Davines

MELU Spray

Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight

Leave-in
spray
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Curly-method
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free · brand states

Size250 ml

Price$40–48commonly seen · 8.45 oz

Price / oz$5.09/ozat 8.45 oz

Where to buy5 stores · $37.00–53.22

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

Scent:

Notes: citrus, green florals, musk, soft woods, spice.

“Sunlit citrus and spice with fresh green florals transitioning to soft woods and musk” (Brand page)

Manufacturer page: us.davines.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Oils and butters None Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Little Not in your profile

Weight on hair Light Not in your profile

Fragrance Prominent Not in your profile

Protein Minor Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Scent Amber & spice · CitrusStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils Present Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol High Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Vegan · label statesCruelty-free · brand states Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Vegan · label states Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 26 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Salons 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.

Upper-mid price for a leave-in

$5.09/oz at 8.45 oz, more than 72% of the 749 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.31–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove

Matte, textured stylesabsorbent powders do the mattifying

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol

Hair that tangles wetnothing here makes combing easier

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

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 Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Slip and detangling Little

Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up a larger share of the formula.

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
WaterAQUA / WATER / EAU	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Alcohol Denat.	drying alcohol	Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry	Drying
Polysorbate 20	solubilizer	Keeps oils dissolved in water	Stabilizes
Propanediol	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
1,2-Hexanediol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Moisturizes
Inulin	humectant	Adds a little water-binding	Moisturizes
FragrancePARFUM / FRAGRANCE	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract	botanical extract	A trace plant extract	Protein
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or silicones. Contains fragrance. Chelators for hard water. Fast-drying alcohol is in the list.

Full ingredient list (26)

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

1 Water · AQUA / WATER / EAU

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

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Alcohol Denat.

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

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Porous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.

May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
It evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.

PubChem
- drying alcohol
- solvent
3 Polysorbate 20

General function
Keeps fragrance and oils dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
4 Propanediol

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

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
5 Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

General function
A starch fragment used for light body and film, not a protein despite where it often appears on a label.

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
Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.

DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold
How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.

DependsMaximum-hold styling
Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.
- film former
- starch
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
6 1,2-Hexanediol

General function
A preservative booster that also holds a little moisture and helps other ingredients dissolve.

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

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- preservative
- humectant
- solvent
7 Inulin

General function
A plant sugar used for light moisture and as a prebiotic scalp claim.

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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
- humectant
- botanical extract
8 Fragrance · PARFUM / 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
9 Sodium Gluconate

General function
A gentle, biodegradable chelator that binds hard-water minerals in place of EDTA.

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

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

PubChem
- hard-water chelator
10 Lactic Acid

General function
An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.

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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-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 hair
Binds 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 hair
A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- humectant
- exfoliant
11 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
12 Caprylhydroxamic Acid

General function
A coconut-derived preservative booster that also binds trace metals.

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

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

PubChem
- preservative
- hard-water chelator
13 TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID
14 Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract

General function
A broken-down chickpea seed extract, used for protein and conditioning claims.

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 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 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.
- botanical extract
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
15 Citric Acid

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

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

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
16 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
17 Ci 61570 / Green 5
- colourant
18 Ci 19140 / Yellow 5

General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.

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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
19 Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes

General function
A synthetic musk or woody-amber note used as a fragrance base.

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
20 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
21 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
22 anethole

General function
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.

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
23 Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil

General function
A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.

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
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
24 Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil

General function
Bergamot oil, used as a bright citrus fragrance note.

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
- botanical extract
25 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
26 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

What the whole list adds up to

9 fragrances
4 solvents
4 humectants
4 preservatives
4 botanical extracts
4 named fragrance allergens
3 hard-water chelators
2 pH adjusters
2 colourants
1 drying alcohol
1 solubilizer
1 emulsifier
1 film former
1 starch

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

Price · 8.45 oz

Commonly seen $40–48 Midpoint $43 · 3 stores · checked Oct 17

Good value under $11 Under $1.29/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $11 line; products that do this job typically go for about $15 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8.45 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores

Button Down SF
$37.00

8.45 oz · $4.38/oz

Oct 17Lowest per oz
Aviary Beauty & Wellness
$43.00

8.45 oz · $5.09/oz

Oct 17
Davines (brand site)
$44.00

8.45 oz · $5.21/oz

Oct 7
Davines (us.davines.com)
$44.00

8.45 oz · $5.21/oz

Oct 15
Care to Beauty
$53.22

8.45 oz · $6.30/oz

Oct 17Sale · was $59.13

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

8.45 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.
Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 8.45 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
Good value under $11 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.29/oz; at 8.45 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $15 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.45 oz.

Formula

Formula score

5 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a leave-in does and costs about what leave-ins cost per ounce.

How the score is counted

Costs more per ounce than 72% of the 749 leave-ins we’ve priced
No conditioning agents up front in the formula
Salon tier, sold at Brand website and Salons
Salon tier

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.

AttitudeClosest function Kids Hair Detangler - Vanilla & Pear $1.62/oz $3.47/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

Function: Slip and detangling
Protein
Fast-drying alcohol
Also: Fruity scent, not amber
Masstige tier
8 oz bottle

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Curly method
Lightweight
Silicone-free

Function: Film formers
Oils and butters
Fast-drying alcohol
Also: Sweet scent, not amber
Drugstore tier
8 oz bottle

Compare

K18Lowest cost per oz Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask $0.01/oz $5.08/oz less

Protein
Curly method
Silicone-free

· Related function

Function: Slip and detangling
Weight on the hair
Protein
Also: Prestige tier
1.7 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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Curly-method routines, looking for a curly-method-compatible formula and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or hair that tangles the moment it is wet

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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Anti-breakage spray for damaged hair

Protein or ceramides are present, but low enough that this reads as support, not treatment.

Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract

Partly supported

Supports the surface, not a treatment.

Reduces breakage by up to 33.7% during brushing

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

—

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

Provides heat protection up to 446°F (230°C)

Heat protection is a performance claim; an ingredient list cannot confirm it.

Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract

Stated by brand

Only lab testing can show this.

Vegan-friendly

Our researched record has this brand or product as vegan.

—

Supported

Matches our researched record.

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.

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.
4 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-17.
Ingredient references are linked for 11 of 20 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.

MELU Spray

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

More from Davines

How this page was made

Hair Care Consultation