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Olive Oil Thermalast Heat Protection Serum

Heat protectant / Lotion, heat-protecting

  • Heat protectant
  • serum
  • Also a finisher
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size6 fl ozmost listed · 2 sizes
Price$8–10commonly seen · 6 oz
Price / oz$1.33/ozat 6 oz
Where to buy4 stores · 2 sizes

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: orshaircare.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Lower cost than most heat protectants

$1.33/oz at 6 oz — less than 94% of the 564 heat protectants , which mostly run $2.82–10.20/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Heat stylingthe brand positions this as a heat protectant
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
Short ingredient listsfifteen ingredients or fewer
Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

How much heat protection you need depends on how often and how hot you style — 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.

Heat protection Claimed, no temperature given

Sold as a heat protectant; no temperature is stated.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Slip and detangling Some

Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

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. 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
Cyclopentasiloxane silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
CyclopentasiloxaneCyclomethicone silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Dimethicone Crosspolymer film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Buildup
Dimethicone silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
CyclopentasiloxaneCyclomethicone silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Dimethiconol silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Amodimethicone silicone Spreads heat across the strand Buildup
Methyl Soyate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone silicone A little heat-spreading smoothing Buildup
FragranceParfum/Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Water-insoluble silicones — needs a detergent wash to remove.
Full ingredient list (14)

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 Cyclopentasiloxane
    General function

    A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It 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 hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 2 Cyclopentasiloxane · Cyclomethicone
    General function

    A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It 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 hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 3 Dimethicone Crosspolymer
    General function

    A synthetic film-forming polymer. Polymers of this kind dry to a continuous film on the hair, which is how a styling product holds a shape.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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

    A crosslinked or hydroxyl-terminated silicone lays a continuous film, which is the most durable surface smoothing this class offers.

    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.

    • film former
    • polymer
    • silicone
  • 4 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 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

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone 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
  • 5 Cyclopentasiloxane · Cyclomethicone
    General function

    A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It 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 hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 6 Dimethiconol
    General function

    A high-shine silicone often paired with dimethicone for a smoother, glossier finish.

    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

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 7 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
  • 8 Methyl Soyate
    General function

    A soy-derived ester used as a solvent and light emollient.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • light ester
    • emollient
    • solvent
  • 9 Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone
    General function

    A silicone. Silicones coat the strand for slip, shine and frizz control; unless the name carries PEG or PPG, removing one takes a detergent rather than water.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    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

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.

    • silicone
    • conditioning agent
  • 10 Isopropyl Myristate
    General function

    A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    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.

    PubChem
    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 11 Methyl Olivate
    • emollient
    • light ester
  • 12 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
    General function

    One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Because it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.

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

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 13 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
  • 14 Violet 2 (CI 60725) · CI 60725 (Violet 2)
    General function

    A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.

    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
    • direct dye
    • violet dye

What the whole list adds up to

  • 9 emollients
  • 8 silicones
  • 3 conditioning agents
  • 3 light esters
  • 2 film formers
  • 1 polymer
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 oil
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 colourant
  • 1 direct dye
  • 1 violet dye

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-23. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 6 oz

Commonly seen $8–10 Midpoint $7.99 · 3 stores · checked Aug 30

Sizes

3.96 oz
$10
$2.52/oz
6 ozmost listed
$8–10
$1.33/oz

The 6 oz costs 47% less per ounce than the 3.96 oz.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores

6 ozmost listedBest per ounce

  • Walmart
    $7.97
    6 oz · $1.33/oz
    Aug 30Lowest per ozSale · was $31.88
  • Brand website
    $7.99
    6 oz · $1.33/oz
    Aug 23
  • ORS Hair Care
    $7.99
    6 oz · $1.33/oz
    Aug 30
  • CVS
    $11.49
    6 oz · $1.92/oz
    Aug 30

3.96 oz

  • Hairgrade
    $10.00
    3.96 oz · $2.52/oz
    Aug 30Lowest 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
  1. 6 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 6 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. Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
  4. About $36 is what heat protectants typically cost at this size. Too few of the products that do the same job carry a price for us to draw a good-value line.

Formula

Formula score
6 of 10

Not the most complete heat protectant formula we have read, but it is under most of the range for heat protectants per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 94% of the 564 heat protectants we’ve priced
  • No light base in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website
  • A film-forming heat spreaderSilicones or polymers that spread heat along the strand.3 pts
  • A stated heat claimThe brand names the protection it claims.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.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

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.

Garnier FructisClosest function Sleek & Shine Sleek & Stay Heat-Activated Serum $5.13/oz $3.80/oz more
  • Heat protect
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Fresh scent
  • 1.7 oz bottle
  • Sold in drugstores and mass retail
Compare
MatrixClose function Mega Sleek 96H Anti-Frizz Topcoat $11.24/oz $9.91/oz more
  • Heat protect
  • Protein-free
  • Alcohol-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 1.7 oz bottle
Compare
ionLowest cost per oz Humidity-Defying Serum $3.28/oz $1.95/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Shine
  • Humidity
· Close function
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Sold through salons
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

Built for straight to curly hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

People who blow-dry or flat-iron — for heat protection and a protein-free formula

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or anyone who wants to pick it up locally

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, 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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Minimizes heat damage during the styling process

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Enhances the thermal straightening process

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Seals in moisture and shine

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

  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone
  • Dimethiconol
Partly supported

Some hydration, at a low level.

Leaves hair silky and smooth

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone Crosspolymer
  • Dimethicone
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

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.

Effective heat protection for blow-drying and flat-ironing, achieves salon-smooth press results

Leaves hair smooth, shiny, and holds style longer without heaviness

Shipping/packaging issue — bottle arrived leaking, product wasted

More from ORS

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.
  • 3 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 12 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.