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It's a 10

Miracle Whipped Styling Balm

Styler / Smoothing cream, polymer-set

  • Styler
  • smoothing cream
  • cream
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Cruelty-free · brand states
Size5 fl oz
Price$18–22commonly seen · 5 oz
Price / oz$3.70/ozat 5 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $17.84–25.99

Scent:

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

Manufacturer page: pasteurpharmacy.com

Personal fit

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Lower cost than most smoothing creams

$3.70/oz at 5 oz — less than 76% of the 56 smoothing creams , which mostly run $3.70–7.10/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list
Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

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.

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, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterWater (Aqua, Eau) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Propylene Glycol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
Cyclopentasiloxane silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Dimethicone silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Amodimethicone silicone Smooths the cuticle and adds shine Buildup
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract botanical extract A trace plant extract Stabilizes
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein film former A supporting film former Protein
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol film former A supporting film former Protein
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Protein-forward — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Contains fragrance. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.
Full ingredient list (26)

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 · Water (Aqua, 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 Propylene Glycol
    General function

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

    Leading ingredient

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

    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
  • 3 Cyclopentasiloxane
    General function

    A light, fast-evaporating silicone that spreads other ingredients then leaves. It gives serums their weightless glide.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    It leaves the hair by evaporating rather than by being washed off, so it is not part of what accumulates.

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A cyclic silicone evaporates after it has spread the formula, so it carries the other ingredients without leaving weight behind.

    PubChem
    • silicone
    • emollient
  • 4 Dimethicone
    General function

    The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Dimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.

    • silicone
    • emollient
    • conditioning agent
  • 5 Amodimethicone
    General function

    A silicone modified to stick where hair is damaged, so it smooths selectively instead of coating everything. It resists rinsing more than plain dimethicone.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    A surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Amino-functional silicone carries a positive charge, so it binds where the cuticle is worn rather than coating evenly. Damaged areas get most of it.

    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.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • silicone
    • conditioning agent
    • film former
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 6 Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
    General function

    A sunflower seed extract used at low levels for antioxidants and label appeal.

    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.

    • botanical extract
    • antioxidant
  • 7 Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
    General function

    A plant protein used for body and moisture retention.

    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

    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
  • 8 Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol
    General function

    A plant protein modified to bind more firmly to hair than a plain hydrolysed protein. Used for strength and body claims.

    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

    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
  • 9 Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
    • botanical extract
  • 10 Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
    • butter
    • emollient
    • sealant
  • 11 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
    General function

    A gel-forming thickener that also keeps oils suspended. It contributes a little 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
  • 12 Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
    General function

    A very mild cleanser common in baby and sensitive-scalp shampoos.

    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

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    PubChem
    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 13 Sodium Hydroxide
    General function

    A strong base used in trace amounts to raise pH; fully neutralised in the finished product.

    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

    The alkali half of a pH-adjusting pair, used in small amounts to bring a formula up to its target rather than to make it alkaline. Alkaline conditions raise the fibre's surface charge and lift the scales — but the finished pH is not on the label.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
  • 14 Isostearic Acid
    • emollient
    • emulsifier
  • 15 Butylene Glycol
    General function

    A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

    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
  • 16 PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • 17 Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
    General function

    A UV filter added to protect the product's colour and, in leave-ins, to slow colour fade.

    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

    Sunlight oxidises hair pigment, and on gray, silver or lightened hair that shows up as yellowing. A UV filter on the label absorbs some of the light that drives it.

    PubChem
    • UV filter
  • 18 Peg-4 Laurate
    • emulsifier
  • 19 Disodium EDTA
    General function

    Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise 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.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

    PubChem
    • hard-water chelator
  • 20 Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
    • preservative
  • 21 C11-15 Pareth-7
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 22 Laureth-8
  • 23 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.

    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

    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
  • 24 Trideceth-12
    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 25 DMDM Hydantoin
    • formaldehyde releaser
    • preservative
  • 26 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

  • 5 emulsifiers
  • 4 emollients
  • 4 film formers
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 humectants
  • 3 silicones
  • 3 solubilizers
  • 2 conditioning agents
  • 2 botanical extracts
  • 2 proteins
  • 2 hydrolysed proteins
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 antioxidant
  • 1 butter

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-05. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 5 oz

Commonly seen $18–22 Midpoint $18.50 · 3 stores · checked Sep 6
Good value under $18 Under $3.55/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 $18 line; products that do this job typically go for about $34 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores

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
  1. 5 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.
  2. Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 5 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
  3. Good value under $18 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $3.55/oz; at 5 oz that is $18. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $34 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

This formula covers the systems a smoothing cream is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the smoothing creams we have researched.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 76% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 6 things a smoothing cream should do
  • Salon tier, sold at Grocery / mass and Specialty beauty
  • 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.

John FriedaLowest cost per oz Frizz Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray $1.49/oz $2.21/oz less
  • Vegan & CF
  • Budget
· Close function
Function
  • Film formers
  • Slip and detangling
Also
  • Vegan
  • Drugstore tier
  • 6.7 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

Built for straight to curly hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Soft, over-stretchy hair who want protein high in the formula and moisture that stays in

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or hair that stiffens on protein

Best alternative if not

John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray, 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.

4
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Intensely smoothes, softens, hydrates and reduces breakage

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Propylene Glycol
  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Protects color-treated hair

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

  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
  • Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Supported

Less fade per wash.

Humidity resistant

Humidity resistance is measured in a lab, not read off a label; film formers can help.

  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone
  • Amodimethicone
Stated by brand

May help, but not measurable here.

Nourishes damaged hair

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

  • Propylene Glycol
  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone
Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Prolongs blow-dried styles

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Smooths frizz and improves elasticity

Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.

  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Dimethicone
  • Amodimethicone
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

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.

More from It's a 10

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 (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-09-08.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 9 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 2026-09-17.

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