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Side by side

Curlsmith Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream vs Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm

56% function match · 7 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 33%. Curlsmith Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream and Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm share 2 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.

  • Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream — fragrance-free
  • Hold Me Softly Style Balm — 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
Curlsmith

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm — 2 oz container Curlsmith

Hold Me Softly Style Balm

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$28 8 oz · $3.50/oz
$56.24 8 oz · $7.03/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a curl cream $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 67% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 96% 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 (as stated)
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Light A light hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Differs
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. 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 Differs
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
None found No hold polymer, gum, or wax found in the list. 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 Same
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating 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
Humidity resistance
—
Not claimed No humidity claim on the label. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented
  • 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
  • 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
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
  • 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
Stylercream
Stylercream
Where to buy
Ulta
Brand website · Ulta · Costco
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Vegan · brand states
Vegan · brand states
Scent
—
Scented, not described
Hold
mediumHold Level 4 - Flexible hold
lightLevel 1 (soft hold)
Finish
—
natural
Humidity claim
—
No
How often
every wash
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

IngredientFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#2Leading
#2Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#16Secondary
#4Supporting
Limonene
Fragrance
#21Below the 1% line
#29Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#30Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

Hold Me Softly Style Balm

Full ingredient list — Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream (24)
Full ingredient list — Hold Me Softly Style Balm (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.

VerdictsFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm
Supported
3
2
Partly supported
0
1
Stated by brand
1
0
Potential conflict
0
1

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

  • Made without sulphates, silicones, or drying alcoholsSupportedNothing that needs a strong wash.
  • Color-safeSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Cruelty-free and veganSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Best for weak, damaged hairStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Hold Me Softly Style Balm

  • Detangles and enhances curlsPartly supportedA little slip, not a lot.
  • Hydration and definition without weighing hair downSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Gentle, touchable hold with no cast or crunchSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Lightweight formulaPotential conflictExpect it to sit on the strand.

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 draws complaints about dryness and frizz.

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

Some reviewers say it's the only curl cream that has worked for their hair, leaving curls soft, bouncy, and shiny for multiple days

5-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Only Curl Cream that works for my hair'

Reviewers who pair it with Curlsmith's Flexi Jelly say the combination gives the best results in their curl routine

5-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Great Paired With Hydro Style Flexi Jelly'

A few reviewers note it seems to change their hair's texture, making curls looser than usual

3-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Good and not good...'

Hold Me Softly Style Balm

Feels like a lotion for the hair, keeps diffused curls soft and manageable without a crunchy feel

Ulta reviewer with wavy hair

Switched from daily heat styling and now diffuses; hasn't straightened hair since finding this balm

Ulta reviewer, formerly heat-styled hair

Made hair very frizzy within a few hours even in non-humid conditions, left hair overly dry

Ulta reviewer with 2b-2c waves

Caused stickiness and dryness even after trying different amounts; hair felt rough

Ulta reviewer with fine, 2b-3A curls

Good for curl definition but can be too heavy for fine or less textured hair; best for thicker, curlier hair

Ulta 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.

$3.50/oz vs $7.03/oz — Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm costs about 2× more per ounce than Curlsmith Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream.

$0.26/oz median $2.08/oz $14.55/oz $3.50/oz Feather-Light Strenghtenin $7.03/oz Hold Me Softly Style Balm

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

Value readFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl CreamHold Me Softly Style Balm
Label
Upper-mid price for a curl creamSits 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.

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream vs Rosemary Mint GelEco Style · 100% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm vs Hold Me Softly Style Balm - 8.0 ozCurlsmith · 100% function matchFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream vs Olive Oil Gel - 32.0 ozEco Style · 100% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm vs Pure Honey Hair Food Smoothing & Frizz Control Curl Defining CreamCreme of Nature · 89% function matchFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream vs Olive Oil Styling GelECO STYLE · 100% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm vs Pure Honey Moisture Whip Twisting CreamCreme of Nature · 89% function matchFeather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream vs Honey Curls - Curl EnhancerMiss Jessie's · 96% function matchHold Me Softly Style Balm vs Serenity Smoothing CreamInnersense Organic Beauty · 85% function match

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream · Hold Me Softly Style Balm · 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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