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Side by side

As I Am Coil Defining Jelly vs Bed Head Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream

84% function match · 5 of the 8 functions we compared match Formula overlap 28%. As I Am Coil Defining Jelly and Bed Head Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream 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
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

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

  • Coil Defining Jelly — curl definition
  • Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream — 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
As I Am Coil Defining Jelly — 8 oz container As I Am

Coil Defining Jelly

  • Styler
  • Masstige
Bed Head Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream — 3.38 oz container Bed Head

Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$12.95 8 oz · $1.62/oz
$17–20 3.38 oz · $5.44/oz

Compared at different sizes — 8 oz against 3.38 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 63% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 53% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. 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 system Same
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. 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
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Low The silicones here are the water-soluble kind. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Weight on hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Protein
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Cast risk Same
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Oil absorption Differs
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol
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
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • 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
Stylerjelly
Styler
Where to buy
Specialty beauty
Salons
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described

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

IngredientCoil Defining JellyWave Rider Versatile Styling Cream
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#2Leading
#3Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#10Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line
Coumarin
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#38Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#20Below the 1% line
#40Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Coil Defining Jelly

Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream

Full ingredient list — Coil Defining Jelly (20)
Full ingredient list — Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream (41)

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.

VerdictsCoil Defining JellyWave Rider Versatile Styling Cream
Supported
1
0
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Coil Defining Jelly

  • No-flake formulaStated by brandSoothing, not an active treatment.
  • Designed for easy coil definition, added softness, hydration and sheenSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Not recommended for twists and twist-outsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream

No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.

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.

$1.62/oz vs $5.44/oz — Bed Head Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream costs about 3.4× more per ounce than As I Am Coil Defining Jelly.

Coil Defining Jelly

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Value readCoil Defining JellyWave Rider Versatile Styling Cream
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for gels per ounce.
Upper-mid price for a smoothing creamSits in the middle of the range for smoothing creams 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.

Coil Defining Jelly · Wave Rider Versatile Styling Cream · All gels 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.
  • 11 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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