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Curlsmith

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

Styler / Curl cream, medium-hold

Styler
curl cream
cream
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Vegan · brand states

Size8 fl oz

Price$28seen at one store · 8 oz

Price / oz$3.50/ozat 8 oz

Where to buy1 store · $28.00–28.00

Scent:

No added fragrance on the label, but it carries scenting botanicals — essential oils smell even when they are not labelled as fragrance.

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Wavy–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Hold (as stated) Medium Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Little Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance None listed Not in your profile

Protein Minor Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Essential oils Present Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Vegan · brand states Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Vegan · brand states Not in your profile

Aerosol can Pump or tube Not in your profile

Needs heat to set Not determined Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 24 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it UltaOne 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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Upper-mid price for a curl cream

$3.50/oz at 8 oz — more than 67% of the 105 curl creams , which mostly run $1.17–4/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label — scented

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this hold level is right for you depends on your density, porosity, and how long your style has to last — 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.

Hold (as stated) Medium

A medium hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Synthetic polymer

Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems.

Cast risk Unlikely

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

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Oil absorption None

No absorbent powders or starches.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

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.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) OilPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil	oil	Softens the film so it does not set hard	Softens
Propanediol	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
PVP	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Ribes Nigrum Fruit Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein	film former	A supporting film former	Protein
anethole	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Geranyl Acetate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Geraniol	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols.

Full ingredient list (24)

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

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 Cetearyl Alcohol

General function
A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

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

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
3 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil · Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

General function
A medium-weight oil used for softness and slip.

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

May not suitFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
4 Propanediol

General function
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

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
- humectant
- solvent
5 Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

General function
A plant-derived polyglycerol ester. It emulsifies without ethoxylation, which is why it turns up in formulas positioned as PEG-free, and leaves a soft feel.

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
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emulsifier
- emollient
6 PVP

General function
A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

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

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

PubChem
- film former
- polymer
7 Ribes Nigrum Fruit Extract

General function
An extract from the fruit of Ribes Nigrum. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
8 Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract

General function
An extract from the fruit of Psidium Guajava. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
9 Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
10 Lentinus Edodes Extract
- botanical extract
11 Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
- botanical extract
12 Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

General function
A light plant protein that adds body and shine, popular in volume products.

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

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
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.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
13 Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Extract
- botanical extract
14 Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
15 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

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
Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

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.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
16 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.

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
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
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
17 anethole

General function
An individual aroma chemical. It is part of the product's fragrance; brands that print these are disclosing more of the blend than the rules require.

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
18 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
19 Geranyl Acetate

General function
A rose-scented fragrance component related to geraniol.

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
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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
20 Geraniol

General function
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to 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
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.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
21 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 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
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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
22 Linalool

General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

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
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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
23 Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil

General function
A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.

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
Essential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
24 Pinene

General function
A pine-scented component of essential oils, declared as part of the fragrance.

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

What the whole list adds up to

8 botanical extracts
7 fragrances
4 emollients
4 named fragrance allergens
3 solvents
2 humectants
2 film formers
1 fatty alcohol
1 thickener
1 oil
1 emulsifier
1 polymer
1 protein
1 hydrolysed protein

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $28 1 store · checked Aug 27

Good value under $3 Under $0.33/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

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 $10 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store

8 ozmost listedBest per ounce

Ulta
$28.00

8 oz · $3.50/oz

Aug 27Lowest per oz

Ulta
$28.00

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

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 $28 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $3 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $0.33/oz; at 8 oz that is $3. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $10 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among curl creams, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted

8 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 67% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a curl cream should do
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs

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, 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.

Eco StyleSame function Rosemary Mint Gel $0.33/oz $3.17/oz less

Curly method
Silicone-free
Rinses clean

Differs: Mint scent
Drugstore tier
16 oz bottle

Compare

Eco StyleLowest cost per oz Olive Oil Gel - 32.0 oz $0.31/oz $3.19/oz less

Curly method
Silicone-free
Rinses clean

· Same function

Differs: Drugstore tier
32 oz bottle

Compare

ECO STYLESame function Olive Oil Styling Gel $0.32/oz $3.18/oz less

Curly method
Silicone-free
Rinses clean

Differs: Value tier
16 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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

People sensitive to fragrance — for a formula with no added fragrance and moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or very humid climates, or people shopping on a budget

Best alternative if not

Eco Style Rosemary Mint Gel — 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

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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Made without sulphates, silicones, or drying alcohols

No silicones appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Nothing that needs a strong wash.

Color-safe

It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.

—

Supported

Less fade per wash.

Cruelty-free and vegan

Our researched record has this brand or product as vegan.

—

Supported

Matches our researched record.

Best for weak, damaged hair

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.

Some reviewers say it's the only curl cream that has worked for their hair, leaving curls soft, bouncy, and shiny for multiple days

5-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Only Curl Cream that works for my hair'

Reviewers who pair it with Curlsmith's Flexi Jelly say the combination gives the best results in their curl routine

5-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Great Paired With Hydro Style Flexi Jelly'

A few reviewers note it seems to change their hair's texture, making curls looser than usual

3-star Ulta reviewer, titled 'Good and not good...'

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.
1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 15 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 2026-08-27.

Feather-Light Strenghtening Protein Curl Cream

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

What people report

More from Curlsmith

How this page was made

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