improves the hair's strength and resilience while reducing breakage and split ends
Protein sits in the first eight ingredients.
- Hydrolyzed Keratin
Supported
Reinforces a damaged strand.
Sizes & containers
3 fl. oz. · $72 at one store · UPC 810569032806
Keratin Complex
Intense RX Keratin Repair Serum
Finisher / Serum, lightweight
- Finisher
- serum
- Sulfate-free
- Lightweight
- Not vegan · ingredient list
- Cruelty-free · brand states
Size3 fl. oz.usual store size · 2 sizes
Price$72seen at one store · 3 oz
Price / oz$24.00/ozat 3 oz
Where to buy2 stores · $11.99–72.00
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: keratincomplex.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 22 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
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
None found
Not in your profile
Oils and butters
None
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
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 22 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 vegan · ingredient listCruelty-free · brand states
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not vegan · ingredient list
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Pump or tube
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
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
Prestige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Salons
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
Same job for less elsewhere
$24.00/oz at 3 oz, more than 94% of the 136 serums , which mostly run $3.94–14.80/oz.
Great for
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Hair that looks dullno recognised shine system in the list
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
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
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater/Aqua/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Hydrolyzed Keratin | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Protein |
| Guar GumCyanosis Tetragonoloba Gum (Guar Gum) | gum | Natural hold and clump definition | Holds |
| Timonacic | — | — | Neutral |
| CyclopentasiloxaneCyclomethicone | silicone | The shine system | Buildup |
| Dimethicone | silicone | The shine system | Buildup |
| Arnica Montana Flower Water | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Cyclopentasiloxane | silicone | The shine system | Buildup |
| FragranceFragrance/Parfum | 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 (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
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Hydrolyzed Keratin
General function
Fragments of the same protein hair is made of. They fill gaps on damaged strands and make hair feel firmer for a few washes.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairFilling 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 stylingFilm 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 hairSize decides where it goes. In fibre testing, fractions around 221 and 2,577 Da reached the cortex while a 75,440 Da fraction stayed on the surface. A label prints the name, never the size, so a protein line is a claim about the ingredient rather than about the depth.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
3
Guar Gum
· Cyanosis Tetragonoloba Gum (Guar Gum)
General function
A bean gum that thickens and gives a slippery feel.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
- gum
- thickener
- 4 Timonacic
-
5
Cyclopentasiloxane
· Cyclomethicone
General function
A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairA cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.
- silicone
- emollient
-
6
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.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
7
Arnica Montana Flower Water
- botanical extract
-
8
Cyclopentasiloxane
General function
A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairA cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.
- silicone
- emollient
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
9
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 silicones
- 3 emollients
- 1 solvent
- 1 film former
- 1 protein
- 1 hydrolysed protein
- 1 gum
- 1 thickener
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 botanical extract
- 1 fragrance
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 3 oz
Seen at
$72
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 $15 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it7 listings · 2 stores
3 ozusual store size
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$72.003 oz · $24.00/ozOct 15
3.4 ozBest per ounce
-
Bigtime Beauty
$11.993.4 oz · $3.53/ozOct 22Lowest 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
- 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.
- Seen at $72 is the price we have observed for the 3 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- 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 $2.58/oz; at 3 oz that is $8. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $15 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 of 10
The formula carries what a serum is built around, and 7 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is the label, not the formula.
How the score is counted
- 7 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 94% of the 136 serums we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a serum should do
- 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.
TRESemmeLowest cost per oz
Keratin Smooth Blowout Hair Shine Spray
$1.83/oz $22.17/oz less
- Protein
- Shine
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
OGXClose function
Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Weightless Oil Mist
$2.65/oz $21.35/oz less
- Protein
- Shine
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
CHIClose function
Silk Infusion Botanical Bliss
$5.00/oz $19.00/oz less
- Protein
- Rich
- Shine
- Function
- Also
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?
Similar results available for lessBest user
Soft, over-stretchy hair, looking for protein high in the formula and something that will not weigh hair down
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein
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
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
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.
Reviewers say it smooths frizz and treats the look of split and damaged ends, including chemically damaged hair.
Reviewers with frizzy, curly or chemically damaged hairReviewers say a tiny amount worked into ends or blown into damp hair before drying gives lasting smoothness.
Reviewers describing how they apply itMore from Keratin Complex
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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-17.
- Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 6 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 2026-10-17.
