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K18

FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum

Scalp treatment

  • Scalp treatment
  • serum
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Cruelty-free · brand states
Size3 fl oz
Price$113–120commonly seen · 3 oz
Price / oz$40.00/ozat 3 oz
Where to buy5 stores · $90.00–120.00

Manufacturer page: k18hairpro.com

Personal fit

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Same job for less elsewhere

$40.00/oz at 3 oz — more than 96% of the 152 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.22–20.64/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much richness is right for you depends on your strand thickness, porosity, and how easily your hair flattens — 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.

Slip and detangling Little

Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Weight on the hair Light

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

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterWater (Aqua) (Eau) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Pentylene Glycol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Dimethyl Isosorbide solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Glycerin humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Niacinamide vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Detangles
Polysorbate 20 solubilizer Keeps oils dissolved in water Stabilizes
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Hydroxyethylcellulose gum Adds body and a little hold Holds
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein film former A supporting film former Protein
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols.
Full ingredient list (19)

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 · Water (Aqua) (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 Pentylene Glycol
    General function

    A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative list.

    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
    • preservative
  • 3 Dimethyl Isosorbide
    General function

    A plant-derived solvent used to carry actives evenly and help them penetrate.

    Leading ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 4 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.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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
  • 5 Niacinamide
    General function

    Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.

    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.

    PubChem
    • vitamin
    • conditioning agent
  • 6 Polysorbate 20
    General function

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

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 7 Sodium Benzoate
    General function

    A food-grade preservative that works only in acidic formulas, which is why it usually appears alongside citric acid.

    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.

    PubChem
    • preservative
  • 8 Hydroxyethylcellulose
    General function

    A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible film.

    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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.

    May not suitMaximum-hold styling

    Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

    PubChem
    • gum
    • thickener
    • film former
  • 9 Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate
    • amino acid
  • 10 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
  • 11 Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate
  • 12 Palmitoyl Dipeptide-52
  • 13 Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
    General function

    A protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It fills gaps on damaged strands and firms the feel for a few washes; too much reads as stiff.

    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 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
  • 14 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 15 Disodium Phosphate
    General function

    A buffering salt that keeps pH stable as the product ages.

    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
    • salt
  • 16 Polysorbate 60
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 17 Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-20 Amide
  • 18 Sodium Phosphate
    General function

    A buffering salt used to hold the formula at a steady pH.

    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.

    • pH adjuster
    • salt
  • 19 Sodium Nitrate
    • salt

What the whole list adds up to

  • 3 solvents
  • 3 preservatives
  • 3 pH adjusters
  • 3 salts
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 solubilizers
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 film formers
  • 1 vitamin
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 gum
  • 1 thickener
  • 1 amino acid
  • 1 hard-water chelator

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-16. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3 oz

Commonly seen $113–120 Midpoint $120 · 4 stores · checked Sep 16
Good value under $11 Under $3.75/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 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 $38 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores

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. 3 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. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 3 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $11 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.75/oz; at 3 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $38 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3 oz.

Formula

Formula score
3 of 10

It costs more per ounce than 96% of the 152 scalp treatments we’ve priced, the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front, and 7 close matches sell for at least a quarter less per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 7 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 96% of the 152 scalp treatments we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • No oils or butters in the working zone either
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.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.

Design EssentialsLowest cost per oz Scalp Care Scalp Cleansing Serum $2.50/oz $37.50/oz less
  • Budget
· Close function
Differs
  • Citrus scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 4 oz bottle
Compare
Bounce CurlClose function Turmeric Purifying Hair & Scalp Mask $3.25/oz $36.75/oz less
  • Vegan & CF
Differs
  • Vegan
  • Salon tier
  • 8 oz bottle
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NioxinClose function Age Defense Serum $20.61/oz $19.39/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Protein
Also
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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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person, not the lowest cost
Best user

People sensitive to fragrance — for a formula with no added fragrance and something that will not weigh hair down

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for very dry or very humid climates or people shopping on a budget

Best alternative if not

Design Essentials Scalp Care Scalp Cleansing Serum, 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, 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.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Reduce shedding, graying, and scalp aging

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Up to 19,000 more hairs

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

70% show fewer grays (month 3)

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.

100% showed reduced hair fall (month 1)

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.

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.

A few reviewers say they also noticed fewer gray hairs while using the serum.

reviewers tracking graying alongside shedding

Multiple reviewers report a noticeable decrease in daily hair shedding within the first weeks of nightly use.

reviewers concerned about hair thinning/hair loss

Some reviewers specifically praise visible regrowth or reduced scalp show-through at the temples and hairline.

reviewers with visible thinning at the temples

The texture itself is described as easy to absorb and non-greasy, though one reviewer using it alongside minoxidil was still uncertain about the serum's own contribution to results.

a reviewer combining it with prescription minoxidil

More from K18

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 (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 8 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 2026-09-16.

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