Hair Care Ingredients Database
Search over 1,000 hair care ingredients to check their Curly Girl Method safety rating. Every ingredient is classified as Approved, Caution, or Warning so you can make informed product choices.
Understanding Ingredient Safety Ratings
Approved
Ingredients that are safe for the Curly Girl Method. These include water-soluble ingredients, natural oils, and gentle cleansers that won't cause buildup or strip moisture.
Caution
Ingredients that may be acceptable depending on your routine. Water-soluble silicones and volatile alcohols fall here — they can be removed with gentle cleansing but may cause mild buildup.
Warning
Ingredients to avoid for the Curly Girl Method. Non-water-soluble silicones, sulfates, and waxes can cause buildup, strip natural oils, or weigh down curls.
Ingredients are organized into categories and groups for easier browsing. To check a full product ingredient list at once, use the Ingredient Checker.
Name | Aliases | Group | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceteareth-20 | polyoxyethylene cetearyl ether, ethoxylated cetearyl alcohol | Waxes | Water-soluble Waxes | ok |
| PEG-12 Carnauba Wax | polyethylene glycol-12 carnauba wax, ethoxylated carnauba wax | Waxes | Water-soluble Waxes | ok |
| PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil | polyethylene glycol-40 hydrogenated castor oil, ethoxylated castor oil | Waxes | Water-soluble Waxes | ok |
| PEG-8 Beeswax | polyethylene glycol-8 beeswax, ethoxylated beeswax | Waxes | Water-soluble Waxes | ok |
| Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane | polyethylene glycol-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, dimethylsilane glycol ether | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Dimethicone Copolyol | dimethicone polyethylene glycol ether, dimethicone polyoxyethylene | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Lauryl Methicone Copolyol | lauryl polyethylene glycol dimethicone, polyoxyethylene lauryl dimethicone | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| PEG-10 Dimethicone | polyethylene glycol-10 dimethicone, dimethicone polyether | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| PEG-12 Dimethicone | polyethylene glycol-12 dimethicone, dimethicone ethoxylate | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| PEG-14 Dimethicone | polyethylene glycol-14 dimethicone, dimethicone glycol ether | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| PEG-7 Amodimethicone | polyether modified amodimethicone, polyethylene glycol-7 amodimethicone | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| PEG-8 Dimethicone | polyethylene glycol-8 dimethicone, peg-modified dimethicone | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Silicone Quaternium-8 | cationic silicone polymer, quaternized dimethicone | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Silicone Quaternium 26 | — | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-propyl Silanetriol | PG-propyl Silanetriol | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane | — | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Silanetriol | — | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Unknown Water Soluble Silicones | — | Silicones | Water-soluble Silicones | caution |
| Ethyl Alcohol | grain alcohol, sugarcane-derived alcohol, sugarcane alcohol | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Isopropyl alcohol | isopropanol, 2-propanol | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Phenethyl Alcohol | phenylethyl alcohol, phenyl ethyl alcohol | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Propyl Alcohol | — | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Alcohol Denat | alcohol denat, alcohol-40b, denatured alcohol, sd alcohol, sugarcane derived alcohol, alcohol | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Unknown Alcohol | alcohol | Alcohols | Volatile Alcohols | caution |
| Ammonium Cocoyl Sulfate | ammonium cocoyl sulphate | Surfactants | Sulfates | warning |
Find Products That Match Your Ingredient Preferences
Now that you know which ingredients to look for, browse our database of 5,800+ products from major retailers — all analyzed for Curly Girl Method compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients should I avoid for the Curly Girl Method?
The main ingredients to avoid are sulfates (like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate), non-water-soluble silicones (like Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone), and waxes. These can cause buildup, strip natural oils, and weigh down curls. Use our ingredient database above to check any specific ingredient.
What's the difference between Caution and Warning ingredients?
Warning ingredients — such as sulfates, non-water-soluble silicones, and waxes — should be avoided entirely on the Curly Girl Method. Caution ingredients — like water-soluble silicones and volatile alcohols — are borderline. They may be acceptable depending on your routine since they can be removed with gentle cleansing, but some curlies prefer to avoid them too.
Are all silicones bad for curly hair?
No, not all silicones are the same. Water-soluble silicones (like PEG-modified dimethicone) are rated Caution because they can be washed out with gentle cleansers. Non-water-soluble silicones (like Dimethicone and Amodimethicone) are rated Warning because they cause buildup that requires sulfates to remove. Check our categories page to see the full silicone breakdown.
How do I check if a specific product is CG approved?
You have two options: search our database of 5,800+ pre-analyzed products at /au/products, or paste any product's ingredient list into our free Ingredient Checker at /checker for instant analysis. Both tools will tell you if a product is Approved, Caution, or Warning.
What are drying alcohols vs fatty alcohols?
Drying alcohols (like Alcohol Denat, Isopropyl Alcohol, and SD Alcohol) can strip moisture from hair and are rated Caution. Fatty alcohols (like Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, and Stearyl Alcohol) are actually beneficial — they're moisturizing ingredients rated Approved. Don't avoid all alcohols; just watch for the drying ones.