DevaCurl Ingredients (2026): Are They Safe Now?

DevaCurl is a Not A Fan for me in 2026. I first read their shampoo labels in 2020, when customers were suing the brand over hair loss and scalp irritation. The company did change its formulas after that, and three ingredients I flagged are gone for good. That was real progress, and I want to give credit for it. Even so, every DevaCurl product I read this month still contains an undisclosed fragrance and phenoxyethanol. Most also contain ethoxylated ingredients, which can carry probable carcinogenic contaminants. Below, you’ll find my 2020-to-2026 comparison, my verdict on six products, and where the DevaCurl lawsuit actually ended up.

Did DevaCurl Change Its Ingredients After The Lawsuit?

Yes, and some of the changes are good news. Three ingredients I flagged in 2020 are gone:

• Diazolidinyl Urea (a preservative that slowly releases formaldehyde into the product)
• Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (I rate it Not A Fan because it’s an allergen that easily penetrates the skin)
• Propylene Glycol (because its manufacture relies on propylene oxide, a possible carcinogen, I keep it out of my Best products)

Removing all three from products meant for sensitive scalps was the right call. If the lawsuit pushed those changes, then the lawsuit did some good.

Here’s what did not change. All six products I read still list an undisclosed fragrance. Every one of them still contains phenoxyethanol. Five of the six contain one or several ethoxylated ingredients.

One more thing worth knowing: these formulas have been stable for years. When I compared the current shampoo labels to the ones I recorded in 2023, they matched word for word. If you’re wondering whether something changed again recently, it did not.

My Not A Fan Verdict On Six DevaCurl Products

I read six current DevaCurl labels in September 2026. Here’s what is in each one.

Low-Poo Original

Flagged ingredients:

• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, and Polysorbate 60 (all ethoxylated)
• Fragrance, plus alpha-isomethyl ionone, benzyl benzoate, geraniol, and linalool
• Phenoxyethanol
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine

DevaCurl sells this as its mild lathering shampoo, and it holds the most flagged ingredients of the six products I reviewed: three ethoxylated ingredients and four fragrance allergens in one bottle plus phenoxyethanol and cocamidopropyl betaine.

No-Poo Original

Flagged ingredients:

• Laureth-4 (ethoxylated)
• Fragrance, plus citronellol and geraniol
• Phenoxyethanol
• Cocamidopropyl betaine

This one is sold as a non-lathering shampoo, and the label reads more like a conditioner than a classic shampoo. It carries one ethoxylated ingredient rather than three, so the list of flags is shorter than the one above.

One Condition Original

Flagged ingredients:

• Fragrance, plus limonene and linalool
• Phenoxyethanol

Of the six, this conditioner has the shortest list of flags. No ethoxylated ingredient appears on it at all, which I was glad to see. What keeps it in the Not A Fan tier is the pairing I find on every product in this line: an undisclosed fragrance plus phenoxyethanol.

Ultra Defining Gel

Flagged ingredients:

• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (ethoxylated)
• Fragrance, plus citral, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, and linalool
• Phenoxyethanol

Here’s where leave-on matters. A shampoo rinses away in a minute or two, but a styling gel sits against your hair and scalp until your next wash. Four named fragrance allergens stay on your hair all day in this one.

Light Defining Gel

Flagged ingredients:

• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (ethoxylated)
• Fragrance, plus citral, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, and linalool
• Phenoxyethanol

The hold is lighter than the Ultra version, but the flagged part of the label is nearly identical. Both gels use the same ethoxylated ingredient, the same four named allergens, and the same preservative.

Moisture Seal

Flagged ingredients:

• Ceteareth-20 (ethoxylated)
• Fragrance, plus citral, citronellol, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, and linalool
• Phenoxyethanol

DevaCurl sells this as a finishing spray for frizz and shine, and you leave it in your hair. Of the six products here, it carries the longest list of named fragrance allergens, five in all. Anyone whose scalp reacts easily should read this label closely.

Moisture Seal also matters if you used to buy DevaCurl High Shine, the anti-frizz oil, because the company no longer sells it. Nothing in the current lineup replaces High Shine directly, and Moisture Seal is the closest by purpose.

What Are The Ethoxylated Ingredients In DevaCurl?

Five ingredients across these six products are ethoxylated:

• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
• PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
• Polysorbate 60
• Laureth-4
• Ceteareth-20

Ethoxylation is a manufacturing step that uses ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen, to make a harsh ingredient gentler. The trouble is what it can leave behind. This step creates 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen, and traces can stay in the finished product. Companies can strip most of it out, but the label never tells you whether they did.

I rate all ethoxylated ingredients Not A Fan. My posts on Sodium Laureth Sulfate and polysorbates walk you through the full reasoning.

Does DevaCurl Contain Fragrance?

Yes, all six products list fragrance, and that one word can stand for dozens of scent chemicals a company does not have to name. US law allows that secrecy. Some chemicals on the fragrance industry’s own transparency list are linked to allergies, hormone effects, or cancer, so an undisclosed blend is a fair thing to want to avoid.

Notice the list of names that follows the word fragrance on the labels (citral, citronellol, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, and linalool). Those are recognized fragrance allergens, and European law requires a company to name them once they pass a set amount. While American law has no such rule, the company did it anyway.

What About Phenoxyethanol In DevaCurl?

Phenoxyethanol shows up in all six products. It’s not the worst preservative on the market, and I rate it Better (Not In My Top Picks). At the low levels used in cosmetics, it’s safe for most people.

Three things keep it out of my top tier. First, it’s a recognized allergen. Second, it’s made using ethylene oxide, the same carcinogenic chemical behind the ethoxylation concern above. Third, Europe is reviewing it as a possible hormone disruptor, at Italy’s request, with no verdict yet.

The European Union caps it at 1%. The United States and Canada set no limit at all, which means an American product can legally contain more.

Why Do I Flag Cocamidopropyl Betaine In DevaCurl Shampoos?

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a mild, coconut-based cleansing agent in Low-Poo Original and No-Poo Original. While it does not absorb into your body, it can cause allergy due to trace impurities left over from manufacturing. I accept it in Better products, never in Best.

This one matters for anyone whose symptoms showed up long after they started using a product. Allergic sensitization works that way. You can use something for years without trouble, and then react to it.

The industry’s own review panel has changed its mind on this ingredient. In 1991, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel cleared it. Reports of reactions kept coming in, so the panel reopened the file, and in 2012 it recognized that this ingredient can cause skin sensitization.

Does DevaCurl Cause Hair Loss?

I don’t know, and I want to be straight with you about that. Proving that one product caused one person’s hair loss is not something I can do, and I have never claimed DevaCurl did.

What I can tell you is that a product does not need to reach the hair bulb to cause trouble. Maryanne Senna, M.D., is a dermatologist and director of the Hair Academic Innovative Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has explained that a product can cause surface inflammation, and that inflammation can lead to breakage and shedding. Swelling around a follicle can also harden it, which changes hair texture and curl pattern. Asked about specific ingredients, she pointed to fragrance and called it a significant sensitizer.

Two more things are worth understanding. An allergic reaction is usually to a single ingredient, not to a whole product. Even a plant extract can cause one. Sensitization also takes time, so trouble can begin years after you started using something. If your hair is thinning, changing shampoo may not be the only fix. My post on the most overlooked hair loss causes covers the reasons people miss most often. And if your scalp itches, burns, or flakes, stop the product and see a dermatologist rather than guessing. 

What Happened With The DevaCurl Lawsuit?

It’s over. Here’s the short version.

A Facebook group formed in 2019 for people who believed DevaCurl products were causing hair and scalp problems. One well-known DevaCurl promoter, Ayesha Malik, posted a video called “Why I Stopped Using DevaCurl” that passed three million views. Customers filed multiple lawsuits in 2020 claiming hair loss and scalp irritation. Those cases were combined into one action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, called In re: Deva Concepts Products Liability Litigation.

Judge Gregory H. Woods granted final approval to a $5.2 million settlement on January 3, 2022. It covered people who bought or used the products in the United States between February 8, 2008 and August 29, 2021. Over 54,000 claims were filed. Payments went out in September 2022, at roughly $384 per person for most claimants. Deva Concepts denied all of the allegations and settled anyway, which is common.

No open class action against DevaCurl exists today. So if you’re asking whether the lawsuit is still going, the answer is no. That’s also why a lawsuit cannot tell you whether today’s formulas suit you. The label can.

What I Think About DevaCurl — And What You Should Do

DevaCurl earned some credit after 2020. Removing diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, and propylene glycol took three real allergens out of these products, and I’m glad the company did it.

The current labels, however, still contain the ingredients I flag. Every product I read has an undisclosed fragrance and phenoxyethanol, and five of the six have ethoxylated ingredients. That’s why all six are a Not A Fan for me.

You do not need to throw away any DevaCurl product tonight. If your bottle is nearly empty, you may want to consider a product without the flagged ingredients next time. If your scalp feels fine and you love your curls, finishing what you already own is a reasonable choice, and worrying about it is not.

When you’re ready to switch, my Best Shampoos Without Harmful Chemicals guide walks through the options I trust and explains why I trust them.

DevaCurl Ingredients FAQ

Is DevaCurl Safe To Use Now?

For most people, a single wash is very unlikely to cause harm. My concern is different. I look at what builds up over years of daily use, and these labels include an undisclosed fragrance, phenoxyethanol, and ethoxylated ingredients. Options for curly hair formulated without these ingredients exist, so DevaCurl is not where I would spend my money.

Has DevaCurl Changed Their Formula?

Yes. Diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, and propylene glycol all came out after 2020. The shampoo labels have not changed since 2023, and they match what I recorded then, word for word. What stayed are the ethoxylated ingredients, the fragrance, and the phenoxyethanol.

Which DevaCurl Products Should I Be Most Careful With?

Two answers, depending on what concerns you. If fragrance sensitivity is your issue, look first at the leave-on products, because they stay on your hair and scalp all day. Moisture Seal carries five named allergens and the two gels carry four each. If ethoxylated ingredients are your concern, Low-Poo Original has three of them, more than any other product I read.

Is DevaCurl Bad For Your Hair?

No evidence shows directly that these products damage hair. Curly hair tends to run dry and fragile, so an ingredient that irritates your scalp can show up faster there than elsewhere. Should a product make your scalp itch, flake, or burn, that’s your answer, whatever any review says.

Is DevaCurl Color Safe?

Most likely yes. Hair color fades faster when a shampoo contains harsh cleansing agents called sulfates (like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate). None of the six labels I read lists a sulfate. DevaCurl markets these products as color-safe, and nothing on the labels contradicts that claim.

Is DevaCurl Cruelty-Free And Vegan?

PETA lists DevaCurl as cruelty-free, meaning neither the ingredients nor the finished products are tested on animals. On vegan status, be careful. DevaCurl’s website calls its formulas vegan, but PETA’s listing carries no vegan designation, so the two do not fully agree. None of the six labels I read contains an animal-derived ingredient. The brand is owned by Henkel, which is not certified cruelty-free, and that matters to some readers.

Can Hair Loss From A Hair Product Be Permanent?

Usually not. Hair that sheds because of scalp irritation or breakage generally grows back once the irritation stops. Loss that continues long-term normally points to another cause, which is why a dermatologist is the right person to ask. Please do not try to sort this out from an ingredient list alone.