Weightless leave-in mist
Light silicones and low wax content help it avoid visible residue.
- Water
- Propanediol
- Pentylene Glycol
Less likely to weigh hair down.
Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Manufacturer page: hairstory.com
Personal fit
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.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Upper-mid price for a leave-in
$4.50/oz at 8 oz, more than 65% of the 891 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.42–5.78/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
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.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
No oils or butters in the list.
No protein or amino acids in the list.
The brand states a protection temperature. That is a label claim, not a measurement.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No fragrance is listed.
Ingredients that matter
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Propanediol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Betaine | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Inulin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Stabilizes |
| Levulinic Acid | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | pH balancer |
| Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate | hard-water chelator | Binds trace metals | Stabilizes |
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.
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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.
A sugar-beet derived humectant that binds water. Despite the name it is not a cleanser like cocamidopropyl betaine.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
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.
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
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.
A plant sugar used for light moisture and as a prebiotic scalp claim.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
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.
Olive leaf extract, used at low levels for antioxidants.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A plant-derived preservative usually paired with sodium levulinate.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
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.
A coconut-derived preservative booster that also binds trace metals.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
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.
A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative list.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the 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.
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
An amino acid that holds water and carries a positive charge, so it is drawn to damaged spots on the strand.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
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.
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
A plant or fermented gum. Gums thicken a water-based formula and give it a slippery, cushioned feel; in a styler they also contribute soft hold.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
A fermented sugar gum that thickens water-based formulas and adds soft, natural hold.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.
A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.
Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
A plant-derived chelator that binds the minerals in hard water.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
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.
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $12 line; products that do this job typically go for about $16 at this size.
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.
Formula
Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for leave-ins, on formula or on cost per ounce.
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.
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
People sensitive to fragrance, for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Less suited to soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, hair that tangles the moment it is wet, or very dry or very humid climates
Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Detangler + Air Dry, for similar results 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
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.
Weightless leave-in mist
Light silicones and low wax content help it avoid visible residue.
Less likely to weigh hair down.
Substantial protection from heat up to 450 degrees F, humidity, pollution and UV rays
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
Smoother strands, less frizz.
Locks in moisture and helps your other products work harder
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
Helps hair feel hydrated.
Strands that are silky, safeguarded and set for whatever style comes next
Not measurable from ingredients; depends on personal preference.
—
Subjective feel varies by hair.
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.
Reviewers
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.
Moisturizes, reduces flyaways, and refreshes waves without oil
Exact Ulta reviewersDetangles easily and supports smooth, frizz-free heat styling
Exact Ulta reviewersOne reviewer reports severe dryness after use
Exact Ulta reviewer