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CHI

Travel Size Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex

Leave-in / Rich leave-in, heavy

  • Leave-in
  • Sulfate-free
Size2 fl oz
Price$19.25seen at one store · 2 oz
Price / oz$9.63/ozat 2 oz
Where to buy1 store

Scent:

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

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$9.63/oz at 2 oz — more than 95% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/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
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
Easy to findsold through several channels

Maybe skip if

this product carries 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 reduces combing force
Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works out.

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 found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

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. These 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
C13-14 Isoalkane emollient Softens and smooths the strand Softens
Isododecane solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Softens
Dimethiconol silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Hydrolyzed Silk film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Protein
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Benzyl Benzoate fragrance The scent Fragrance
Citronellol fragrance The scent Fragrance
Coumarin fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.
Full ingredient list (17)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

  • 1 C13-14 Isoalkane
    General function

    A light carrier that spreads other ingredients and leaves a dry finish.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
    • solvent
  • 2 Isododecane
    General function

    A fast-evaporating carrier that lets oils and polymers spread thinly, then leaves nothing behind.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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.

    PubChem
    • solvent
    • emollient
  • 3 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
  • 4 C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
    General function

    A dry-feeling ester used for a silky, non-greasy finish - a common silicone substitute.

    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
  • 5 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
  • 6 Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
    General function

    Wheat protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It adds temporary strength and body; too much can feel stiff.

    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 Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
    General function

    A plant protein used in strengthening blends, often with wheat and soy.

    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
  • 8 Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
    General function

    A plant protein used for body and moisture retention.

    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
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 9 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 10 Water · Aqua
    • solvent
  • 11 Fragrance
    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
  • 12 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 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
  • 13 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
  • 14 Coumarin
    General function

    A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed 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 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
  • 16 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
  • 17 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 fragrances
  • 6 named fragrance allergens
  • 4 emollients
  • 4 film formers
  • 4 proteins
  • 4 hydrolysed proteins
  • 3 solvents
  • 1 silicone
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 preservative
  • 1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-25. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 2 oz

Seen at $19.25 1 store · checked Aug 25
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 it1 listing · 1 store
  • Ulta
    $19.25
    2 oz · $9.63/oz
    Aug 25Lowest per oz

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. Seen at $19.25 is the price we have observed for the 2 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  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
5 of 10

Above the range for leave-ins per ounce for a formula that 3 lower-priced products come close to on ingredients and attributes.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 95% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • 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 is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

CHISame function Infra Botanical Bliss Silk Infusion $5.44/oz $4.19/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Protein
  • Rich
Differs
  • Salon tier
Compare
CHISame function Silk Infusion Silk Reconstructing Complex $3.33/oz $6.30/oz less
  • Protein
  • Rich
  • Alcohol-free
Differs
  • Salon tier
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
ORSLowest cost per oz Olive Oil Thermalast 2-N-1 Shine Mist and Heat Defense $1.95/oz $7.68/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
· Close function
Function
  • Oils and butters
  • Protein
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • 4.6 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Built for curly to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Similar results available for less
Best user

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

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein

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, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Softens and smooths hair

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Dimethiconol
  • Hydrolyzed Silk
  • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

Controls frizz and flyaways

Possible from silicones or film formers, but not something the list targets.

  • Dimethiconol
  • Hydrolyzed Silk
  • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Stated by brand

May help, but not a primary focus.

Adds shine and supports heat styling

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

  • Dimethiconol
  • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

How to read this

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

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Controls frizz and flyaways

Exact Ulta 2 oz item 2113782, $19.25 in stock, 864 written reviews

Leaves hair soft, smooth and shiny

Exact Ulta 2 oz item 2113782, $19.25 in stock, 864 written reviews

Pleasant scent and useful heat-styling protection

Exact Ulta 2 oz item 2113782, $19.25 in stock, 864 written reviews

Some reviewers report a newer formula feels greasy

Exact Ulta 2 oz item 2113782, $19.25 in stock, 864 written reviews

More from CHI

How this page was made

  • Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per 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, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 15 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
  • We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
  • 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 v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.