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Kerastase

Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss Hair Gloss

Mask / Light treatment, lean

  • Mask / treatment
  • color care
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size7.1 fl oz
Price$62–76commonly seen · 7.1 oz
Price / oz$8.86/ozat 7.1 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $62.00–90.00

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: kerastase-usa.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.

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  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$8.86/oz at 7.1 oz — more than 90% of the 341 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.63–5.59/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Short shower windowsit works in ten minutes or less

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Silicone-free routinesit does contain silicones — the water-soluble kind
Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Whether your hair needs moisture, protein, or bond repair right now depends on your damage history and how your hair behaves wet — 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.

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.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) High

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

Slip and detangling High

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

Time on the hair 1–2 min

A short wait — it fits inside an ordinary shower.

Needs detergent to remove Rinses with water

The silicones here are the water-soluble kind.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Alcohol Denat. drying alcohol Speeds drying — and can read dry on the hair Drying
Propylene Glycol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
WaterAqua / Water / Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Myristyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Cetrimonium Chloride conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
Behentrimonium Methosulfate conditioning agent Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through Detangles
FragranceParfum / Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Peg-14 Dimethicone emulsifier Stabilises the mix Shine
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Contains fast-drying alcohol.
Full ingredient list (20)

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 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 Propylene Glycol
    General function

    A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

    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 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 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
    General function

    A light, refined coconut-derived oil that spreads easily and does not go rancid. It gives slip without a heavy feel.

    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.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 5 Myristyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to build texture in creams and add a light smoothing layer.

    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

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
  • 6 Cetearyl Alcohol
    General function

    A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

    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

    The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

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

    Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

    DependsFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

    PubChem
    • fatty alcohol
    • emollient
    • thickener
  • 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 Behentrimonium Methosulfate
    General function

    A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.

    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

    A C22 conditioning quat, the chain length that deposits most heavily in electrokinetic testing. It is the slip coarse or porous hair usually needs, delivered by chain length rather than by charge alone.

    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.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science
    • conditioning agent
    • emulsifier
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 9 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
  • 10 Lactic Acid
    General function

    An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.

    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 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

    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.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
    • humectant
    • exfoliant
  • 11 Peg-14 Dimethicone
    General function

    A silicone made water-soluble by ethoxylation. It smooths and adds slip, and rinses out with water rather than needing a detergent.

    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

    The PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.

    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

    Delivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.

    • emulsifier
    • silicone
    • water-soluble silicone
  • 12 Ppg-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
    • emulsifier
  • 13 Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate
  • 14 Tocopherol
    • antioxidant
    • vitamin
  • 15 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
  • 16 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
  • 17 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
  • 18 Geraniol
    General function

    A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own 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.

    • fragrance
    • named fragrance allergen
  • 19 Centella Asiatica Extract
    • botanical extract
  • 20 Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
    • antioxidant

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 fragrances
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 emollients
  • 3 emulsifiers
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 fatty alcohols
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 pH adjusters
  • 2 exfoliants
  • 2 antioxidants
  • 1 drying alcohol
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 thickener

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-02. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 7.1 oz

Commonly seen $62–76 Midpoint $62 · 3 stores · checked Sep 3
Good value under $12 Under $1.69/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 $12 line; products that do this job typically go for about $22 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 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. 7.1 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 7.1 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 $12 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.69/oz; at 7.1 oz that is $12. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $22 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 7.1 oz.

Formula

Formula score
5 of 10

Sold through salons at a price 3 products that do the same job undercut — the distribution is part of what you are paying for.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 90% of the 341 masks and treatments we’ve priced
  • No rich emollients in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Rich emollientsThe depth a treatment step is built around.3 pts
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
  • Protein or amino acidsThe strengthening side of a treatment.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A stated dwell timeThe brand says how long to leave it on.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.

L'Oreal Paris ElviveLowest cost per oz 8 Second Wonder Water Lamellar Hair Treatment $1.84/oz $7.02/oz less
  • Quick
  • Budget
  • Widely sold
· Close function
Function
  • Needs detergent to remove
Also
  • Fresh scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6.8 oz bottle
Compare
Design EssentialsClose function Restore Vitamin Hair Treatment $2.06/oz $6.80/oz less
  • Curly method
  • Lightweight
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Protein
  • Film formers
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Masstige tier
  • 8 oz bottle
Compare
Bumble and bumbleClose function Bond-Building TripleBond Flash Rinse for Damaged Hair $5.35/oz $3.51/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Lightweight
Function
  • Hard-water defence
  • Film formers
Also
  • Sweet scent
  • Cruelty-free
  • 1.8 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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Similar results available for less
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein

Best alternative if not

L'Oreal Paris Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water Lamellar Hair Treatment, 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.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
High shine hair gloss treatment for color treated hair.

It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.

  • Cetrimonium Chloride
  • Behentrimonium Methosulfate
  • Tocopherol
Supported

Less fade per wash.

This high shine hair gloss strengthens and seals the surface of the hair fiber to protect color and leave a high-shine finish.

It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.

  • Cetrimonium Chloride
  • Behentrimonium Methosulfate
  • Tocopherol
Supported

Less fade per wash.

Hair is 94% smoother (vs. non-conditioning shampoo)

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.

Hair is 96% stronger with reduced porosity (system of Soin Acide Chroma Gloss + Serum Chroma Thermique vs. non-conditioning shampoo)

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.

Gives hair color 70% more brilliant shine (vs. non-conditioning shampoo)

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.

0.7% Lactic Acid gently exfoliates and seals the hair surface.

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.

Reviewers volunteer that a little goes a long way and that the scent is pleasant, though the brand names no fragrance notes.

fine and coarse colour-treated hair

Curly and thick-haired reviewers say it flattens frizz and leaves the hair silky and easier to manage.

curly, thick, frizz-prone hair

Reviewers with colour-treated hair describe visibly more shine and a smoother, healthier feel after a single rinse-out use.

colour-treated, coarse to fine hair, ages 25-64

The repeated one-star complaint is hair left drier and more brittle than before, from reviewers who describe fine, colour-damaged or already-dry hair.

fine colour-damaged and dry, coarse hair

More from Kerastase

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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-03.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 14 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 2026-09-03.

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