Phyto

CURLS Hydration Conditioner

Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, detangling

Conditioner
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size5.9 fl oz

Price$26–31commonly seen · 5.9 oz

Price / oz$4.75/ozat 5.9 oz

Where to buy4 stores · $23.80–33.00

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: us.phyto.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Wavy–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Oils and butters High 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 None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed 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 None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 20 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Specialty beauty Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.

Same job for less elsewhere

$4.75/oz at 5.9 oz, more than 88% of the 1119 conditioners , which mostly run $0.94–3.41/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much richness suits you depends on your strand thickness, porosity and how easily your hair goes flat. We work that out in the consultation.

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 High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.

Oils and butters Rich

Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.

Weight on the hair Medium

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

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

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. The 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
Erythritol	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Cetyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol)	Softens
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol)	Softens
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter	butter	The heavy softener that makes it rich	Heavy
Behentrimonium Chloride	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens so hair combs through	Detangles
Polyquaternium-37	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens so hair combs through	Detangles
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil	oil	Coats and softens the strand	Softens
FragranceParfum / Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalyl Acetate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters.

Full ingredient list (20)

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 Erythritol

General function
A small sugar alcohol that holds water. It draws moisture into the hair and gives a light cooling feel on the scalp, and it is used at low levels rather than as a main conditioner.

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

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
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
5 Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter

General function
The solid fat from Shorea Stenoptera's seed. Plant butters seal the surface and soften coarse or dry hair; high on a list they make a product decidedly rich.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
6 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.

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
Electrokinetic 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 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
7 Polyquaternium-37

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

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.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
- thickener
8 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil

General function
A medium-weight oil used for softness and slip.

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
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.

May not suitFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
9 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
10 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
11 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
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 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
14 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
15 Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
16 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
17 Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
- botanical extract
18 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
19 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
20 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

General function
A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.

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.

International Journal of Trichology
- oil
- emollient

What the whole list adds up to

6 emollients
5 fragrances
4 named fragrance allergens
3 thickeners
3 conditioning agents
2 fatty alcohols
2 cleansers
2 oils
2 preservatives
1 solvent
1 humectant
1 butter
1 sealant
1 film former

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 5.9 oz

Commonly seen $26–31 Midpoint $28 · 3 stores · checked Sep 18

Good value under $6 Under $1.08/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 $11 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 5.9 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

Nordstrom
$23.80

5.9 oz · $4.03/oz

Sep 18Lowest per ozSale · was $28.00
Dermstore (dermstore.com)
$28.00

5.9 oz · $4.75/oz

Sep 17
PHYTO
$28.00

5.9 oz · $4.75/oz

Sep 18
Bath & Unwind
$33.00

5.92 oz · $5.57/oz

Sep 18

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

5.9 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 5.9 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
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 $1.08/oz; at 5.9 oz that is $6. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5.9 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

The formula carries what a conditioner is built around, and 7 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is the label, not the formula.

How the score is counted

7 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 88% of the 1119 conditioners we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
Salon tier, sold at Brand website and Specialty beauty

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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

SheaMoistureLowest cost per oz Baby Manuka Honey & Lavender Nighttime Deep Conditioner $0.71/oz $4.04/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

· Same function

Differs: Floral scent
Drugstore tier
12 oz bottle

Compare

CeremoniaClose function Acondicionador de Cupuaçu & Castor (Mini) $2.50/oz $2.25/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

Function: Film formers
Also: Cruelty-free
Value tier
2 oz bottle

Compare

CeremoniaClose function Acondicionador de Cupuaçu & Castor (Deep Moisture/Hydrating Conditioner) $2.60/oz $2.15/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

Function: Film formers
Also: Cruelty-free
Vegan
Masstige tier

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person, not the lowest cost

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry or very humid climates

Best alternative if not

Consider SheaMoisture Baby Manuka Honey & Lavender Nighttime Deep Conditioner, for similar results at a lower price

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, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

The CURLS conditioner instantly detangles, hydrates and nourishes wavy and curly hair.

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Erythritol
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

At the heart of the formula, the [Hydra Curl] Complex coats the fiber for redefined curls, while illipe butter intensely nourishes the fiber.

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Erythritol
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

[HYDRA CURL] COMPLEX DEFINITION Complex based on fermented sugar that redefines waves and curls.

Film formers or natural gums are present, which is what holds a clump together.

Polyquaternium-37

Supported

Holds a clump together.

ILLIPE BUTTER NOURISHMENT Illipe butter reinforces the hair fiber's lipid barrier and prevents dehydration.

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Erythritol
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

WHITE MALLOW EXTRACTION SHINE Our white mallow extraction adds 2 times more shine* to the fiber. *test on strands: comparison between white mallow extraction and water.

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

How this page was made

Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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.
2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-17.
Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 14 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
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 v23. Record last updated 2026-09-21.

CURLS Hydration Conditioner

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

More from Phyto

How this page was made

Hair Care Consultation