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Side by side

Redken Pliable Styling Paste vs Redken Sculpting Curl Gel

74% function match · 8 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Redken Pliable Styling Paste and Redken Sculpting Curl 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.

  • Pliable Styling Paste — dry, thirsty hair
  • Sculpting Curl 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
Redken Pliable Styling Paste — 5 oz container Redken

Pliable Styling Paste

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Redken Sculpting Curl Gel — 8.5 oz container Redken

Sculpting Curl Gel

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$26–28 5 oz · $5.60/oz
$34–35 8.5 oz · $4.00/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Salon tier · costs less than 74% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 83% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. 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 Same
High Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. 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)
—
Strong A strong 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 Same
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. 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
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • 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
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
  • 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
Stylercream
Stylergel
Where to buy
Salons · Brand website · Grocery / mass
Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Citrus · Amber & spice
Scented, not described
Hold
—
strongStrong hold
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

$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

IngredientPliable Styling PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#13Below the 1% line
#10Below the 1% line
Hexyl Cinnamal
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#15Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#11Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Pliable Styling Paste

Sculpting Curl Gel

Full ingredient list — Pliable Styling Paste (30)
Full ingredient list — Sculpting Curl Gel (21)

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.

VerdictsPliable Styling PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Supported
2
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
1
Potential conflict
0
0

Pliable Styling Paste

  • Leaves hair looking moist and pliable without stiffness, flakiness or build upSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Stays flexible so you can rearrange the styleSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Shampoos out easilyStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Sculpting Curl Gel

  • Defines curls for up to 72 hoursSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • Reduces frizz by 76% for up to 72 hoursStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Non-sticky, non-flaking, non-crunchy formulaSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.

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.

Pliable Styling Paste

Excellent for styling and holding short hair styles throughout the day, with many reviewers reporting years of repeat use for this specific hair length.

Reviewers report the product formula has been changed or watered down, no longer performing as effectively as the original Rewind 06 version that was discontinued.

A small amount of the product provides effective styling and texture with good longevity, making it economical to use and long-lasting.

Too heavy, sticky, or ineffective for fine or thin hair, often leaving hair feeling greasy, limp, or coated without providing the desired hold.

Sculpting Curl Gel

Best gel tried for defining wavy curls, with flexible hold and no crunchiness

reviewer with wavy hair

Delivers soft, crunch-free curls that feel silky and hydrated

curly-hair reviewer

Only gel found with strong hold that doesn't weigh hair down or feel sticky

repeat curly-hair user

Lightweight application that doesn't feel sticky going on

general reviewer

Worked well on a family member's biracial curls but left the reviewer's own hair dry and hard

reviewer comparing results across two different hair types

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.

$4.00/oz vs $5.60/oz — Redken Pliable Styling Paste costs about 1.4× more per ounce than Redken Sculpting Curl Gel.

Pliable Styling Paste

Against 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Sculpting Curl Gel

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readPliable Styling PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for pastes per ounce.
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.

Pliable Styling Paste vs 30 Proof Light Hold Styling CreamBlind Barber · 96% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Style Curl Shape Defining Spray GelGarnier Fructis · 89% function matchPliable Styling Paste vs Potion Miracle Styling PotionIt's a 10 · 96% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs WhipAmerican Crew · 89% function matchPliable Styling Paste vs Details Defining CreamAG Care · 93% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Hold & Cover EdgesAfrican Pride · 89% function matchPliable Styling Paste vs Texture PasteRedken · 93% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Flexible Fiber Hair Styling CreamOld Spice · 89% function match

Pliable Styling Paste · Sculpting Curl Gel · All pastes 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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