What Are Common Conditioner Ingredients?

Conditioners are most often direct emulsions (aqueous phase in the majority, fatty phase in the minority) that have a creamy, milky texture or are in the form of a transparent gel. They contain various categories of ingredients.

• The solvent: Also called excipient, it is frequently water, most frequently present first on the INCI list. It dissolves the other compounds present in the formula.

• Gelling agents: The consistent texture is brought to the conditioners via texturizing agents which are typically synthetic polymers like carbomers or natural like sclerotium gum (INCI name: “Sclerotium Gum”), xanthan gum (INCI name: “Xanthan Gum”) or tara gum (INCI name: “Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum”).

• Detangling agents: The primary function of a conditioner is to detangle the hair to facilitate styling. In natural care, several detangling compounds can be added: biodegradable ingredients from plant sources such as beet and rapeseed (INCI: “Arachidyl/Behenyl Alcohol”), cetyl alcohol (INCI: “Cetyl Alcohol”), flax seed extract (INCI: “Linum Usitatissimum seed extract”).

• The humectant compounds: The humectant character of an ingredient is based on its capacity to retain the water molecules because of its hygroscopic power (strong affinity for water). On the market, the humectant compounds potentially present in a conditioner are glycerin, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG) or pentylene glycol. As a reminder, as a precautionary principle, Typology excludes PEGs and propylene glycol from its formulas.

• Oils and fats: Conditioners contain vegetable and mineral oils, in order to deposit a film on the surface of the hair and limit dehydration. As a reminder, Typology excludes all petrochemical oils from its formulas. The greasy conditioners also help to detangle the hair shafts. The fats frequently found in conditioners are, for example, avocado oil (INCI: “Persea Gratissima (avocado) Oil”), mango butter (INCI: “Mangifera Indica Seed Butter”), shea butter (INCI: “Butyrospermum parkii butter”).

• The emulsifiers: The mixing of fats with water is made possible by the presence of surfactants, which disperse the oil droplets in the aqueous solution to form a stable emulsion. For example, in natural care products, the surfactants used may have the INCI names “Behenamidopropyl dimethylamine”, “Cetearyl Alcohol” and “Stearyl Alcohol”.

• Preservatives: Conditioners generally contain a watery phase, which is conducive to the development of bacteria. In order to maintain the effectiveness and safety of the product, it is essential to include preservatives. It is possible for example to find phenoxyethanol. This compound can cause skin allergies, neurological disorders, as well as effects on reproduction. In addition, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products attributes to this preservative side effects such as moderate to severe eye irritation. Faced with these arguments, it is preferable not to opt for a hair mask that contains phenoxyethanol. In natural care, sodium benzoate (INCI name: “Sodium Benzoate”) is often used as an antifungal preservative. Authorized in organic, it remains regulated. The maximum concentration allowed in finished preparations is 2.5% (in acid) for rinsed products, except for oral products and 0.5% (in acid) for non-rinsed products.

Note:There are other types of conditioner ingredients such as synthetic perfumes, essential oils or active ingredients. Indeed, even if the first function of a conditioner is to detangle the hair, certain care can be in more hydrating thanks to for example the hyaluronic acid or the aloe vera, or contain repairing credits like the ceramides.