Hair styling cream is suited to styles that should look tidy and defined while remaining soft and naturally mobile. It generally provides light to medium control, smooths flyaways and shapes the hair without the dense grip associated with clay or pomade.

Choose cream for relaxed styles, longer or wavy hair, and curls that need definition rather than rigid structure. Some formulas can also be applied to damp hair before blow-drying, while others work best as a finishing product, so check the directions for the individual cream.