This is a Strong Moulding Clay
Styler / Paste, mixed-hold
- Styler
- paste
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Cruelty-free · brand states
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: us.davines.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
Same job for less elsewhere
$14.17/oz at 2.54 oz, more than 86% 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.
Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed OilRICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OIL / RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL | oil | Softens the film so it does not set hard | Softens |
| Kaolin | clay | Absorbs oil and adds texture | Neutral |
| Propylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| BeeswaxCERA ALBA / BEESWAX / CIRE D’ABEILLE | wax | Holds shape and adds weight | Buildup |
| Laureth-4 | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| Isohexadecane | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Softens |
| Glyceryl Stearate | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Bentonite | clay | Absorbs oil and adds texture | Neutral |
| Ceresin | wax | Adds a little grip | Buildup |
| Hydrogenated Castor Oil | wax | Adds a little grip | Buildup |
| FragrancePARFUM / FRAGRANCE | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCOPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA / COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX / CIRE DE CARNAUBA | wax | Adds a little grip | Buildup |
Full ingredient list (18)
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
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
· RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OIL / RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL
General function
A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA 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 hairNear 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
-
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
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
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.
- humectant
- solvent
-
4
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.
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 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
-
5
Laureth-4
General function
An oil-side emulsifier that helps a cream hold together.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
-
6
Isohexadecane
General function
A light, quickly evaporating carrier that spreads silicones and oils thinly, then leaves.
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.
- solvent
- emollient
-
7
Glyceryl Stearate
General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay 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
-
8
Bentonite
General function
A clay that absorbs oil and gives a matte, gritty texture.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
9
Ceresin
General function
A refined mineral wax used to thicken balms and pomades.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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
- sealant
-
10
Isopropyl Myristate
General function
A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairA light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairSpreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
-
11
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
General function
Castor oil hardened into a wax. It thickens balms and gives a firm, sealing feel.
Secondary ingredientLower 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 hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
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.
- wax
- emollient
- sealant
-
12
Isopropyl Palmitate
General function
A light ester that spreads quickly and leaves a smooth, non-greasy feel.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairA light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairSpreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
13
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
-
14
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
· COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA / COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX / CIRE DE CARNAUBA
General function
A hard palm wax that gives firm hold and shine.
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 suitMaximum-hold stylingA wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
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
-
15
Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether
- emulsifier
-
16
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact 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
-
17
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
-
18
Caramel
General function
A colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour hair.
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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairA 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.
- colourant
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 emollients
- 4 waxs
- 3 sealants
- 3 emulsifiers
- 3 fragrances
- 2 clays
- 2 powders
- 2 solvents
- 2 film formers
- 2 light esters
- 2 named fragrance allergens
- 1 oil
- 1 humectant
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 2.54 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $9 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.
Sizes
The 3.38 oz costs 56% less per ounce than the 2.54 oz.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 6 stores
2.54 ozusual store size
-
Davines (brand site)
$36.002.54 oz · $14.17/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Planet Beauty
$36.002.54 oz · $14.17/ozOct 8
-
Salon Moony
$36.002.54 oz · $14.17/ozOct 8
-
Beardsgaard Barbers
$36.002.54 oz · $14.17/ozOct 8
-
jrolandsalon.com
$38.002.54 oz · $14.96/ozOct 8
3.38 ozBest per ounce
-
Pasteur Pharmacy
$20.993.38 oz · $6.21/ozOct 8Lowest per ozSale · was $31.99
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
- 2.54 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 2.54 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $9 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.48/oz; at 2.54 oz that is $9. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
- About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2.54 oz.
Formula
The formula carries what a paste is built around, and 6 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is the label, not the formula.
How the score is counted
- 6 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 86% of the 197 pastes we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
- Salon tier, sold at Brand website
- 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, for less
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
- Differs
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Rich
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Rich
- 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?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costHair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone stretching time between washes
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 Davines
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 2026-10-08.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 16 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 2026-10-07.
