Garnier Fructis

Surfer Hair Styling Power Paste

Styler / Paste, strong-hold

Styler
paste
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free

Size3.4 fl oz

Price$5.99 Good valueseen at one store · 3.4 oz

Price / oz$1.91/ozat 3.4 oz

Where to buy2 stores · $5.99–6.99

Scent:

Reviewers describe it as tobacco.

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Curly–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Hold (as stated) Strong Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Scent Amber & spiceStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 23 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not yet verified Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified 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 Not 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 Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it Brand website · Target 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.

Lower cost than most pastes

$1.91/oz at 3.4 oz — less than 99% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Soft, touchable finishesthe brand states a firm hold

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) Strong

A strong hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Mixed

Gums and synthetic polymers together.

Cast risk Unlikely

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

Weight on the hair Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Oil absorption None

No absorbent powders or starches.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

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
WaterAQUA/WATER/EAU	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
BeeswaxCERA ALBA/BEESWAX/CIRE DABEILLE	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
PEG-100 Stearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Glyceryl Stearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Phenoxyethanol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Polyquaternium-37	conditioning agent	Adds slip, lower in the list	Detangles
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate	light ester	A light, silky feel	Softens
FragrancePARFUM / FRAGRANCE	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Limonene	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hexyl Cinnamal	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.

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 · 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 Beeswax · CERA ALBA/BEESWAX/CIRE DABEILLE

General function
A firm natural wax that grips and holds hair in place. It resists water and can take repeated washing to remove.

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

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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Forms 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 routines
It 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
3 PEG-100 Stearate

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

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- emulsifier
4 Glyceryl Stearate

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

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.

PubChem
- emulsifier
- emollient
5 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.

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

General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.

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.
PubChem
- preservative
7 Polyquaternium-37

General function
A thickening polymer that gives creams and curl products their bounce and helps them cling to the strand.

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
Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

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.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
- thickener
8 Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

General function
A light, dry-feeling ester that spreads other ingredients and softens without a greasy 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 suitFine or easily flattened hair
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
9 Propylene Glycol

General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

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 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
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 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
11 Peg-150/Decyl Alcohol/Smdi Copolymer
- emulsifier
12 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
13 PPG-1 Trideceth-6
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
14 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
15 Hexyl Cinnamal

General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised 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
16 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
17 Peg-70 Mango Glycerides
- emulsifier
18 2-OLEAMIDO-1
19 3-OCTADECANEDIOL
20 Amyl Cinnamal

General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised 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
21 Caramel

General function
A colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour hair.

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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A 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
22 Ci 19140/Yellow 5

General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.

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 suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A 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
23 Triethanolamine

General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic polymers so a gel thickens.

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
24 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

What the whole list adds up to

5 emulsifiers
5 fragrances
4 named fragrance allergens
3 emollients
2 solvents
2 film formers
2 thickeners
2 preservatives
2 humectants
2 colourants
2 pH adjusters
1 wax
1 sealant
1 fatty alcohol

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-26. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.4 oz

Seen at $5.99 1 store · checked Aug 26

Good value under $13 Under $3.77/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 $13 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $18 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 3.4 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

Target
$5.99

3.4 oz · $1.76/oz

Aug 26Lowest per oz
Garnier USA MSRP
$6.99

3.4 oz · $2.06/oz

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

3.4 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 $5.99 is the price we have observed for the 3.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $13 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.77/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $13. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $18 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.4 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

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

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 99% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website and Target

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

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.

KRISTIN ESS HAIRLowest cost per oz Kristin Ess+ Peptide Boost Volumizing Serum Spray $3.09/oz $1.18/oz more

Curly method
Silicone-free
Rinses clean

· Close function

Function: Oils and butters
Weight on the hair
Protein
Also: Cruelty-free
Masstige tier
5.5 oz bottle

Compare

Dove Men+CareClose function Dove Men+Care Medium Hold Hair Styling Paste $5.42/oz $3.51/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Rich

Function: Film formers
Slip and detangling
Also: Cruelty-free

Compare

Dove Men+CareClose function Men+Care Medium Hold Molding Paste $3.99/oz $2.08/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Rich

Function: Film formers
Slip and detangling
Also: Fresh scent, not amber
Cruelty-free
1.8 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

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone stretching time between washes

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

windblown surfer look

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

all-day strong hold

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

Beeswax
Polyquaternium-37

Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Fruit Micro Waxes

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

non-flaking texture

No over-the-counter anti-dandruff active appears in the list.

—

Stated by brand

Soothing, not an active treatment.

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.

A long-time user says it gives substantial volume and beach-like texture after application to damp hair and blow-drying.

user seeking a surfer-texture look

A fine, wavy-haired reviewer says the product leaves their hair fuller and softer without a sticky, crunchy, or greasy feel.

fine, wavy hair

Recent reviewers repeatedly complain that a newer container smelled smoky or tobacco-like and no longer held as well as earlier purchases.

long-time users comparing newer formula or batches

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.
2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-26.
Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 16 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 2026-08-26.

Surfer Hair Styling Power Paste

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 Garnier Fructis

How this page was made

Your personalized hair plan