medium hold
Synthetic hold polymers are present.
- AMP-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
- Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Structure that lasts the day.
Styler / Paste, medium-hold
Scent:
Notes: sweet, tobacco.
Listing used for research: ulta.com
Personal fit
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The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$13.00/oz at 2 oz — more than 85% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
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.
A medium hold, as stated by the brand.
Gums and synthetic polymers together.
Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.
Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.
Absorbents appear, low in the list.
Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula.
Ingredients that matter
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Ceteareth-20 | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| AMP-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Glycereth-26 | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Peg-16 Macadamia Glycerides | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Peg-40 Castor Oil | solubilizer | Keeps oils dissolved in water | Stabilizes |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Hydrolyzed Quinoa | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
| Coumarin | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Eugenol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
An emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a conditioner or cream.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
A hold polymer used for strong, humidity-resistant set in hairsprays.
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
A coconut-derived emulsifier that softens a cleanser and reduces the stripped feeling.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
A glycerin derivative used as a light humectant and carrier.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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.
A plant fat made water-dispersible by ethoxylation. It softens the formula and helps the oil and water phases stay together.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
An ethoxylated castor-oil derivative. It dissolves fragrance and oils into a water-based formula, which is what keeps a clear liquid from separating.
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.
A starch that soaks up oil at the roots and adds texture.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.
Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.
Binds the metal ions in hard water so they cannot dull hair or destabilise the formula.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
A quinoa-derived protein used for light strengthening and colour retention claims.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
A colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour hair.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-26. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 2 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $3 line; products that do this job typically go for about $6 at this size.
2 ozmost listedBest per ounce
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.
Formula
This is a complete paste formula. It is also above the range for pastes per ounce, with 8 close matches selling for meaningfully less.
The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.
See more alternatives in the product library
These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget



Final decision
Hair that craves moisture, looking for moisture that stays in and a curly-method-compatible formula
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or very humid climates, or people shopping on a budget
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Grooming Pomade, for similar results 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
Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.
medium hold
Synthetic hold polymers are present.
Structure that lasts the day.
high shine
Nothing in the list reads as a shine system.
Can’t be confirmed from label.
frizz control
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
Smoother strands, less frizz.
touchable
Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.
Natural movement without stiffness.
water soluble
The film is built from water-soluble polymers, not wax.
Comes out in a normal wash.
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
One reviewer says it looks and smells good in their husband's hair without a heavy or greasy-looking result.
Ulta customer review from GeorgiaAnother buyer reports a little goes a long way, with long-lasting performance and no heavy or greasy feel.
Ulta customer review from New JerseyA long-time user says the pomade provides all-day staying power, then reactivates quickly with a little water after many hours of wear.
Ulta customer review from Virginia Beach, VirginiaA dissatisfied purchaser says the pomade is overpriced and believes it thinned their hair.
Ulta customer review from Oxnard, California