What ingredients do
Properties group ingredients by the job they do in a product. Many ingredients do more than one job, so they show up in more than one group.
humectant
Draws water toward itself and holds on to it. In hair products, humectants help strands take up water and keep it.
12butter/oil
Oils, butters and other fatty ingredients that coat the hair surface, soften it and cut down friction between strands.
9film-former
Leaves a thin, flexible film on hair as it dries. Gels and stylers use film-formers for hold and definition.
8ceramides
Lipids like the ones found naturally between the cells of the hair's outer layer.
6protein
Proteins and amino acids, often broken into small pieces (hydrolyzed), that attach to the hair surface.
5scalp active
Ingredients used in products made for the scalp, such as serums and tonics.
5slip/detangler
Makes wet hair slippery, so strands slide apart instead of catching on each other.
5bond repair
Ingredients designed to work on the bonds inside the hair fibre, the ones colour, relaxers and heat can break.
3chelating
Binds to metals and minerals, like the ones in hard water, so they rinse away. Acids in this group also set a product's pH.
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