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Side by side

Sun Bum Air Dry Styling Cream vs Sun Bum Curls Styling Cream

85% function match · 10 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 48%. Sun Bum Air Dry Styling Cream and Sun Bum Curls Styling Cream share 4 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.

  • Air Dry Styling Cream — protein-sensitive hair
  • Curls Styling Cream — protein-hungry 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
Sun Bum Air Dry Styling Cream — container Sun Bum

Air Dry Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Sun Bum Curls Styling Cream — 5 oz container Sun Bum

Curls Styling Cream

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$13.99 6 oz · $2.33/oz
$16.99 5 oz · $3.40/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most smoothing creams $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 93% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Upper-mid price for a curl cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 65% of the 105 curl creams 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 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
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. 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
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
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. 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
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
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. 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
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
  • 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
Stylercream
Where to buy
Ulta · Brand website
Brand website · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
—
Vegan · label states
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Cruelty-free · label states
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Finish
natural
—
How often
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

IngredientAir Dry Styling CreamCurls Styling Cream
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Behentrimonium Chloride
Detangles
#3Leading
#3Leading
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#5Supporting
#4Supporting
Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract
Neutral
#6Supporting
#13Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#13Below the 1% line
#8Below the 1% line
Ethylhexylglycerin
Softens
#20Below the 1% line
#18Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#17Below the 1% line
#2Leading
Polysorbate 60
Stabilizes
#14Below the 1% line
#5Supporting
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Holds
#12Secondary
#6Supporting
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#21Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Air Dry Styling Cream

Curls Styling Cream

Full ingredient list — Air Dry Styling Cream (21)
Full ingredient list — Curls Styling Cream (18)

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.

VerdictsAir Dry Styling CreamCurls Styling Cream
Supported
2
4
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
0
Potential conflict
0
0
Cruelty-free
SupportedMatches our researched record.
SupportedMatches our researched record.

Air Dry Styling Cream

  • Contains Banana Extract and Sunflower Seed ExtractStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalatesSupportedGentler on colour and coils.
  • Gluten-freeStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Curls Styling Cream

  • Lightweight styling cream with Kukui Nut Oil and Monoi Coconut Oil that helps nourish hair for soft curls without the crunchSupportedHelps hair feel hydrated.
  • VeganSupportedMatches our researched record.
  • Made Without Parabens and SulfatesSupportedGentler on colour and coils.

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 hold, curl definition, and a clean rinse-out. Sun Bum Curls Styling Cream draws complaints about the scent and hold.

Air Dry Styling Cream

Adds definition and hold to waves without creating crunch or greasiness when applied to damp hair.

reviewers with wavy and curly hair who apply product to damp hair and style as desired

Significantly reduces frizz and flyaways on curly and wavy hair, keeping curls intact throughout the day.

reviewers with curly and wavy hair reporting consistent frizz control

Thick creamy texture and strong banana scent may not appeal to all users; some find the fragrance overpowering.

reviewers noting personal preferences and sensitivities to the banana fragrance

Works best applied to damp hair before blow-drying or as an overnight setting cream; excessive product or dry application causes crunchiness.

reviewers noting technique-dependent results and difference between damp and dry application

Curls Styling Cream

Reviewers repeatedly say it defines curls without the stiffness or crunch of gels, describing the result as soft, natural-looking curls with a light hand.

curly-haired reviewers, including several using it on their children

Several reviewers say the whole family, from young children to adults with different curl patterns, use the same bottle successfully.

households with multiple curly-haired family members

The scent is called out often and positively, described as a pleasant, not-too-strong 'summer' or coconut smell that lasts.

general reviewers

A recurring complaint is that the cream gives little to no real hold or curl definition, with a couple of reviewers calling it more like a fragranced leave-in than a true styling product, and one saying it weighed hair down.

reviewers expecting a defined, held curl result

Multiple reviewers say a small, dime-sized amount is enough and that using more than that leaves hair feeling sticky or crunchy, especially on long hair.

reviewers with longer or thicker hair

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.

$2.33/oz vs $3.40/oz — Sun Bum Curls Styling Cream costs about 1.5× more per ounce than Sun Bum Air Dry Styling Cream.

Air Dry Styling Cream

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Curls Styling Cream

Against 105 curl creams with a computable unit price.

Value readAir Dry Styling CreamCurls Styling Cream
Label
Lower cost than most smoothing creamsCosts less per ounce than most smoothing creams we have researched.
Upper-mid price for a curl creamSits in the middle of the range for curl creams 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.

Air Dry Styling Cream vs Complete Air Dry Cream - 5.0 ozJVN · 96% function matchCurls Styling Cream vs Curl Defining Styling GelOCOA · 89% function matchAir Dry Styling Cream vs Sleek Styling Cream + Taming WandRizos Curls · 93% function matchCurls Styling Cream vs Complete Air Dry Cream - 5.0 ozJVN · 89% function matchAir Dry Styling Cream vs Butter Blend & Flaxseed Double Duty Curl Definer & BoosterCreme of Nature · 93% function matchCurls Styling Cream vs Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel - 8.5 ozOuidad · 89% function matchAir Dry Styling Cream vs Custard For KidsCurlyKids · 93% function matchCurls Styling Cream vs Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel with Coconut OilCarol's Daughter · 89% function match

Air Dry Styling Cream · Curls Styling Cream · 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.
  • 9 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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