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Side by side

Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream vs Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray Gel

59% function match · 5 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream and Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray Gel 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.

  • Clean Beauty Styling Cream — maximum slip
  • Sculpting Spray Gel — 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
Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream — container, alternate view Paul Mitchell

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray Gel — container, alternate view Paul Mitchell

Sculpting Spray Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$17.99 3.4 oz · $6.32/oz
$16–18 8.5 oz · $1.88/oz

Compared at different sizes — 8.5 oz against 3.4 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 64% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 56% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. 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 Differs
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. 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
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
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
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
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
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
High in the list Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients. 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-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable
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
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
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
Stylerspray
Where to buy
Brand website · Grocery / mass
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Vegan
Vegan · label states
—
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
—
mediumFlexible Hold: shapeable, workable hold
Finish
—
natural
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 CreamSculpting Spray Gel
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Alcohol Denat.
Drying
#14Below the 1% line
#2Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#26Below the 1% line
#22Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

Sculpting Spray Gel

Full ingredient list — Clean Beauty Styling Cream (27)
Full ingredient list — Sculpting Spray Gel (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.

VerdictsClean Beauty Styling CreamSculpting Spray Gel
Supported
3
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
3
2
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.

Sculpting Spray Gel

  • flexible controlSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • bodySupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • soft natural-looking finishStated by brandSubjective feel varies by hair.
  • ideal for defining curls and wavesStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

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 clean rinse-out and volume. Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray Gel draws complaints about hold and the packaging.

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

Sculpting Spray Gel

Gives just enough boost and body while staying lightweight

Ulta reviewer, 5 stars

Softens curly hair styles nicely

Ulta reviewer, 5 stars, curly hair

Only spray gel found that's truly soft, not sticky, used for years

repeat Ulta reviewer, 5 stars

One bottle had a rancid odor and provided no hold at all

Ulta reviewer, 1 star

Soft feel comes at the cost of real hold; doesn't hold like a gel should

Ulta reviewer, 2 stars

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.

$1.88/oz vs $6.32/oz — Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Styling Cream costs about 3.4× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray Gel.

Clean Beauty Styling Cream

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Sculpting Spray Gel

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readClean Beauty Styling CreamSculpting Spray Gel
Label
Upper-mid price for a smoothing creamSits in the middle of the range for smoothing creams per ounce.
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for gels 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 matchSculpting Spray Gel vs Un-Frizz Hair Styling & Smoothing CreamVirtue · 95% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Argan Oil Curl ActivatorCreme of Nature · 89% function matchSculpting Spray Gel vs Frizz Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling SprayJohn Frieda · 89% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Chia Seed Clumping GelBounce Curl · 88% function matchSculpting Spray Gel vs Tousled Texture Body & Shine Finishing SprayAG Care · 89% function matchClean Beauty Styling Cream vs Texture Maker SpraySebastian · 87% function matchSculpting Spray Gel vs Big Sexy Hair Spray & Stay Intense Hold HairspraySexy Hair · 89% function match

Clean Beauty Styling Cream · Sculpting Spray Gel · 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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