Drybar Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant — 2 oz container

Drybar

Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant

Heat protectant / Lotion, heat-protecting

Heat protectant
spray
Also a leave-in
Sulfate-free
Moisture-rich

Size2 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes

Price$12seen at one store · 2 oz

Price / oz$5.82/ozat 2 oz

Where to buy1 store · 2 sizes

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: drybar.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Straight–Curly Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Heat protection High Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein Prominent 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

Show all 20 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None 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 Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter Present Not in your profile

Ingredient list 29 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Prestige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand websiteOne channel Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Same job for less elsewhere

$5.82/oz at 2 oz — more than 76% of the 549 heat protectants , which mostly run $1.25–5.69/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Heat stylingthe brand states protection to 450°F

Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list

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

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

How much heat protection you need depends on how often and how hot you style — 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.

Heat protection Stated to 450°F

The brand states a protection temperature — a label claim, not a measurement.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Slip and detangling High

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

Needs detergent to remove Yes

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

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

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.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
WaterAqua (Water, Eau)	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Dipropylene Glycol	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone Peg-8 Succinate	emollient	Softens and smooths the strand	Buildup
Polysilicone-29	silicone	Spreads heat across the strand	Buildup
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Protein
Arctium Lappa Root Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Cetrimonium Chloride	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
Hydroxypropylgluconamide	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Detangles
FragranceParfum (Fragrance)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Coumarin	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-forward — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.

Full ingredient list (29)

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 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 Dipropylene Glycol

General function
A light humectant and solvent that helps fragrance and extracts dissolve evenly.

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

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
3 Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone Peg-8 Succinate

General function
A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.

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.
- emollient
- light ester
- silicone
4 Polysilicone-29

General function
A silicone network that leaves a longer-lasting smoothing film than plain dimethicone.

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 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 suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- silicone
- film former
5 Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

General function
A general plant protein blend used for strength and body; the silanetriol form binds more firmly.

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 Arctium Lappa Root Extract

General function
Burdock root extract, a traditional scalp botanical.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
7 Cetrimonium Chloride

General function
A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.

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
The C16 quat binds mostly by charge rather than by chain, so it deposits measurably less than the C22 ones. Less deposit is less conditioning and also less weight, which is usually the trade fine hair wants.

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.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
8 Hydroxypropylgluconamide

General function
A sugar-derived conditioning agent used in bond-repair positioned formulas for moisture and slip.

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
Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

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
- conditioning agent
9 Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate

General function
A sugar-derived conditioning agent with a positive charge, used alongside hydroxypropylgluconamide.

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

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
10 Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride

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

Secondary ingredient
Lower 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 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
11 Glycerin

General function
A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
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
Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

Scientific Reports
- humectant
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
12 Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

General function
A biodegradable hard-water chelator used 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
13 Sodium Hydroxide

General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

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.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
14 Glycolic Acid

General function
The smallest fruit acid, used in scalp products to loosen flakes and clear build-up.

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.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

PubChem
- exfoliant
- pH adjuster
15 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

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
16 Hexylene Glycol

General function
A solvent that keeps other ingredients dissolved and helps preservatives work.

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 hydrates without contributing weight.

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
- solvent
- humectant
17 Sodium Coco Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate

General function
A positively charged conditioning agent. Damaged hair carries a negative charge, so it deposits where the damage is and makes wet hair comb through.

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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
18 Tartaric Acid

General function
A fruit acid used to set an acidic pH; at higher levels it also loosens surface build-up.

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.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- exfoliant
19 Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
20 BHT
- antioxidant
21 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
22 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
23 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
24 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
25 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
26 Sodium Formate
27 Sodium Glycolate
28 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
29 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

6 humectants
5 preservatives
4 solvents
4 conditioning agents
4 pH adjusters
2 silicones
2 film formers
2 hard-water chelators
2 exfoliants
2 fragrances
1 emollient
1 light ester
1 protein
1 hydrolysed protein

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 2 oz

Seen at $12 1 store · checked Aug 23

Sizes

2 ozmost listed

$12

$6.00/oz

6.4 oz

$36

$5.63/oz

The sizes cost about the same per ounce.

Show the price ladder

Price for 2 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store

2 ozmost listed

Brand website
$12.00

2 oz · $6.00/oz

Aug 23Lowest per oz

6.4 ozBest per ounce

Brand website
$36.00

6.4 oz · $5.63/oz

Aug 23Lowest 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

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.
Seen at $12 is the price we have observed for the 2 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
About $5 is what heat protectants typically cost at this size. Too few of the products that do the same job carry a price for us to draw a good-value line.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

The formula carries what a heat protectant is built around, and 2 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is buying the label, not a different formula.

How the score is counted

2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 76% of the 549 heat protectants we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a heat protectant should do
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 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.

Not Your Mother'sLowest cost per oz Way To Grow Leave-In Conditioner $1.42/oz $4.40/oz less

Protein
Alcohol-free
Medium weight

· Close function

Function: UV filter
Also: Drugstore tier
6 oz bottle

Compare

HaskClose function Placenta Leave Instant Conditioning Treatment $1.75/oz $4.07/oz less

Budget

Function: UV filter
Also: Value tier
0.6 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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Heat activated technology wraps an invisible shield around each hair strand

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Protects from heat (up to 450F/232C)

Our library captures this as a heat protectant, but thermal protection is measured in a lab, not read off a list.

Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone Peg-8 Succinate
Polysilicone-29
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Partly supported

Sold for hot tools; untestable here.

Lasts through 3 washes (clinically tested)

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.

Super glossy, silky finish without weighing hair down

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

Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone Peg-8 Succinate
Polysilicone-29

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.

Leaves curly hair silky and reduces frizz for multiple days

Ulta reviewers

Speeds drying and leaves hair soft and shiny

Ulta reviewers

Some users report sticky or greasy residue and little smoothing

Macys reviewer

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.
4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 11 of 19 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.