Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Living Proof Curl Enhancer versus Ouai Finishing Créme .

Last updated on October 26, 2023. Published on March 31, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe styling creams & sprays. They have a total of 17 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Styling Creams & Spray American Brand United States
Styling Creams & Spray American Brand United States

Styling Creams & Spray

Cream and spray products that help style hair. Some spray products include blowout sprays and sea-salt sprays.

Styling Creams & Spray

Cream and spray products that help style hair. Some spray products include blowout sprays and sea-salt sprays.

Price

Shop

Buy Curl Enhancer

Starts at $24.00
Shop

Buy Finishing Créme

Starts at $26.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer 42 ingredients

Ouai Finishing Créme 52 ingredients

alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Living Proof Curl Enhancer 42 ingredients

Ouai Finishing Créme 52 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer 42 ingredients

Ouai Finishing Créme 52 ingredients

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 1.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 4.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 40.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 9.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 13.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 36.

5
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 14.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 46.

6
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Steareth-21.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 21.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 19.

7
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Hexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.

This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.

Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.

Learn more about Hexyl Cinnamal

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 24.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 50.

8
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Learn more about Linalool

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 28.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 52.

9
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 29.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 45.

10
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".

Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.

Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.

Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,

Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.

Learn more about Citronellol

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 30.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 49.

11
What it does: Buffering, Masking

We don't have a description for Disodium Phosphate.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 34.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 38.

12
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 36.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 30.

13
What it does: Perfuming, UV Absorber
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.

In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".

While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.

However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.

Learn more about Benzyl Salicylate

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 37.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 48.

14
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 38.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 31.

15
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 39.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 35.

16
What it does: Buffering

We don't have a description for Sodium Phosphate.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 41.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 39.

17
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Living Proof Curl Enhancer contains this as ingredient number 42.

Ouai Finishing Créme contains this as ingredient number 32.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

Living Proof Curl Enhancer 42 ingredients

Ouai Finishing Créme 52 ingredients

14% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
36% are disliked or very disliked
40% have no rating yet
15% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
48% are disliked or very disliked
27% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Living Proof Curl Enhancer 42 ingredients

Ouai Finishing Créme 52 ingredients

Loading routine usage...

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Living Proof Curl Enhancer.

See 2 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Ouai Finishing Créme.

See 2 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...