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Side by side

Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream vs Paul Mitchell Hydrating Foam

47% function match · 6 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 4%. Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream and Paul Mitchell Hydrating Foam 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.

  • Clean Beauty Styling Cream — maximum slip
  • Hydrating Foam — protein-hungry 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
Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream — container, alternate view Paul Mitchell

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Paul Mitchell Hydrating Foam — 6.8 oz container Paul Mitchell

Hydrating Foam

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$17.99 3.4 oz · $6.32/oz
$23–24 6.8 oz · $3.38/oz
Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 64% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a mouss $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 65% of the 138 mousses we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. Your hair
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. 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
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. 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
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 Differs
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate 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
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Humidity resistance
—
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
  • 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
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
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
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Finish
—
shine
Humidity claim
—
Yes
How often
as needed
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

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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

IngredientClean Beauty Styling CreamHydrating Foam
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Sodium Benzoate
Stabilizes
#22Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#20Below the 1% line
#2Leading
Panthenol
Detangles
#17Below the 1% line
#4Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#26Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

Hydrating Foam

Full ingredient list — Clean Beauty Styling Cream (27)
Full ingredient list — Hydrating Foam (31)

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.

VerdictsClean Beauty Styling CreamHydrating Foam
Supported
3
1
Partly supported
0
1
Stated by brand
3
1
Potential conflict
0
0

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

  • 88% natural origin ingredientsStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • softens, smoothes, and seals hairStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • color safeSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • gluten freeStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • paraben freeSupportedPreserved without parabens.
  • veganSupportedMatches our researched record.

Hydrating Foam

  • Hydrates and protects delicate hair from heatSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • Leaves curls looking and feeling soft, healthy and full of bodyPartly supportedNeutral on lift.
  • Protects against frizz, heat and humidityStated by brandMay help, but not measurable here.

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 a light feel and a clean rinse-out. Paul Mitchell Hydrating Foam draws complaints about dryness and hold.

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

Several reviewers say the hold lasts all day while the finish stays soft rather than greasy or crunchy

reviewers commenting on hold and finish over a full day

Reviewers describe applying the cream to either damp or dry hair and getting a smooth, non-residue finish either way

reviewers describing their own application routine

Reviewers say it adds body and controls frizz on curly or thick hair without leaving it feeling weighed down or stiff

reviewers with curly or thick hair styling with the cream

Hydrating Foam

Gives curl definition while still letting fingers pass through hair easily

Angela, wavy hair

Great investment for curly hair; smells amazing and absorbs without leaving residue

Cherie, very curly hair

Helps curls lay better without a greasy feel, used on a family member's very curly hair

Nikki, describing use on a relative's very curly hair

Hold felt too light and the product left a waxy feel after drying, with curls falling

reviewer with fine, semi-loose spiral curls

Dislikes the fragrance, though it does keep curly hair looking nice

Akiko, wavy hair

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.

$3.38/oz vs $6.32/oz — Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream costs about 1.9× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Hydrating Foam.

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Hydrating Foam

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Value readClean Beauty Styling CreamHydrating Foam
Label
Upper-mid price for a smoothing creamSits in the middle of the range for smoothing creams per ounce.
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.

Clean Beauty Styling Cream vs Fast Form Styling Cream GelPaul Mitchell · 90% function matchHydrating Foam vs Beach Club Bouncy Blowout CreamIGK · 85% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Argan Oil Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 89% function matchHydrating Foam vs Tea Tree Lavender Mint Defining GelPaul Mitchell · 78% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Chia Seed Clumping GelBounce Curl · 88% function matchHydrating Foam vs Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Long Last Hydrating Hair Styling CreamBumble and bumble · 75% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Texture Maker SpraySebastian · 87% function matchHydrating Foam vs Curl Anti-Humidity Hair Gel-OilBumble and bumble · 74% function match

Clean Beauty Styling Cream · Hydrating Foam · 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.
  • 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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