Chronologiste is the Kérastase ritual for hair that has lost its vitality. Kérastase names five signs of hair aging — dryness, frizz, dullness, lack of volume, and brittle strands — and this is the line built to work on all five, on the scalp as well as the fiber, for every hair type. The ritual has just grown: the new Overnight Youth Hair Serum adds a leave-in step that works while you sleep, and the signature Parfum oil now comes in a refillable 75ml. This guide takes it product by product — what each does, how to use it, and who it is really for.
What Kérastase Means by "Hair Aging"
This is not about age on a birth certificate. Kérastase uses the phrase for hair that has become devitalized — the fiber dries out, frizzes, goes dull, loses its volume, and snaps more easily. Chronologiste treats that as a scalp-and-fiber problem together: the shampoo purifies and regenerates the scalp, the mask and serum rebuild hydration, strength, and body in the fiber, and the oil finishes with shine. Because the brief is vitality rather than a single concern, Kérastase formulates the whole line for all hair types.
Chronologiste vs Genesis vs Nutritive: Which One Do You Need?
Two Kérastase lines get compared with this one, and they solve different problems. Chronologiste is for hair that has lost its vitality across the board — several of the five signs at once. Genesis is for weakened hair that is prone to falling — snapping as you brush, shedding from under-supported roots; our Spécifique vs Genesis guide covers that side. Nutritive is for dryness — hair that lacks nutrition and moisture; the Nutritive guide sorts its treatments by thickness. If your hair is dry, dull, flat, and brittle at the same time, you are here. If the single loudest problem is hair fall, start with Genesis; if it is only dryness, start with Nutritive.
| Your hair | Line | What it targets |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, frizzy, dull, flat, brittle — several at once | Chronologiste | Vitality of scalp and fiber, all hair types |
| Weakened and prone to falling | Genesis | Hair fall from breakage and weakened roots |
| Dry, lacking nutrition | Nutritive | Nutrition and moisture |
Bain Chronologiste: The Purifying Shampoo
The Chronologiste Shampoo (Bain Chronologiste) is a purifying shampoo for all hair types that Kérastase calls the most concentrated shampoo it has ever made. It treats aging and devitalized hair, purifies and cleanses the scalp, smooths and strengthens the fiber, moisturizes and regenerates the scalp, and leaves hair light and supple with its natural luster back. It comes in two sizes: the 250ml (₱2,700) and the 80ml travel size (₱880).
How to use: Emulsify a quarter-sized amount in your hands, apply to damp hair at the scalp and through the lengths, massage, and rinse thoroughly. Kérastase's tip is to wash twice: the first wash lifts impurities and residue from the scalp, the second lets the actives work.
Masque Intense Régénérant: The Mask
The Chronologiste Mask (Masque Intense Régénérant) is the deep-conditioning step for both scalp and fiber, powered by hyaluronic acid, Abyssine, and vitamin E. Kérastase describes intense hydration, long-lasting frizz control, and structural strength for a youthful bounce; its instrumental test of shampoo plus mask reads +87% hydration, six times more shine, and 48 hours of frizz control. It comes in two sizes: the 200ml (₱4,230) and the 75ml travel size (₱1,800).
How to use: On wet hair, apply a quarter-sized amount and massage from scalp to ends, leave for five minutes, and rinse thoroughly. Wring hair out properly first; excess water is the main barrier to the actives getting in.
L'Huile de Parfum: The Fragrance-In-Hair-Oil, Now Refillable
The Parfum Fragrance-In-Hair-Oil is the finishing touch and the product most people know Chronologiste by. It is a leave-in perfume oil for all hair types, with a fragrance composed by the perfumer Alberto Morillas — tea rose, light woods, and musk over an oleo-extract of myrrh — that Kérastase pairs with an instrumental test reading 98% stronger hair, 72 hours of hydration, and 79% instant frizz reduction from the oil alone, and, with shampoo plus oil, 50% less surface damage and twice the shine. It comes three ways: the 30ml (₱1,950), the 75ml refillable glass bottle (₱3,850), and the 75ml refill (₱3,250) that screws into it — unscrew the empty refill, plug in the new one, turn to lock, and recycle the old one. The Refill Duo (₱7,100) boxes the bottle with a refill. Our hair oils and serums guide places the Parfum oil alongside the other Kérastase oils.
How to use: One or two drops on wet or dry hair, from mid-lengths to ends, as a leave-in, a post-blow-dry oil, or a touch-up through the day.
Thermique Régénérant: The Blow-Dry Care and Heat Protectant
The Thermique Régénérant Heat Protectant (150ml, ₱3,000) is the blow-dry step of the ritual: a leave-in for lengths and ends that refines and smooths the texture of the fiber and seals the cuticle before heat styling. It carries the same hyaluronic acid, Abyssine, and vitamin E as the mask, protects against heat up to 230°C, and keeps frizz down for 24 hours in 80% humidity in Kérastase's instrumental test. Styling gets easier, with the youthful bounce the line is built around, and it wears the signature Chronologiste scent of tea rose, light woods, and musk.
How to use: Apply to damp hair, leave in, then blow-dry and heat style as usual.
New: The Overnight Youth Hair Serum
The Overnight Youth Hair Serum (30ml, ₱2,000; 90ml, ₱3,950) is the new hero of the line: a leave-in, age-corrective serum with Pro-Xylane and Ochrophyta algae, engineered to work with the hair's overnight recovery cycle. Kérastase formulates it to address all five signs at once — hydrating, smoothing, and building body from root to tip — and reports an instrumental test after one use of +92% strength, a 5.7% increase in fiber diameter, 66% less frizz, and 32% more shine. It also carries heat protection up to 450°F, so it doubles as the prep for morning styling.
How to use: One pump on dry or damp hair before bed, spread through lengths and ends. There is nothing to rinse in the morning.
The Ritual: How to Use Chronologiste, Step by Step
Every product in the line has a place in the ritual. On wash days the first four steps run in order; the serum is the nightly step, whether you washed that day or not.
- Cleanse: Bain Chronologiste. Wash twice. The first wash lifts impurities and residue from the scalp, the second lets the actives work. Rinse thoroughly.
- Condition and treat: Masque Intense Régénérant. Wring hair out, massage a quarter-sized amount from scalp to ends, leave for five minutes, and rinse.
- Protect: Thermique Régénérant. On damp hair, before you blow-dry or heat style. Leave it in.
- Finish: Parfum Fragrance-In-Hair-Oil. One or two drops from mid-lengths to ends, on damp hair before styling or on dry hair for shine and touch-ups through the day.
- Overnight: Overnight Youth Hair Serum. One pump through lengths and ends before bed. Nothing to rinse in the morning; it carries heat protection of its own, so you can style straight over it.
Is Chronologiste Sulfate-Free?
No. The shampoo's ingredient list includes sodium laureth sulfate, and it is not part of HairMNL's sulfate-free shampoos. If sulfate-free is a requirement, Chroma Absolu is one of the Kérastase lines that is — and if your concern is the scalp rather than the fiber, the scalp serums guide and the complete shampoo guide map the Kérastase options by concern.
Chronologiste is the line for hair that has lost its vitality — all five signs, scalp and fiber, all hair types. Wash twice, mask for five minutes, protect before you blow-dry, finish with the oil, and sleep in the serum. Every product above is authentic at HairMNL, in the Chronologiste collection.
