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Side by side

As I Am Curling Jelly vs Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

96% function match · 12 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 4%. As I Am Curling Jelly and Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel 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.

  • Curling Jelly — protein-sensitive hair
  • Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel — 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

Curling Jelly

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Kinky-Curly

Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$3.99 3 oz · $1.48/oz
$22.99 8 oz · $2.87/oz

Compared at different sizes — 8 oz against 3 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 67% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a gel $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 61% 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 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 (as stated)
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. 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 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
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 Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Hold system Same
Natural gum Natural gums do the holding — softer, and it re-wets more easily. Your hair
Natural gum Natural gums do the holding — softer, and it re-wets more easily. 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
Humidity resistance
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. 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
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. 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
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • 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
Stylerjelly
Where to buy
As I Am · Target
Target · IHerb · Walmart
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
strongTarget lists the product's Beauty Purpose as 'Strong Hold.'
mediumThe active Target listing says the gel provides long-lasting hold and lets users vary the amount for fuller or more controlled curls; an independent current Walmart listing summarizes the product as firm hold. Medium is retained as the conservative normalized tier for this adjustable, no-crunch custard.
Finish
shine
shine
Humidity claim
Yes
—
How often
as needed
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.

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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

IngredientCurling JellyOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel
Pectin
Holds
#6Supporting
#9Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#12Below the 1% line
#12Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Curling Jelly

Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

Full ingredient list — Curling Jelly (19)
Full ingredient list — Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel (12)

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 JellyOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel
Supported
2
2
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
3
3
Potential conflict
0
0

Curling Jelly

  • strong holdPartly supportedSoft structure, not firm hold.
  • defines coils and curlsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • minimizes frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • reduces shrinkage and enhances stretchStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • locks in moistureSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • 72% curl retention after five hours in high humidityStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.

Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

  • long-lasting curl holdStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • defined curls and reduced frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • brilliant shineStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • adjustable control from less product for fullness to more product for controlled curlsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • non-greasy and non-dryingSupportedNothing in it flashes off dry.

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 a clean rinse-out. As I Am Curling Jelly draws complaints about dryness and curl definition.

Curling Jelly

One curl-and-wave reviewer liked the definition without dryness, residue, or flakes and preferred its gentler cast over a very hard cast.

curl and wave definition user

A reviewer with 2B/2C hair says the jelly gives definition without weighing curls down, so the result stays soft.

2B/2C hair prone to product weight

Some reviewers report that, despite initial definition, their curls became dry, stiff, and flaky by the next day.

next-day wear concern

A 4B/4C user says water plus the jelly defined their curls without flakes, but notes that longer hair could need a lot of product from the small container.

4B/4C hair; short-hair user

Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

A reviewer says a little goes a long way and reports bouncy, shiny curls with noticeably less frizz.

sectioned curl styling with an 8 oz jar

A verified purchaser with 3b hair says the custard helps curls last five days or more when paired with the brand's leave-in conditioner.

3b curls paired with a leave-in

A user in Hawaii with very curly, frizz-prone hair finds it resists humid-day frizz, reactivates with water the next morning, and avoids flakes or an overly hard crunch.

very curly hair in high humidity

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.

$1.48/oz vs $2.87/oz — Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel costs about 1.9× more per ounce than As I Am Curling Jelly.

$0.31/oz median $2.12/oz $10.59/oz $1.48/oz Curling Jelly $2.87/oz Original Curling Custard N

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readCurling JellyOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for gels 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.

Curling Jelly vs Thickening Therapy SprayBondi Boost · 96% function matchOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel vs Pattern Pusha Hair Styling GelCurl Junkie · 99% function matchCurling Jelly vs I Create Volume Styling Gel - Orange BlossomInnersense Organic Beauty · 96% function matchOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel vs I Create Volume Styling Gel - Orange BlossomInnersense Organic Beauty · 93% function matchCurling Jelly vs Pattern Pusha Hair Styling GelCurl Junkie · 94% function matchOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel vs Thickening Therapy SprayBondi Boost · 93% function matchCurling Jelly vs Curl Defining Gel for Wavy, Curly & Coily Hair with Flaxseed & AloeGinger Milk · 93% function matchOriginal Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel vs Air Dry Volumizing Wave Spray - 5.0 ozJVN · 93% function match

Curling Jelly · Original Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel · 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.
  • 4 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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