Design Essentials

Almond & Avocado Curl Stretching Crème

Styler / Curl cream, polymer-set

Styler
curl cream
Moisture-rich
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size16 fl ozmost listed · 3 sizes

Price$12.59seen at one store · 16 oz

Price / oz$1.44/ozat 16 oz

Where to buy3 stores · 3 sizes

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Manufacturer page: designessentials.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 system High Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Some Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate 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 24 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Retail 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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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Priced with its peers

$1.44/oz at 16 oz — less than 65% of the 105 curl creams , which mostly run $1.17–4/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

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 system Synthetic polymer

Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems.

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.

Needs detergent to remove Yes

Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.

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
WaterDeionized Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Glyceryl Stearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
PEG-100 Stearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil	oil	Softens the film so it does not set hard	Softens
Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Vinylacetate	—	—	Neutral
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil	oil	Softens the film so it does not set hard	Softens
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil	emollient	A softening touch, low in the list	Buildup
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesContains fragrance.

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 · Deionized 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 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.

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
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
3 Glyceryl Stearate

General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.

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

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
- emulsifier
- emollient
4 PEG-100 Stearate

General function
The water-side half of the most common emulsifier pair in creams, used with glyceryl stearate.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
5 Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

General function
A heavy, coating oil traditionally used for deep conditioning.

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

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
6 Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Vinylacetate
7 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil

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

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

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
8 Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

General function
A plant oil hardened into a wax, used to thicken balms and pastes.

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.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A 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 routines
Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.
- wax
- emollient
9 Acetylated Lanolin
- emollient
- sealant
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
10 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

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
- preservative
- humectant
11 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
12 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
13 Carbomer · Carbomer 940

General function
A thickener that turns a liquid into a clear gel. It also contributes a light hold.

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 suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

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.
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
14 Aminomethyl Propanol · Aminomethylpropanol

General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic hold polymers so they thicken and set properly.

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.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
pH 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.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
15 Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
16 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea 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.

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
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
17 Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

General function
Not chemically an oil: about 97% of it is liquid wax esters, which is why it resists going rancid and sits close to the scalp's own sebum. It smooths without a heavy finish.

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
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 suitMaximum-hold styling
A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.
- emollient
- light ester
- oil
- wax
18 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
19 Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil

General function
A light plant oil used to soften and carry other oil-based ingredients.

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
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.
- oil
- emollient
20 Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
21 Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract
- botanical extract
22 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
23 Aleuriteus Moluccanus (Kukui) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
24 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 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
- declared fragrance

What the whole list adds up to

9 emollients
4 oils
4 botanical extracts
3 preservatives
2 humectants
2 emulsifiers
2 waxs
2 sealants
2 pH adjusters
1 solvent
1 thickener
1 polymer
1 film former
1 antioxidant

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-12. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 16 oz

Seen at $12.59 1 store · checked Sep 12

Sizes

4 oz

$12.59

$3.15/oz

10 oz

$14.39

$1.44/oz

16 ozmost listed

$20.99

$1.31/oz

The 16 oz costs 58% less per ounce than the 4 oz.

Show the price ladder

Price for 16 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores

16 ozmost listedBest per ounce

Design Essentials (designessentials.com)
$20.99

16 oz · $1.31/oz

Sep 12Lowest per oz

4 oz

Walmart
$12.59

4 oz · $3.15/oz

Sep 12Lowest per oz

10 oz

JCPenney
$14.39

10 oz · $1.44/oz

Sep 12Lowest per ozSale · was $15.99

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

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.
Seen at $12.59 is the price we have observed for the 16 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
About $33 is what curl creams typically cost at this size. Too few of the products that do the same job carry a price for us to draw a good-value line.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

The formula carries the systems a curl cream is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for curl creams per ounce.

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 65% of the 105 curl creams we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a curl cream should do
Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
Masstige tier, sold at Brand website and Retail

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.

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person

Best user

Hair that craves moisture who want moisture that stays in and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone stretching time between washes, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

soft, moisturized, and frizz-free with flexible hold

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Glycerin
Glyceryl Stearate
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

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.

Several customers mention enjoying a pleasant sweet fragrance that smells good and complements the product line experience

customers noting sensory experience

Multiple reviewers praise the product for defining and elongating curls, creating stretch for two-strand twists and styles, and delivering results after just one application

customers describing styling performance with curls and twists

Customers report the product leaves hair soft, silky, manageable, and moisturized without feeling overly oily or weighing hair down

customers describing texture and feel after application

Multiple reviewers report the formula has changed, making the product drier, flakier, or less effective than the original version they used for years

long-time customers comparing current formula to original

Some reviewers note the product feels sticky, overly sweet-scented, or too heavy, and does not actually stretch curls as promised, leaving hair shorter rather than elongated

customers reporting product limitations or contradictions to marketing claims

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.
5 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-12.
Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 14 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 2026-09-12.