Hair Ingredient Encyclopedia

Use our Label Analyzer tool. Simply copy the ingredient list from the back of your product bottle and paste it in. You'll get an instant report showing the safety rating, CG-method compatibility, and potential concerns for every ingredient.

The Curly Girl (CG) Method is a hair care approach that avoids sulfates, silicones, and other ingredients that can dry out or weigh down curly hair. CG-approved ingredients are safe to use if you follow this method.

The most commonly avoided hair product ingredients include harsh sulfates (SLS, SLES), drying alcohols, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and certain synthetic fragrances. However, what's "bad" depends on your hair type — browse our Avoid category for the full list.