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Side by side

Redken Brews Holding Gel vs Redken Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

56% function match · 7 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 50%. Redken Brews Holding Gel and Redken Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse share 2 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.

  • Brews Holding Gel — curly-method routines
  • Stay High Volumizing Hair 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
Redken Brews Holding Gel — 5 oz container Redken

Brews Holding Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Curly-method
Redken Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse — 5.2 oz container Redken

Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$23–24 5 oz · $4.80/oz
$32 5.2 oz · $6.15/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 92% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 88% 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
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. 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 Differs
High Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Moderate 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
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 Differs
Low The silicones here are the water-soluble kind. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Cast risk Same
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. 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
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
  • Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can
  • 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
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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
Salons · Brand website · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Finish
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

IngredientBrews Holding GelStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
VP/VA Copolymer
Holds
#2Leading
#2Leading
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#5Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#10Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#13Below the 1% line
#18Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#15Below the 1% line
#24Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Brews Holding Gel

Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

Full ingredient list — Brews Holding Gel (18)
Full ingredient list — Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse (28)

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.

VerdictsBrews Holding GelStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse
Supported
0
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Brews Holding Gel

  • clean separation and gripStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • flake-free stylesStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

  • 24-hour shape and lift memorySupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • Lightweight bodifying formula thickens and lifts for full-bodied, voluminous styles without weighing hair downSupportedLeaves room for lift.

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.

Redken Brews Holding Gel draws complaints about dryness and residue or cast.

Brews Holding Gel

Reviewers like the masculine scent and say it holds textured styles like mohawks all day without leaving residue

Ulta reviewer

A reviewer with wavy hair said it defines waves effectively with decent longevity

wavy-hair customer on Ulta

One reviewer reported the gel feels sticky and doesn't fully dry down

Ulta reviewer

Some reviewers say the hold is adequate but not as strong as maximum-hold formulas they've tried

Ulta reviewer

Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

Provides excellent volume and body for fine and thin hair without weighing it down, though effectiveness varies significantly by hair type and the amount of product used.

The gel-to-mousse spray dispenser makes it difficult to control the amount of product dispensed, often releasing significantly more than needed for a single application.

Creates a stiff, crunchy, sticky feeling in hair when too much product is applied or for certain hair types, making hair feel like it has been over-sprayed.

Unique gel-to-mousse texture that starts as a gel and converts to foam when applied, providing texture and hold that reviewers describe as effective for styling.

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.

$4.80/oz vs $6.15/oz — Redken Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse costs about 1.3× more per ounce than Redken Brews Holding Gel.

Brews Holding Gel

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Stay High Volumizing Hair Mousse

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Value readBrews Holding GelStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

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.

Brews Holding Gel vs Texturising Salt SprayBed Head · 95% function matchStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse vs Curl Keeper Ultimate Frizz ControlCurl Keeper · 100% function matchBrews Holding Gel vs Touchable Hold Hairspray with Frizz ControlHerbal Essences · 90% function matchStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse vs Wavy Hair Zero Gravity Styling MousseFunction of Beauty · 100% function matchBrews Holding Gel vs Finishing Spritz HairsprayBiolage · 86% function matchStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse vs Coil Defining JellyAs I Am · 99% function matchBrews Holding Gel vs MITCH Original PomadePaul Mitchell · 85% function matchStay High Volumizing Hair Mousse vs Effortless Waves Styling Spray - 8.0 ozCurlsmith · 96% function match

Brews Holding Gel · Stay High Volumizing Hair 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.
  • 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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