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Redken · Acidic Grow Full

Acidic Grow Full System Densifying Conditioner

Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, detangling

  • Conditioner
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size10.1 fl oz
Price$32–37commonly seen · 10.1 oz
Price / oz$3.46/ozat 10.1 oz

Scent:

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

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$3.46/oz at 10.1 oz — more than 78% of the 689 conditioners , which mostly run $0.91–3.10/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
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
Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
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 High

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

Oils and butters Present, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

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 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 Prominent

Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula.

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
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
Isopropyl Myristate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Cetyl Esters light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Caffeine active The over-the-counter active Active
FragranceParfum/Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Tartaric Acid pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
Linalyl Acetate fragrance The scent Fragrance
Carvone fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (27)

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 Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
    General function

    A gentle conditioning agent activated by the acid in the formula. It smooths the cuticle without much build-up.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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.

    PubChem
    • conditioning agent
  • 4 Isopropyl Myristate
    General function

    A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.

    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

    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.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 5 Cetyl Esters
    General function

    A waxy ester blend that replaces spermaceti in creams. It thickens and leaves a smooth, non-greasy finish.

    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

    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
    • thickener
  • 6 Caffeine
    General function

    Included in scalp and thickening products for label appeal. Evidence for applied caffeine changing hair growth is limited.

    Supporting ingredient

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

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

    A fruit acid used to set an acidic pH; at higher levels it also loosens surface build-up.

    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
    • exfoliant
  • 9 Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Helianthus Annuus's flower. It is one of the lighter plant oils, absorbing faster and leaving less residue.

    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
  • 10 Caprylyl Glycol
    General function

    A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

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

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

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

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • humectant
  • 11 Benzoic Acid
    • preservative
  • 12 Azelaic Acid
  • 13 Bifida Ferment Lysate
    • botanical extract
  • 14 Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
    • botanical extract
  • 15 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
  • 16 Carvone
    General function

    A mint- or caraway-scented fragrance component.

    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
  • 17 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
  • 18 Sodium Chloride
    • salt
    • thickener
  • 19 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
  • 20 Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil · Citrus Limon Peel Oil
    General function

    A cold-pressed citrus oil used for a fresh scent; naturally high in limonene.

    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
  • 21 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
  • 22 Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
    General function

    A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.

    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
  • 23 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
  • 24 Pentylene Glycol
    General function

    A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative 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

    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
    • preservative
  • 25 Pinene
    General function

    A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.

    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
  • 26 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 27 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative

What the whole list adds up to

  • 10 fragrances
  • 5 preservatives
  • 5 botanical extracts
  • 4 emollients
  • 4 named fragrance allergens
  • 3 thickeners
  • 3 essential oils
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 light esters
  • 2 humectants
  • 1 fatty alcohol
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 active
  • 1 declared fragrance

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

Price · 10.1 oz

Commonly seen $32–37 Midpoint $34.95 · 5 stores · checked Aug 30
Good value under $22 Under $2.13/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 $22 line; products that do this job typically go for about $25 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores

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. 10.1 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 10.1 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 $22 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.13/oz; at 10.1 oz that is $22. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $25 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 10.1 oz.

Formula

Formula score
9 of 10

This is a complete conditioner formula. It is also above the range for conditioners per ounce, with 4 close matches selling for meaningfully less.

How the score is counted
  • 4 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 78% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 recurring complaints
  • 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.

John FriedaLowest cost per oz Frizz Ease Dream Curls Conditioner $1.04/oz $2.42/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
· Close function
Function
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
  • 8.4 oz bottle
Compare
BriogeoClose function Superfoods Mango + Cherry Balancing Conditioner $2.40/oz $1.06/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Sweet scent
  • Masstige tier
  • 12.5 oz bottle
Compare
AcureFragrance-free Buildup Balancing Hemp ACV Conditioner $1.32/oz $2.14/oz less
  • Fragrance-free
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Vegan
  • Drugstore tier
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?

Good for the right person, not the lowest cost
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping

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
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
3
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Nourishes without weight

Humectants and emollients are present, but lower in the list than the claim implies.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
  • Isopropyl Myristate
  • Cetyl Esters
Partly supported

Some hydration, at a low level.

Fast-rinsing formula

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Strengthens fragile strands

No protein or bond ingredient appears in the list.

  • Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Adds visible fullness

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Smooths and detangles

Conditioning agents that reduce combing force sit high in the list.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
  • Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Supported

Easier detangling, less breakage.

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.

Reviewers with fine hair describe the formula as lightweight, not heavy on the scalp, and longer-lasting per use than their usual conditioner

fine hair

Some reviewers found it added little to no noticeable softness or fullness, calling it a generic-feeling conditioner despite a pleasant scent

general users

A subset of reviewers report increased hair breakage or a rough/sandpaper-like texture after using the paired shampoo+conditioner system

general users, some noting a stylist flagged visible breakage

Reviewers who used the full system for several weeks report modestly thicker-feeling hair, though some wanted more volume than delivered

fine/thinning hair, multi-week users

More from Redken

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 (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 4 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 9 of 18 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.