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As I Am

Rice Water Strengthening Spray for Curls & Coils

Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight

  • Leave-in
  • spray
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size16 fl oz
Price$8.99 Good valueseen at one store · 16 oz
Price / oz$0.56/ozat 16 oz

Manufacturer page: asiamnaturally.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Lower cost than most leave-ins

$0.56/oz at 16 oz — less than 97% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works 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.

Weight on the hair Light

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

Slip and detangling Moderate

Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Oils and butters Present, lower down

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

Protein Prominent

Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua/Water/Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Betaine humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract botanical extract A plant extract, marketed as much as functional Neutral
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract botanical extract A plant extract, marketed as much as functional Neutral
Phytosterols emollient Softens and smooths the strand Detangles
Ceramide NP ceramide Supports the cuticle surface Protein
Biotin vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Neutral
Copper Tripeptide-1 protein Firms up soft, over-stretchy hair Protein
Copper Tripeptide-34 protein A small amount of protein Protein
Caffeine active A secondary active Active
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one.
Full ingredient list (22)

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 ingredient

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

    • solvent
  • 2 Betaine
    General function

    A sugar-beet derived humectant that binds water. Despite the name it is not a cleanser like cocamidopropyl betaine.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 3 Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract
    General function

    A rice extract used at low levels, usually alongside rice protein or rice bran oil.

    Leading ingredient

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

    • botanical extract
  • 4 Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
    General function

    Saw palmetto extract, used at low levels in thinning-positioned products.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    • botanical extract
  • 5 Phytosterols
    General function

    Plant lipids used to support the hair's own surface layer.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    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.

    • emollient
    • conditioning agent
  • 6 Ceramide NP
    General function

    A lipid that occurs naturally between cuticle scales; added to help hold the surface of damaged hair together.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

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

    Restoring surface lipids lowers friction between strands, which is where much of the roughness in damaged hair comes from.

    May suitProtein-sensitive hair

    A lipid, not a protein, despite sitting alongside proteins in most repair claims. It does not carry the stiffening effect.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Ceramides are the lipid class bleaching and heat deplete. Replacing them works on the surface layer rather than adding protein stiffness.

    PubChem
    • ceramide
    • emollient
  • 7 Biotin
    General function

    Vitamin B7, included for label appeal in thickening and growth-positioned products. Applied to hair it does not reach the follicle.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    PubChem
    • vitamin
  • 8 Copper Tripeptide-1
    General function

    A copper-bound peptide used in thinning-positioned products. Evidence in hair is limited and mostly from skin research.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May not suitProtein-sensitive hair

    A large surface-depositing protein. If protein reliably makes your hair feel rigid, this is the form most likely to do it.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.

    • protein
  • 9 Copper Tripeptide-34
    General function

    A copper-bound peptide used at low levels in scalp and thinning-positioned formulas.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Unhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.

    • protein
  • 10 Inositol
  • 11 Caffeine
    • active
  • 12 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
    General function

    A light, widely used oil that softens without much weight.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    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.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    It works on the surface. In the comparison that established coconut oil's penetration, sunflower oil did not reduce protein loss from washing — its fatty acids are bulkier and less linear. It softens and smooths; it does not reinforce the fibre.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • oil
    • emollient
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 13 Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
    • botanical extract
    • antioxidant
  • 14 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.

    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

    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.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 15 Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 16 Polyglyceryl-3 Betainate Acetate
    General function

    A plant-derived conditioning emulsifier that adds slip while holding the formula together.

    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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

    DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

    • conditioning agent
    • emulsifier
  • 17 Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
    General function

    A mild cleanser and emulsifier that also conditions slightly.

    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

    The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

    PubChem
    • mild anionic cleanser
    • emulsifier
    • cleanser
  • 18 Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
    General function

    An amino-acid-derived cleanser, among the mildest in common use, with a low-foam, creamy 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

    The detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    A gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Cleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.

    PubChem
    • mild anionic cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 19 Citric Acid
    General function

    Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

    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

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

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

    The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator
  • 20 Ethylhexylglycerin
    General function

    A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.

    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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • emollient
  • 21 Potassium Sorbate
    • preservative
  • 22 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative

What the whole list adds up to

  • 4 emollients
  • 3 botanical extracts
  • 3 emulsifiers
  • 3 preservatives
  • 2 humectants
  • 2 proteins
  • 2 mild anionic cleansers
  • 2 cleansers
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 ceramide
  • 1 vitamin
  • 1 active
  • 1 oil

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 16 oz

Seen at $8.99 1 store · checked Aug 22
Good value under $19 Under $1.20/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $19 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $29 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
  • Brand website
    $8.99
    16 oz · $0.56/oz
    Aug 22Lowest per oz
  • Target
    $8.99
    16 oz · $0.56/oz
    Aug 22

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. 16 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. Seen at $8.99 is the price we have observed for the 16 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $19 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.20/oz; at 16 oz that is $19. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $29 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 16 oz.

Formula

Formula score
8 of 10

It carries the working systems a leave-in needs and still sits in the lower part of the price range for leave-ins per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 97% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a leave-in should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Grocery / mass and Target
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
  • A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.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.

VegamourClosest function HYDR-8 Leave-In Conditioner $6.80/oz $6.24/oz more
  • Heat protect
  • Protein
  • Curly method
Function
  • Slip and detangling
Also
  • Vegan
  • Prestige tier
  • 1.7 oz bottle
Compare
Taliah WaajidLowest cost per oz Green Apple & Aloe Nutrition Curl Elixir $0.88/oz $0.32/oz more
  • Budget
  • Widely sold
· Close function
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • 12 oz bottle
  • Sold at specialty beauty counters
Compare
AcureClose function Advanced Hydration Leave-In Conditioner $1.20/oz $0.64/oz more
  • Protein
  • Curly method
  • Lightweight
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Vegan
  • Masstige tier
  • 5 oz bottle
Compare

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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

People sensitive to fragrance who want a formula with no added fragrance and protein high in the formula

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to hair that stiffens on protein, very dry or very humid climates, or coarse, very dry hair that wants real richness

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
3
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
A moisturizing & strengthening spray for healthy looking hair

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Betaine
  • Phytosterols
  • Ceramide NP
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Moisturizes hair up to 30%

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

Strengthens hair up to 123%

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

Improves the scalp's protective barrier

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.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Liked as a lightweight daily scalp-refresh spray between wash days

Valued for fragrance-free/silicone-free formula by sensitive-scalp users

sensitive scalp

Skepticism about "123% strengthening" and rice-water efficacy claims

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 (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 8 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 2026-08-25.