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Aveda

Heat Relief Thermal Protector & Conditioning Mist

Heat protectant / Lotion, medium-weight

  • Heat protectant
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Vegan · brand states
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size3.4 fl oz
Price$36–40commonly seen · 3.4 oz
Price / oz$11.77/ozat 3.4 oz

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Listing used for research: amazon.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

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$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

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Priced above most heat protectants

$11.77/oz at 3.4 oz, more than 96% of the 295 heat protectants , which mostly run $2.41–6.78/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

How much heat protection you need depends on how often and how hot you style. Your consultation takes that into account.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Slip and detangling Some

Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.

Fast-drying alcohol High in the list

Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterWater\Aqua\Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat drying alcohol Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry Drying
Dicaprylyl Ether light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Propanediol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Dimethicone silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Ethyl Macadamiate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient A softening touch, low in the list Buildup
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Geraniol fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones that need a detergent wash to remove.
Full ingredient list (20)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Water · Water\Aqua\Eau
    General function

    The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 2 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol Denat
    General function

    Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Porous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    It evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 3 Dicaprylyl Ether
    General function

    A light emollient used for slip without a greasy after-feel.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 4 Propanediol
    General function

    A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • solvent
  • 5 Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
    General function

    A plant-derived light ester used where a silicone-free but silky feel is wanted.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 6 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
    General function

    A light, refined coconut-derived oil that spreads easily and does not go rancid. It gives slip without a heavy feel.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 7 Dimethicone
    General function

    The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.

    • silicone
    • emollient
    • conditioning agent
  • 8 Ethyl Macadamiate
    General function

    A light macadamia-derived ester used for a dry, silky finish.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 9 Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 10 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
    General function

    Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

    • emollient
    • light ester
    • oil
    • wax
  • 11 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
    General function

    A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    It works on the surface. In the comparison that established coconut oil's penetration, sunflower oil did not reduce protein loss from washing — its fatty acids are bulkier and less linear. It softens and smooths; it does not reinforce the fibre.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 12 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 13 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • 14 Citric Acid
    General function

    Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 15 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 16 Linalool
    General function

    A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 17 Geraniol
    General function

    A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 18 Citronellol
    General function

    A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 19 Limonene
    General function

    A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

    PubChem
    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 20 Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate
    General function

    A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • hard-water chelator
    • emollient
    • light ester

What the whole list adds up to

  • 8 emollients
  • 6 light esters
  • 5 fragrances
  • 4 named fragrance allergens
  • 3 solvents
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 solubilizers
  • 2 oils
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 1 drying alcohol
  • 1 humectant
  • 1 silicone
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 wax

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.4 oz

Commonly seen $36–40 Midpoint $40 · 3 stores · checked Oct 8
Good value under $8 Under $2.34/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $8 line; products that do this job typically go for about $14 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 4 stores

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 3.4 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 3.4 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $8 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.34/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $8. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $14 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.4 oz.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Above the range for heat protectants per ounce, on a formula that covers the middle of the format and has no close, cheaper equivalent in our library.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 96% of the 295 heat protectants we’ve priced
  • No stated heat claim in the formula
  • Salon tier, sold at Brand website
  • A film-forming heat spreaderSilicones or polymers that spread heat along the strand.3 pts
  • A stated heat claimThe brand names the protection it claims.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

Bed HeadLowest cost per oz No Fry Zone Dry Heat Protection Mist $4.67/oz $7.10/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Weight on the hair
Also
  • Fresh scent
  • Masstige tier
  • 4.5 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Built for straight to curly hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Only if you need exactly this
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or very dry or high-damage hair

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

More from Aveda

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • 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.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • 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.
  • 3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-08.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 16 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-07.

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