L'Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut Repair Golden Mask — 8.5 oz container

L'Oreal Professionnel

Serie Expert Absolut Repair Golden Mask

Mask / Protein treatment, lean

Mask / treatment
protein
Sulfate-free
Lightweight

Size8.5 fl oz

Price$29.37seen at one store · 8.5 oz

Price / oz$3.99/ozat 8.5 oz

Where to buy4 stores · $29.37–48.00

Scent:

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

Listing used for research: caretobeauty.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Time on the hair Short Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Light Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein Minor 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 21 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol Moderate Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not yet verified Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified 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

pH adjusted Adjusted 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 · Amazon +1Widely sold Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Upper-mid price for a treatment

$3.99/oz at 8.5 oz — more than 55% of the 341 masks and treatments , which mostly run $1.63–5.59/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Short shower windowsit works in ten minutes or less

Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers

Easy to findsold through several channels

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove

Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol

Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

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 Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Slip and detangling High

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

Time on the hair 3–5 min

A short wait — it fits inside an ordinary shower.

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. These 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
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Mica	colourant	Colours the product, not the hair	Neutral
Behentrimonium Chloride	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
Amodimethicone	silicone	Smooths the cuticle and adds shine	Buildup
Titanium DioxideCI 77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE	colourant	Colours the product, not the hair	Neutral
Phenoxyethanol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Isopropyl Alcohol	drying alcohol	A small amount, for fast drying	Drying
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein	conditioning agent	Adds slip, lower in the list	Protein

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones — needs a detergent wash to remove. Contains fast-drying alcohol.

Full ingredient list (22)

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 · 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
2 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.

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

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
3 Mica

General function
A mineral that adds shimmer or opacity to the product. It affects how the bottle looks, not how hair behaves.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
A deposited colorant is a surface layer. It is a very small amount of material, but on a routine already fighting for root lift it is one more thing sitting on the strand.

PubChem
- colourant
- mineral
- opacifier
4 Behentrimonium Chloride

General function
A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out 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
Electrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.

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
5 Amodimethicone

General function
A silicone modified to stick where hair is damaged, so it smooths selectively instead of coating everything. It resists rinsing more than plain dimethicone.

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

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
Amino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.

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.

International Journal of Trichology
- silicone
- conditioning agent
- film former
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
6 Titanium Dioxide · CI 77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE

General function
A white mineral pigment that makes a product opaque or pearly.

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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- opacifier
- mineral
7 Phenoxyethanol

General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.

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 Isopropyl Alcohol

General function
A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Well down the list it is a processing aid; near the top it can leave hair feeling dry.

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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

PubChem
- drying alcohol
- solvent
9 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
10 Ci 77491/Iron Oxides
- colourant
11 Propylene Glycol

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

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 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
12 Peg-150/Decyl Alcohol/Smdi Copolymer
- emulsifier
13 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
14 Trideceth-6
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
15 Hexyl Cinnamal

General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised 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
16 Chlorhexidine Digluconate
- preservative
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 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
19 Cetrimonium Chloride

General function
A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.

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 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
20 Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
- botanical extract
21 Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

General function
A wheat protein given a positive charge so it sticks to damaged areas. It conditions and adds temporary strength in one ingredient.

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
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

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.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
22 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

What the whole list adds up to

4 fragrances
3 solvents
3 colourants
3 conditioning agents
3 film formers
3 named fragrance allergens
2 thickeners
2 minerals
2 opacifiers
2 cleansers
2 preservatives
2 emulsifiers
1 fatty alcohol
1 emollient

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-24. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8.5 oz

Seen at $29.37 lowest of 2 stores · checked Aug 30

Good value under $20 Under $2.30/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $20 line; products that do this job typically go for about $60 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8.5 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

SweetCare
$29.37

8.5 oz · $3.46/oz

Aug 30Lowest per ozSale · was $36.71
sweetcare.com
$38.46

8.5 oz · $4.53/oz

Aug 30
Walmart
$42.25

8.5 oz · $4.97/oz

Aug 24
Amazon
$48.00

8.5 oz · $5.65/oz

Aug 24

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. and 1 listing we don’t count — grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out

8.5 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 $29.37 is the price we have observed for the 8.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $20 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.30/oz; at 8.5 oz that is $20. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $60 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score

7 of 10

Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for masks and treatments, on formula or on cost per ounce.

How the score is counted

2 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 55% 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.

ElizaveccaLowest cost per oz CER-100 Collagen Coating Hair Muscle Treatment Rinse $0.95/oz $3.04/oz less

Lightweight
Quick

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Masstige tier
16.9 oz bottle

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CHIClose function Tea Tree Oil Revitalizing Masque $1.60/oz $2.39/oz less

Function: Oils and butters
Film formers
Also: Masstige tier
8 oz bottle

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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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person

Best user

People who want maximum slip, looking for real detangling slip and something that will not weigh hair down

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or very dry or high-damage hair

Best alternative if not

Consider Elizavecca CER-100 Collagen Coating Hair Muscle Treatment Rinse, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Professional hair mask formulated to revitalize and instantly restore damaged hair

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Helps reduce surface damage and deliver hair up to seven times shinier compared to regular shampoo, as part of a complete routine

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

Amodimethicone

Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

Formulated with Omega-9 and Protein

A named-ingredient story. What matters is where those sit in the list — see the ingredients table.

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract

Stated by brand

Check the position, not the name.

Lighter consistency than the regular Absolut Repair mask, for fine to medium, dry hair

Humectants and emollients are present, but lower in the list than the claim implies.

Cetearyl Alcohol
Propylene Glycol

Partly supported

Some hydration, at a low level.

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.

Makes hair look smooth and healthy

Walmart reviewer (anonymous): "This product is very good. It made my hair look smooth and very healthy."

Leaves hair feeling silky and easy to comb out

Walmart reviewer "Denise": "This L'Oreal Golden mask made my hair feel like silk. So easy to comb out after washing."

Effective deep conditioning with pleasant scent

Walmart reviewer "Viktoriia": "I really liked this mask! It was very effective, deep conditioning and the scent was really good."

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.
6 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 15 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 2026-08-25.