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Side by side

Creme of Nature Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream vs Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

89% function match · 11 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 55%. Creme of Nature Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream and Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 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
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When each one is the right call

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

  • Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream — protein-sensitive hair
  • Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz — 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
Creme of Nature

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream

  • Styler
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz — 8 oz container Curlsmith

Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$5.62 11.5 oz · $0.49/oz
$56.24 8 oz · $7.03/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most curl creams $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 97% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 73% 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
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. 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
None No hold polymer, gum, or wax found in the list. Your hair
None found No hold polymer, gum, or wax found in the list. 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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. 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 (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 Differs
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Rich Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula. Your hair
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating 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
Covers the core
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • 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
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Styles that must holdno hold polymer, gum, or wax was found
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Styles that must holdno hold polymer, gum, or wax was found
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
Styler
Stylercream
Where to buy
—
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
—
Vegan · brand states
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
—
lightSoft Hold, Level 1 on Curlsmith's in-product hold scale
How often
—
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.

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

IngredientPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#3Leading
#4Supporting
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#4Supporting
#2Leading
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Softens
#6Supporting
#3Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#8Below the 1% line
#27Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#18Below the 1% line
#29Below the 1% line
Panthenol
Detangles
#11Below the 1% line
#7Supporting
Linalool
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#30Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream

Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

Full ingredient list — Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream (24)
Full ingredient list — Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz (32)

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.

VerdictsPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz
Supported
1
4
Partly supported
1
1
Stated by brand
0
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream

  • Delivers defined, frizz-free curls for up to 72 hoursPartly supportedSome smoothing, in dry air.
  • Improves smoothness and adds moistureSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.

Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

  • No crunch formulaSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Soft holdSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Detangles and enhances curlsPartly supportedA little slip, not a lot.
  • Free from sulfates, silicones, drying alcoholsSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • Cruelty-free and veganSupportedMatches our researched record.

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.

Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz draws complaints about dryness and weight.

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream

The product features a distinctly pleasant fragrance that multiple reviewers specifically call out as memorable and appealing.

Multiple reviewers note the product has a thick, rich consistency that applies smoothly without feeling heavy or sticky.

Some reviewers with blonde or grey hair report the product appears to cause a green discoloration in their hair.

Reviewers consistently praise this product's ability to control frizz and define curls effectively throughout styling.

Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

Pleasant scent and doesn't weigh curls down or leave them sticky

Curlsmith.com verified buyer, Julie P.

Provides a nice soft hold and defines curls well

Curlsmith.com verified buyer, Lauren N.

Gives soft hold while keeping curls moisturized and touchable rather than crunchy

Curlsmith.com verified buyer, Penelope B.

A few reviewers felt hold was insufficient for stronger curl definition used alone

Ulta reviewer aggregate

Some users with fine or wavy hair found it heavy or sticky, and a subset reported dryness

Ulta reviewer aggregate

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.

$0.49/oz vs $7.03/oz — Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz costs about 14× more per ounce than Creme of Nature Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream.

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream

Against 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Value readPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz
Label
Lower cost than most curl creamsCosts less per ounce than most curl creams we have researched.
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.

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream vs Pure Honey Moisture Whip Twisting CreamCreme of Nature · 100% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz vs Hold Me Softly Style BalmCurlsmith · 100% function matchPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream vs Coconut & Hibiscus with Silk Protein & Neem Oil Curl & Style MilkSheaMoisture · 96% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz vs Pure Honey Moisture Whip Twisting CreamCreme of Nature · 89% function matchPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream vs Hydrating Curl CreamOCOA · 96% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz vs Serenity Smoothing CreamInnersense Organic Beauty · 85% function matchPure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream vs Styling CreamPATTERN · 93% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 oz vs Hydrating Curl CreamOCOA · 85% function match

Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining Cream · Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 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.
  • 7 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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