No-flake formula
No over-the-counter anti-dandruff active appears in the list.
—
Stated by brand
Soothing, not an active treatment.
As I Am
Coil Defining Jelly
Styler / Gel, mixed-hold
- Styler
- gel
- jelly
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8 fl oz
Price$12.95 Good valueseen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$1.62/ozat 8 oz
Where to buy3 stores · $12.95–12.99
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: hivebeautysupply.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.
- In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 18 factors we check.
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- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Hold system
Moderate
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Moderate
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
Not determined
Not in your profile
Essential oils
Not determined
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Show all 18 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Not determined
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
20 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Specialty beautyOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
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Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$1.62/oz at 8 oz — less than 63% of the 157 gels , which mostly run $1.18–3.50/oz.
Great for
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Maybe skip if
this 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
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only
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
Likely
Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out.
Oil absorption
None
No absorbent powders or starches.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAqua/Water/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Pectin | gum | The hold system — natural gums, softer than a synthetic polymer | Holds |
| Betaine | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Powder | botanical extract | A plant extract, marketed as much as functional | Neutral |
| Acacia Concinna Fruit Powder | — | — | Neutral |
| FragranceFragrance/Parfum | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Coumarin | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesFragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (20)
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.
-
1
Water
· Aqua/Water/Eau
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Glycerin
General function
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.
Role in this product typeIn styling gel, glycerin helps retain moisture as the product dries, supporting a softer, more flexible finish. The hold itself comes from the formula's film-forming polymers.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMay suit hair that benefits from added water retention and a softer, more flexible gel finish.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds 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 hairConsider the climate and the complete formula: prominent humectants can behave differently in very dry air and on frizz-prone hair in high humidity.
- humectant
-
3
glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer
General function
A synthetic film-forming polymer. Polymers of this kind dry to a continuous film on the hair, which is how a styling product holds a shape.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- film former
- polymer
-
4
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.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe 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
-
5
Pectin
General function
A fruit-derived gum that thickens water-based formulas and leaves a light, flexible film.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdA 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 hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- gum
- thickener
- film former
-
6
Betaine
General function
A sugar-beet derived humectant that binds water. Despite the name it is not a cleanser like cocamidopropyl betaine.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-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 hairBinds 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 hairA 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.
- humectant
-
7
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Powder
General function
An extract from the fruit of Phyllanthus Emblica. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
- 8 Acacia Concinna Fruit Powder
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
9
Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
10
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 zoneIt 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 routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
11
Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract
General function
Flaxseed gel. A natural polysaccharide that gives soft, flexible hold in curl products.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 holdA 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 hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what keeps flyaways lying down without stiffness.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- gum
- film former
- botanical extract
-
12
Carbomer
General function
A thickener that turns a liquid into a clear gel. It also contributes a light hold.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingSynthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSome acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
-
13
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
14
Aminomethyl Propanol
General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic hold polymers so they thicken and set properly.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH 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
-
15
Polyquaternium-11
General function
A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt 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 holdCationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
-
16
Caprylyl Glycol
General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHumectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- preservative
- humectant
-
17
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
18
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
19
Coumarin
General function
A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
20
Limonene
General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne 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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
What the whole list adds up to
- 5 film formers
- 4 humectants
- 3 polymers
- 3 botanical extracts
- 3 gums
- 3 fragrances
- 3 preservatives
- 2 thickeners
- 2 named fragrance allergens
- 1 solvent
- 1 antioxidant
- 1 vitamin
- 1 declared fragrance
- 1 emulsifier
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-04. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8 oz
Seen at
$12.95
Good value under
$24
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $24 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $34 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
-
Ensley Beauty Supply
$12.958 oz · $1.62/ozSep 5Lowest per oz
-
Hive Beauty Supply
$12.998 oz · $1.62/ozSep 5
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. and 1 listing we don’t count — grey-market or unverified sellers.
How we work this out
- 8 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.
- Seen at $12.95 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $24 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.96/oz; at 8 oz that is $24. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $34 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.
Formula
8
Formula score
8 of 10
A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among gels, with the working systems present.
How the score is counted
- Costs less per ounce than 63% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a gel should do
- Masstige tier, sold at Specialty beauty
- Masstige tier
- 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 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
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.
Function of BeautyLowest cost per oz
Wavy Hair Zero Gravity Styling Mousse
$1.93/oz $0.31/oz more
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Differs
Bumble and bumbleClose function
Thickening High Drama Styling Hair Foam for Thinning Hair - 1.5 oz
$10.67/oz $9.05/oz more
- Protein
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Differs
Bumble and bumbleClose function
Thickening High Drama Styling Hair Foam for Thinning Hair - 5.0 oz
$7.08/oz $5.46/oz more
- Protein
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Differs
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
Should you buy it?
Only for a specific needBest user
Curls that need definition who want defined, clumped curls
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone who will not scrunch out a cast, or very dry or very humid climates
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, against what the formula shows
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.
1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Designed for easy coil definition, added softness, hydration and sheen
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
- Glycerin
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
- Betaine
Supported
Helps hair feel hydrated.
Not recommended for twists and twist-outs
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 marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
More from As I Am
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per 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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-05.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 12 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
- We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
- 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 v22. Record last updated 2026-09-05.