Gold Series Hydrating Butter-Creme
Styler / Curl cream, mixed-hold
- Styler
- curl cream
- cream
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Moisture-rich
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
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: pantene.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 22 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.
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
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
Lower cost than most curl creams
$1.19/oz at 6.8 oz, less than 81% of the 228 curl creams , which mostly run $1.35–5.22/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
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.
Gums and synthetic polymers together.
Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
No absorbent powders or starches.
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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 |
| Mineral Oil | emollient | Softens and smooths the strand | Heavy |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Petrolatum | sealant | Seals moisture in | Heavy |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Isodecyl Oleate | light ester | Light slip without much weight | Softens |
| Sorbitan Stearate | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| Paraffin | film former | A supporting film former | Buildup |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
Full ingredient list (23)
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Mineral Oil
General function
A sealing oil that sits on the surface, adds slip and shine, and needs a detergent to remove.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats 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 hairA 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 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
- oil
-
3
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged 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 hairWater moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.
- humectant
-
4
Petrolatum
General function
A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.
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.
- sealant
- emollient
-
5
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 ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
6
Dimethicone
General function
The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
7
Isodecyl Oleate
General function
A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.
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
-
8
Sorbitan Stearate
General function
An oil-side emulsifier that helps creams hold together.
Supporting ingredientPubChemListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
-
9
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
General function
Argan oil. A medium-weight oil used for shine and softness on the outside of the strand.
Secondary ingredientLower 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 hairCoats 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 hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Panthenol
General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairIt hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
11
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
General function
A panthenol derivative used for the same softness and shine effect, with a lighter feel.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May 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.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
-
12
Histidine
General function
One of the amino acids that make up hair protein, added for moisture binding.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAmino acids are the smallest protein fraction and bind water as well, so they add far less stiffness than a hydrolysed protein does.
DependsProtein-sensitive hairThe lightest option in the protein family, but still protein — worth watching if protein reliably stiffens your hair.
- amino acid
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
13
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
- 14 Dicetyl Phosphate
- 15 Ceteth-10 Phosphate
-
16
Paraffin
General function
A mineral wax used for firm structure and sealing in pomades.
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 suitMaximum-hold stylingA 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 hairForms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.
DependsCurls or waves needing flexible holdHow rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
- film former
- sealant
- wax
-
17
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
-
18
Decyl Oleate
General function
A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read 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.
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
-
19
Triethanolamine
General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic polymers so a gel thickens.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH 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.
- pH adjuster
-
20
PEG-100 Stearate
- emulsifier
-
21
Glyceryl Stearate
General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.
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 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.
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
22
Disodium EDTA
General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.
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 suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds 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 hairCopper 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.
- hard-water chelator
-
23
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
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 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.
- preservative
- emollient
What the whole list adds up to
- 9 emollients
- 3 sealants
- 3 humectants
- 3 conditioning agents
- 3 emulsifiers
- 2 solvents
- 2 oils
- 2 light esters
- 2 preservatives
- 1 fatty alcohol
- 1 thickener
- 1 silicone
- 1 vitamin
- 1 amino acid
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 6.8 oz
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $38 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $69 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
-
Walmart
$7.976.8 oz · $1.17/ozOct 22Lowest per oz
-
barbersalon.com
$8.076.8 oz · $1.19/ozOct 22
-
Beauty Depot (shopbeautydepot.com)
$9.996.8 oz · $1.47/ozOct 7
-
Hy-Vee
$10.496.8 oz · $1.54/ozOct 22
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
- 6.8 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 6.8 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 $38 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $5.58/oz; at 6.8 oz that is $38. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $69 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 6.8 oz.
Formula
It carries the working systems a curl cream needs and still sits in the lower part of the price range for curl creams per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 81% of the 228 curl creams we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 6 things a curl cream should do
- Drugstore 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 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.
- Protein-free
- Rich
- Alcohol-free
- Differs
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 personHair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and moisture that stays in
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair
Aussie Miracle Curls Frizz Free Curl Cream 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.
More from Pantene
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 2026-10-22.
- Ingredient references are linked for 12 of 17 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 2026-10-07.
