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Side by side

American Crew Forming Cream Gel vs Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

85% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 6%. American Crew Forming Cream Gel and Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil share 1 ingredient 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
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When each one is the right call

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

  • Forming Cream Gel — protein-sensitive hair
  • Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil — 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 Forming Cream Gel — container, alternate view American Crew

Forming Cream Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil — 16 oz container Carol's Daughter

Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

  • Styler
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$15–18 5 oz · $3.40/oz
$11.99 16 oz · $0.75/oz

Compared at different sizes — 16 oz against 5 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a curl cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 66% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Lower cost than most gels $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 88% 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
—
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 Same
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your 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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. 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
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Low Your hair
Hold system Same
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. 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
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • 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
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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 · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
medium
—
Finish
natural
—

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.

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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 GelCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#2Leading
#15Below the 1% line
Citric Acid
pH balancer
#8Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#11Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#19Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Ethylhexylglycerin
Softens
#21Below the 1% line
#14Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#33Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line
Benzyl Alcohol
Stabilizes
#18Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Forming Cream Gel

Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

Full ingredient list — Forming Cream Gel (35)
Full ingredient list — Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil (24)

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 GelCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil
Supported
0
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Forming Cream Gel

No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.

Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

  • Shapes and defines curls with soft, natural holdSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • Hair moisturizer enriched with oils and butterSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Does not dry out curlsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Does not flake, add stiffness or leave residueStated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.
  • No parabens, silicones, petrolatum, mineral oil or artificial colorsSupportedPreserved without parabens.

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.

Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil draws complaints about weight and curl definition.

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.

Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

Reviewers say the gel provides good slip for detangling and styling while defining curls

textured/coily hair customers

Several reviewers praise the strong coconut scent and note the gel gives softness without crunch

general reviewers

A recurring complaint is heavy flaking that makes reviewers reluctant to repurchase, and some describe it as too heavy, leaving hair greasy or clumped

general reviewers

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.

$0.75/oz vs $3.40/oz — American Crew Forming Cream Gel costs about 4.5× more per ounce than Carol's Daughter Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil.

Forming Cream Gel

Against 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readForming Cream GelCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil
Label
Upper-mid price for a curl creamSits in the middle of the range for curl creams per ounce.
Lower cost than most gelsCosts less per ounce than most gels 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.

Forming Cream Gel vs Argan Oil Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 99% function matchCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil vs Sleek Styling Cream + Taming WandRizos Curls · 96% function matchForming Cream Gel vs Pure Honey Shrinkage Defense Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 89% function matchCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil vs Complete Air Dry Cream - 5.0 ozJVN · 93% function matchForming Cream Gel vs Chia Seed Clumping GelBounce Curl · 88% function matchCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil vs No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair GelOLAPLEX · 90% function matchForming Cream Gel vs EIMI Nutricurls Soft Twirl Anti-Frizz Styling FoamWella · 85% function matchCoco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil vs Stay High Volumizing Hair MousseRedken · 89% function match

Forming Cream Gel · Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut Oil · 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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