Sizes & containers
2.6 oz · $12 at one store · UPC 669316213285
Matte Clay
Styler / Paste, mixed-hold
- Styler
- paste
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: valley-beauty.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Lower cost than most pastes
$4.62/oz at 2.6 oz, less than 77% of the 197 pastes , which mostly run $4.92–11.75/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
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.
Gums and synthetic polymers together.
Film formers with little to soften them, so expect a cast to scrunch out.
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.
No oils or butters in the list.
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAqua Water (Water(Eau)) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Kaolin | clay | Absorbs oil and adds texture | Neutral |
| BeeswaxCera Alba (Beeswax (Cire D'abeille)) | wax | Holds shape and adds weight | Buildup |
| Petrolatum | sealant | Seals moisture in | Heavy |
| PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Oleth-10 | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCopernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cire De Carnauba) | wax | Holds shape and adds weight | Buildup |
| PVP | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| FragranceParfum (Fragrance) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Coumarin | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
Full ingredient list (15)
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
Water
· Aqua Water (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
Kaolin
General function
A soft white clay that absorbs oil and adds body without much grit.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairAbsorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAn absorbent solid takes up oil, and hair already short of it has less to give.
- clay
- powder
-
3
Beeswax
· Cera Alba (Beeswax (Cire D'abeille))
General function
A firm natural wax that grips and holds hair in place. It resists water and can take repeated washing to remove.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairForms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- wax
- film former
- sealant
-
4
Petrolatum
General function
A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients 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 hairForms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- sealant
- emollient
-
5
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
General function
A coconut-derived emulsifier that softens a cleanser and reduces the stripped feeling.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
6
Oleth-10
General function
An emulsifier used to disperse oils and fragrance.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
7
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
· Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cire De Carnauba)
General function
A hard palm wax that gives firm hold and shine.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesWaxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.
DependsCurls or waves needing flexible holdHow rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
- wax
- film former
-
8
PVP
General function
A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay 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.
May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairThe 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.
- film former
- polymer
- 9 Parraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil(Huile Minerale))
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
10
Fragrance
· Parfum (Fragrance)
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
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
-
12
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
13
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
14
Methylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
-
15
Ethylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 4 preservatives
- 3 film formers
- 2 waxs
- 2 sealants
- 2 emollients
- 2 emulsifiers
- 2 fragrances
- 2 parabens
- 1 solvent
- 1 clay
- 1 powder
- 1 solubilizer
- 1 polymer
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-10. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 2.6 oz
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $15 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $16 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
-
d:fi (brand site)
$12.002.6 oz · $4.62/ozOct 10Lowest per oz
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
- 2.6 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 is the price we have observed for the 2.6 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $15 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $5.82/oz; at 2.6 oz that is $15. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $16 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2.6 oz.
Formula
This formula covers the systems a paste is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the pastes we have researched.
How the score is counted
- Costs less per ounce than 77% of the 197 pastes we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a paste should do
- Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website
- Drugstore 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 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.
Does the same job
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Rich
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Rich
- Function
- Also
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Protein-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsHair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and a curly-method-compatible formula
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone who will not scrunch out a cast
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.
More from d:fi
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 (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-10-11.
- Ingredient references are linked for 2 of 8 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 2026-10-11.
