Aveda vs Kerastase (The Definitive Guide)

Aveda and Kerastase are two fantastic contenders in the haircare industry. Both brands are dedicated to providing luxurious hair treatments for affordable prices. Through restorative technology and natural ingredients, Aveda and Kerastase products claim to make your hair look better than ever before.

Today, we'll be comparing treatments, shampoos, and conditioners from each brand, before reaching a final verdict on which is the best choice for you and your hair. Enjoy!

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Aveda vs Kerastase Treatment

For anyone with damaged locks (that’s most of us), it’s a good idea to address the damage every once in a while with a hair treatment. Even better, though, would be to stay on top of it by treating your hair regularly.

For a simple at-home treatment, you have loads of options. Some products you put in your hair multiple times a week, and some products you only use once a month, sometimes less. Two great treatments to address damage are the Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-in Treatment and the Kerastase Resistance Hair Masque.

Firstly, we have the Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment. This mask smoothes, detangles, and protects your hair from heat (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).

To use, simply apply the treatment to washed hair and brush the product through before blow drying as normal. To protect your hair, this clean formula is free from mineral oil, parabens, sulfates, silicone, and synthetic fragrance. These standard haircare ingredients can cause breakage and dryness, which is why Aveda opted for more clean ingredients.

The luscious shampoo features naturally-sourced enriching oils like sunflower oil, avocado oil, green tea seed oil, and Sacha Inchi oil. These oils strengthen and revitalize the hair, leaving it shiny and frizz-free.

For those who enjoy an aromatherapy experience in the shower, this treatment features Aveda’s popular blend of ylang-ylang, rose, marjoram, and other flower essences. This makes the mask very calming and it leaves your hair smelling incredible.

The travel-size 25ml treatment retails for $13, while the full-size 100ml bottle costs $41.

Another mask option is the Kerastase Resistance Hair Masque. This mask is specially designed to treat heat-damaged and dyed hair, but it is effective for all hair types. Online reviewers have praised this hair mask for its defrizzing effect and its ability to restore strength and shine.

The formula is silky soft and nourishing for the hair. Some key ingredients are wheat protein, which improves the hair’s elasticity, and native plant cells which strengthens the roots and encourages new hair growth. This treatment does unfortunately contain mineral oil, so if this is something that bothers you, then the Aveda mask would be the better option.

To use this mask, apply it to wet hair from the roots to the ends. Leave the mask to replenish your hair for 5-10 minutes before rinsing the product away.

This mask treatment costs $26 for a 75ml tub or $64 for a 200ml tub.

Aveda vs Kerastase Shampoo

When you have hair that is begging for some TLC, it’s important that you are addressing it with every step of your hair care routine. You shouldn’t rely on just a single treatment to do all the heavy lifting - your shampoo and conditioner should be pulling their weight, too.

That’s why we love that so many brands—such as Aveda and Kerastase—boast multi-step systems that make it incredibly easy to *fully* address your hair-care concerns. Speaking of which, the first steps of their best-selling hydrating ranges are the Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Shampoo and the Kerastase Resistance Bain Force Architecte Shampoo.

First up is the Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Shampoo. In 2021, this shampoo was awarded the Marie Claire Prix D’Excellence Award for its strengthening power. It uses the power of botanicals to bring the most damaged hair back to life.

The formula features hair-loving ingredients such as Green tea, Avocado oil, and Sacha Ichi oil. These natural ingredients provide strength from root to tip and provide deep moisture to your scalp and hair follicles. The shampoo’s relaxing scent is made up of plant essences and ylang-ylang to make for a soothing hair-washing experience.

Also, Aveda is a Leaping Bunny-certified brand, which means no animals were harmed in the making of this shampoo or any of their other products.

There are three price options for this shampoo. You can purchase a 50ml bottle for $13, a 200ml bottle for $36, or you can pay $145 for the 1-liter option.

Our second shampoo is the Kerastase Resistance Bain Force Architecte Shampoo. This product treats weak and broken hair and provides your scalp with a deep clean. Online users have been impressed with how smooth and moisturized their hair was after using this shampoo. People have also noted that the shampoo smells fresh and sweet.

The formula features Pro-Keratin Complex, which provides protein and amino acids that reinforce the hair. The ingredients list also includes ceramides and plant sap for intense hydration and shine.

The Kerastase Shampoo also arrives with three purchasing options. There is an 80ml bottle for $19, a 250ml bottle for $35, and a 500ml bottle for $56.

Aveda vs Kerastase Conditioner

No good hair care system is complete without a conditioner. I'm personally a fan of mixing and matching my shampoos and conditioners to address multiple different needs. For example, when using a clarifying shampoo, you don’t necessarily also need a clarifying conditioner. *But* when it comes to dry/damaged hair, it is definitely wise to complete the full multi-step routine to ensure you get the expected results.

Let’s compare the Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner and the Kerastase Resistance Bain Force Conditioner.

The Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner is perfect for any hair type, particularly hair that has been damaged by heat and color dying. This silky soft conditioner detangles, smoothes, and repairs your hair.

This conditioner is free from parabens, sulfates, silicone, and mineral oil. Instead, it features naturally-derived ingredients like sunflower seed oil and avocado oil for long-lasting moisture.

As with the other Aveda products, this conditioner has a soothing ylang-ylang and rose scent which leaves your hair smelling heavenly. You can pick up a 40ml bottle for $13, a 200ml bottle for $41, or a 1-liter bottle for $165.

Our final product is the Kerastase Resistance Ciment Anti-Usure Strengthening Anti-Breakage Cream. This conditioner is well-known in the beauty community for strengthening hair and encouraging regrowth. It won the InStyle Magazine Best Beauty Buys in May 2017, and was titled “Best Conditioner for Brittle Hair”.

The key ingredients are Pro-Keratin, a protein that reconstructs the hair, and it contains Ceramide, which reinforces the hair from the inside and reduces split ends. Myrothamnus Flavelliofolia Leaf Extract is also present, for its hydrating properties.

To use this treatment, simply apply it to shampooed hair and leave it to soak for 2-3 minutes before rinsing away. The Anti-Breakage Cream costs $20.50 for a 75ml bottle or $40 for a 200ml bottle.

Conclusion

Both Aveda and Kerastase offer shampoos, conditioners, and treatments that assist with broken, lifeless hair. But which is the brand to go for? Well, it depends largely on personal preference. Allow us to break it down for you.

If you prefer to use more naturally-derived ingredients and enjoy therapeutic scents, then the Aveda products would be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you want to spend a little more on award-winning hair-strengthening products, then Kerastase would suit you.

In our opinion, the protein-rich shampoos and conditioners from Kerastase are the most effective, while the Aveda mask is a better deep treatment as it includes a variety of rich oils.

To round off our review, here are our recommendations for the alternative ranges that Kerastase and Aveda offer.

Aveda Best-Sellers

For smoothness:
Try Smooth Infusion

For color-treated hair:
Try Color Conserve

For hair growth:
Try Invati Advanced

Kerastase Best-Sellers

For very damaged hair:
Try the Resistance Range

For color-treated hair:
Try the Reflection Range

For blonde hair:
Try the Blond Absolu Range