Side by side
Paul Mitchell Clear Smoothing Serum vs Paul Mitchell MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment
60% function match · 7 of the 12 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Paul Mitchell Clear Smoothing Serum and Paul Mitchell MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.
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
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When each one is the right call
What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.
- Clear Smoothing Serum — fragrance-free
- MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment — 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”.
- Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
- Unscentedfree of strong smells
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
- Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
- Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
- Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
- If scent matters to younothing is added here
- Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
- Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- fragrance-free
- protein-free
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- protein-free
- curly-method compatible
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.
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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 only one of them carries
Clear Smoothing Serum
Full ingredient list — Clear Smoothing Serum (3)
-
1
Isododecane
- solvent
- emollient
-
2
Dimethicone
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
3
Dimethiconol
- silicone
- emollient
Full ingredient list — MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment (15)
-
1
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- light ester
- emollient
-
2
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
- film former
- emollient
-
3
Diheptyl Succinate
- light ester
- emollient
-
4
Isononyl Isononanoate
- light ester
- emollient
-
5
Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
6
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
- light ester
- emollient
-
7
Linoleic Acid
- emollient
-
8
Linolenic Acid
- emollient
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
9
Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
10
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
11
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
12
Citronellol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
13
Coumarin
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
14
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
15
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
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.
Clear Smoothing Serum
No claims recorded for this product beyond the ones above.
MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment
80% more shine
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.80% reduction in split ends
Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.instant hydration
SupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.lightweight, fast-absorbing feel
Potential conflictExpect it to sit on the strand.rich in antioxidants and oleic acid
Stated 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.
Clear Smoothing Serum
The lightweight fragrance-free formula is particularly valued by customers with scalp sensitivities and fragrance allergies.
Some reviewers find the product too drying and report increased frizz or dryness with regular use.
Users consistently report that a minimal amount smooths frizz and delivers shine without leaving greasiness.
The serum provides noticeable silky texture and polished appearance while feeling weightless on the hair.
MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment
One customer uses it after shampooing to keep curly and flyaway hair more controlled throughout the day
Amazon customer, post-shampoo routine useA reviewer with curly hair got compliments after using the oil, saying it made hair shinier and less frizzy
Amazon customer with curly hair'The only thing that I've found that controls my frizzy hair and doesn't leave it looking too oily'
Amazon customer with frizzy hairCustomers describe it as lightweight and hydrating with a pleasant fragrance, and say a little goes a long way, making it good value despite the price
aggregate of Ulta/Amazon customer reviewsA reviewer with fine, curly hair said the product is not heavy or greasy, while a different reviewer with very fine hair found it made hair incredibly greasy
two Amazon customers with fine hair, conflicting experience by amount usedPrice 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.
$14.12/oz vs $23.50/oz — Paul Mitchell MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment costs about 1.7× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Clear Smoothing Serum.
Clear Smoothing Serum
Against 79 serums with a computable unit price.
MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment
Against 175 hair oils with a computable unit price.
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.
Clear Smoothing Serum · MarulaOil Rare Oil Treatment · All serums 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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