Tresemme is a line of hair care products that use the marketing of bringing salon quality style to the consumer at deep discount pricing. The company has a full product line of shampoos, conditioners and hair styling aids. Using Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo as the example, there are 21 ingredients listed other than water, green 5 for color and a generic fragrance.
Cleansing Agents
Cleansing agents are ingredients that clean the hair. They are detergents. There are three cleansing agents in Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo: ammonium lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine and cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein. Cocamidopropyl betaine is also a foam-boosting agent, according to the Skin Deep online cosmetic database. Ammonium lauryl sulfate is also a surfactant, according to Cosmetics Info website, as is cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein, according to Skin Deep. Surfactants help the product glide over the hair easily.
Hair Conditioners
Hair Conditioners work by smoothing the hair and keeping it soft. They improve the appearance of the hair. There are three hair conditioning agents in Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo: hydrolyzed keratin, panthenol and niacinamide, according to Skin Deep. Hydrolyzed keratin can also act as an anti-static agent and a humectant. Panthenol is a vitamin B5 derivative that can also be a lubricant, according to Cosmetics Info.
Fragrance
The fragrances in this product are amyl cinnamal, butylphenyl methylpropional and limonene. Limonene may irritate some people with sensitive skin, according to the Cosmetics Cop website.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are agents that will fight free radical damage and protect the hair and skin. There are two antioxidants in this shampoo; ascorbic acid and tocopheryl acetate. Ascorbic acid is another name for Vitamin C, according to Cosmetics Info.
Preservatives
Preservatives keep a product or formula from spoiling quickly but inhibiting growth of fungi, mold and bacteria. There are three preservatives in this shampoo; DMDM hydantoin, citric acid and Citrus grandis fruit extract, or grapefruit. Citric acid can also be a fragrance as well.
Solvents
Solvents help ingredients dissolve into one another and create emulsions. Polysorbate 20 is the solvent in this shampoo, according to Cosmetics Info, and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers are agents that help keep hair hydrated, smooth and softer feeling. They can also be humectants and emollients, keeping hair from drying out and becoming brittle. Moisturizing agents in this Tresemme shampoo are biotin, propylene glycol and Citrus medica limonum peel extract. Biotin is also known as vitamin B7 and is water soluble, according to Cosmetics Info. Propylene glycol can be a humectant and helps deliver the ingredients into the skin and hair, according to Cosmetics Cop. Citrus medica limonum peel extract has emollient properties and is safe for use, according to Cosmetics Info.
Binding Agents
These agents bind with metals and ions in the formula to keep the compound from deteriorating. The binding agent in this shampoo, according to Cosmetics Info, is disodium EDTA.
Thickener
Thickeners keep a product in a creamier, non-runny state. The thickener in this shampoo is ammonium chloride, according to Cosmetics Info.
References
Writer Bio
T.M. Samuels has been a freelance writer since 1993. She has published works in "Arthritis Today," "Alabama Living" and "Mature Years," and is the author of a gardening book. Samuels studied pre-medicine at Berry College.