Ingredients glossary – Passion for highest quality
Our guide to ingredients is meant helping you in deciphering ingredient labels, as we believe researchers shouldn’t be the only ones able to read the label on a cosmetics item. This glossary is a comprehensive collection of every single top ingredient used in our products – compounds that were carefully chosen because we understand that the quality of our ingredients directly impacts the quality of our products.
Lycopene (spin traps):
Researchers have found a positive relation between Lycopene use and hair health. Organic lycopene in Rekze Laboratories products is different from the others as it is extracted from red-ripe organic tomatoes by an innovative procedure that does not involve chemical solvents, but supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2).
Caffeine:
The caffeine stimulates your hair follicles, causing them to start to grow new hairs more rapidly.
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate:
It’s a de-greasing, emulsifier, and foaming agent that it’s gentle to scalp.
Cocamidopropyl betaine:
It is an organic compound derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine and it is an emulsifier, cleansing agent, and foam booster.
Ammonium lauryl sulphate:
It is an excellent cleanser for hair.
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate:
It is a foaming and cleansing agent.
Glycerin:
Glycerin is useful to hair growth apart from being able to return moisture back to dry hair and scalp. It has also a positive effect on dry, frizzy, and brittle hair. Additionally it helps to strengthen the hair, which leads to less breakage of the hair, and less formation of split ends.
Polyquaternium-7:
This ingredient is an excellent cationic conditioner for hair.
Potassium cocoyl hydrolysed soy protein:
It is an essential building block for skin and hair.
Glycol stearate:
This ingredient is a product of stearic acid, a common fatty acid that is found in both plants and animals. Glycol stearate has the ability to smooth and soften the scalp tissue. The hair is comprised of tiny, individual pieces of protein and Glycol stearate’s fatty, thick texture allows it to fill in the tiny spaces that exist between the protein fibers to increase also the thickness.
Lauryl glucoside:
This is a very gentle surfactant made from coconut oil (lauryl) and sugar (glucose) and has the function of reducing skin irritability.
Propylene glycol:
It is an organic compound that helps to smooth the hair.
Lactic acid:
Lactic acid is one of a group of organic compounds collectively referred to as alpha hydroxy acids and has the function to relax and smooth the hair, making it more manageable.
PEG-55 propylene glycol oleate:
Surfactant.
Acetylated lanolin alcohol:
It is a hypoallergenic lanolin-derived emollient with a smooth, velvety feel. Acetylated lanolin forms a protective coating on the scalp’s surface and prevents moisture loss.
Cetyl acetate:
This compound is a thickening agent and surfactant and is well known to effectively condition and soften the scalp and hair.
Oleyl acetate:
It is a nonionic surfactant, emulsifier, emollient and thickener.
Polysorbate 80:
This ingredient is well-known for its hair restoration capabilities. It is known to trigger histamine release, which increases blood flow and nutrition to the hair follicles. Histamine is essential for cell growth and reproduction.
Sodium hydroxide:
It penetrates the hair’s protein structure and breaks down the hair bond and smoothens the hair.
Stearyl acetate:
Stearyl alcohol acts as an emollient (softener) and an emulsifier used to achieve a pearling effect.
Climbazole:
It is a topically applied antifungal agent used to treat human fungal scalp infections.
Dimethyl sulfone (MSM):
It is a compound used for its antioxidative and antiinflammatory properties.
Glycol distearate:
This ingredient provides the all-elusive “body” to hair that also pearlizes the hair.
Aspalathus linearis leaf extract (roobois):
Human hair is exposed to many harmful influences, leading to structural damage; such influences can also have more or less clearly visible effects. This ingredient helps reducing or slowing the loss of the natural or artificial colour of hair.
Carnitine tartrate:
Carnitine tartrate increases energy supply to the hair follicles, resulting in stimulation of hair growth.
Biotin:
It helps grow healthier and stronger hair, and it makes hair grow fast and thicker.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein:
This compound’s protein molecules are small enough to penetrate the hair strands, strengthening the hair.
Quaternium-80:
It is a conditioning ingredient found in moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. It is reported to be a great emollient and detangler.
Serenoa serrulata extract (saw palmetto):
This compound stops hair loss and triggers healthy hair growth. It inhibits dihydotestosterone (DHT), an enzyme that is associated with male pattern baldness.
Zinc PCA:
It inhibits sebum secretion and scalp odor.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark extract:
Cinnamon contains chemical compounds like eugenol and cinnamaldehyde. These offer antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and many other benefits, which can help with hair problems by preventing fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp.
Cysteine HCI:
Its role is for breaking up the disulfide bonds in the hair’s keratin.
Emu oil:
This compound has proved to be an efficient treatment for hair frontal regrowth, which is much more difficult to attain than regrowth in the vertex or crown.
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract:
This compound can greatly reduce hair thinning and hair loss. It has proved to be beneficial for male baldness of various types too, and makes the hair strong and long.
Kigelia africana fruit extract:
It is an anti-oxidant particularly effective in helping to prevent hormonal (DHT) damage to hair and recommended for dry scalps.
Ornithine HCI:
Enhances the flexibility and suppleness of scalp.
Salvia sclarea extract:
It plays an important role in hair loss treatments as it clears pores in the skin. It also has a stimulating effect on the hair follicles, which encourages growth while blocking harmful follicle chocking chemicals in the body like DHT, which naturally occur in both men and women.
Taurine:
It benefits hair loss in multiple ways, most significantly by inhibiting fibrosis, a rigidification process that occurs in response to long standing inflammation.
Malus domestica fruit cell culture extract:
It nourishes and supports hair follicles to encourage growth and help maintain hair health.
BHT:
It is a widely used preservative for cosmetic products.
Lecithin:
It is a compound that helps to turn dry, brittle hair into silky, shiny hair. Lecithin also reverses some of the effects of hair aging.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone:
It is considered to be a preservative that has amazing antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has been proven to be effective in destroying gram positive and gram-negative bacteria types.
Triticum vulgare (Wheat) seed extract:
It serves as an anti-inflammatory and skin nourisher because of its high concentration of D and E vitamins.
Xanthan gum:
This ingredient is excellent emulsion stabilization agent, which facilitates incorporation and prevents phase-separation of oil-based additives.
Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil:
It acts as a lubricant to promote hair shine and manageability, but also as an emulsifying agent.
Methylisothiazolinone:
This compound is a preservative to maintain a products integrity and stability by inhibiting or reducing the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungus (FDA).
Phenoxyethanol:
It can also be found naturally in green tea and plays a role fighting bacteria known for causing hair loss.
Behentrimonium chloride:
Made from colza oil obtained from the seeds of Brassica rapa, it conditions, detangles, fights static, softens, and helps strengthen hair.
Cetearyl alcohol:
It is a mixture of fatty alcohols consisting predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols found in plants, like Coconut and Palm oils. This ingredient is well known to effectively condition and soften the skin and hair.
Cetyl palmitate:
This lipid ingredient is composed of cetyl alcohol and palmitic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid has excellent cleansing and foaming properties.
Cyclopentasiloxane:
It is conditioner, delivery agent, lubricant and solvent, and it has a unique fluidity that makes it easily spreadable providing a silky feel without weighing the hair down with greasy residue.
Stearyl alcohol:
Derived from coconut oil are used in hair care products as emollients, moisturizing and thickening agents. It contributes glide and gloss to the hair shaft and encourages softness and also helps smooth down damaged cuticles.
Polyquaternium-7:
This ingredient is an excellent cationic conditioner for hair.
Isopropyl alcohol:
This ingredient has some detectable drying effect for the oily hair. Oily scalp could cause hair loss as it blocks follicles from producing hair growth.
Phenoxyethanol:
It can also be found naturally in green tea and plays a role fighting bacteria known for causing hair loss.
Benzyl PCA:
This ingredient is a non-volatile alcohol used as a preservative in products. It should not impact the texture or feel of your hair.
PEG-5 cocomonium methosulfate:
This ingredient is a cationic surfactant with antistatic and hydrophobing properties.
Hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer:
It is a gelling agent that thickens, emulsifies, and stabilizes. This compound provides a sensation of freshness and it leaves a feeling of velvety softness.
Polysorbate 60:
The ingredient is a sorbitol-based emulsifier and surfactant.
Squalane:
It is an organic compound it’s also an effective conditioning agent for hair by coating and smoothing the hair shaft so that hair feels softer and looks shinier and healthier. The compound has also emollient properties enhancing the penetration of other ingredients.
Dimethiconol:
The ingredient functions as a hair conditioner, anti-foaming agent and emollient.
Butyrospermum parkii butter (Shea butter):
It is primarily comprised of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as Vitamins A, E and F, and Carotene. Its components make it a suitable base for moisturizing the hair, and it has hydrating and regenerative effects.
Propylene glycol:
The compound acts by retaining the moisture content of skin or the formula, preventing the escape of moisture or water. It allows the hair to be combed through more easily.
Sodium glutamate:
It is effective amount to make the hair more flexible and more resistant to breakage.
Keratin:
This is an ingredient that contributes in leaving the hair feeling smooth. It makes the hair more manageable, smooth, frizz-free and shiny. It is an important ingredient for a healthier-looking hair that can be styled wavy or straight as desired.
Arginine HCI:
Functions primarily as hair conditioning agent that works to slow hair loss.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein:
This compound’s protein molecules are small enough to penetrate the hair strands, strengthening the hair.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark extract:
Cinnamon contains chemical compounds like eugenol and cinnamaldehyde. These offer antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and many other benefits, which can help with hair problems by preventing fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp.
Citric acid:
It is used to adjust the pH down to 5.5 and helps preventing bacterial growth.
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract:
This compound can greatly reduce hair thinning and hair loss. It has proved to be beneficial for male baldness of various types too, and makes the hair strong and long.
Glycerin:
Glycerin is useful to hair growth apart from being able to return moisture back to dry hair and scalp. It has also a positive effect on dry, frizzy, and brittle hair. Additionally it helps to strengthen the hair, which leads to less breakage of the hair, and less formation of split ends.
Hydrolyzed soy protein:
It increases the ability of the hair to bind moisture and specifically improves the tensile strength of hair. It mitigates damage due to bleaching, perming, and hot combing. Soy Protein helps to minimize roughness and chapping of skin caused by dry climates.
Kigelia africana fruit extract:
It is an anti-oxidant particularly effective in helping to prevent hormonal (DHT) damage to hair and recommended for dry scalps.
Lauryldimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed soy protein:
This compound forms a protective protein film on the hair surface, protects hair, and is preferentially adsorbed on damaged hair. With a good repairing effect on hair, it can significantly enhance the hair fibre tension and elasticity, smooth the hair structure, strengthen hair gloss, and texture. It’s used as both a hair strengthener and an anti-static agent.
Malus domestica fruit cell culture extract:
It nourishes and supports hair follicles to encourage growth and help maintain hair health.
Salvia sclarea extract:
It plays an important role in hair loss treatments as it clears pores in the skin. It also has a stimulating effect on the hair follicles, which encourages growth while blocking harmful follicle chocking chemicals in the body like DHT, which naturally occur in both men and women.
Sodium cocoyl glutamate:
It is a cleansing agent derived from coconut oil. This ingredient is also used to help soften (remove excess minerals from) hard water.
BHT:
It is a widely used preservative for cosmetic products.
Glycine:
This ingredient is well suited to hair care products since it works to make hair smoother when “finger-combed” as well as in general enhancement of hair aesthetics.
Hydroxypropyl guar (and) hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride:
The compound functions as a conditioning agent for skin and hair, helps deposit active ingredients on hair, and also provides anti-static properties without weighing hair down.
Triticum vulgare (Wheat) seed extract:
It serves as an anti-inflammatory and skin nourisher because of its high concentration of D and E vitamins.
Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil:
It acts as a lubricant to promote hair shine and manageability, but also as an emulsifying agent.
Lecithin:
It is a compound that helps to turn dry, brittle hair into silky, shiny hair. Lecithin also reverses some of the effects of hair aging.
Xanthan gum:
This ingredient is excellent emulsion stabilization agent, which facilitates incorporation and prevents phase-separation of oil-based additives.
Alcohol denat:
It serves as an antiseptic.
Polysorbate 20:
This compound is used as a surfactant and emulsifier.
Butylene glycol:
Is a small organic alcohol used as solvent and conditioning agent.
PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil:
This ingredient is a multifunctional agent that is used as emulsifier, surfactant and solubilizer.
PPG-26-buteth-26:
It is known for its ability to restore the appearance of dry, damaged hair by reducing flaking and improving suppleness.
PEG-5 cocomonium methosulfate:
This ingredient is a cationic surfactant with antistatic and hydrophobing properties.
Apigenin:
It improves microcirculation.
Biotinoyl tripeptide-1:
This compound stimulates cell metabolism.
Oleanolic acid:
It is used have been used to enhance hair growth and prevent scalp irritation. This compound encourages hair growth by stimulating the peripheral blood flow in the scalp and activating the hair mother cells. It also furnishes alopecia-preventing and dandruff-preventing effects.
Sphinganine:
Improves the visual appearance of hair and protecting and stimulates the growth.
Sodium glutamate:
It is effective amount to make the hair more flexible and more resistant to breakage.
Hydrolyzed soy protein:
It increases the ability of the hair to bind moisture and specifically improves the tensile strength of hair. It mitigates damage due to bleaching, perming, and hot combing. Soy Protein helps to minimize roughness and chapping of skin caused by dry climates.
Lauryldimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein:
This compound forms a protective protein film on the hair surface, protects hair, and is preferentially adsorbed on damaged hair. With a good repairing effect on hair, it can significantly enhance the hair fibre tension and elasticity, smooth the hair structure, strengthen hair gloss, and texture. It’s used as both a hair strengthener and an anti-static agent.
Sodium cocoyl glutamate:
It is a cleansing surfactant. It cleanses scalp and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away.
Glycine:
Glycerin is useful to hair growth apart from being able to return moisture back to dry hair and scalp. It has also a positive effect on dry, frizzy, and brittle hair. Additionally it helps to strengthen the hair, which leads to less breakage of the hair, and less formation of split ends.
Hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride:
The compound functions as a conditioning agent for skin and hair, helps deposit active ingredients on hair, and also provides anti-static properties without weighing hair down.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone:
It is considered to be a preservative that has amazing antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has been proven to be effective in destroying gram positive and gram-negative bacteria types.
Methylisothiazolinone:
This compound is a preservative to maintain a products integrity and stability by inhibiting or reducing the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungus (FDA).
Astressin- B:
This compound resumes hair growth, which results in thicker hair and also a darker pigmentation than the original.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark extract:
Cinnamon contains chemical compounds like eugenol and cinnamaldehyde. These offer antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and many other benefits, which can help with hair problems by preventing fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp.
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract:
This compound can greatly reduce hair thinning and hair loss. It has proved to be beneficial for male baldness of various types too, and makes the hair strong and long.
Kigelia africana fruit extract:
It is an anti-oxidant particularly effective in helping to prevent hormonal (DHT) damage to hair and recommended for dry scalps.
Propylene glycol:
The compound acts by retaining the moisture content of skin or the formula, preventing the escape of moisture or water. It allows the hair to be combed through more easily.
Salvia sclarea extract:
It plays an important role in hair loss treatments as it clears pores in the skin. It also has a stimulating effect on the hair follicles, which encourages growth while blocking harmful follicle chocking chemicals in the body like DHT, which naturally occur in both men and women.
Thank you for such an awesome article dear and from my experience with sheamoisture I want to share that i am using hair care products for my hair Because this extra-moisturizing properties of this hair detangler come from raw Shea butter that deeply penetrates while restoring dry scalp and hair.