Thermal protection up to 450F
Our library captures this as a heat protectant, but thermal protection is measured in a lab, not read off a list.
- Saccharomyces Polypeptides
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Sold for hot tools; untestable here.
Heat protectant / Spray, heat-protecting
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Manufacturer page: livingproof.com
Personal fit
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.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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
$6.40/oz at 5 oz, more than 80% of the 891 heat protectants , which mostly run $1.42–5.78/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
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.
The brand states a protection temperature. That is a label claim, not a measurement.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
Ingredients that matter
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Babassu Oil Glycereth-8 Esters | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Softens |
| Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Lysine | amino acid | Small protein fragments that bind water | Protein |
| Saccharomyces Polypeptides | protein | Part of the thermal film | Protein |
| Arginine | amino acid | Small protein fragments that bind water | Protein |
| Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Leucine | amino acid | Small protein fragments that bind water | Protein |
| Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
| Eucalyptus Globulus Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
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.
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Babassu oil made water-soluble, so it can soften a rinse-off formula without separating.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
An extract of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
An amino acid found in hair protein, used in conditioning blends.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
Yeast-derived protein fragments used for conditioning claims.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
A large surface-depositing protein. If protein reliably makes your hair feel rigid, this is the form most likely to do it.
Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.
An amino acid that holds water and carries a positive charge, so it is drawn to damaged spots on the strand.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
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.
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
A filtered yeast fermentation broth, used for conditioning and scalp claims at low levels.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
An amino acid of the kind hair protein is built from. Small enough to sit inside the cuticle, and used for water binding rather than strength.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Amino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
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.
The lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
A general plant protein blend used for strength and body; the silanetriol form binds more firmly.
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
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.
A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the 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.
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
The essential oil of Citrus Aurantium. Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
The essential oil of Eucalyptus Globulus. Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
A cold-pressed citrus oil used for a fresh scent; naturally high in limonene.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A rose-scented fragrance component related to geraniol.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A lemon-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
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.
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 5 oz
Sizes
The 5 oz costs 40% less per ounce than the 1.7 oz.
5 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce
1.7 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.
Formula
The formula carries what a heat protectant is built around, and 3 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is the label, not the formula.
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.
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
People who blow-dry or flat-iron, looking for heat protection and protein high in the formula
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, hair that stiffens on protein, or very dry or very humid climates
Curl Keeper Heat Shield Curl Protector, 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
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.
Thermal protection up to 450F
Our library captures this as a heat protectant, but thermal protection is measured in a lab, not read off a list.
Sold for hot tools; untestable here.
Smooths frizz and flyaways
Possible from silicones or film formers, but not something the list targets.
May help, but not a primary focus.
Adds softness and shine
Light esters can add a little gloss without a full shine system.
A hint of gloss.
Neutralizes odor and provides all-day freshness
Odour control is a performance claim we cannot read from the list.
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Refreshes curls and reduces frizz
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
Smoother strands, less frizz.
Ultra-fine restyling mist that reshapes hair to bring back day-1 look
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Can’t be confirmed from label.
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
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.
Effectively refreshes day 2-3 hair between washes, brings hair 'back to life'
Pleasant, light scent that leaves hair feeling refreshed
Adds body/volume and shine while keeping hair soft and manageable, including on curls