Redken Brews Molding Paste — 5 oz container

Redken

Brews Molding Paste

Styler / Paste, strong-hold

Styler
paste
Sulfate-free
Strong hold
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size5 fl oz

Price$21–23 Good valuecommonly seen · 5 oz

Price / oz$4.53/ozat 5 oz

Where to buy5 stores · 2 sizes

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.

Strength: Strong

Listing used for research: ulta.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) Strong Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Moderate Not in your profile

Weight on hair Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein Minor Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup High Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Scent ScentedStrong strength Not in your profile

Show all 23 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives Present 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 High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 30 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it UltaOne 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

$4.53/oz at 5 oz, less than 78% of the 197 pastes , which mostly run $4.92–11.75/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it

Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can

Maybe skip if

this product has a strong scent

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Soft, touchable finishesthe brand states a firm hold

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) Strong

A strong 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 Some

Absorbents appear, low in the list.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

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
WaterAqua/Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	solubilizer	Keeps oils dissolved in water	Stabilizes
Dimethicone	silicone	Smooths the cuticle and adds shine	Buildup
Petrolatum	sealant	Seals moisture in	Heavy
VP/VA Copolymer	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Stearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol)	Softens
C20-40 Alkyl Stearate	light ester	Light slip without much weight	Softens
PPG-5-Ceteth-20	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
Tribehenin	wax	Adds a little grip	Buildup
FragranceParfum/Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein	conditioning agent	Adds slip, lower in the list	Protein
Benzyl Benzoate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or drying alcohols. Contains fragrance. Contains heavier butters. The silicones here need a detergent wash to come off.

Full ingredient list (30)

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 · Aqua/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 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

General function
A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
3 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.

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 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 hair
Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Dimethicone 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
4 Petrolatum

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

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.

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
5 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
6 Stearyl Alcohol

General function
A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.

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 C20-40 Alkyl Stearate

General function
A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- light ester
- emollient
8 PPG-5-Ceteth-20

General function
A solubiliser that keeps oils and fragrance dissolved in clear liquids.

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

General function
A plant-derived wax used to thicken balms and give a firm, smooth 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 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.

PubChem
- wax
- emollient
10 Butylene Glycol

General function
A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

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
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

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
▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
11 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
12 PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
- thickener
- emulsifier
13 Potato Starch Modified

General function
A modified starch. It soaks up oil and water and leaves a dry, slightly grippy feel, which is what puts starches in dry shampoos and texture products.

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 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.

DependsMaximum-hold styling
Starch gives texture and grip rather than a set film; firm hold usually needs a polymer alongside it.
- starch
- absorbent
14 Fragrance · Parfum/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
15 Sorbic Acid
- preservative
16 Methylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
17 Propylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
18 Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

General function
A conditioning polymer made from guar bean gum. It deposits during rinsing, which is why sulfate shampoos can still leave hair soft.

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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
Gums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Cationic conditioners bind to the negatively charged damaged cuticle, laying it flat and cutting the friction that causes combing breakage.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A styling polymer dries into a film across the strands, which is what makes a shape hold instead of relax.
- conditioning agent
- polymer
- gum
19 Disodium EDTA

General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.

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
20 Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

General function
A wheat protein given a positive charge so it sticks to damaged areas. It conditions and adds temporary strength in one ingredient.

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
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
21 Benzyl Benzoate

General function
A fragrance component with a faint balsamic scent, named separately on the label because it is a recognised contact allergen.

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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
22 Linalool

General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
23 Limonene

General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to 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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
24 Peg-90m
- emulsifier
25 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
26 Citronellol

General function
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
27 Fumaric Acid
- pH adjuster
28 Coumarin

General function
A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
29 Geraniol

General function
A rose-scented fragrance component, listed on its own because some people react to 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
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
30 BHT
- antioxidant

What the whole list adds up to

7 fragrances
6 named fragrance allergens
5 emollients
5 preservatives
4 emulsifiers
3 solvents
2 solubilizers
2 film formers
2 polymers
2 thickeners
2 parabens
2 conditioning agents
1 silicone
1 conditioning agent

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

Price · 5 oz

Commonly seen $21–23 Midpoint $22.96 · 3 stores · checked Oct 31

Good value under $31 Under $6.15/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 $31 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $41 at this size.

Sizes

3.4 oz

$27.99

$8.23/oz

5 ozusual store size

$21–23

$4.53/oz

The 5 oz costs 45% less per ounce than the 3.4 oz.

Show the price ladder

Price for 5 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it6 listings · 5 stores

5 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce

Redken
$19.20

5 oz · $3.84/oz

Oct 31Lowest per oz
Care to Beauty
$22.96

5.07 oz · $4.53/oz

Aug 30Sale · was $25.51
Ulta
$24.00

5 oz · $4.80/oz

Aug 27
Ulta Beauty
$24.00

5 oz · $4.80/oz

Oct 31

3.4 oz

Walmart
$27.99

3.4 oz · $8.23/oz

Oct 31Lowest per oz

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

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.
Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 5 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 $31 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $6.15/oz; at 5 oz that is $31. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
Each size is guarded on its own, so a multipack or a marketplace listing at one size cannot move another.
About $41 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

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

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 78% of the 197 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
Masstige tier, sold at Ulta

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.

OribeClosest function Rough Luxury Soft Molding Paste $22.94/oz $18.41/oz more

Rich
Alcohol-free
No aerosol

Function: Film formers
Oil absorption
Also: Cruelty-free
Salon tier
1.7 oz bottle

Compare

Nick Stenson BeautyLowest cost per oz Smoothing Créme $6.00/oz $1.47/oz more

Rich
Alcohol-free
No aerosol

· Close function

Function: Film formers
Oils and butters
Oil absorption
Also: Salon tier
6 oz bottle

Compare

Bumble and bumbleLighter feel Curl Defining Hair Mousse $7.60/oz $3.07/oz more

Alcohol-free
Medium weight

· Close function

Function: Film formers
Oils and butters
Weight on the hair
Also: Cruelty-free
Salon tier

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?

Good for the right person

Best user

Curls that need definition who want defined, clumped curls and a formula with real substance

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair

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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Strong hold

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

VP/VA Copolymer
Tribehenin
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Matte finish

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

Potato Starch Modified

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Reworkable texture

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 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 little goes a long way and it's easy to work through hair

verified Ulta reviewer

Gives great hold and a pleasant, long-lasting scent

verified Ulta reviewer

Excellent hold without feeling stiff or sticky, works well on oily/frizzy hair without extra grease

verified Ulta reviewer

A clear liquid separates out and comes out of the tube first, so it needs shaking before use

verified Ulta reviewer

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.
1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
Ingredient references are linked for 9 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 2026-08-27.

Brews Molding Paste

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

What people report

More from Redken

How this page was made

Hair Care Consultation