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CHI

Enviro Smoothing Serum

Leave-in / Rich leave-in, heavy

  • Leave-in
  • serum
  • Sulfate-free
Size2 oz
Price$14–16commonly seen · 2 oz
Price / oz$7.47/ozat 2 oz
Where to buy6 stores · $12.14–18.50

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: chi.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 20 factors we check.
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  • 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.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$7.47/oz at 2 oz, more than 86% of the 749 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.31–5.50/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Hair that tangles wetnothing here makes combing easier
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list

Whether this weight suits your hair depends on density, porosity and how much you already layer. That is what the consultation looks at.

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 Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Slip and detangling Some

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

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.

Protein Prominent

Protein high in the list: a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

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

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
Cyclopentasiloxane silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Dimethiconol silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Heptyl Undecylenate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Pearl Extract botanical extract A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function Neutral
Hydrolyzed Silk film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
Squalene emollient Softens and smooths the strand Softens
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone fragrance The scent Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-forward: a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (16)

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 Cyclopentasiloxane
    General function

    A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.

    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 suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 2 Dimethiconol
    General function

    A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 3 Heptyl Undecylenate
    General function

    A castor-derived light ester used as a plant alternative to volatile silicone.

    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.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 4 Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
    General function

    A light ester used for shine and slip in finishing products.

    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.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 5 Pearl Extract
    General function

    A mineral-and-protein extract used at trace levels for luxury positioning.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • botanical extract
  • 6 Hydrolyzed Silk
    General function

    A light protein used for slip and shine rather than strength.

    Supporting ingredient

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

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

    Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.

    • film former
    • protein
    • hydrolysed protein
  • 7 Squalene
    General function

    The unsaturated parent of squalane and a natural component of scalp sebum. It is less stable than squalane and oxidises faster.

    Supporting ingredient

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

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

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emollient
  • 8 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
    General function

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

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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 not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • 9 Peg-2 Dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium Methosulfate
    • emulsifier
  • 10 Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
    General function

    A light oil with very long fatty-acid chains, used as a plant alternative to silicone shine.

    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.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 11 Water · Aqua/Water/Eau
    • solvent
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 12 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
  • 13 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
    General function

    A violet-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
  • 14 Hexyl Cinnamal
    General function

    A jasmine-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
  • 15 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
  • 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

What the whole list adds up to

  • 7 emollients
  • 5 fragrances
  • 4 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 silicones
  • 2 light esters
  • 2 oils
  • 1 botanical extract
  • 1 film former
  • 1 protein
  • 1 hydrolysed protein
  • 1 emulsifier
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 2 oz

Commonly seen $14–16 Midpoint $14.94 · 4 stores · checked Oct 17
Good value under $7 Under $3.33/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 5 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $7 line; products that do this job typically go for about $7 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores

2 ozusual store size

12 ozBest per ounce

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. 2 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 2 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 $7 comes from the 5 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.33/oz; at 2 oz that is $7. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $7 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2 oz.

Formula

Formula score
3 of 10

It costs more per ounce than 86% of the 749 leave-ins we’ve priced, the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front, and 6 close matches sell for at least a quarter less per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 6 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 86% of the 749 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • No humectant either
  • 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.

Not Your Mother'sClosest function All Eyes On Me Frizz Defense Oil $4.00/oz $3.47/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
Function
  • Protein
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 2.5 oz bottle
Compare
CHIClose function Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex $3.33/oz $4.14/oz less
  • Protein
  • Rich
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
OGXLowest cost per oz Nourishing + Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum Leave-In Hair Treatment $2.00/oz $5.47/oz less
  • Protein
  • Rich
  • Alcohol-free
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Coconut scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 4 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 curly to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Hard to justify at this price
Best user

Soft, over-stretchy hair, looking for protein high in the formula and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein

Best alternative if not

Not Your Mother's All Eyes On Me Frizz Defense Oil, for similar results at a lower price

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.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Lightweight formula; leaves hair soft and shiny; nourishes and reduces frizz

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethiconol
  • Heptyl Undecylenate
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Several reviewers say a small amount goes far and the serum stays light rather than weighing hair down or leaving it oily.

Reviewers across hair types

Many reviewers say the serum smooths hair and leaves it soft, silky and shiny rather than frizzy.

Reviewers across hair types

Some reviewers say the bottle leaks when tipped and the small bottle is hard to squeeze, so they want a sturdier or larger container.

Reviewers across hair types

More from CHI

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, 1 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 13 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 2026-10-17.

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