Skip to main content
Not Your Mother's

NYM Kids Curly Care Curl Defining Cream

Styler / Curl cream, mixed-hold

  • Styler
  • curl cream
  • cream
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Vegan · label states
  • Cruelty-free · label states
Size6 fl oz
Priceabout $7 Good valuecommonly seen · 6 oz
Price / oz$1.17/ozat 6 oz
Where to buy5 stores · $5.99–7.29

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

Notes: fruity, peach, pineapple.

“Fruity peachy pineapple scent” (Brand page)

Manufacturer page: notyourmothers.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.

Start your consultation

Lower cost than most curl creams

$1.17/oz at 6 oz, less than 83% of the 228 curl creams , which mostly run $1.35–5.22/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
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
Matte, textured stylesabsorbent powders do the mattifying

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

Whether this hold suits you depends on your density, porosity and how long your style needs to last. The consultation works that 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 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 Medium

Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Oil absorption High

Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.

Oils and butters Rich

Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.

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 Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up a larger share of the formula.

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.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterWater (Aqua) solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
Polyacrylamide film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
C13-14 Isoalkane emollient Softens and smooths the strand Softens
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Laureth-7 emulsifier Keeps oil and water mixed Stabilizes
Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter butter The heavy softener that makes it rich Heavy
FragranceFragrance (Parfum) fragrance The scent Fragrance
Phenoxyethanol preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Softens
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. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (12)

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 · Water (Aqua)
    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 Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
    General function

    A starch fragment used for light body and film, not a protein despite where it often appears on a label.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Adds grip and body with no oil attached, which is what lifts fine hair at the root instead of weighing it down.

    DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold

    How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.

    DependsMaximum-hold styling

    Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.

    • film former
    • starch
  • 3 Polyacrylamide
    General function

    A thickening polymer that also leaves a light film, used in gels and styling creams.

    Leading ingredient

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

    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.

    • film former
    • polymer
    • thickener
  • 4 C13-14 Isoalkane
    General function

    A light carrier that spreads other ingredients and leaves a dry finish.

    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.

    • emollient
    • solvent
  • 5 Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
    General function

    The liquid ester fraction of shea butter. It carries shea's softening effect with much less weight than the butter.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    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
  • 6 Laureth-7
    General function

    An emulsifier that keeps silicones and oils dispersed in water.

    Supporting ingredient

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

    • emulsifier
    • solubilizer
  • 7 Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter
    General function

    A plant butter that is slightly lighter than shea, used in curl creams.

    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

    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
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 8 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
    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
  • 9 Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
    General function

    A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.

    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
  • 10 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 11 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
  • 12 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

  • 4 emollients
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 film formers
  • 2 hard-water chelators
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 starch
  • 1 polymer
  • 1 thickener
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 emulsifier
  • 1 solubilizer
  • 1 butter
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance

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

Price · 6 oz

Commonly seen about $7 Midpoint $6.99 · 4 stores · checked Oct 22
Good value under $18 Under $2.97/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 $18 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $34 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 5 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. 6 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 6 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, 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 $2.97/oz; at 6 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 6 oz.

Formula

Formula score
8 of 10

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

How the score is counted
  • Costs less per ounce than 83% of the 228 curl creams we’ve priced
  • Covers 4 of the 6 things a curl cream should do
  • Drugstore tier, sold at Brand website and Grocery / mass
  • Drugstore tier
  • 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

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.

CurlsmithLowest cost per oz Frizz Rescue Curl Retainer $3.63/oz $2.46/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Citrus scent, not fruity
  • Salon tier
  • 8 oz bottle
Compare
DavinesFragrance-free This is a Texturizing Dust $146.43/oz $145.26/oz more
  • Fragrance-free
  • Unscented
  • Protein-free
· Close function
Function
  • Slip and detangling
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • Unscented
  • Salon tier
  • 0.3 oz bottle
Compare
GoldwellClose function StyleSign Curls Defining Cream $4.75/oz $3.58/oz more
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Film formers
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 5 oz bottle
Compare

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

Built for wavy to coily hair

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 a curly-method-compatible formula

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance

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, 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.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Curl enhancing and defining

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Anti-frizz

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

  • Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
  • Polyacrylamide
Supported

Smoother strands, less frizz.

Tear-free and dermatologist tested

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

—

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

98% Naturally Derived

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

—

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

For All Curl Types

No formula reads the same on every texture; our fit panel is the better guide.

—

Stated by brand

See the fit panel instead.

Sulfate surfactant free, silicone free, paraben free, drying alcohol free, allergen free, dye free, gluten free, cruelty free, and vegan

No silicones appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Nothing that needs a strong wash.

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.

A recurring complaint is that the cream dries out hair and leaves a waxy residue that pills or flakes, taking several washes to fully remove despite being marketed as moisturizing.

Some parents of kids with very curly or frizzy hair say the cream did little to define curls or control frizz for that texture.

Several reviewers describe the cream as smooth and lightweight with a pleasant scent, saying it effectively defines and holds their kids' curls all day.

More from Not Your Mother's

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.
  • 5 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-22.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 9 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 2026-09-05.

Hair Care Consultation

A care plan made for your hair and goals, then follow-up questions and plan updates.

  • Answers to your hair concerns
  • Formula-based product picks
  • Routines for your lifestyle and preferences
  • Updates for weather, needs and goals

$49with 60 days of follow-ups

Start my consultation