Ingredient glossary / Conditioning agent
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
On the label: Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein · Conditioning agent
What it is
Wheat protein fragments used in conditioners and some skin care; a listed allergen source on labels.
Conditioning agents: Conditioning agents smooth hair or skin and reduce static; most are cationic (positively charged) so they cling to the hair shaft.
In the research
30 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Sensitization profiles in patients with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis: practical aspects for allergy workup · Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Soci, 2026
- Update on occupational contact urticaria: a systematic narrative review · Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology, 2026
- Molecular Diagnosis to IgE-mediated Wheat Allergy and Wheat-Dependent Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis · Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology, 2025
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other conditioning agents
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.