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Side by side

OLAPLEX No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel vs ORS Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

97% function match · 12 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 2%. OLAPLEX No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel and ORS Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse share 3 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.

  • No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel — protein-sensitive hair
  • Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl 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
OLAPLEX No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel — container OLAPLEX

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
ORS Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse — size line-up ORS

Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

  • Styler
  • Drugstore
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$32
$9.99 7 oz · $3.68/oz
Value / price positioning
Not enough priced gels to place it Salon tier
Upper-mid price for a mouss $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs more than 70% 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
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. 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
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. 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
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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. 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)
—
Medium A medium 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 Same
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. 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
Covers the core
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
  • 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
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
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
Stylergel
Stylerfoam
Where to buy
Ulta
Brand website · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
—
Not vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
—
Cruelty-free · label states
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
—
medium
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

IngredientNo.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair GelCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#6Supporting
#15Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#47Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#44Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line
Ethylhexylglycerin
Softens
#16Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel

Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

Full ingredient list — No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel (52)
Full ingredient list — Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse (43)

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.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair GelCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse
Supported
1
5
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
3
2
Potential conflict
0
0

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel

  • Flexible, all-day hold—no residueSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • 450 F/232 C heat protectionStated by brandOnly lab testing can show this.
  • 3X greater curl retention (clinically proven)Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Strengthens hair via patented Bond TechnologyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

  • Enhances curl definitionSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • Adds volumeSupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • Reduces frizz and flyawaysStated by brandMay help, but not a primary focus.
  • Provides medium holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • Great for creating a 1-step wash-n-goStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • No sulfates, silicones, mineral oil, parabens, petrolatum, drying alcoholSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • Cruelty-FreeSupportedMatches 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.

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel

After pregnancy hormones changed her hair, this was the only product that helped her curl pattern start to return

wavy/curly-hair reviewer on Ulta

Gives fine curls shine, softness and bounce, and performance seems to improve with continued use

fine-curl-type reviewer on Ulta

After decades of trying products, this is the first gel that activates spring and definition in her type 3A curls without a crunchy cast

long-time curly-hair product user on Ulta

On dense waves the cast frizzes up once broken; reviewer had better results with other gels

dense/wavy-hair reviewer on Ulta

Left high-porosity hair feeling dry with flaking after air-drying, but softened afro-textured coils well

high-porosity/afro-textured hair reviewer on Ulta

Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

No review themes researched for this product yet.

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.

Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Value readNo.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair GelCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse
Label
Not enough priced gels to place itWe need more comparable products before we can place this.
Upper-mid price for a moussSits in the middle of the range for mousses 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.

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel vs Tea Tree Lavender Mint Curl Refresh FoamPaul Mitchell · 91% function matchCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse vs Thickening SprayOuai · 89% function matchNo.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel vs ORS Curlshow Curl Creator Defining JellyORS · 90% function matchCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse vs Tea Tree Grooming PomadePaul Mitchell · 89% function matchNo.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel vs Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut OilCarol's Daughter · 90% function matchCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse vs Blow-Out CremeSEEN · 89% function matchNo.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel vs TURNTABLE Curl Defining CrèmeR+Co · 90% function matchCurlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse vs SEEN Blow-Out Creme, Fragrance FreeSEEN · 89% function match

No.10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel · Curlshow Wash-N-Show Curl Mousse · 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.
  • 6 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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