Hair care – ingredient lists and INCI analysis

Hair care is one of the broadest groups in the database. It includes shampoos, anti-dandruff and dry shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, leave-in conditioners, hair oils and serums, styling products, scalp care and hair dyes. Some are rinsed off within a minute, others stay on the hair all day, and that difference shapes how they are formulated.

Cleansing products are built around surfactants such as SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE or DECYL GLUCOSIDE. Conditioning products rely on cationic ingredients like BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE or POLYQUATERNIUM-10, fatty alcohols such as CETEARYL ALCOHOL, and often silicones like DIMETHICONE or AMODIMETHICONE. Oils, proteins and PANTHENOL appear across many categories. Their position in the list gives a rough idea of how prominent they are.

Hair dyes are a special case: oxidative dye substances are regulated individually in Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, and packs carry mandatory warnings. When reading any hair product label, it is useful to look at where the main surfactant or conditioning agent sits in the list, which preservatives are used, and whether fragrance allergens are named.