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18.21 Man Made

Sweet Tobacco Hair Styling Powder

Styler / Volumizer, mixed-hold

  • Styler
  • volumizer
  • powder
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Cruelty-free · brand states
Size0.28 oz
Price$22–26commonly seen · 0.28 oz
Price / oz$85.71/ozat 0.28 oz

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

Notes: powdery, sweet, tobacco.

Strength: Strong

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Priced above most volumizers

$85.71/oz at 0.28 oz, more than 95% of the 143 volumizers , which mostly run $3.31–9.38/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

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
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable

Maybe skip if

this product has a strong scent
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Whether this hold suits you depends on your density, porosity and how long your style needs to last. The consultation works that out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Hold system Mixed

Gums and synthetic polymers together.

Cast risk Unlikely

Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.

Weight on the hair Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Oil absorption High

Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.

Oils and butters Present, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

Fragrance Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up a larger share of the formula.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate starch Soaks up oil and adds grip Neutral
Silica powder Mattifies and absorbs oil Stabilizes
Silica Silylate powder Mattifies and absorbs oil Stabilizes
Sodium Bicarbonate pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
Pullulan film former A supporting film former Holds
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice humectant Adds a little water-binding Moisturizes
Capryloyl Glycine preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Cleanses
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient A softening touch, low in the list Buildup
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (14)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
    General function

    A modified starch that absorbs oil and leaves a dry, matte feel.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.

    DependsMaximum-hold styling

    Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.

    • starch
    • powder
  • 2 Silica
    General function

    A fine mineral powder that absorbs oil and adds grip. It is what makes texture powders and matte pastes feel dry to the touch.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.

    PubChem
    • powder
    • thickener
    • mineral
  • 3 Silica Silylate
    General function

    A treated silica used to absorb oil and add grip in texture products.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.

    • powder
    • thickener
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 4 Sodium Bicarbonate
    General function

    Baking soda. Used in trace amounts to raise pH; at higher levels it is alkaline enough to swell the cuticle.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Takes up oil at the root, which is where fine hair goes flat first.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

    • pH adjuster
    • absorbent
  • 5 Pullulan
    General function

    A fermented sugar polymer that dries to a thin, flexible film — used for light hold and a temporary tightening feel.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.

    May not suitMaximum-hold styling

    Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

    • film former
    • gum
  • 6 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 7 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
    General function

    Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Hydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Aloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.

    • humectant
    • botanical extract
    • gum
  • 8 Capryloyl Glycine
    General function

    An amino-acid derivative used to support the preservative system and, in scalp products, for a clarifying claim.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Cleansing is what lifts deposited films off the strand. How completely depends on which detergent it is and how high on the list it sits.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • cleanser
  • 9 Hexylene Glycol
    General function

    A solvent that keeps other ingredients dissolved and helps preservatives work.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

    PubChem
    • solvent
    • humectant
  • 10 Panthenol
    General function

    Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    It hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    A humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.

    PubChem
    • humectant
    • conditioning agent
    • vitamin
  • 11 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
    General function

    Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

    • emollient
    • light ester
    • oil
    • wax
  • 12 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 13 Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
    General function

    A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 14 Xylitylglucoside
    General function

    A sugar-derived humectant used for lasting moisture without stickiness.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

    PubChem
    • humectant

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 humectants
  • 3 powders
  • 2 thickeners
  • 2 gums
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 emollients
  • 2 light esters
  • 1 starch
  • 1 mineral
  • 1 pH adjuster
  • 1 absorbent
  • 1 film former
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-26. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 0.28 oz

Commonly seen $22–26 Midpoint $24 · 4 stores · checked Oct 31
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores

0.28 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce

  • Ulta
    $24.00
    Aug 25

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 0.28 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 0.28 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. About $2 is what volumizers typically cost at this size. Too few of the products that do the same job carry a price for us to draw a good-value line.

Formula

Formula score
9 of 10

Above the range for volumizers per ounce for a complete formula, with no close, lower-priced match in our library.

How the score is counted
  • Nothing in our library does the same job for less
  • Costs more per ounce than 95% of the 143 volumizers we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a volumizer should do
  • Masstige tier, sold at 18.21 Man Made and Ulta
  • A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
  • Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
  • No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Similar products

Built for straight to wavy hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

An above-range pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and a curly-method-compatible formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance or anyone stretching time between washes

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

3
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
flexible hold

Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.

  • Pullulan
  • Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
  • Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
Supported

Natural movement without stiffness.

volume boosting

It reads light on the strand, which is what volume claims depend on.

  • Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
  • Pullulan
Supported

Leaves room for lift.

activates texture

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

oil absorbing

Absorbent starch or powder is present near the top of the list.

  • Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
  • Silica
  • Silica Silylate
Supported

Buys a day between washes.

reworkable

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

A reviewer praises the scent and says the powder maintained its performance during strenuous activity.

Ulta customer review from Charlotte, North Carolina, January 2026

Another customer says it covers greasy hair but found the fragrance overpowering enough to aggravate their asthma and adds unwanted stiffness.

Ulta customer review from Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 2025

One user likes the oil absorption and pronounced texture but says the cap can become so misthreaded that the product is nearly impossible to reopen.

Ulta customer review from Omaha, Nebraska, March 2026

More from 18.21 Man Made

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • 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.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • 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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-26.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 5 of 13 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-08-27.

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