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Odele

Cream Pomade

Styler / Paste, mixed-hold

  • Styler
  • paste
  • Moisture-rich
  • Vegan · label states
  • Cruelty-free · label states
Size1.5 fl oz
Price$12.99seen at one store · 1.5 oz
Price / oz$8.66/ozat 1.5 oz

Scent:

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

“100% natural, gender-neutral fragrance with notes of oakmoss, ylang ylang and cucumber” — Brand page

Manufacturer page: odelebeauty.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Upper-mid price for a paste

$8.66/oz at 1.5 oz — more than 58% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Vegan and cruelty-freeour researched record has it as both

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

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 Mixed

Gums and synthetic polymers together.

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 Present, high in the list

Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.

Fast-drying alcohol Present

Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair.

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
Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil oil Softens the film so it does not set hard Softens
C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone Neutral
Ethylhexyl Olivate light ester Light slip without much weight Softens
Glyceryl Stearate Se emulsifier Keeps oil and water mixed Softens
Cetyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol Softens
Propanediol humectant Pulls water into the hair Moisturizes
VP/VA Copolymer film former Lays down the film that holds a shape Holds
Hydrogenated Castor Oil wax Adds a little grip Buildup
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol drying alcohol A small amount, for fast setting Drying
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax wax Adds a little grip Buildup
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesFragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list. Hard-water chelators are present. Contains fast-drying alcohol.
Full ingredient list (20)

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
    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 Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
    General function

    A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

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

    A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

    May not suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.

    • oil
    • emollient
  • 3 C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone
  • 4 Ethylhexyl Olivate
    General function

    A light olive-derived ester used as a plant alternative to silicone slip.

    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
  • 5 Glyceryl Stearate Se
    General function

    A self-emulsifying version of glyceryl stearate that builds a cream on its own.

    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
  • 6 Cetyl Alcohol
    General function

    A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

    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
  • 7 Propanediol
    General function

    A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.

    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

    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
  • 8 VP/VA Copolymer
    General function

    A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.

    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 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
  • 9 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
    General function

    Castor oil hardened into a wax. It thickens balms and gives a firm, sealing feel.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    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.

    • wax
    • emollient
    • sealant
  • 10 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol
    General function

    Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 11 Cetearyl Phosphate
  • 12 Squalane
    General function

    The fully hydrogenated form of squalene, now made from olive or sugarcane rather than shark liver. Hydrogenation is what makes it so slow to oxidise; it spreads very lightly and absorbs without a greasy film.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

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

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    PubChem
    • emollient
    • conditioning agent
  • 13 Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
    General function

    A hard palm wax that gives firm hold and shine.

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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 not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.

    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.

    • wax
    • film former
  • 14 Carbomer
    General function

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

    Secondary ingredient

    Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the 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.

    • thickener
    • polymer
    • film former
  • 15 Methacryloyl Ethyl Betaine/Acrylates Copolymer
    • film former
    • polymer
  • Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 16 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
  • 17 Aminomethyl Propanol
    General function

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

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
  • 18 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
  • 19 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 20 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

  • 7 emollients
  • 4 film formers
  • 3 solvents
  • 3 polymers
  • 2 thickeners
  • 2 waxs
  • 2 preservatives
  • 1 oil
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 emulsifier
  • 1 fatty alcohol
  • 1 humectant
  • 1 sealant
  • 1 drying alcohol

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-15. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 1.5 oz

Seen at $12.99 lowest of 2 stores · checked Sep 16
Good value under $9 Under $6.03/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 $9 line; products that do this job typically go for about $11 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 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. 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. Seen at $12.99 is the price we have observed for the 1.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $9 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $6.03/oz; at 1.5 oz that is $9. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.5 oz.

Formula

Formula score
10 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among pastes, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted
  • 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 58% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
  • Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
  • Masstige tier, sold at Brand website
  • 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.

L'anzaClosest function Healing Style Molding Paste $5.41/oz $3.25/oz less
  • Protein
  • Rich
  • No aerosol
Function
  • Film formers
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Salon tier
  • 5.9 oz bottle
Compare
American CrewLowest cost per oz Forming Cream $3.21/oz $5.45/oz less
  • Rich
· Close function
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • 3 oz bottle
  • Sold in drugstores and mass retail
Compare
American CrewClose function American Crew Fiber $6.23/oz $2.43/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Rich
Function
  • Oils and butters
Also
  • 3 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 curly to coily hair

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person
Best user

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

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or very dry or high-damage hair

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.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Flexible hold

We cannot read film flexibility from what is recorded.

  • Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
  • Ethylhexyl Olivate
  • Glyceryl Stearate Se
Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Calms flyaways + smooths edges

Possible from silicones or film formers, but not something the list targets.

  • VP/VA Copolymer
  • Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
  • Carbomer
Stated by brand

May help, but not a primary focus.

Adds texture + matte finish

Nothing absorbent sits high enough to read as a matte system.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Plant-derived formula

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

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Several reviewers say it works best on shorter styles or damp hair, and can feel sticky or clumpy when finger-combed through longer hair.

A recurring complaint is that the hold does not last, fading within a few hours and needing reapplication.

Multiple reviewers with straight or thick hair say the product can feel heavy or greasy and leave a visible cast unless thoroughly emulsified between the palms first.

Many reviewers describe a flexible hold useful for slicked-back styles and taming flyaways without a stiff or crunchy feel.

Reviewers are split on the scent, with several calling it pleasant and long-lasting and others finding it too strong or overpowering.

More from Odele

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, 1 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-09-16.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 15 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 2026-09-16.