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dpHUE

Color Fresh Thermal Protection Spray

Heat protectant / Spray, lightweight

  • Heat protectant
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Size5.0 oz
Price$30seen at one store · 5 oz
Price / oz$6.00/ozat 5 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.

Strength: Strong

Manufacturer page: dphue.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.

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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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Upper-mid price for a heat protectant

$6.00/oz at 5 oz, more than 65% of the 295 heat protectants , which mostly run $2.41–6.78/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a strong scent
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Aerosol avoidancethis is a pressurised can
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

How much heat protection you need depends on how often and how hot you style. Your consultation takes that into account.

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 High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list, so this is a detangling formula.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

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

Fast-drying alcohol High in the list

Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat drying alcohol Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry Drying
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a propellant Pushes the product out of the can Neutral
WaterAqua/Water/Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Dicaprylyl Carbonate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Vinyl Caprolactam/VP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride conditioning agent Adds slip, lower in the list Detangles
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Coumarin fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or silicones. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. This is a pressurised can.
Full ingredient list (12)

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

  • 1 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol Denat
    General function

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

    Leading 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
  • 2 Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
    General function

    A non-flammable aerosol propellant used in dry shampoos and finishing sprays.

    Leading ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • propellant
  • 3 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
  • 4 Dicaprylyl Carbonate
    General function

    A very light ester that spreads instantly and leaves a dry, silky finish.

    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 Vinyl Caprolactam/VP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
    General function

    A hold polymer that sets with flexibility and washes out with water.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

    • film former
    • polymer
  • 6 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
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 7 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
  • 8 Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
    General function

    A conditioning agent that binds to hair and is also used to help shield it from sun exposure.

    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

    A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Sunlight oxidises hair pigment, and on gray, silver or lightened hair that shows up as yellowing. A UV filter on the label absorbs some of the light that drives it.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    • conditioning agent
    • UV filter
  • 9 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
  • 10 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
  • 11 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
  • 12 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 fragrances
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 light esters
  • 2 emollients
  • 1 drying alcohol
  • 1 propellant
  • 1 film former
  • 1 polymer
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 UV filter
  • 1 antioxidant
  • 1 vitamin

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-08. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 5 oz

Seen at $30 lowest of 2 stores · checked Oct 17
Good value under $11 Under $2.30/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 6 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 $25 at this size.

Sizes

5 ozusual store size
$30
$6.00/oz
5.41 oz
$30
$5.54/oz

The sizes cost about the same per ounce.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

5 ozusual store size

5.41 ozBest per ounce

  • Dermstore
    $30.00
    5.41 oz · $5.54/oz
    Oct 17Lowest 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. 5 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 $30 is the price we have observed for the 5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $11 comes from the 6 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.30/oz; at 5 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  5. About $25 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
6 of 10

Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for heat protectants, on formula or on cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 65% of the 295 heat protectants we’ve priced
  • No stated heat claim in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • A film-forming heat spreaderSilicones or polymers that spread heat along the strand.3 pts
  • A stated heat claimThe brand names the protection it claims.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.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.

CantuLowest cost per oz Shea Butter Thermal Shield Heat Protectant $1.53/oz $4.47/oz less
  • Heat protect
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Oils and butters
  • UV filter
Also
  • Fruity scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • Drugstore tier
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 straight to curly hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or people avoiding aerosols

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.

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 report that curls or a straight set hold noticeably longer after using the spray.

Reviewers who curl or straighten their hair, several of whom also use a curling iron or flat iron after spraying.

Many reviewers say the spray leaves heat-styled hair smooth and shiny without a sticky or heavy feel.

Reviewers who straighten, curl or blow-dry their hair, including several with long, thick or colour-treated hair, and reviewers who wash every few days.

A minority of reviewers say heavy or frequent use left their hair dry, stiff or weighed down.

Reviewers who wash only two or three times a week, reviewers who use the spray before curling with a heated tool, and reviewers who report frizz or dryness after repeated use.

Multiple reviewers say the spray nozzle clogs or stops spraying after only a few uses.

Reviewers who bought one or two bottles and found the pump or nozzle unusable, some with most of the product still unused and no return option left.

Reviewers split on the fragrance, with some calling it strong or overpowering and others praising how it smells.

Reviewers with a strong sensitivity to scent or a preference for clean-beauty products, against reviewers who said the smell was a highlight.

More from dpHUE

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.
  • 6 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 9 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 2026-10-31.

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