sun care protective hair veil UV Defense
Leave-in / Rich leave-in, heavy
- Leave-in
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Moisture-rich
- Vegan · brand states
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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.
Manufacturer page: aveda.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.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 21 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Show all 21 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$11.77/oz at 3.4 oz, more than 96% of the 749 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.31–5.50/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
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.
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat | drying alcohol | Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry | Drying |
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Phenyl Trimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Softens |
| Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil | oil | Coats and softens the strand | Softens |
| Amyl Salicylate | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Linalool | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
Full ingredient list (23)
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
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairPorous 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 hairIt 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.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
2
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.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone 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
-
3
Phenyl Trimethicone
General function
A high-refractive silicone used specifically for visible shine in serums and finishing oils.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
-
4
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairWater moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.
- humectant
-
5
Isopropyl Palmitate
General function
A light ester that spreads quickly and leaves a smooth, non-greasy feel.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairA light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairSpreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
-
6
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
General function
A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
7
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
General function
One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairBecause it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.
- oil
- emollient
-
8
Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil
General function
The oil pressed from Palm (Elaeis Guineensis). It is one of the heavier plant oils — rich on coarse or dry hair, and enough to flatten fine hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Calophyllum Tacamahaca Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
· Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)
General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.
Secondary ingredientLower 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 hairCoarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
-
11
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
General function
Tea seed oil - light, fast-absorbing, used for shine on fine hair.
Secondary ingredientLower 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 hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
- 12 Palmamidopropyl Trimonium Methosulfate
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
13
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
14
Amyl Salicylate
General function
A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 routinesOne 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
- 15 Isoamyl Cinnamate
-
16
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
17
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 zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
19
Citronellol
General function
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
20
Geraniol
General function
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 routinesOne 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
-
21
Benzyl Benzoate
General function
A fragrance component with a faint balsamic scent, named separately on the label because it is a recognised contact allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
22
Benzyl Salicylate
General function
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
23
Farnesol
General function
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 routinesOne 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
What the whole list adds up to
- 9 emollients
- 9 fragrances
- 8 named fragrance allergens
- 5 oils
- 2 silicones
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 solvent
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 humectant
- 1 light ester
- 1 butter
- 1 sealant
- 1 antioxidant
- 1 vitamin
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
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $4 line; products that do this job typically go for about $6 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store
-
Aveda (brand site)
$40.003.4 oz · $11.77/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Aveda (brand site)
$40.003.4 oz · $11.77/ozOct 7
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
- 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.
- Seen at $40 is the price we have observed for the 3.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $4 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.14/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $4. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $6 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.4 oz.
Formula
Above the range for leave-ins per ounce for a formula that 6 lower-priced products come close to on ingredients and attributes.
How the score is counted
- 6 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 96% of the 749 leave-ins we’ve priced
- No conditioning agents up front in the formula
- Salon tier, sold at Brand website
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
- A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.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.
- Budget
- Function
- Also
- Budget
- Function
- Also
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
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Hard to justify at this priceHair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine 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.
- 1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-07.
- Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 19 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.
