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Side by side

Paul Mitchell Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray vs Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

52% function match · 4 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Paul Mitchell Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

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.

  • Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray — heat styling
  • 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
Paul Mitchell Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray — brand photograph Paul Mitchell

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray

  • Heat protectant
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Lightweight
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
$28.50 6 oz · $4.75/oz
$12 5.1 oz · $4.17/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 55% of the 223 heat protectants we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 64% of the 574 heat protectants we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. 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
Heat protection
High The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement. Your hair
High The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine 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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Differs
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. 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
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
High in the list Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients. 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
  • Heat stylingthe brand states protection to 450°F
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Sun and colour fadea UV filter is 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
  • 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 protectantspray
Heat protectantserum
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Heat protection
up to 450°F
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.

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$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

IngredientNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron HairspraySuper Skinny Serum
Fragrance
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#4Below the 1% line
Benzyl Salicylate
Fragrance
#25Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#24Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#23Below the 1% line
#9Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray

Super Skinny Serum

Full ingredient list — Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray (25)
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.

VerdictsNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron HairspraySuper Skinny Serum
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
4
5
Potential conflict
0
0

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray

  • Lightweight hairspray for all hair types delivers shine, hold, humidity resistance and heat protectionStated by brandMay help, but not measurable here.
  • Forms a protective barrier between hair and tools with HeatCTRL TechnologyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Smooths hair, resists humidity and blocks out frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • An iron's best friendStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Lasting Humidity Resistance up to eight hours per third-party testingStated by brandMay help, but not measurable here.

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 shine. Paul Mitchell Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray draws complaints about dryness and frizz; Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum draws complaints about residue or cast.

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray

Reviewers report shiny smooth hair and strong heat or humidity protection.

Sonia and J, Ulta reviewers

Users report no sizzling or brittleness and soft flexible hold.

Super6sandy, Ulta reviewer

Recurring complaints mention dispenser failure, dryness, and frizz or scent changes after packaging updates.

J, Jennifer, and Coco, Ulta reviewers

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 $4.75/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.

$0.42/oz median $5.13/oz $76.00/oz $4.75/oz Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iro $4.17/oz Super Skinny Serum

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 223 heat protectants with a computable unit price.

Value readNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron HairspraySuper Skinny Serum
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for heat protectants per ounce.
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.

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray vs Color Maintenance Thermal Spray 11Kenra · 76% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Clear Smoothing Serum (Blowout Primer)Paul Mitchell · 99% function matchNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray vs Good Behavior Smoothing SprayIGK · 76% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Clear Smoothing SerumPaul Mitchell · 99% function matchNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray vs Protecting Heat Spray Keratin Smooth for Taming Frizz & Reducing BreakageTRESemme · 74% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Platinum Silkening GlossKenra Professional · 99% function matchNeuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray vs Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective SprayTRESemme · 74% function matchSuper Skinny Serum vs Light Luminous Reflective OilWella · 95% function match

Neuro Protect HeatCTRL Iron Hairspray · Super Skinny Serum · 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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