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Side by side

Kerastase Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique vs Ouai Hair Gloss

84% function match · 8 of the 9 functions we compared match Formula overlap 13%. Kerastase Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique and Ouai Hair Gloss share 3 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

These sit in different steps of a routine — Kerastase Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique is a heat protectant and Ouai Hair Gloss is a finisher. 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.

  • Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique — heat styling
  • Hair Gloss — protein-sensitive hair

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
Kerastase

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique

  • Heat protectant
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Ouai Hair Gloss — 6 oz container Ouai

Hair Gloss

  • Finisher
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$48 5.01 oz · $9.58/oz
$32–34 6 oz · $5.67/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 80% of the 904 heat protectants we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 64% of the 79 serums we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Same
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Heat protection
High The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. 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
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. 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
Shine system
—
High A silicone or oil blend does the shine work here. 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
Oils and butters Same
—
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Heat stylingthe brand states protection to 450°F
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
  • 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
Heat protectantserum
Finisher
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · brand states
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Finish
—
shine
Heat protection
up to 450°F
—

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

IngredientChroma Absolu Serum Chroma ThermiqueHair Gloss
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#6Below the 1% line
#35Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#8Below the 1% line
#8Supporting
Phenyl Trimethicone
Buildup
#11Below the 1% line
#3Leading
Limonene
Fragrance
#24Below the 1% line
#37Below the 1% line
Geraniol
Fragrance
#25Below the 1% line
#39Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#27Below the 1% line
#11Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique

Hair Gloss

Full ingredient list — Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique (27)
Full ingredient list — Hair Gloss (40)

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.

VerdictsChroma Absolu Serum Chroma ThermiqueHair Gloss
Supported
3
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique

  • Universal leave-in designed to protect against heat and humidity for all sensitized or damaged color-treated hairSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Frizz controlSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • 96% smoother and softer hairStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • A frizz-reducing leave-in that hydrates hair and shields it from external aggressorsSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.

Hair Gloss

  • Provides immediate shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Helps protect color – no visible fading, even after 5 washesSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Over 4x less breakage with heat protection to 450°F/232°CStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Over 5x less frizz for up to 72 hoursStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.

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.

Kerastase Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique draws complaints about residue or cast.

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique

Protects color-treated hair during frequent high-heat blowouts

Kérastase official reviewer

Lightweight use detangles, controls frizz, and improves blowouts

Sephora France reviewers

Fine-hair users may find the serum heavy or sticky

Kérastase and Sephora reviewers

Hair Gloss

Many reviewers say it makes hair noticeably shinier, softer and easier to style, with several curly-haired reviewers reporting better curl definition.

reviewers on OUAI's own Yotpo widget for the correct product id

A recurring complaint is that it leaves hair feeling greasy or heavy, particularly reported by reviewers with fine or long hair.

reviewers on OUAI's own Yotpo widget for the correct product id

A few reviewers noted static or disliked the scent, even when they were otherwise satisfied with the shine.

reviewers on OUAI's own Yotpo widget for the correct product id

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.

$5.67/oz vs $9.58/oz — Kerastase Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique costs about 1.7× more per ounce than Ouai Hair Gloss.

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique

Against 904 heat protectants with a computable unit price.

Hair Gloss

Against 79 serums with a computable unit price.

Value readChroma Absolu Serum Chroma ThermiqueHair Gloss
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 serums 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.

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique vs Dream Cocktail Kale-Infused Leave-in TreatmentColor Wow · 100% function matchHair Gloss vs Good Behavior Supreme Seal Anti-Frizz SerumIGK · 88% function matchChroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique vs Discipline Fluidissime Thermique Heat Protecting SprayKerastase · 95% function matchHair Gloss vs Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment OilPaul Mitchell · 88% function matchChroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique vs Pro-V Moisturizing Leave-In ConditionerPantene · 95% function matchHair Gloss vs Frizz Control Shine Hair SerumKitsch · 80% function matchChroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique vs Kids Taming SprayPaul Mitchell · 95% function matchHair Gloss vs Supershine Light Moisturizing CreamOribe · 79% function match

Chroma Absolu Serum Chroma Thermique · Hair Gloss · All heat protectants 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.
  • 9 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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