Discover Natural Ingredients within our Products

Ingredient Glossary

These key ingredients help power the Aveda products you love. Discover what they do and where they are sourced from - and why they'll make a difference in your hair care routine.

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INGREDIENT NAME:

ACACIA SENEGAL GUM

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Acacia Tree

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for hair thickening & maintaining a hair style

INGREDIENT NAME:

ACRYLATES COPOLYMER

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Synthetic

WHAT IT IS:

Synthetic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to thicken and stabilize a product

INGREDIENT NAME:

ALCOHOL DENAT

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Corn

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to blend other ingredients into the product and as a carrier for another ingredient

INGREDIENT NAME:

ALEURITES MOLUCCANA (KUKUI) SEED OIL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Kukui Seed

WHAT IT IS:

Natural; Organic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for weightless conditioning

^* When available

LEARN MORE

INGREDIENT NAME:

AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Palm

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for cleansing with lots of luxurious lather

INGREDIENT NAME:

ARACHIDYL ALCOHOL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Rapeseed, an annual flowering plant grown for the oil in its seeds

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to create a rich product texture and stabilize a product

INGREDIENT NAME:

ARACHIDYL GLUCOSIDE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Wheat

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to stabilize a product

INGREDIENT NAME:

ARGAN OIL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Kernels of argan tree

WHAT IT IS:

Natural; Organic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for conditioning and nourishing hair

^* When available

INGREDIENT NAME:

ARGININE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Corn

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to balance the pH of the product and for hair strengthening

INGREDIENT NAME:

AVENA SATIVA (OAT) BRAN EXTRACT

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Oats

WHAT IT IS:

Natural

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to provide a creamy product texture and slip through hair

INGREDIENT NAME:

BABASSUAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE (DERIVED FROM BABASSU)

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Babassu

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for gentle cleansing

LEARN MORE

INGREDIENT NAME:

BEHENAMIDOPROPYLTRI MONIUM METHOSULFATE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Rapeseed, an annual flowering plant grown for the oil in its seeds

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for conditioning hair and static prevention, not a sulfate cleanser

INGREDIENT NAME:

BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Rapeseed, an annual flowering plant grown for the oil in its seeds

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to create a creamy product texture and for conditioning and static prevention

INGREDIENT NAME:

BEHENTRIMONIUM METHOSULFATE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Rapeseed, an annual flowering plant grown for the oil in its seeds

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to create a creamy product texture and for conditioning and static prevention

INGREDIENT NAME:

BEHENYL/OCTYLDODECYL PROPANEDIOL CITRATE CROSSPOLYMER

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Coconut & Corn

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for smoothing hair and long lasting conditioning

INGREDIENT NAME:

BENZOIC ACID

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Synthetic

WHAT IT IS:

Synthetic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to keep product fresh

INGREDIENT NAME:

BIXA ORELLANA (ANNATTO) SEED EXTRACT

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Seeds of Bixa, Orellana, also called archiote tree or the lipstick plant

WHAT IT IS:

Natural

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to color a product, improving its appearance

INGREDIENT NAME:

BUTYLENE GLYCOL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Sugar Cane

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for moisturization and to blend other ingredients into the product

INGREDIENT NAME:

BUTYROSPERMUM (SHEA BUTTER) PARKII

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Shea

WHAT IT IS:

Natural; Organic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for softening and smoothing

^* When available

LEARN MORE

INGREDIENT NAME:

CAFFEINE

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Coffea Arabica

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for its calming and soothing properties for skin and scalp

INGREDIENT NAME:

CAPRYLYL GLYCOL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Synthetic

WHAT IT IS:

Synthetic

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to blend other ingredients into the product and for moisturization

INGREDIENT NAME:

CARAMEL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Corn

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to color a product, improving its appearance

INGREDIENT NAME:

CARRAGEENAN

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Red Algae

WHAT IT IS:

Natural

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used to thicken a product, improving the texture

INGREDIENT NAME:

CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) plant, an annual flowering plant grown for the oil in its seeds

WHAT IT IS:

Natural

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for softening and smoothing hair

INGREDIENT NAME:

CETEARYL ALCOHOL (DERIVED FROM PALM)

WHERE IT'S FROM:

Palm

WHAT IT IS:

Naturally Derived

WHY IT'S GREAT:

Used for hair smoothing and to create a creamy product texture