Adds moisture and shine
Humectants and emollients are present, but lower in the list than the claim implies.
- Dimethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Dimethiconol
Partly supported
Some hydration, at a low level.
Sizes & containers
Photo coming6.00 ozSalon size · bottlePhoto coming1.00 ozTravel size · bottlePhoto coming2.00 ozbottle
6.00 oz · Salon size · bottle · $45.99 at one store · UPC 03711754152279
CHI
Royal Treatment Pearl Complex
Leave-in / Rich leave-in, heavy
- Leave-in
- serum
- Sulfate-free
Size6.00 ozusual store size · 3 sizes
Price$45.99seen at one store · 6 oz
Price / oz$7.67/ozat 6 oz
Where to buy4 stores · 2 sizes
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.
- 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Low
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Moderate
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Rich
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
Minor
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
High
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Show all 20 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Fast-drying alcohol
Moderate
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
No adjuster listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
18 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand websiteOne channel
Not in your profile
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
Priced above most leave-ins
$7.67/oz at 6 oz, more than 87% of the 749 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.31–5.50/oz.
Great for
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel
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
Moderate
Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.
Water-binding (humectants)
None found
No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.
Oils and butters
Present, lower down
Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.
Protein
Minor
Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.
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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Cyclopentasiloxane | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Dimethiconol | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Caprylyl Methicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Heptyl Undecylenate | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Softens |
| Phenyl Trimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Tuber Magnatum Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Pearl Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Ethyl Ester Of Hydrolyzed Silk | conditioning agent | Adds slip, lower in the list | Protein |
| Alcohol Denat. | drying alcohol | A small amount, for fast drying | Drying |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Benzyl Benzoate | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list. Water-insoluble silicones that need a detergent wash to remove.
Full ingredient list (18)
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
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
-
2
Cyclopentasiloxane
General function
A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt 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 hairA surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairA cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.
- silicone
- emollient
-
3
Dimethiconol
General function
A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay 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
Caprylyl Methicone
General function
A light silicone used for slip and to help other silicones spread.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay 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
-
5
Heptyl Undecylenate
General function
A castor-derived light ester used as a plant alternative to volatile silicone.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May 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
Phenyl Trimethicone
General function
A high-refractive silicone used specifically for visible shine in serums and finishing oils.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
7
Tuber Magnatum Extract
General function
An extract of Tuber Magnatum. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
8
Pearl Extract
General function
A mineral-and-protein extract used at trace levels for luxury positioning.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
9
Ethyl Ester Of Hydrolyzed Silk
General function
A protein given a positive charge so it deposits where hair is damaged. It conditions and adds temporary firmness in one ingredient.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm 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 hairHydrolysed 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.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
10
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
General function
A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
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.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairIt 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.
- oil
- emollient
-
11
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
General function
A heavy, coating oil traditionally used for deep conditioning.
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
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.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
13
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
-
14
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
-
15
Citral
General function
A lemon-scented 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
-
16
Coumarin
General function
A sweet, hay-like 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
-
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 8 emollients
- 6 fragrances
- 5 silicones
- 5 named fragrance allergens
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 oils
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 light ester
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 film former
- 1 protein
- 1 hydrolysed protein
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 solvent
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 6 oz
Seen at
$45.99
Good value under
$5
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $5 line; products that do this job typically go for about $7 at this size.
Sizes
1 oz
$9
$9.00/oz
6 ozusual store size
$45.99
$7.67/oz
The 6 oz costs 15% less per ounce than the 1 oz.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
6 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce
-
Target
$45.996 oz · $7.67/ozOct 17Lowest per ozSale · was $52.00
-
Salon Brands
$46.006 oz · $7.67/ozOct 17
1 oz
-
CHI (brand site)
$9.001 oz · $9.00/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
CHI (chi.com)
$9.001 oz · $9.00/ozOct 15
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
- 6 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 $45.99 is the price we have observed for the 6 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $5 comes from the 4 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.89/oz; at 6 oz that is $5. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
- About $7 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6 oz.
Formula
3
Formula score
3 of 10
Above the range for leave-ins per ounce for a shorter formula: there is no conditioning agents up front in the list.
How the score is counted
- Nothing in our library does the same job for less
- Costs more per ounce than 87% 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
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.
ORSClosest function
Olive Oil Thermalast 2-N-1 Shine Mist and Heat Defense
$1.95/oz $5.72/oz less
- Heat protect
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Function
- Also
L'Oreal ParisLighter feel
Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer Pre-Iron Leave-In Spray
$1.87/oz $5.80/oz less
- Heat protect
- Protein-free
- Medium weight
- Function
- Also
Luster's PinkLowest cost per oz
SCURL NO DRIP CURL ACTIVATOR MOISTURIZER
$1.37/oz $6.30/oz less
- 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?
Only if you need exactly thisBest user
Curls that need definition, looking for defined, clumped curls and a formula with real substance
Biggest tradeoff
Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair
Best alternative if not
Nothing in our library matches it closely 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.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
2
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Provides thermal protection against heat styling
Heat protection is a performance claim; an ingredient list cannot confirm it.
- Dimethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Dimethiconol
Stated by brand
Only lab testing can show this.
Minimizes breakage and damage
Protein or ceramides are present, but low enough that this reads as support, not treatment.
- Ethyl Ester Of Hydrolyzed Silk
Partly supported
Supports the surface, not a treatment.
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.
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.
- 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-10-17.
- Ingredient references are linked for 10 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 2026-10-17.
