Old Spice

Healthy & Strong Classic Hair Pomade

Styler / Paste, medium-hold

Styler
paste
wax
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size2.22 fl oz

Price$9.97 Good valueseen at one store · 2.22 oz

Price / oz$4.49/ozat 2.22 oz

Where to buy1 store

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

Scent:

Notes: coconut, tropical wood.

“notes of tropical wood and coconut” (Brand page)

Manufacturer page: oldspice.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Curly–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Hold (as stated) Medium Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Little Not in your profile

Weight on hair Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Scent Coconut & tropicalStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 23 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not 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 Not determined Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Not heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 20 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it Grocery / massOne channel 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.

Lower cost than most pastes

$4.49/oz at 2.22 oz, less than 80% of the 197 pastes , which mostly run $4.92–11.75/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

Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel

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 (as stated) Medium

A medium hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Mixed

Gums and synthetic polymers together.

Cast risk Unlikely

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

Weight on the hair Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Oil absorption None

No absorbent powders or starches.

Oils and butters Present, high in the list

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

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. 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
Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Ceresin	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
Petrolatum	sealant	Seals moisture in	Heavy
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
Mineral Oil	emollient	Softens and smooths the strand	Heavy
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Ceteareth-25	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol)	Softens
Benzyl Alcohol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Ethylhexylglycerin	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Softens

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

Full ingredient list (20)

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

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 Ceresin

General function
A refined mineral wax used to thicken balms and pomades.

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

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- wax
- sealant
3 Petrolatum

General function
A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this 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 suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- sealant
- emollient
4 Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax

General function
A hard palm wax that gives firm hold and shine.

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

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
5 Mineral Oil

General function
A sealing oil that sits on the surface, adds slip and shine, and needs a detergent to remove.

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
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 suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.

International Journal of Trichology
- emollient
- sealant
- oil
6 Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer

General function
A firm hold polymer used in hairsprays and gels. It holds well in humidity and brushes 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 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
7 Ceteareth-25

General function
An emulsifier used to keep rich creams from separating.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
8 Cetearyl Alcohol

General function
A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

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

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
9 Cetyl Alcohol

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

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

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.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
10 PVP

General function
A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

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
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.

May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

PubChem
- film former
- polymer
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
11 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
12 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
13 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
14 Carbomer

General function
A thickener that turns a liquid into a clear gel. It also contributes a light 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
15 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
16 Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
17 Iron Oxides

General function
Mineral pigments that tint the product itself.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- mineral
18 Mica

General function
A mineral that adds shimmer or opacity to the product. It affects how the bottle looks, not how hair behaves.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.

PubChem
- colourant
- mineral
- opacifier
19 Titanium Dioxide

General function
A white mineral pigment that makes a product opaque or pearly.

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

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- opacifier
- mineral
20 Biotin
- vitamin

What the whole list adds up to

5 emollients
4 film formers
3 sealants
3 polymers
3 thickeners
3 colourants
3 minerals
2 solvents
2 waxs
2 fatty alcohols
2 preservatives
2 vitamins
2 opacifiers
1 oil

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-10. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 2.22 oz

Seen at $9.97 1 store · checked Oct 10

Good value under $10 Under $4.50/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 $10 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $16 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 2.22 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

walmart
$9.97

2.22 oz · $4.49/oz

Oct 10Lowest per oz

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

2.22 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Seen at $9.97 is the price we have observed for the 2.22 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $10 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $4.50/oz; at 2.22 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $16 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2.22 oz.

Formula

Formula score

9 of 10

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

How the score is counted

1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 80% of the 197 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 5 of the 6 things a paste should do
Drugstore tier, sold at Grocery / mass

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.

Luster's PinkLowest cost per oz SCURL WAVE-CONTROL POMADE $2.33/oz $2.16/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Rich

· Same function

Differs: 3 oz bottle
Sold online

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

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

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

Best alternative if not

Luster's Pink SCURL WAVE-CONTROL POMADE, 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, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Medium hold with a matte finish

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

Ceresin
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer

Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Packed with Vitamin E and Biotin

Density and growth are cosmetic claims an ingredient list cannot settle.

Tocopheryl Acetate
Biotin

Stated by brand

Not something a label can show.

Free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and silicones

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

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.

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.
6 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 3 editorial), last checked 2026-10-23.
Ingredient references are linked for 7 of 15 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 2026-10-12.