Head and Shoulders cool menthol
Head and Shoulders head and shoulders cool menthol lists 22 ingredients on its label, 21 decoded. See what each one does, its irritancy and comedogenic tendency, and its status in national inventories.
Ingredients overview
Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.
Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.
- Water
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Chloride
- Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Sodium Citrate
- Fragrance
- Piroctone Olamine
- Menthol
- Dimethiconol
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Benzoate
- Sodium Salicylate
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- Dimethicone
- Tetrasodium EDTA
- Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Trideceth-10
- Propylene Glycol
- Ci 42090
- Ci 17200
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of parabensFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains sulfatesContains PEGContains EU-26 allergensContains fragranceContains silicones
Formulation view Sulfate-based anionic surfactants provide cleansing power, buffered by betaine. Contains menthol for cooling and piroctone olamine for flake control, with guar derivatives for conditioning. Suited for oily scalp seeking refreshment. Factory observation: balancing sulfates and silicones is key to cleansing vs. smoothness.
Key ingredients
- ANTIPLAQUE
- Water
- CLEANSING
- Sodium Laureth SulfateSodium Lauryl Sulfate
- BULKING
- Sodium Chloride
- SURFACTANT - HYDROTROPE
- Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- ANTISTATIC
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- BUFFERING
- Sodium Citrate
- 矫味剂
- Fragrance
Other ingredients
Piroctone OlamineMentholDimethiconolCitric AcidSodium BenzoateSodium SalicylateGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideDimethiconeTetrasodium EDTATea-DodecylbenzenesulfonateTrideceth-10Propylene GlycolCi 42090Ci 17200
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ANTIPLAQUE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Laureth Sulfate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 2 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | CLEANSING, DENATURANT, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 4 · 0 | Yellow |
| Sodium Chloride | BULKING, FRAGRANCE, ORAL CARE, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Xylenesulfonate | SURFACTANT - HYDROTROPE | 2 · 0 | Green |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | ANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Citrate | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Fragrance | 矫味剂,增香剂 | — | Yellow |
| Piroctone Olamine | ANTI-SEBORRHEIC, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 III/61 V/35 | 2 · 0 | Yellow |
| Menthol | DENATURANT, FRAGRANCE, REFRESHING, SOOTHING · 限制 III/338 | 2 · 0 | Yellow |
| Dimethiconol | ANTIFOAMING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, MOISTURISING | 0 · 3 | Green |
| Citric Acid | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Benzoate | ANTICORROSIVE, FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/1 | 0 · – | Yellow |
| Sodium Salicylate | DENATURANT, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/3 | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride | ANTISTATIC, FILM FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Dimethicone | ANTIFOAMING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN PROTECTING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tetrasodium EDTA | CHELATING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate | CLEANSING, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING · 限制 III/62 | 3 · – | Green |
| Trideceth-10 | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Propylene Glycol | HUMECTANT, FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Ci 42090 | COLORANT, HAIR DYEING · 限制 IV/63 (CI 42090) III/190 (Acid Blue 9; Acid Blue 9 Ammonium Salt; Acid Blue 9 Aluminum Lake) | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ci 17200 | COLORANT, HAIR DYEING · 限制 IV/37 (CI 17200) III/254 (Acid Red 33) | 2 · – | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Water
- Primary solvent and base; requires preservative system to prevent microbial growth
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Common anionic surfactant, strong foam but drying; check cationic compatibility, high eye irritation
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Strong anionic surfactant, high foam; high irritation risk, avoid in sensitive formulas.
- Sodium Chloride
- Salt for gel viscosity control; used as precipitant in soaps
- Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- Solubilizer and hydrotrope; higher irritation than standard non-ionics; avoid oral contact.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamidopropyl betaine; zwitterionic co-surfactant reducing irritation and boosting foam, common in mild cleansers.
- Sodium Citrate
- Sodium citrate for buffering and chelating; adjust pH, careful with strong acid reactions.
- Fragrance
- Fragrance; concentration must control allergen risk, label specific components
- Piroctone Olamine
- Antifungal/antiseborrheic agent; high-concentration irritation; avoid eye area.
- Menthol
- Cooling and soothing agent at 0.5–2%; high levels may cause sensitivity or irritation, use caution around eyes and mucous membranes
- Dimethiconol
- Dimethiconol; silicone emollient providing silky feel and reducing friction; moderate comedogenicity, avoid excess.
- Citric Acid
- Buffer and chelator at 0.1–2%; adjusts pH, may irritate sensitive skin at low pH
- Sodium Benzoate
- Preservative booster, effective below pH 4.5; combinable with sorbates
- Sodium Salicylate
- Preservative (V/3 limit) and keratolytic aid; caution for sensitive skin and pregnancy.
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
- Cationic guar derivative for antistatic, film-forming, viscosity control; common in hair/skin conditioning
- Dimethicone
- Silicone occlusive at 1–5%; provides smooth feel, non-penetrating, suitable for sensitive skin
- Tetrasodium EDTA
- Chelator removing metal ions to enhance antioxidant and preservative efficacy; very low usage, typically 0.05-0.1%, no direct skincare function.
- Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Potent anionic surfactant with strong cleansing power; highly irritating and sensitize risk, requires strict usage limits and buffering.
- Trideceth-10
- Not decoded yet
- Propylene Glycol
- Polyol humectant at 3-10%; hygroscopic, slight tackiness, mild irritation at high conc., verify preservative efficacy, no allergen.
- Ci 42090
- Acid Blue 9 lake; for coloring and brow tints. Non-permanent hair dye, watch for lake precipitation and batch shade variance.
- Ci 17200
- Acid Red 33 hair dye; restricted use, potential scalp irritation
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-17. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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