medium hold
Gums or waxes give some structure, without the polymers that carry a firm hold.
- Hydroxypropyl Guar
- Sclerotium Gum
Partly supported
Soft structure, not firm hold.
Kerastase
Curl Manifesto Gelée Curl Contour Gel-Cream
Styler / Gel, medium-hold
- Styler
- gel
- gel cream
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size5.1 fl oz (150 ml)
Price$45–50commonly seen · 5.1 oz
Price / oz$9.80/ozat 5.1 oz
Where to buy5 stores · $39.78–50.00
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: boots.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 23 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Hold (as stated)
Medium
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Medium
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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
Air-sets
Not in your profile
Humidity resistance
High
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
19 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Prestige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Sephora +1Widely sold
Not in your profile
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
$9.80/oz at 5.1 oz, more than 97% of the 267 gels , which mostly run $1.13–3.78/oz.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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)
Medium
A medium hold, as stated by the brand.
Hold system
Natural gum
Natural gums do the holding, so the hold is softer and re-wets more easily.
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.
Humidity resistance
Claimed
The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it.
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
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
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. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAQUA / WATER / EAU | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Isopropyl Myristate | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Softens |
| Hydroxypropyl Guar | gum | The hold system: natural gums, softer than a synthetic polymer | Holds |
| Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 | emollient | Softens and smooths the strand | Heavy |
| Cetearyl Glucoside | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| Sodium Benzoate | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Benzyl Salicylate | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Linalool | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| FragrancePARFUM / FRAGRANCE | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance.
Full ingredient list (19)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Water
· AQUA / WATER / EAU
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
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.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe 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 hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
3
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Role in this product typeIn styling gel, glycerin helps retain moisture as the product dries, supporting a softer, more flexible finish. The hold itself comes from the formula's film-forming polymers.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMay suit hair that benefits from added water retention and a softer, more flexible gel finish.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds 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 hairConsider the climate and the complete formula: prominent humectants can behave differently in very dry air and on frizz-prone hair in high humidity.
- humectant
-
4
Isopropyl Myristate
General function
A very light ester that makes products glide and disappear quickly on the hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
5
Hydroxypropyl Guar
General function
A modified guar gum used to thicken and give a slippery, cushioned feel.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingA styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- gum
- thickener
- polymer
-
6
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
General function
A rich, lanolin-like emollient used in balms for a soft, sealing finish.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairForms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesIt does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- emollient
- sealant
-
7
Cetearyl Glucoside
General function
A sugar-and-fatty-alcohol emulsifier used to build creams without ethoxylation.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
8
Sodium Benzoate
General function
A food-grade preservative that works only in acidic formulas, which is why it usually appears alongside citric acid.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
-
9
Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Caprylyl Glycol
General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.
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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHumectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.
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.
- preservative
- humectant
-
11
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter / Shea Butter
General function
The solid fat from Butyrospermum Parkii. Plant butters seal the surface and soften coarse or dry hair; high on a list they make a product decidedly rich.
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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse, 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 hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA 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
-
12
Sclerotium Gum
General function
A fermented gum that thickens and gives a slippery, cushioned feel.
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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdA polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.
May not suitMaximum-hold stylingGum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.
- film former
- gum
- thickener
-
13
Benzyl Salicylate
General function
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
14
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 zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesHolds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe 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 hairWhere a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
15
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
-
16
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
17
Honey
· MEL EXTRACT / HONEY EXTRACT
General function
A natural sugar-based humectant that holds water against the strand.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
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
- botanical extract
-
18
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
General function
A ceramide-like lipid used to reinforce the outer surface of damaged 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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairRestoring surface lipids lowers friction between strands, which is where much of the roughness in damaged hair comes from.
May suitProtein-sensitive hairA lipid, not a protein, despite sitting alongside proteins in most repair claims. It does not carry the stiffening effect.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairCeramides are the lipid class bleaching and heat deplete. Replacing them works on the surface layer rather than adding protein stiffness.
- ceramide
- emollient
-
19
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 emollients
- 3 thickeners
- 3 humectants
- 3 preservatives
- 3 fragrances
- 2 solvents
- 2 gums
- 2 sealants
- 2 named fragrance allergens
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 light ester
- 1 polymer
- 1 emulsifier
- 1 oil
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-26. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 5.1 oz
Commonly seen
$45–50
Good value under
$11
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $11 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 stores
-
Target
$39.785.1 oz · $7.80/ozAug 30Lowest per ozSale · was $50.00
-
Kérastase
$50.005.1 oz · $9.80/ozAug 26
-
Sephora
$50.005.1 oz · $9.80/ozAug 30
-
Kerastase
$50.005.1 oz · $9.80/ozAug 30
-
Kérastase US
$50.005.07 oz · $9.86/ozAug 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
- 5.1 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 5.1 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 $11 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.20/oz; at 5.1 oz that is $11. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5.1 oz.
Formula
10
Formula score
10 of 10
The formula carries what a gel is built around, and 8 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
- 8 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 97% of the 267 gels we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a gel should do
- Prestige tier, sold at Brand website and Sephora
- 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.
L'Oreal ParisSame function
Elnett Anti-Frizz Slick Back Styling Cream
$3.14/oz $6.66/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Differs
AvedaClose function
nutriplenish™ curl gelée for shine and definition
$5.67/oz $4.13/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
Palmer'sLowest cost per oz
Coconut Oil Curl Refresher
$0.89/oz $8.91/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- 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 costBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in
Biggest tradeoff
Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or very humid climates, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping
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, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
4
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
24-hour curl hold and frizz control
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
- Hydroxypropyl Guar
- Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil
- Sclerotium Gum
Supported
Smoother strands, less frizz.
enhances curl definition without crunch
Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Hydroxypropyl Guar
Supported
Natural movement without stiffness.
hydrates without weighing curls down
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Glycerin
- Isopropyl Myristate
Supported
Helps hair feel hydrated.
leaves curls bouncy and shiny
The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
- Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil
Supported
Reflects light for visible shine.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Many reviewers say it defines curls and tames frizz without a stiff, crunchy feel.
Reviewers with wavy, curly or fine curly hairScent splits reviewers: many enjoy its pleasant smell, while some find the fragrance overpowering.
Reviewers across hair types, with those sensitive to smell most botheredSome reviewers say it feels heavy, greasy or leaves residue, while others call it very light.
Reviewers with fine, thick or long hairSome reviewers find the hold too light, with curls relaxing within a day or two, while others find it holds well.
Reviewers across hair types, with 3C and afro-textured curls most criticalMore from Kerastase
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.
- 4 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 14 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 2026-09-22.
