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Redken

Brews Clay Pomade

Styler / Paste, strong-hold

  • Styler
  • paste
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size3.4 fl oz
Price$22–26commonly seen · 3.4 oz
Price / oz$7.06/ozat 3.4 oz
Where to buy5 stores · $16.73–33.00

Scent:

Reviewers describe it as woody.

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Priced with its peers

$7.06/oz at 3.4 oz — less than 58% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz. The cost less.

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
Matte, textured stylesabsorbent powders do the mattifying

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Soft, touchable finishesthe brand states a firm hold
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
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 (as stated) Maximum

A strong hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Wax

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 High

Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.

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 Prominent

Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — 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. 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
Beeswax wax Holds shape and adds weight Buildup
Kaolin clay Absorbs oil and adds texture Neutral
Mineral Oil emollient Softens and smooths the strand Heavy
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. Contains heavier butters.
Full ingredient list (5)

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 Beeswax
    General function

    A firm natural wax that grips and holds hair in place. It resists water and can take repeated washing to remove.

    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
    • film former
    • sealant
  • 3 Kaolin
    General function

    A soft white clay that absorbs oil and adds body without much grit.

    Leading ingredient

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

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Absorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    An absorbent solid takes up oil, and hair already short of it has less to give.

    • clay
    • powder
  • 4 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
  • ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
  • 5 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

  • 2 sealants
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 wax
  • 1 film former
  • 1 clay
  • 1 powder
  • 1 emollient
  • 1 oil
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.4 oz

Commonly seen $22–26 Midpoint $24 · 4 stores · checked Aug 30
Good value under $18 Under $5.28/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 $18 line; products that do this job typically go for about $26 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 5 stores

3.4 ozmost listedBest per ounce

  • Ulta
    $24.00
    Aug 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
  1. 3.4 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 3.4 oz at recognised stores — the cheapest quarter and the dearest quarter are left out, 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 $5.28/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $18. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $26 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.4 oz.

Formula

Formula score
8 of 10

The formula carries the systems a paste is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for pastes per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs less per ounce than 58% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
  • Covers 4 of the 6 things a paste should do
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • 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.

American CrewLowest cost per oz Matte Clay $3.50/oz $3.56/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Rich
· Same function
Differs
  • 3 oz bottle
Compare
REUZELClose function Rosemary Mint Hydrating Styling Cream $4.72/oz $2.34/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Rich
Function
  • Oil absorption
Also
  • Cruelty-free
  • Vegan
  • 3.4 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?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and a curly-method-compatible formula

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, oily scalps and fine hair, or anyone stretching time between washes

Best alternative if not

American Crew Matte Clay, 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, 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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
1
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
maximum hold

Gums or waxes give some structure, without the polymers that carry a firm hold.

  • Beeswax
Partly supported

Soft structure, not firm hold.

matte finish

Absorbent powders are present, which is how a matte finish is normally produced.

  • Kaolin
Supported

Texture without gloss.

effortless style

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.

Reviewers note the hold is strong but the product still feels lightweight and doesn't leave hair greasy

Ulta reviewer

Reviewer says this is the pomade they'd been searching for years, working well on fine hair with a true matte finish

fine-hair customer on Ulta

A reviewer reported the product clumps if too much is applied, especially when worked into fully dry hair

Ulta reviewer

One reviewer said they wished the scent were unscented or more woodsy rather than the current fragrance

Ulta reviewer

More from Redken

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.
  • 1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 1 of 4 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 2026-08-27.

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