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Ouidad

VitalCurl+ Leave-In Styling Serum

Leave-in / Everyday leave-in, medium-weight

  • Leave-in
  • serum
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Curly-method
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8.5 fl oz
Price$26seen at one store · 8.5 oz
Price / oz$3.06/ozat 8.5 oz

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: ouidad.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Upper-mid price for a leave-in

$3.06/oz at 8.5 oz — more than 57% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — 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.

Weight on the hair Medium

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

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Protein Prominent

Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

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
WaterWater/Aqua/Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Pisum Sativum (Pea) Peptide protein Firms up soft, over-stretchy hair Protein
Biotin vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Neutral
Niacinamide vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Detangles
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil oil Coats and softens the strand Softens
Hexyl Cinnamal fragrance The scent Fragrance
Limonene fragrance The scent Fragrance
Linalool fragrance The scent Fragrance
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one. Fragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (25)

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 · 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 ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 2 Pisum Sativum (Pea) Peptide
    General function

    A short-chain pea protein used for strength and body claims in vegan formulas.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May not suitProtein-sensitive hair

    A large surface-depositing protein. If protein reliably makes your hair feel rigid, this is the form most likely to do it.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.

    • protein
  • 3 Biotin
    General function

    Vitamin B7, included for label appeal in thickening and growth-positioned products. Applied to hair it does not reach the follicle.

    Leading ingredient

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

    PubChem
    • vitamin
  • 4 Niacinamide
    General function

    Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.

    Supporting ingredient

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

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

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    PubChem
    • vitamin
    • conditioning agent
  • 5 Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Borago Officinalis. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    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

    Coats 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 hair

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

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 6 Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
    General function

    The oil pressed from Cannabis Sativa. How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.

    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

    Coats 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 hair

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

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 7 Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
    General function

    A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.

    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

    Coats 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 hair

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

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 8 Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil
    General function

    Flaxseed oil, used for softness; the seed extract is used instead for natural hold.

    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

    Coats 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 hair

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

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 9 Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols
    • amino acid
  • 10 Polyquaternium-37
    General function

    A thickening polymer that gives creams and curl products their bounce and helps them cling to the strand.

    Secondary ingredient

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

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

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

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    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.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
    • thickener
  • 11 Polyquaternium-80
    General function

    A positively charged conditioning polymer. It leaves a thin film that cuts static and eases combing, and it survives rinsing better than a simple conditioner.

    Secondary ingredient

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

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

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

    A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

    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.

    • conditioning agent
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 12 Inulin
    General function

    A plant sugar used for light moisture and as a prebiotic scalp claim.

    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

    Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

    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.

    • humectant
    • botanical extract
  • 13 Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
  • 14 Glycolipids
    General function

    Sugar-and-fat molecules used as gentle, fermentation-derived emulsifiers and cleansers.

    Secondary ingredient

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

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

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emulsifier
    • emollient
  • 15 Phospholipids
    General function

    Fat-and-water-loving lipids that help conditioning ingredients bind evenly to the strand.

    Secondary ingredient

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

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

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emollient
    • emulsifier
  • 16 Vp/Dmapa/Acrylates Copolymer
    • film former
    • polymer
  • 17 Benzalkonium Chloride
    General function

    A positively charged conditioning agent. Damaged hair carries a negative charge, so it deposits where the damage is and makes wet hair comb through.

    Secondary ingredient

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

    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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

    • conditioning agent
  • 18 Didecyldimonium Chloride
    General function

    A positively charged conditioning agent. Damaged hair carries a negative charge, so it deposits where the damage is and makes wet hair comb through.

    Secondary ingredient

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

    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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

    • conditioning agent
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 19 Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
    • preservative
  • 20 Methylpropanediol
    • humectant
  • 21 Caprylyl Glycol
    General function

    A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

    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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

    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
    • preservative
    • humectant
  • 22 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
  • 23 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
  • 24 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
  • 25 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 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

  • 6 emollients
  • 4 oils
  • 4 conditioning agents
  • 4 fragrances
  • 3 film formers
  • 3 polymers
  • 3 humectants
  • 3 named fragrance allergens
  • 2 vitamins
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 protein
  • 1 conditioning agent

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

Price · 8.5 oz

Seen at $26 lowest of 2 stores · checked Aug 30
Good value under $11 Under $1.24/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 $11 line; products that do this job typically go for about $26 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores

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. 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.
  2. Seen at $26 is the price we have observed for the 8.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $11 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.24/oz; at 8.5 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $26 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
8 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among leave-ins, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 57% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a leave-in should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.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.

HaskLowest cost per oz Biotin Boost 5-in-1 Leave-in Spray $1.17/oz $1.89/oz less
  • Protein
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
· Close function
Function
  • Film formers
  • Slip and detangling
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Fresh scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6 oz bottle
Compare
As I AmClose function Onion Leave-In Conditioner $1.31/oz $1.75/oz less
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
  • Rinses clean
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Protein
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 8 oz bottle
Compare
HaskClose function Curls + Coconut Oil 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray $1.17/oz $1.89/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Protein
Also
  • Coconut scent
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6 oz bottle
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 wavy to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Soft, over-stretchy hair, looking for protein high in the formula and a curly-method-compatible formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, hair that stiffens on protein, or people shopping on a budget

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.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Lightweight, multi-purpose serum that hydrates the scalp and hair while enhancing curl definition

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
  • Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
  • Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Provides weightless moisture while also helping to strengthen curls and balance the scalp

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
  • Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
  • Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

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.

Lightweight formula suits fine curls without feeling too heavy

Hydrates curls with bounce and definition without a greasy finish

No residue or buildup — hair feels clean after use

More from Ouidad

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 5 of 18 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.