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Side by side

American Crew Boost Powder vs American Crew Matte Clay

65% function match · 8 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. American Crew Boost Powder and American Crew Matte Clay share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Boost Powder — fragrance-free
  • Matte Clay — protein-sensitive hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
American Crew Boost Powder — 0.7 oz container American Crew

Boost Powder

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
American Crew Matte Clay — 3 oz container American Crew

Matte Clay

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$18.89 0.7 oz · $46.48/oz
$10.50 3 oz · $3.50/oz

Compared at different sizes — 3 oz against 0.7 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 95% of the 64 volumizers we’ve priced
Lower cost than most pastes $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 88% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Wavy A light volumising formula — the lift it adds matters most on straighter hair. Your hair
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Hold system Same
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Wax Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Hold (as stated)
—
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Cast risk Same
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. Your hair
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Same
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Unscentedfree of strong smells
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Why you might skip it
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
  • If scent matters to younothing is added here
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Stylerpowder
Stylerpaste
Where to buy
Brand website
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Scent
Unscented
Scented, not described
Hold
—
strongHigh hold
Finish
—
matte
How often
—
as needed

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientBoost PowderMatte Clay
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#5Below the 1% line
#19Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Boost Powder

Matte Clay

Full ingredient list — Boost Powder (5)
Full ingredient list — Matte Clay (19)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsBoost PowderMatte Clay
Supported
1
1
Partly supported
0
1
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
1

Boost Powder

  • Delivers anti-gravity volume, lift and thickness with a matte finishSupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • Can be layered with other styling products for enhanced texture controlStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Matte Clay

  • High holdPartly supportedSoft structure, not firm hold.
  • Medium shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Long-lasting workable holdStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Builds textureStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Washes out easilyPotential conflictExpect to need a real cleanse.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Boost Powder

Reviewers with thinning or fine hair say the powder provides lasting texture and volume all day.

Several reviewers value that the product is effective on hot, humid days without adding oiliness.

Multiple reviewers say a jar lasts a long time because only a small amount is needed per use.

Matte Clay

Easy to work with, provides great hold that lasts all day

Ulta reviewer

Matte finish keeps hair where it's combed, without greasiness

Ulta reviewer

Gives a dry, low-shine, medium-hold look that reads as natural rather than product-heavy

Ulta reviewer

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$3.50/oz vs $46.48/oz — American Crew Boost Powder costs about 13× more per ounce than American Crew Matte Clay.

Boost Powder

Against 64 volumizers with a computable unit price.

Matte Clay

Against 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readBoost PowderMatte Clay
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Lower cost than most pastesCosts less per ounce than most pastes we have researched.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Boost Powder vs Big Sexy Hair Powder Play Lite Soft Volumizing & Texturizing PowderSexy Hair · 93% function matchMatte Clay vs Brews Clay PomadeRedken · 100% function matchBoost Powder vs Big Sexy Powder Play Volumizing & Texturizing PowderSexyHair · 93% function matchMatte Clay vs Green Grease Pomade Oil-Based Medium HoldREUZEL · 93% function matchBoost Powder vs Texture & Volume PowderMoroccanoil · 93% function matchMatte Clay vs Rosemary Mint Hydrating Styling CreamREUZEL · 93% function matchBoost Powder vs Curl Refresh + Hold SprayOCOA · 89% function matchMatte Clay vs MITCH Dry PastePaul Mitchell · 89% function match

Boost Powder · Matte Clay · All volumizers in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 7 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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