The Chem Lab

What is in the pouch, decoded. Every ingredient in The Coiling Cream, and what it does for your hair. No chemistry degree is required.

The base

The foundation of the formula.

Water (aqua)

The first ingredient in the pouch, and the whole point of it. Hair that goes without water turns brittle and breaks. The cream brings the water in first, then the oils and butters seal it there so it cannot slip away.

Oils and butters

The nourishers. Plant oils and butters that soften, seal in moisture, and protect every strand.

Coconut oil

Pressed from the coconut palm. One of the few oils that penetrates the hair shaft, helping reduce protein loss from within. In laboratory testing, it reduced protein loss in damaged and undamaged hair alike.

Sunflower seed oil

Pressed from sunflower seeds. Lightweight and rich in vitamin E, it helps guard against breakage and never sits heavy on the hair.

Shea butter

From the shea tree. A rich butter that seals moisture in and softens hair strands.

Mango seed butter

From the seed of the mango. A light butter that softens hair and helps seal in moisture without weighing it down, keeping hair soft and manageable.

Cocoa seed butter

From the cacao bean. A rich emollient that smooths the hair surface and helps protect against dryness.

Babassu seed oil

From the babassu palm, a lighter relative of coconut oil. It moisturizes without a greasy feel, so the cream can be used daily.

Sweet almond oil

Pressed from almonds. A light oil that adds shine and leaves hair soft and smooth, without weight.

Avocado oil

Pressed from the avocado. Rich in fatty acids that nourish dry hair.

Botanical extracts

Fruit, leaf, and flower extracts, each included for a specific function.

Hibiscus flower

The hibiscus flower. Its natural mucilage gives hair slip, which makes styling and detangling easier, and it leaves hair with a natural-looking shine.

Guava leaf

The leaf of the guava. It is rich in antioxidants that help protect hair against oxidative stress from the sun and environmental stressors, and folk practice has long used it in hair rinses for strong-looking, shiny hair.

Aloe vera leaf juice

From the aloe plant. It soothes the scalp and delivers light, weightless hydration.

Rosemary leaf

A fragrant herb, long used in scalp oils for its fresh, herbal scent.

Rice bran

From the bran of rice. Rich in antioxidants that help smooth and protect the hair surface.

Oat extract

From oats. A gentle extract that conditions hair and leaves the scalp feeling comfortable.

Cinnamon bark

From the bark of the cassia tree. A warming botanical with a warm, spicy scent, long used in Caribbean hair care.

Apple fruit, pineapple fruit, sugarcane

Together, these three fruits give gentle fruit acids and sugars that condition and draw in moisture.

Sweet potato tuber

From the sweet potato. A root extract used to condition and soften.

Sunflower extract

From the same sunflower as the oil above. An extract with antioxidant properties.

The functional ingredients

The science that makes it all work. Conditioning agents, humectants, and proteins that give the cream its slip, moisture, and strength.

Cetearyl alcohol

Made from plant oils. A fatty alcohol, not the drying kind. It gives the cream its thick, smooth body and helps the water and oils stay blended.

Behentrimonium methosulfate

Made from rapeseed oil. The detangler. Despite the long name it is a gentle conditioning agent, not a harsh sulfate. This is what gives the cream its slip.

Behenamidopropyl dimethylamine

Also made from rapeseed oil. A conditioning agent that smooths the hair surface and softens, so hair is left easy to comb.

Cetrimonium chloride

A conditioning salt made from fatty acids. It helps the cream spread evenly and leaves hair feeling soft, not coated.

Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine

Made from plant oils. A gentle conditioning agent that improves wet combing and helps hair dry smoother, with less static.

Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride

From the guar bean. A plant-derived conditioner that smooths the cuticle and tames frizz.

Glycerin, propanediol, sodium PCA, PCA, sodium lactate

The humectants, plant-derived. They pull water from the air into your hair and keep it there. Sodium PCA, PCA, and sodium lactate belong to the same moisture system your skin uses to hold water.

Squalane

Pressed from olives. A featherlight oil that mimics your skin's own moisture.

VP/VA copolymer

Made in a laboratory for one job: the soft hold. It keeps your style defined without crunch or flakes.

Hydrolyzed wheat protein

From wheat. Tiny protein pieces that patch weak spots in the hair shaft and reduce breakage.

Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)

The pro-vitamin of vitamin B5, made to match the vitamin exactly. It strengthens hair and helps it hold onto moisture longer.

Amino acids

Arginine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, serine, valine, proline, threonine, isoleucine, histidine, and phenylalanine. The building blocks of keratin, your hair's own protein. They help repair and reinforce.

Lactic acid, phytic acid

Lactic acid is made by fermenting plant sugars, and phytic acid comes from the seeds of plants. Together they keep the formula at a hair-friendly pH so the cuticle lies flat and smooth.

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Drawn from plant oils. An antioxidant that protects both the formula and your hair.

Allantoin

Found in the comfrey plant. It soothes and comforts the scalp.

The guardians

The preservatives. A pouch without preservatives would grow bacteria and mold. Ours are plant-based and vegan, like every ingredient in the formula, and they keep the cream safe until the pouch is empty.

Phenoxyethanol

A plant-based preservative, and one of the most widely used and closely studied in cosmetics. A cream made mostly of water needs protection, or it grows bacteria and mold. This is what keeps the pouch safe until it is empty. It is used at a low level, within the limits set by safety regulators.

Ethylhexylglycerin

Plant-based, and derived from glycerin. It supports the primary preservative so that less of it is required, and it also functions as a skin softener.

The finishing touch

There for the senses.

Fragrance

A small amount of fragrance gives the cream its light scent. It is the only ingredient in the pouch that is there purely for pleasure.

Continue learning with Hair School: the science behind your coils, in plain language.