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Redken

Texturizing Clay Firm Grasp

Styler / Paste, mixed-hold

  • Styler
  • paste
  • cream
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
  • Not vegan · ingredient list
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size3.4 fl oz
Price$18.99seen at one store · 3.4 oz
Price / oz$5.59/ozat 3.4 oz
Where to buy1 store

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: sleekshop.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.
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  • 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.

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Priced with its peers

$5.59/oz at 3.4 oz, less than 68% of the 197 pastes , which mostly run $4.92–11.75/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
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Matte, textured stylesabsorbent powders do the mattifying
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here

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 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 Medium

Middle of the range: noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Oil absorption High

Absorbent powders or starches high 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 Prominent

Fragrance is in the first eight ingredients, so it makes up 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. The 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
Kaolin clay Absorbs oil and adds texture Neutral
Lanolin sealant Seals moisture in Buildup
Stearic Acid emulsifier Keeps oil and water mixed Softens
Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol Body and a little conditioning Softens
Ceteareth-20 emulsifier Stabilises the mix Stabilizes
Hydroxyethylcellulose gum Adds body and a little hold Holds
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. Chelators for hard water.
Full ingredient list (17)

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 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
  • 3 Lanolin
    General function

    A sheep-wool wax that seals moisture in strongly. Rich, effective, and not vegan.

    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 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.

    • sealant
    • emollient
    • wax
  • 4 Stearic Acid
    General function

    A fatty acid that thickens creams and helps them hold their texture.

    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
    • emulsifier
    • thickener
    • fatty alcohol
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually 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
  • 6 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.

    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 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
  • 7 Ceteareth-20
    General function

    An emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a conditioner or cream.

    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.

    • emulsifier
  • 8 Hydroxyethylcellulose
    General function

    A cellulose thickener that gives gels and conditioners their body and adds a soft, flexible film.

    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

    A polysaccharide film stays softer than a synthetic one as it dries, which is what leaves a curl defined but still able to move.

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

    A soft film binds neighbouring strands together, which is most of what helps flyaways lie down.

    May not suitMaximum-hold styling

    Gum films stay soft. A style that needs firm fixation usually wants a synthetic polymer doing the holding.

    PubChem
    • gum
    • thickener
    • film former
  • 9 Magnesium Sulfate
    • salt
  • 10 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
  • 11 Phenoxyethanol
    • preservative
  • 12 Methylparaben
    • paraben
    • preservative
  • 13 Ethylparaben
    • paraben
    • preservative
  • 14 Propylparaben
    • paraben
    • preservative
  • 15 Butylparaben
    • paraben
    • preservative
  • 16 Isobutylparaben
    • paraben
    • preservative
  • 17 Benzyl Alcohol
    • preservative
    • solvent

What the whole list adds up to

  • 7 preservatives
  • 5 parabens
  • 3 thickeners
  • 2 solvents
  • 2 emollients
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 2 fatty alcohols
  • 1 clay
  • 1 powder
  • 1 sealant
  • 1 wax
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 gum

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-08. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.4 oz

Seen at $18.99 1 store · checked Sep 8
Good value under $4 Under $1.03/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 $4 line; products that do this job typically go for about $7 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

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. Seen at $18.99 is the price we have observed for the 3.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $4 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.03/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $4. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $7 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
  • Costs less per ounce than 68% of the 197 pastes we’ve priced
  • Covers 4 of the 6 things a paste should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • Masstige tier, sold at Brand website and 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

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.

d:fiClosest function Matte Clay $4.62/oz $0.97/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Rich
Function
  • Film formers
  • Weight on the hair
  • Cast risk
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 2.6 oz bottle
Compare
Miss Jessie'sClose function Coily Custard - Curl Refresher $2.67/oz $2.92/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
  • Needs detergent to remove
Also
  • 8.5 oz bottle
Compare
Mielle OrganicsLowest cost per oz Pomegranate & Honey Curl Smoothie $1.24/oz $4.35/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Curly method
  • Silicone-free
· Related function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
  • Oils and butters
  • Needs detergent to remove
Also
  • Fruity scent
  • 12 oz bottle
  • Sold at specialty beauty counters
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

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

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

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, anyone stretching time between washes, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping

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.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Unbeatable firm hold with maximum control and a matte finish

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

  • Lanolin
  • Hydroxyethylcellulose
Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Quick drying and easy to wash out

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

No sticky residue

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.

Some reviewers say the scent is a pleasant part of the appeal.

Reviewers across hair types

Many reviewers say the clay holds well while leaving a matte look rather than shine.

Reviewers across hair types

Several reviewers say it stays light, avoids greasiness, and washes out easily.

Reviewers across hair types

More from Redken

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.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 2 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 7 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 2026-09-09.

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