72-hour frizz control
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil
Supported
Smoother strands, less frizz.
John Frieda
Frizz Ease The Controller Extra Strength Serum
Finisher / Serum, glossing
- Finisher
- serum
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size1.69 fl oz
Price$11–13commonly seen · 1.69 oz
Price / oz$7.04/ozat 1.69 oz
Where to buy7 stores · $9.87–13.99
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.
Manufacturer page: us.johnfrieda.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.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Shine system
High
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Rich
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Prominent
Not in your profile
Protein
None
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 23 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
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Pump or tube
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Air-sets
Not in your profile
Humidity resistance
High
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
9 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Target
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.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$7.04/oz at 1.69 oz, less than 59% of the 136 serums , which mostly run $3.94–14.80/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
Humid climatesthe brand claims humidity resistance
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
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.
Shine system
Silicone serum
A silicone or oil blend does the shine work here.
Weight on the hair
Rich
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Oils and butters
Present, high in the list
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
Humidity resistance
Claimed
The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimethicone | silicone | The shine system | Buildup |
| Dimethiconol | silicone | The shine system | Buildup |
| Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil | oil | The shine and softening system | Shine |
| Tocopherol | antioxidant | Protects the formula | Stabilizes |
| FragranceFRAGRANCE/PARFUM | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Citronellol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Hexyl Cinnamal | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Vanillin | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (9)
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
Dimethicone
General function
The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
2
Dimethiconol
General function
A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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 hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
-
3
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil
General function
A light oil used for shine and slip, often alongside rice-derived proteins.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
4
Tocopherol
General function
Vitamin E. It keeps the oils in a formula from going rancid and is used at very low levels.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
5
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
6
Citronellol
General function
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
7
Hexyl Cinnamal
General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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
-
8
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
General function
A synthetic musk or woody-amber note used as a fragrance base.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
-
9
Vanillin
General function
The main scent compound in vanilla, used as a fragrance note.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
What the whole list adds up to
- 5 fragrances
- 3 emollients
- 2 silicones
- 2 named fragrance allergens
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 oil
- 1 antioxidant
- 1 vitamin
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-26. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 1.69 oz
Commonly seen
$11–13
Good value under
$8
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $8 line; products that do this job typically go for about $11 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores
-
Walmart
$9.871.69 oz · $5.84/ozAug 30Lowest per ozSale · was $10.97
-
Target
$10.991.69 oz · $6.50/ozAug 30
-
Pronto Home Delivery
$11.891.69 oz · $7.04/ozAug 30
-
John Frieda USA
$11.991.69 oz · $7.09/ozAug 25
-
CVS
$13.491.69 oz · $7.98/ozAug 30
-
Walgreens
$13.991.69 oz · $8.28/ozAug 30
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
- 1.69 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 1.69 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 $8 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $4.92/oz; at 1.69 oz that is $8. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.69 oz.
Formula
7
Formula score
7 of 10
Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a serum does and costs about what serums cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 59% of the 136 serums we’ve priced
- No weightless carrier in the formula
- Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
- A shine systemThe silicone, oil, or ester that produces gloss.3 pts
- A weightless carrierDelivers the shine without leaving grease.2 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- An antioxidantKeeps the oils in the bottle from going off.1 pt
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.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.
Sauce BeautySame function
Guac Gloss
$3.82/oz $3.22/oz less
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Protein-free
- Differs
OGXLowest cost per oz
Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil
$2.96/oz $4.08/oz less
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Shine
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 suitsBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and a formula with real substance
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair
Best alternative if not
Consider Sauce Beauty Guac Gloss, 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
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.
1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
3
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
resists 90% humidity
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.
heat protection up to 220°C
Heat protection is a performance claim; an ingredient list cannot confirm it.
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
Stated by brand
Only lab testing can show this.
adds shine and controls flyaways
Possible from silicones or film formers, but not something the list targets.
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
Stated by brand
May help, but not a primary focus.
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.
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.
A longtime user says the serum outperforms pricier alternatives for frizz control.
longtime anti-frizz userOne reviewer reports smoother texture and notable shine after applying a small amount nightly before formal-event photos.
event-preparation userA reviewer with thick 3B/3C curls finds it stiff and heavy on damp natural curls, but says it smooths and protects a straightened style from humidity for days.
user alternating between natural curls and heat-styled straight hairMore from John Frieda
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.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-04.
- Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 8 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 2026-10-19.
