fights frizz and flyaways, extends style longevity, and helps repair breakage
Protein sits in the first eight ingredients.
- Hydrolyzed Keratin
Supported
Reinforces a damaged strand.
Keratin Complex
KeraBalm 3-in-1 Hair Balm
Styler / Curl cream, gum-set
- Styler
- curl cream
- Not vegan · ingredient list
- Cruelty-free · brand states
Size1.7 fl. oz.
Price$25–36commonly seen · 1.7 oz
Price / oz$17.64/ozat 1.7 oz
Where to buy7 stores · $18.00–36.00
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 19 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
Wavy–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Low
Not in your profile
Hold system
Low
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
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
Not determined
Not in your profile
Essential oils
Not determined
Not in your profile
Show all 19 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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
Not determined
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not determined
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
22 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Salon
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
Priced above most curl creams
$17.64/oz at 1.7 oz, more than 100% of the 228 curl creams , which mostly run $1.35–5.22/oz.
Great for
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
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
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.
Hold system
Natural gum
Natural gums do the holding, so the hold is softer and re-wets more easily.
Oil absorption
None
No absorbent powders or starches.
Oils and butters
Present, lower down
Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAqua/Water/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Hydrolyzed Keratin | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Protein |
| (2RS,4R)-Thiazolidine-2,4-Dicarboxylic Acid | — | — | Neutral |
| cyamopsis tetragonoloba gum | gum | The hold system: natural gums, softer than a synthetic polymer | Holds |
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl and Stearyl Alcohols | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Glyoxylic Acid | conditioning agent | A supporting conditioner | Detangles |
| Cyclopentasiloxane | silicone | A little smoothing and shine | Buildup |
| FragranceFragrance/Parfum | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesProtein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones that need a detergent wash to remove.
Full ingredient list (22)
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
· 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 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 (2RS,4R)-Thiazolidine-2,4-Dicarboxylic Acid
-
4
cyamopsis tetragonoloba gum
General function
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.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- gum
- thickener
-
5
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
-
6
Cetearyl Alcohol
· Cetyl and Stearyl Alcohols
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 ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
7
Glyoxylic Acid
- conditioning agent
- pH adjuster
-
8
Cyclopentasiloxane
General function
A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.
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 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
-
9
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
General function
Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.
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 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.
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
· Soybean Oil
General function
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.
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 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.
- oil
- emollient
- 11 Arnica Montana Flower Oil
- 12 Prunus Amigdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
- 13 Triticum Vulgare Germ (Wheat Germ) Oil
- 14 Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot Kernel) Oil
- 15 Malus Domesticua Fruit Cell Culture Extract
-
16
Xanthan Gum
General function
A fermented sugar gum that thickens water-based formulas and adds soft, natural hold.
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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdA 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 hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- gum
- thickener
- film former
-
17
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
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.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-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 hairBinds 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 hairWater 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.
- humectant
-
18
Lecithin
General function
A soy- or sunflower-derived lipid that helps conditioning ingredients spread evenly on the strand.
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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emulsifier
- emollient
- 19 2-phenoxyethanol
- 20 Amp-Isostearoyl Gelatin/Keratin Amino Acids/Lysine Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
-
21
Acetic Acid
General function
Vinegar acid, used in tiny amounts to bring the formula to an acidic pH so the cuticle lies flat.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH 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
-
22
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
- 6 emollients
- 3 thickeners
- 2 film formers
- 2 gums
- 2 silicones
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 pH adjusters
- 2 oils
- 1 solvent
- 1 protein
- 1 hydrolysed protein
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 humectant
- 1 emulsifier
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 1.7 oz
Commonly seen
$25–36
Good value under
$3
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $3 line; products that do this job typically go for about $4 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it11 listings · 7 stores
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$18.001.7 oz · $10.59/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$18.001.7 oz · $10.59/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$18.001.7 oz · $10.59/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$18.001.7 oz · $10.59/ozOct 7
-
Keratin Complex (brand site)
$18.001.7 oz · $10.59/ozOct 7
-
ShopSimon
$23.191.7 oz · $13.64/ozOct 17Sale · was $29.88
-
Jomashop.com
$24.991.7 oz · $14.70/ozOct 17
-
Target
$29.991.7 oz · $17.64/ozOct 17Sale · was $34.00
-
Keratin Complex
$36.001.7 oz · $21.18/ozOct 17
-
Ulta Beauty
$36.001.7 oz · $21.18/ozOct 17
-
Keratin Complex (brand site, consumer listing)
$36.001.7 oz · $21.18/ozOct 15
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 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 1.7 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 $3 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.94/oz; at 1.7 oz that is $3. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $4 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.7 oz.
Formula
10
Formula score
10 of 10
Above the range for curl creams per ounce for a complete formula, with no close, lower-priced match in our library.
How the score is counted
- Nothing in our library does the same job for less
- Costs more per ounce than 100% of the 228 curl creams we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a curl cream should do
- Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
- A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
- Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.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
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.
Original SproutLowest cost per oz
Classic Curl Calmer
$2.08/oz $15.56/oz less
- Protein
- Alcohol-free
- No aerosol
- Function
- Also
OlaplexClose function
No.6 Bond Smoother Frizz Control Styling Hair Cream
$15.14/oz $2.50/oz less
- Humidity
- No aerosol
- Medium weight
- Function
- Also
DavinesClose function
LOVE Smoothing Perfector Thermal Smoothing Hair Serum
$6.51/oz $11.13/oz less
- Protein-free
- No aerosol
- Medium weight
- 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?
Only if you need exactly thisBest user
Soft, over-stretchy hair who want protein high in the formula and defined, clumped curls
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein
Best alternative if not
Nothing in our library matches it closely 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
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.
Many reviewers say it tames frizz and leaves hair softer, smoother and easier to manage.
Reviewers across hair types, including color-treated hairMany reviewers say using it before blow drying cuts down on flat ironing or straightening.
Reviewers who blow dry or straighten their hairSeveral reviewers say the pump failed to dispense or the tube seemed to hold much less product.
Reviewers across hair typesSome reviewers find it weighs fine hair down and looks greasy, while others call it light.
Reviewers with fine hair, and reviewers who layer it with other productsMore 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.
- 7 sources consulted for this product (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 11 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.
