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Side by side

Not Your Mother's NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream vs Ouidad VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

78% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Not Your Mother's NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream and Ouidad VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

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.

  • NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream — protein-sensitive hair
  • VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse — 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
Not Your Mother's NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream — 6 oz container Not Your Mother's

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

  • Styler
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Ouidad VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse — 5.7 oz container Ouidad

VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$6.99 6 oz · $1.17/oz
$24–26 5.7 oz · $4.56/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most curl creams $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 76% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Priced above most mousses $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 81% of the 138 mousses we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Same
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 system Same
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. 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
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
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. 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
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
  • Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • 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
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Aerosol avoidancethis is a pressurised can
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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
Stylerfoam
Where to buy
Brand website · Grocery / mass
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
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · label states
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
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

IngredientNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining CreamVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#8Below the 1% line
#24Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#10Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

Full ingredient list — NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream (12)
Full ingredient list — VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse (24)

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.

VerdictsNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining CreamVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse
Supported
2
0
Partly supported
0
1
Stated by brand
4
2
Potential conflict
0
0

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

  • Curl enhancing and definingStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Anti-frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Tear-free and dermatologist testedStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 98% Naturally DerivedStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • For All Curl TypesStated by brandSee the fit panel instead.
  • Sulfate surfactant free, silicone free, paraben free, drying alcohol free, allergen free, dye free, gluten free, cruelty free, and veganSupportedNothing that needs a strong wash.

VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

  • Best-selling mousse provides touchable, lightweight hold while boosting hair's volume and fullness without any crunchStated by brandPopularity, not performance.
  • Soft, defining mousse for lightweight hold and full-bodied volumePartly supportedNeutral on lift.
  • Free from: Silicones, Parabens, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Phthalates, Petroleum, Gluten, GlycerinStated by brandA brand’s own definition.

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.

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

A recurring complaint is that the cream dries out hair and leaves a waxy residue that pills or flakes, taking several washes to fully remove despite being marketed as moisturizing.

Some parents of kids with very curly or frizzy hair say the cream did little to define curls or control frizz for that texture.

Several reviewers describe the cream as smooth and lightweight with a pleasant scent, saying it effectively defines and holds their kids' curls all day.

VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

Several long-time customers describe it as their go-to, repeat-purchase mousse they are loyal to.

repeat Ouidad customers

Multiple reviewers say the mousse leaves curls frizz-free and shiny rather than stiff or crunchy.

general reviewers

Several reviewers describe layering this mousse after another Ouidad leave-in or treatment step (a leave-in conditioner, the Curl Miracle Treatment serum, or a curl cream) as their standard routine.

reviewers describing a multi-step Ouidad routine

Reviewers repeatedly say the mousse gives lightweight curl definition and bounce with a hold that does not weigh curls down.

reviewers across spiral and loose-to-medium curl types

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.

$1.17/oz vs $4.56/oz — Ouidad VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse costs about 3.9× more per ounce than Not Your Mother's NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream.

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

Against 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Value readNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining CreamVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse
Label
Lower cost than most curl creamsCosts less per ounce than most curl creams we have researched.
Priced above most moussesCosts more per ounce than most mousses; nothing in our library matches it closely for less.

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.

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream vs StyleSign Curls Defining CreamGoldwell · 85% function matchVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse vs VitalCurl + Weightless Curl Defining MousseOuidad · 100% function matchNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream vs Full Texturizing Foam - 5.0 ozLiving Proof · 81% function matchVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse vs Sea Salt Air Dry MousseKRISTIN ESS HAIR · 78% function matchNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream vs Curlshow Chic Style Curl PuddingORS · 81% function matchVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse vs Done Deal Strong Finishing SprayIGK · 78% function matchNYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream vs Beyond Gravity Volume & Texture SprayEva Nyc · 81% function matchVitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse vs Liquid Gel HydrationProductos LATINA · 78% function match

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream · VitalCurl+ Soft Defining Mousse · 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.
  • 8 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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