The conditioners tested by "Öko Test" in the February 2020 issue include natural cosmetic products, own brands from drugstores and supermarkets, plus brands from well-known cosmetics manufacturers. You can view the complete test results including all tested products for a fee at "Öko Test".

The results of the test

Good news first: 13 of the conditioners tested received a "very good" recommendation. These include, for example, the "Yven: Conditioner Oil Repair" from Cosmolux for 1.49 euros per 200 ml, the "Lavera Repair & Care Conditioner Organic Rose & Pea Protein" for approx. 3 to 4 euros per 200 ml or the "Nature Box Conditioner with Avocado Oil" from Schwarzkopf & Henkel for 4.95 euros per 385 ml. So good things don't always have to be expensive. But more expensive conditioners, such as the "GRN Shades of Nature Conditioner Repair Pomegranate & Olive" for around 11 euros per 200 ml, were also among the test winners.

Six products failed due to questionable ingredients

Six conditioners failed the test completely and were rated "poor" and "unsatisfactory". The reasons for this include the harmful fragrances contained in the conditioners, such as the substance "Lilial". According to "Öko Test", this is said to be harmful to reproduction. Incidentally, you can recognize the ingredient Lilial on the packaging under the name "Butylphenyl Methylpropional". Furthermore, musk fragrances are contained in five conditioners, which can accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and possibly damage the liver. One conditioner in the test also contains "hydroxycitronellal", which can trigger allergies.

To the detriment of the environment: Contained silicones and polymers are poorly biodegradable

16 of the conditioners tested also contain silicones or so-called synthetic polymers, which give hair a great shine but are not biodegradable and are harmful to the environment. However, silicones in shampoos don't have to be, as there are plenty of shampoos on the market that do not contain synthetic polymers. And demand continues to rise.
In general, the testers also advise against using conditioner after every hair wash, as this coats our hair with a film and weighs it down. Instead, it is recommended that we treat our mane with lemon or vinegar water from time to time. These neutralize the soap residue from shampoo and co. in a completely natural way.