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Side by side

Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream vs Living Proof Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

81% function match · 10 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 11%. Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream and Living Proof Style Lab Air-Dry Styler 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.

  • No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream — protein-sensitive hair
  • Style Lab Air-Dry Styler — 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
Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream — 2 oz container Living Proof

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Living Proof Style Lab Air-Dry Styler — 5 oz container Living Proof

Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$46 8 oz · $5.75/oz
$60.16 5 oz · $12.03/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 56% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 91% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. 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)
None The brand states no hold. Your hair
Light A light hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. 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 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
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. 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
Humidity resistance
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Rich Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. 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
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • 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 holdthe brand states a light hold at most
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
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
Brand website · Ulta · Sephora …
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 · label states
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
noneBrand product page states the cream does not provide hold, positioning it as a smoothing/conditioning treatment rather than a styling-hold product
lightlong-lasting hold with a flexible and natural finish
Finish
shine
natural
Humidity claim
Yes
Yes
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

IngredientNo Frizz Smooth Styling CreamStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Polycitronellol T-Butyl Ether
Holds
#3Leading
#8Supporting
Isopentyldiol
Moisturizes
#4Supporting
#7Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#25Below the 1% line
#15Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#26Below the 1% line
#22Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#28Below the 1% line
#19Below the 1% line
Citronellol
Fragrance
#29Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line
Citral
Fragrance
#30Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream

Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

Full ingredient list — No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream (30)
Full ingredient list — Style Lab Air-Dry Styler (22)

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.

VerdictsNo Frizz Smooth Styling CreamStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler
Supported
3
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
3
4
Potential conflict
0
0

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream

  • Reduces frizz by 75%Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Leaves hair 6x smoother after one useStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Smoothness and frizz control that lasts 96 hoursSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Heat protection up to 450°F/232°CStated by brandOnly lab testing can show this.
  • Blocks humidity to prevent frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Silicone-freeSupportedNothing that needs a strong wash.

Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

  • Reduces air-dry timeStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Instantly reduces frizz by 86% vs untreated hairStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Enhances air-dried styles without the crunchSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Defines and enhances natural hair textureStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Creates styles lasting all dayStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Performs in high-humidity conditionsSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.

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 frizz control and shine. Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream draws complaints about hold; Living Proof Style Lab Air-Dry Styler draws complaints about frizz.

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream

Leaves long, thick, naturally curly (straightened) hair smooth, shiny and frizz-free while staying lightweight and manageable

Ulta reviewer with long, thick, naturally curly hair (straightens it)

Gives straight hair a healthy, soft, frizz-free shine without weighing it down or leaving residue

Ulta reviewer with straight hair

Keeps curly hair smooth without a stiff feel and reduces knotting at the ends

Ulta reviewer with curly hair

Reformulated version feels like a lotion and leaves hair looking/feeling greasy, missing the hold of the prior formula

Ulta reviewer comparing to an earlier formula

Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

Left hair shiny with nice wave separation, good body, and zero frizz

brand-site reviewer Whitney Z.

Calls it an absolute holy-grail product she never wants to be without

brand-site reviewer Alison W.

Living Proof products consistently work for her curly hair and this one keeps hair looking great but still natural

brand-site reviewer Gladys D., curly hair

Caused frizz and greasy roots on thick, straight hair — not a fit for that texture

brand-site reviewer Kyra N., thick straight hair

Likes how it performs but dislikes the scent, would prefer an unscented option

brand-site reviewer Patricia T.

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.

$5.75/oz vs $12.03/oz — Living Proof Style Lab Air-Dry Styler costs about 2.1× more per ounce than Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream.

$1.46/oz median $5.40/oz $30.54/oz $5.75/oz No Frizz Smooth Styling Cr $12.03/oz Style Lab Air-Dry Styler

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Value readNo Frizz Smooth Styling CreamStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler
Label
Upper-mid price for a smoothing creamSits in the middle of the range for smoothing 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.

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream vs No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream For Medium Hair - 8.0 ozLiving Proof · 100% function matchStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler vs Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Hair Styling Texture FoamBriogeo · 85% function matchNo Frizz Smooth Styling Cream vs Curlshow Chic Style Curl PuddingORS · 85% function matchStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler vs Curl MakerCamille Rose · 85% function matchNo Frizz Smooth Styling Cream vs Defining Custard - 2.5 ozRizos Curls · 85% function matchStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler vs Tea Tree Grooming PomadePaul Mitchell · 85% function matchNo Frizz Smooth Styling Cream vs Defining CustardRizos Curls · 85% function matchStyle Lab Air-Dry Styler vs Axe Styling Messy Look Medium Hold Low Shine Flexible Hair PasteAxe · 83% function match

No Frizz Smooth Styling Cream · Style Lab Air-Dry Styler · All smoothing 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.
  • 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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