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Side by side

American Crew Forming Cream Gel vs Bounce Curl Chia Seed Clumping Gel

88% function match · 6 of the 8 functions we compared match Formula overlap 30%. American Crew Forming Cream Gel and Bounce Curl Chia Seed Clumping Gel share 3 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

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.

  • Forming Cream Gel — protein-sensitive hair
  • Chia Seed Clumping Gel — maximum slip

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 Forming Cream Gel — container, alternate view American Crew

Forming Cream Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Bounce Curl Chia Seed Clumping Gel — 10.3 oz container Bounce Curl

Chia Seed Clumping Gel

  • Styler
  • Salon
Price, size & price per ounce
$15–18 5 oz · $3.40/oz
$28 10.3 oz · $2.72/oz

Compared at different sizes — 10.3 oz against 5 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a curl cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 66% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a gel $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 56% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Moisture level Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
—
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
—
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Hold system Same
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Cast risk Differs
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
—
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • 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
Stylergel
Stylergel
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
—
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
medium
medium
Finish
natural
—
How often
—
every wash

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

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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

IngredientForming Cream GelChia Seed Clumping Gel
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#7Supporting
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#2Leading
#3Leading
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#8Below the 1% line
#28Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#11Below the 1% line
#29Below the 1% line
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Holds
#9Below the 1% line
#6Supporting
Linalool
Fragrance
#33Below the 1% line
#30Below the 1% line
Linalyl Acetate
Fragrance
#34Below the 1% line
#31Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Forming Cream Gel

Chia Seed Clumping Gel

Full ingredient list — Forming Cream Gel (35)
Full ingredient list — Chia Seed Clumping Gel (33)

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.

VerdictsForming Cream GelChia Seed Clumping Gel
Supported
0
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
2
Potential conflict
0
1

Forming Cream Gel

No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.

Chia Seed Clumping Gel

  • Medium hold universal styling gelSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • Enhances curl clumping and definitionSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • Reduces visible frizz for up to 72 hours at 80% relative humidityStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Provides flexible, touchable finishPotential conflictExpect a cast you have to scrunch out.
  • Keeps curls moisturizedSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Suitable for wavy, curly, and coily hairStated by brandSee the fit panel instead.

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.

Bounce Curl Chia Seed Clumping Gel draws complaints about dryness and dullness.

Forming Cream Gel

Can cause sticky greasy appearance or texture if too much product is used.

Creates natural-looking flexible styling without stiffness or rigid gel appearance.

Requires only a small amount for strong hold lasting throughout the entire day.

Lightweight formula delivers strong hold without feeling sticky or greasy.

Chia Seed Clumping Gel

Reviewers describe strong curl clumping and definition with a soft, flexible medium hold that scrunches out without feeling crunchy.

curly and wavy reviewers using it as a one-step styler

Several reviewers say hair looks shiny and feels moisturized and touchably soft once the cast is broken.

general reviewers describing the finish

A couple of reviewers dislike that the product comes in a tub, finding it inconvenient and prone to water getting in during in-shower application.

reviewers who apply product in the shower

At least one reviewer found her curls left dry and dull, attributing it to pairing it with other leave-in and cream products in her routine.

a reviewer using it layered with other stylers

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.

$2.72/oz vs $3.40/oz — American Crew Forming Cream Gel costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Bounce Curl Chia Seed Clumping Gel.

Forming Cream Gel

Against 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

Chia Seed Clumping Gel

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readForming Cream GelChia Seed Clumping Gel
Label
Upper-mid price for a curl creamSits in the middle of the range for curl creams per ounce.
Upper-mid price for a gelSits in the middle of the range for gels per ounce.

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.

Forming Cream Gel vs Argan Oil Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 99% function matchChia Seed Clumping Gel vs Air Dry Styler for Light Moisture, Definition + Shine - 6.0 ozOdele · 99% function matchForming Cream Gel vs Pure Honey Shrinkage Defense Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 89% function matchChia Seed Clumping Gel vs Texture Maker SpraySebastian · 91% function matchForming Cream Gel vs EIMI Nutricurls Soft Twirl Anti-Frizz Styling FoamWella · 85% function matchChia Seed Clumping Gel vs TexturizerSebastian · 91% function matchForming Cream Gel vs Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut OilCarol's Daughter · 85% function matchChia Seed Clumping Gel vs Guava Slip The Hold Up Setting MousseCamille Rose · 88% function match

Forming Cream Gel · Chia Seed Clumping Gel · All curl creams 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.
  • 8 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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