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Side by side

Kenra Professional Platinum Silkening Gloss vs Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

99% function match · 9 of the 9 functions we compared match Formula overlap 65%. Kenra Professional Platinum Silkening Gloss and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum share 2 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

These sit in different steps of a routine — Kenra Professional Platinum Silkening Gloss is a finisher and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum is a heat protectant. Comparing their formulas is fair; treating one as a replacement for the other is not.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Platinum Silkening Gloss — protein-sensitive hair
  • Super Skinny Serum — heat styling

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
Kenra Professional Platinum Silkening Gloss — 2 oz container Kenra Professional

Platinum Silkening Gloss

  • Finisher
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum — 5.1 oz container Paul Mitchell

Super Skinny Serum

  • Heat protectant
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
about $29 2 oz · $14.50/oz
$12 5.1 oz · $4.17/oz

Compared at different sizes — 5.1 oz against 2 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 75% of the 77 serums we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 63% of the 564 heat protectants we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. Your hair
Moisture level Same
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
Shine system
High A silicone or oil blend does the shine work here. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Heat protection
—
High The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
—
Humidity resistance
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
—
Fast-drying alcohol Same
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
  • Humid climatesthe brand claims humidity resistance
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • Heat stylingthe brand states protection to 450°F
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Finisherserum
Heat protectantserum
Where to buy
Salons · Ulta
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Finish
high-shine
—
Humidity claim
Yes
—
Heat protection
—
up to 450°F
How often
as needed
—

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientPlatinum Silkening GlossSuper Skinny Serum
Dimethicone
Buildup
#2Leading
#2Leading
Dimethiconol
Buildup
#4Supporting
#3Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#5Below the 1% line
#4Below the 1% line
Hexyl Cinnamal
Fragrance
#7Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#9Below the 1% line
#9Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#10Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Platinum Silkening Gloss

Super Skinny Serum

Full ingredient list — Platinum Silkening Gloss (10)
Full ingredient list — Super Skinny Serum (16)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsPlatinum Silkening GlossSuper Skinny Serum
Supported
2
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
3
5
Potential conflict
0
0

Platinum Silkening Gloss

  • shine-enhancing smoothing glossSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • sleek and smooth finishSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • 72-hour humidity resistanceStated by brandMay help, but not measurable here.
  • reduces styling breakageStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • thermal protection up to 450°FStated by brandOnly lab testing can show this.

Super Skinny Serum

  • #1 Smoothing Serum Sold in Salons (Kline data Q3 2024-Q2 2025)Stated by brandPopularity, not performance.
  • Best-selling blowout primer protects from heat with reduced drying timeStated by brandPopularity, not performance.
  • One Super Skinny Serum is sold every 20 secondsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Humidity-resistant formula protects against frizzStated by brandMay help, but not measurable here.
  • Lightweight silicones coat and seal each strandSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Very concentrated, use sparinglyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for frizz control and shine. Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum draws complaints about the scent and residue or cast.

Platinum Silkening Gloss

A fine straight-haired reviewer with bleached and dyed damage says it leaves hair shiny, soft, and smooth all day after damp application and a later pass before heat styling.

A wavy/curly-haired shopper says it worked well on frizz during humid Florida weather.

A long-time Florida user says a little goes a long way, likes the scent, and finds it effective at taming frizzy hair.

A wavy-haired customer likes the bright shine but reports that the pump cap broke on first opening.

Super Skinny Serum

Controls stray hair and frizz without grease for some users

Jules, Ulta reviewer

Smooths hair and improves shine with a small amount

Ulta reviewers

Current formula can feel oily, sticky, or have an altered scent

Jerky, kjok1212, and Jane, Ulta reviewers

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$4.17/oz vs $14.50/oz — Kenra Professional Platinum Silkening Gloss costs about 3.5× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.

Platinum Silkening Gloss

Against 77 serums with a computable unit price.

Super Skinny Serum

Against 564 heat protectants with a computable unit price.

Value readPlatinum Silkening GlossSuper Skinny Serum
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for heat protectants per ounce.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Platinum Silkening Gloss vs Clear Smoothing Serum (Blowout Primer)Paul Mitchell · 100% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Clear Smoothing Serum (Blowout Primer)Paul Mitchell · 99% function matchPlatinum Silkening Gloss vs Clear Smoothing SerumPaul Mitchell · 100% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Clear Smoothing SerumPaul Mitchell · 99% function matchPlatinum Silkening Gloss vs Mekabu Hydrating Shine SerumMasami · 99% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Light Luminous Reflective OilWella · 95% function matchPlatinum Silkening Gloss vs Light Luminous Reflective OilWella · 96% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Silk Essentials Thermal Strengthening SerumDesign Essentials · 95% function match

Platinum Silkening Gloss · Super Skinny Serum · All serums in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 7 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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