Sebastian

Craft Clay Texturizing & Flexible Styling Clay

Styler / Paste, mixed-hold

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

Size1.7 fl oz

Price$23seen at one store · 1.7 oz

Price / oz$13.53/ozat 1.7 oz

Where to buy1 store · $23.00–23.00

Scent:

No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.

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 High Not in your profile

Hold system Moderate Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Some Not in your profile

Weight on hair Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance None listed 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 Unscented 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 Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 12 ingredientsA short list Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Ulta · Beauty supply Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Priced above most pastes

$13.53/oz at 1.7 oz — more than 91% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label

free of strong smells

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Maybe skip if

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

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

If scent matters to younothing is added here

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 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 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 None listed

No fragrance is listed.

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.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
Petrolatum	sealant	Seals moisture in	Heavy
BeeswaxCera Alba/Beeswax/Cire d'abeille	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
Dicaprylyl Maleate	light ester	Light slip without much weight	Softens
Propylene Glycol	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Kaolin	clay	Absorbs oil and adds texture	Neutral
Peg-10 Sunflower Glycerides	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
Silica	powder	Mattifies and absorbs oil	Stabilizes
Quaternium-90 Bentonite	clay	Absorbs oil and adds texture	Stabilizes

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 heavier butters.

Full ingredient list (12)

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 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
2 Beeswax · Cera Alba/Beeswax/Cire d'abeille

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 Dicaprylyl Maleate

General function
A light ester used for spreading and a soft finish.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- light ester
- emollient
4 Propylene Glycol

General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

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
5 Kaolin

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

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

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
6 Peg-10 Sunflower Glycerides

General function
A plant fat made water-dispersible by ethoxylation. It softens the formula and helps the oil and water phases stay together.

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.
- emulsifier
- emollient
7 Silica

General function
A fine mineral powder that absorbs oil and adds grip. It is what makes texture powders and matte pastes feel dry to the touch.

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

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
A dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.

PubChem
- powder
- thickener
- mineral
8 Quaternium-90 Bentonite

General function
A clay modified with a quaternary group so it thickens oil rather than water. Used to give balms and pomades structure.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChem
- clay
- thickener
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
9 Titanium Dioxide · Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

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
10 Caramel

General function
A colour added to tint the product itself. It does not colour 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 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
11 Ext. Violet 2 (CI 60730)

General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour 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 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
- direct dye
- violet dye
12 Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin

What the whole list adds up to

3 emollients
3 colourants
2 sealants
2 clays
2 powders
2 thickeners
2 minerals
1 wax
1 film former
1 light ester
1 humectant
1 solvent
1 emulsifier
1 opacifier

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

Price · 1.7 oz

Seen at $23 1 store · checked Aug 27

Good value under $12 Under $6.92/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 $12 line; products that do this job typically go for about $17 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 1.7 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store

1.7 ozmost listedBest per ounce

Ulta
$23.00

1.7 oz · $13.53/oz

Aug 27Lowest per oz

Ulta
$23.00

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

1.7 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 $23 is the price we have observed for the 1.7 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $12 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $6.92/oz; at 1.7 oz that is $12. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $17 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1.7 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

It costs more per ounce than 91% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced, and the formula carries the systems the format is built around. Nothing in our library comes close enough on formula to be a cheaper substitute.

How the score is counted

1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 91% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
Reviewers mention 3 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.

Paul MitchellLowest cost per oz MITCH Dry Paste $8.00/oz $5.53/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Rich

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Cruelty-free
Vegan
3 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

Final decision

Should you buy it?

An above-range pick for the hair it suits

Best user

People sensitive to fragrance who want a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for oily scalps and fine hair, anyone stretching time between washes, or very dry or very humid climates

Best alternative if not

Consider Paul Mitchell MITCH Dry Paste, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Matte finish

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

Kaolin
Silica
Quaternium-90 Bentonite

Supported

Texture without gloss.

Flexible hold

Softening ingredients sit alongside the hold polymers, which is what keeps a film flexible.

Petrolatum
Beeswax
Dicaprylyl Maleate

Supported

Natural movement without stiffness.

Separates and defines

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

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Piecey 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 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.

Delivers volume without leaving hair feeling stiff, heavy, or sticky; style stays put all day

5-star Ulta reviewer (Isa K)

Good hold with easy removal and no sticky residue; gives clean definition

5-star Ulta reviewer (Andrea)

Adds noticeable shine while keeping hair manageable, with style holding through the day

5-star Ulta reviewer (Kyli)

Holds curls but leaves hair feeling hard and crunchy rather than softly textured

3-star Ulta reviewer (Jhomara)

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 2 of 9 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.