L'Oreal Bond Repair Leave-In Serum For Damaged Hair - UK Versus Kérastase Genesis Strengthening Serum for Hair and Scalp
Updated on June 27, 2025
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe hair serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances and oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
L'Oreal Bond Repair Leave-In Serum For Damaged Hair 29 ingredients
Kérastase Genesis Strengthening Serum for Hair and Scalp 29 ingredients
What's inside (and what isn't)
What's inside (and what isn't)
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
L'Oreal Bond Repair Leave-In Serum For Damaged Hair 29 ingredients
Kérastase Genesis Strengthening Serum for Hair and Scalp 29 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Isododecane
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
PEG-14 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
C13-16 Isoparaffin
Solvent
Isododecane, Dipropylene Glycol, Water, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Dimethiconol, PEG-14 Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxycitronellal, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyacrylamide, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Propylene Glycol, Isoeugenol, Geraniol, Citronellol, Citral, Laureth-7, Hexyl Cinnamal, C13-16 Isoparaffin
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Arginine
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Calcium Pantothenate
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Polyquaternium-11
Safflower Glucoside
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Zingiber Officinale Water
MaskingOak Root Extract
Skin ConditioningResveratrol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Arginine, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Caffeine, Limonene, Pyridoxine Hcl, Linalool, Polyquaternium-11, Safflower Glucoside, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Xylitylglucoside, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Zingiber Officinale Water, Oak Root Extract, Resveratrol, Tocopherol, BHT, Sodium Citrate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBenzyl Benzoate is usually created from the condensation of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is used as a preservative, solvent, and has a floral/balsamic scent in large amounts.
As a preservative, Benzyl Benzoate works against bacteria and fungus. It is often used to treat scabies and lice in medicine.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.
Learn more about Benzyl BenzoateCitral is a fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.
The EU mandates Citral be listed separately as a fragrance. It is a known allergen and may cause contact dermatitis. Citral can also used as a masking ingredient.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
Learn more about CitralCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCitronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterIngredient Ratings
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L'Oreal Bond Repair Leave-In Serum For Damaged Hair 29 ingredients
Kérastase Genesis Strengthening Serum for Hair and Scalp 29 ingredients
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L'Oreal Bond Repair Leave-In Serum For Damaged Hair 29 ingredients
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