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Side by side

Paul Mitchell Clear Styling Glaze vs Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade

78% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Paul Mitchell Clear Styling Glaze and Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade 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.

  • Clear Styling Glaze — fragrance-free
  • Foaming Pomade — 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 Clear Styling Glaze — 5.1 oz container Paul Mitchell

Clear Styling Glaze

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade — 8.5 oz container Paul Mitchell

Foaming Pomade

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
about $21 5.1 oz · $4.12/oz
$30 8.5 oz · $3.53/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 75% of the 96 hairsprays we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a mouss $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 66% of the 138 mousses we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Moisture level Same
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Light A light hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Light A light hold, as stated by the brand. 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 Differs
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. 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
Hold system Same
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Cast risk Differs
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. 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, 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
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Unscentedfree of strong smells
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Why you might skip it
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
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
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Unscented
Scented, not described
Hold
lightSoft hold and memory that can be reactivated with water or heat
lightDelivers light control with shine and reflection
Finish
shine
shine
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

$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

IngredientClear Styling GlazeFoaming Pomade
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Ethylhexylglycerin
Softens
#5Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#7Below the 1% line
#12Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Clear Styling Glaze

Foaming Pomade

Full ingredient list — Clear Styling Glaze (7)
Full ingredient list — Foaming Pomade (27)

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.

VerdictsClear Styling GlazeFoaming Pomade
Supported
2
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
0
Potential conflict
1
0

Clear Styling Glaze

  • Soft hold and memory that can be reactivated with water or heatPotential conflictExpect a cast you have to scrunch out.
  • Fragrance-free, dye-freeSupportedSafer for scent-sensitive scalps.
  • Just 7 essential ingredientsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Color safe, vegan, gluten-free, paraben-freeSupportedPreserved without parabens.

Foaming Pomade

  • Enhances textured hair while fighting frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Delivers light control with shine and reflectionSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Smooths, softens, and conditionsSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.

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 hold. Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade draws complaints about weight.

Clear Styling Glaze

Recommends starting with a small amount and experimenting with quantity; hopes the product is never discontinued

repeat user

Provides a light hold and adds shine without weighing hair down or looking greasy; looks natural on hair

general reviewer

Adds shine, definition, and smoothness to fine curls without weighing them down

reviewer with fine curly hair

Reviewer with fragrance sensitivity/rosacea uses it without irritation and says it gives smooth, shiny, healthy-looking hair

reviewer with fragrance sensitivity, medium-thickness hair past shoulder blades

Noticeable difference in hold on humid days; product is clear and feels natural

general reviewer commenting on humidity performance

Foaming Pomade

Works great in Houston's humidity and only a small amount is needed

reviewer named Rosalyn in Houston, Texas

Applied to damp hair after washing/conditioning, leaves curls more defined and moisturized without crunch

curly-hair reviewer using as part of wash routine

Smooths down frizz instantly without stiffness or crunch; hold is described as soft and flexible

general reviewer

Lightweight feel with no heavy or greasy buildup, gives a soft natural finish, a little goes a long way

general reviewer

Called it the worst Paul Mitchell product tried, hair looks greasy no matter how it's applied

reviewer who used the product for months across different application methods

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.

$3.53/oz vs $4.12/oz — Paul Mitchell Clear Styling Glaze costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade.

Clear Styling Glaze

Against 96 hairsprays with a computable unit price.

Foaming Pomade

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Value readClear Styling GlazeFoaming Pomade
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
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.

Clear Styling Glaze vs Perfect hair Day Heat Styling SprayLiving Proof · 90% function matchFoaming Pomade vs African Pride Moisture Miracle Rose Water & Argan Oil Curl MousseAfrican Pride · 89% function matchClear Styling Glaze vs Concentrated Setting LotionLottabody · 89% function matchFoaming Pomade vs Root BoostMoroccanoil · 87% function matchClear Styling Glaze vs MITCH Iron Grip Strong Hold GelPaul Mitchell · 87% function matchFoaming Pomade vs Avocado & Tamanu Anti-Frizz Curl PerfectorMielle Organics · 87% function matchClear Styling Glaze vs Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Hair GelSchwarzkopf got2b · 87% function matchFoaming Pomade vs Curl Talk Fragrance Free Defining CreamNot Your Mother's · 87% function match

Clear Styling Glaze · Foaming Pomade · All hairsprays 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.
  • 4 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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