

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua (Water, Eau) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Cetyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer conditioning agent Reduces combing force Buildup
Caprylyl Methicone silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Propylene Glycol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Tocopherol antioxidant Protects the formula Stabilizes
Acetic Acid pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol drying alcohol A small amount, for fast drying Drying
Cystine Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol amino acid A trace of amino acids Protein
FragranceParfum (Fragrance) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Benzyl Benzoate fragrance The scent Fragrance
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. Contains fast-drying alcohol.
Full ingredient list (22)

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 ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 2 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.

    Role in this product type

    In conditioner, cetearyl alcohol gives the emulsion its creamy structure and helps it spread evenly through the hair. Its emollient layer adds slip and a smoother feel.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    May suit dry, coarse, or high-porosity hair that benefits from added slip and a more substantial conditioning film.

    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

    Consider if hair is fine or easily flattened: a formula built heavily around fatty alcohols can feel richer than a lightweight conditioner.

    BASF
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 3 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

    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 Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer
    General function

    A synthetic film-forming polymer. Polymers of this kind dry to a continuous film on the hair, which is how a styling product holds a shape.

    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.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
    • silicone
  • 5 Caprylyl Methicone
    General function

    A light silicone used for slip and to help other silicones spread.

    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

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 6 Propylene Glycol
    General function

    A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

    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 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
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 7 Tocopherol
    General function

    Vitamin E. It keeps the oils in a formula from going rancid and is used at very low levels.

    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
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 8 Acetic Acid
    General function

    Vinegar acid, used in tiny amounts to bring the formula to an acidic pH so the cuticle lies flat.

    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.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
  • 9 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol
    General function

    Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 10 Behentrimonium Methosulfate
    General function

    A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.

    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

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

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    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
    • emulsifier
  • 11 Ceteareth-20
    • emulsifier
  • 12 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
  • 13 Cystine Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol
    General function

    A cystine derivative modified to bind more firmly to the strand, used in strengthening 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
    • protein
  • 14 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
  • 15 Olealkonium Chloride
    General function

    A positively charged conditioning agent. Damaged hair carries a negative charge, so it deposits where the damage is and makes wet hair comb through.

    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

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

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

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

    • conditioning agent
  • 16 Polyquaternium-37
    General function

    A thickening polymer that gives creams and curl products their bounce and helps them cling to the strand.

    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
    • thickener
  • 17 PPG-1 Trideceth-6
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 18 Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
    General function

    A light, dry-feeling ester that spreads other ingredients and softens without a greasy 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

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

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 19 Trideceth-10
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 20 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 21 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
  • 22 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 5 emollients
  • 4 emulsifiers
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 thickeners
  • 3 conditioning agents
  • 2 fatty alcohols
  • 2 film formers
  • 2 polymers
  • 2 silicones
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 solubilizers
  • 2 fragrances
  • 1 conditioning agent

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

Price · 6.8 oz

Commonly seen about $27 Midpoint $27 · 3 stores · checked Aug 30
Good value under $6 Under $0.95/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 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 $13 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
  • Ulta Beauty
    $27.00
    6.8 oz · $3.97/oz
    Aug 30Lowest per oz
  • Target
    $27.00
    6.8 oz · $3.97/oz
    Aug 30
  • Walmart
    $27.00
    6.8 oz · $3.97/oz
    Aug 30

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. 6.8 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. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 6.8 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.
  3. Good value under $6 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.95/oz; at 6.8 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $13 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6.8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Above the range for conditioners per ounce for a formula that 5 lower-priced products come close to on ingredients and attributes.

How the score is counted
  • 5 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 84% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 4 things they like about how it performs
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.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.

RuskClosest function ColorX Conditioner $2.20/oz $1.77/oz less
  • Medium weight
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Film formers
Also
  • 12 oz bottle
  • Sold online
Compare
CHIClose function BioSilk Color Therapy Conditioner $1.75/oz $2.22/oz less
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Masstige tier
  • 12 oz bottle
Compare
CHILowest cost per oz Royal Treatment Color Gloss Protecting Conditioner $0.93/oz $3.04/oz less
  • Alcohol-free
  • Medium weight
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Film formers
Also
  • Sold online
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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Similar results available for less
Best user

Hair that craves moisture, looking for moisture that stays in and a formula brought to an acidic pH

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to 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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
88% Improvement in Hair Condition when used with Bond Rx Shampoo and Treatment

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

Won 2023 People Magazine Beauty Award for Best Splurge System for Damaged Hair

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Color-safe, vegan, sulfate-free

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

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.

Fragrance is consistently described as subtle and pleasant

Users with chemically treated or colored hair report noticeable restorative/repair benefit

chemically treated or colored hair

Reviewers with thick/coarse hair note they need less product per use

thick/coarse hair

Reviewers describe hair as silky smooth and easier to manage after use

Some reviewers with very dry or curly hair feel it does not provide enough hydration for their needs

very dry or curly hair

More from Paul Mitchell

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.
  • 4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 16 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 2026-08-25.