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Side by side

As I Am Curling Creme vs Bumble and bumble Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz

90% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 41%. As I Am Curling Creme and Bumble and bumble Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz share 4 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.

  • Curling Creme — protein-sensitive hair
  • Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz — dry, thirsty 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 Curling Creme — 8 oz container As I Am

Curling Creme

  • Styler
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Bumble and bumble Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz — 8.5 oz container Bumble and bumble

Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Price, size & price per ounce
$9.99 8 oz · $1.25/oz
about $37 8.5 oz · $4.35/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 72% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 82% of the 105 curl creams 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 system Same
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed 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
Weight on hair Same
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. 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 Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. 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 (as stated)
—
Light A light 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
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
Rich Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula. Your hair
Rich Butters near the top: a heavy, softening 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
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
  • Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a light scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
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
Stylercream
Stylercream
Where to buy
As I Am · Shop
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Coconut & tropicalLight
Hold
—
lightsoft hold with flexible styling
Finish
—
natural
How often
as needed
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

$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

IngredientCurling CremeCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Softens
#3Leading
#6Supporting
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Moisturizes
#4Supporting
#10Secondary
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#6Supporting
#2Leading
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Heavy
#8Supporting
#9Secondary
Fragrance
Fragrance
#16Below the 1% line
#31Below the 1% line
Propanediol
Moisturizes
#25Below the 1% line
#3Leading
Limonene
Fragrance
#39Below the 1% line
#32Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Curling Creme

Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz

Full ingredient list — Curling Creme (39)
Full ingredient list — Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz (37)

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.

VerdictsCurling CremeCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz
Supported
3
4
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
0
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Curling Creme

  • curl definitionSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • moisturizing curl creamSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • long-lasting holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.

Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz

  • soft holdSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • flexible stylingSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • frizz controlSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.

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.

Both praised for the scent. Bumble and bumble Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz draws complaints about weight.

Curling Creme

One purchaser describes the result as exceptionally effective and says they would repurchase.

repeat-purchase-oriented reviewer

A reviewer says the cream left their hair smoother, with a pleasant scent and tighter, more defined curls.

curl-definition user

One buyer thought the jar would be much larger and was disappointed by its perceived small size.

size-expectation concern

Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz

Keeps coming back to repurchase it as a staple after trying other curl creams

repeat purchaser

Doesn't weigh hair down and gives soft body with frizz control

medium-to-fine curl reviewer

Waves come out full and defined while still feeling soft, with noticeable shine

wavy-hair reviewer

Scent is light but has a noticeably upscale character compared to typical tropical-fragrance curl creams

reviewer commenting on fragrance

Turned into a greasy, weighed-down, knotted mess on fine, low-density curls despite the 'light' name

fine/low-density curl type 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.

$1.25/oz vs $4.35/oz — Bumble and bumble Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz costs about 3.5× more per ounce than As I Am Curling Creme.

$0.26/oz median $2.08/oz $14.55/oz $1.25/oz Curling Creme $4.35/oz Curl Light Defining Stylin

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

Value readCurling CremeCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for curl creams per ounce.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

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.

Curling Creme vs Rich Kid Coconut Oil GelIGK · 90% function matchCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz vs Moisture Miracle Curling CreamAfrican Pride · 89% function matchCurling Creme vs Moisture Miracle Curling CreamAfrican Pride · 88% function matchCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz vs Blow Dry Styler for Smoothing, Frizz Control + Humidity ResistanceOdele · 85% function matchCurling Creme vs Curl Defining Hair Styling Cream - 8.5 ozBumble and bumble · 88% function matchCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz vs Curl Defining Creme 5Kenra Professional · 85% function matchCurling Creme vs MITCH Construction PastePaul Mitchell · 84% function matchCurl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz vs Super Clean Sculpting GelPaul Mitchell · 85% function match

Curling Creme · Curl Light Defining Styling Cream - 8.5 oz · 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.
  • 3 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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