I’m the self-appointed president of the Fine, Flat Hair Club. Having density, grit, or a body-filled blowout has long remained a mystery to my natural texture; and when left to its own devices, my strands resemble Flat Stanley (read: limp and lifeless). That in mind, I’ve spent the greater part of my life searching for the best volumizing hair products in existence. I’ve created concoctions and brainstormed combinations of styling products to give me a lift at the root. I’ve used mousses pre-blowout, dry texturizers post-blowout, and carried pocket-size dry shampoos with me in case of emergency.
It’s been a journey (to say the least), but in the end I’ve been able to find the best volumizing hair products that actually deliver on their promises—and leave hair in a healthy state. I’m a believer that sharing is caring, so I’m rounding up my all-time favorites for your shopping pleasure. From Bumble & Bumble’s hair thickening line that creates a denser texture in a wash to ColorWow’s surprisingly lightweight and wildly volumizing mousse, keep scrolling for the best of the best.
The Best Deals on Hair Volumizers
What to Look For
- Product Type
Plug “volumizing hair product” into Google, and you’ll be met with dozens of search results spanning hair thickening shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Here’s the thing: One particular type of product isn’t going to unanimously deliver better results. “They work as a team. Like most things that work in tandem, you want to use them together in their respective orders,” explains Blake Novick, Bumble and Bumble NYC Flagship Stylist. “The shampoos and conditioner pave the road for styling products to drive on.”
- Ingredients
When it comes to ingredients, you’re going to want to pay attention to two things: What’s going to volumize your hair and what’s going to dry out your hair. “Volumizing products work in a number of ways. Some will use ingredients like hydrolyzed wheat protein or emblica, which have been known to swell hair strands to create an appearance of volume and density,” explains Novick. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find alcohols or texturizing fibers. They’re not inherently bad per se, but they might not be ideal for your specific hair type. “These create resistance between the strands, which can ultimately be drying or damaging over time. Those who have chemically processed hair, or curls that easily tangle might want to bear that in mind and make sure to use moisture on their ends when possible.”
- Texture
In the styling product realm, you’ll normally find three distinct textures: A powder, a spray, or a mousse. The best option for you is largely personal preference. “You could put the same formula in two different cans that have slightly different disbursement methods and still get the same effect. Basically, it all boils down to the ingredients and what they do. Do they create friction and thus give the illusion of density when the strands fight each other for space? Does it swell the hair shaft to give the look and feel of more density?” says Novick.
The Best Volumizing Hair Products
- The Best Volumizing Hair Product Overall: ColorWow Raise the Root Thicken & Lift Spray
- The Best Volumizing Hair Product for Dry Hair: MoroccanOil Root Boost
- The Best Heat Protecting Volumizing Hair Product: Oribe Maximista Hair Thickening Spray
- The Best Volumizing Hair Product for Dull Hair: Bumble and Bumble Bb. Thickening Go Big Plumping Treatment
- The Best Volumizing Hair Mousse: Virtue Volumizing Mousse for Fine Hair
I’ll start off with a warning: This product is not for my air dry girls. But, if you believe in the power of a blow dryer, this mousse is equivalent to hair magic. Use just a few sprays, focusing on the crown of the head and the top layers, and massage it in to distribute the product evenly. Once you whip out a round brush and get all the water out, you’ll be mesmerized by the lift. A bonus? The formula contains an ingredient that safeguards against static and humidity.
Pros: Lifts root; Great smell; Good for all hair types
Cons: Needs heat to activate
Customer Review: "Wow, where has this stuff been all my life? I have thin, fine hair that never holds a curl or blow out. This stuff did wonders when I sprayed it on my roots before I blow dried. I do a rough dry upside down and then finish with a blow dry brush. I put in a couple curlers to set my roots and then pow: volume!! Just buy it." — Sephora
Mousse textures aren’t for everyone. If you prefer a mist that you can spritz without a care in the world, reach for this Ouai option. It’s a multi-tasker (we love that) and can add both extra lift at the root and increased body throughout the rest of your hair. In the end, you’ll be left with thicker, fuller-looking hair that has added texture and shine. The body building spray is balanced out with panthenol, an ingredient commonly found in skincare, to keep the hair moisturized.
Pros: Adds both volume and body; Keeps hair moisturized
Cons: A little sticky
Customer Review: "I started using this product today and I already noticed a dramatic difference in my hair! I do it on damp hair as instructed and afterwards diffused my hair. I could honestly see the difference immediately which is insane! I have more volume, thickness and body in my hair. I totally recommend this to anyone!" — Sephora
Day two hair? It typically means your expertly achieved volume from the day prior has faded. That’s where ColorWow comes in and saves the day. The exceptionally lightweight formula can be sprayed right on dry hair for an added boost. Blow drying isn’t necessary, but it will give some extra lasting power. There’s no stickiness or crunchiness, and it’s safe for color-treated hair so your blonde won’t turn brassy.
Pros: Color safe; Can be used on dry hair
Cons: Might feel a little sticky
Customer Review: "I’ve been using this for a week now. I put in a blow dry cream that is also a heat protectant, then add this to the roots when my hair is about 70% dry, and blow dry with a round brush. Volume and smoothness that lasts all day. No frizz. Day after day of great hair days….Unbelievable!!" — Sephora
If you know you won’t abide by a multi-product hair routine, keep it simple and efficient with this three-in-one. It’s going to build long lasting body and volume thanks to thickening copolymers, moisturize and strengthen the hair with amino acids, and protect against environmental aggressors with Oribe’s signature complex. The biggest selling point, however, is the added UV and heat protection the formula offers. Just a few sprays and all your hair concerns are covered.
Pros: Multi-benefit; UV protection; Good for color treated hair
Cons: Expensive
Customer Review: "This keeps my hair feeling light and shows a very noticeable difference in the texture, where it appears super fluffy and feels thicker. I already recommended this to a couple friends and will definitely plan on continuing to use it - Love this!" — Sephora
“My all-time favorite volumizing product is the Bb. Thickening Go Big Plumping Treatment. It has all the yummy things, and not much of the stuff I dislike,” says Novick. “I find that my hair will still feel like hair, not tangle too much, and still have a level of shine without being greasy, heavy, or brittle.” How is it able to do it all, you ask? Give some credit to its super-powered formula, which is packed with wheat proteins and starches designed to plump up hair strands without weighing ‘em down.
Pros: Hair stylist-approved; Conditioning
Cons: Strong scent
Customer Review: "This is my new holy grail, I used to have okay hair but I went blonde and it’s damaged and I lost a bit of hair, I have been wearing my hair up for months now because I hate how it looks down. I have fine hair to begin with, this really gave me lots of volume , smells amazing and I can finally wear my hair down again!" — Sephora
Made with 100 percent clean energy and bottled in recyclable packaging, you can feel good about purchasing this product. And believe me: You’ll feel even better when you’re using it. Fifteen-ish sprays will give insane volume to even the flattest hair types. It quite literally makes the root stand up straighter. To take things to the next level (read: ‘90s supermodel volume) spray a little product in your hand and scrunch through your ends.
Pros: Recyclable packaging; Adds softness
Cons: Can be drying
Customer Review: "Volu gives my hair more lift and a nice shine. I also use a second product for more style hold at the length. What I really like about Volu is it allows me to go a second day without shampooing. Normally my hair is so thin and fine that it looks greasy on day two. Daily washing is hard on hair making it prone to breakage, so it is great to be able to skip a day and still look presentable." — Davines
Ingredients are everything and Kerasilk’s can’t be beat. Take this spray for instance, which is focused on both strengthening and volumizing. Its star ingredient is biomimetic silk, which has a mission to protect that hair (especially color treated hair!) from UV rays, pollution, heat styling, and UV damage. Then something called behentrimonium chloride swoops in to remove static. It may sound like no big deal, but the lack of static means lifted, less weighed down hair.
Pros: Lightweight; Adds shine
Cons: Tacky
Customer Review: "I dig that it has a heat protectant in it first and foremost. This volumizing spray has a pleasant smell to it and true to description is lightweight. It doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy or dirty from product build up. The volume part is where it gets tricky. Yes, it does deliver volume. Unfortunately it just doesn’t last long." — Amazon
Some volumizers have short lived staying power. You give your hair a healthy coating but 24 hours the next day you’re back to your flat, lifeless starting point. But with Virtue? I promise you’ll have the longest lasting volume. When I use it, I don’t add any additional product for two days. The formula is focused on hydrating the hair, so a mix of a proprietary keratin compound, panthenol, and baobab seed oil (aka a fruit oil that provides shine) create a healthier, stronger foundation.
Pros: Creates long lasting volume; Strengthens hair
Cons: Can get sticky
Customer Review: "I have fine, curly hair and a lot of it. I used this mousse when transitioning out of my keratin treatment which caused me a lot of hair loss. It made my hair look much fuller than when I was not using it! It brought more volume to the root of my hair. I would recommend using this product!" — Sephora
For those who want a stronger hold that has grip, texture, and a bit of stiffness, pay close attention: Maria Nila is for you. It’s non-sticky, but still gives fine hair that grit it needs to stay lifted and full. While blow drying is always an option for an extra oomph, this product is my personal go-to for air-dry days. It gives me a little extra wave, preserves my color (thank you, ColorGuard Complex), and still feels natural.
Pros: Texturized; Color-safe
Cons: Can be drying
Customer Review: "My stylist used this on my hair. I am definitely going to purchase this product. My hair is curly underneath, becomes frizzy with combing, medium thickness and wavy/straight on the top. I was in a hurry so he didn't blow dry my hair. Absolutely no frizz...even after sleep and combing. Great next day volume. I'm excited to see what happens when I blow dry it!" — Maria Nila
Celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook used this spray on me this week and when I tell you the results were unbelievable, I mean it. The crown of my head had a solid inch of lift that lasted for a full 72 hours. That’s not an exaggeration—no hair was touching my scalp; it stood straight up. It didn’t have a tacky or stiff texture like some other options, which is my personal preference given my uber-fine texture.
Pros: Long lasting volume; Lightweight
Cons: Some say it’s drying
Customer Review: "To my surprise, this product left me with a little more volume! I'm always skeptical of products advertising more volume - most have not worked for me. Biolage Volume Bloom Full-Lift Volumizer Spray not only gives my thinning hair a nice lift, but smells wonderful as well!" — Ulta
If anyone knows volume, it’s hairstylist extraordinaire Andrew Fitzsimons. This product is not for the faint of heart—it delivers extreme volume. It’s intended to be used on damp hair and the more you spray the bouncier your blowout will be. Focus on your roots, but don’t shy away from adding a little to your mid-shafts and ends for a comprehensive hold. Just a friendly PSA: You *will* feel this product in your hair once you've blow dried it; it doubles as a texturizer.
Pros: Intense volume
Cons: A little gritty
Customer Review: "The spray is a very fine mist, and smells like vanilla and slightly floral. It's light, and doesn't weigh my hair down. It's very fast and easy to spray my hair. After applying on my damp hair and blow drying, my hair seems to have more volume overall. It holds well, but is not crunchy or anything." — Ulta
If you forgot to spray some product or damp hair or the humidity got the best of your volume, don’t worry—Living Proof is a life saver. This particular product was designed for use on dry hair, so you can whip out the bottle anytime your roots need a little pick me up. I personally like to use it right before heat styling because it doubles as a heat protectant. I’m preventing breakage and getting the added, texturizing benefit, which in my book is a win-win.
Pros: Can be used on dry hair; Heat protecting
Cons: Product buildup
Customer Review: "This is my holy grail!! Stop thinking about it and just buy it! I have flat hair with no body no matter what I do (and I’ve spent 20+ years trying). This product gives me texture, body, and volume with just a few sprays. It doesn’t flake, itch, or cake up." — Sephora
I can confidently say that the Sisley-Paris hair care range is just as strong as the brand's skincare. Take this volumizing spray, which has become my do-it-all lifesaver when humidity strikes. I douse my hair in product while its damp, apply heat (with a round brush for extra lift), and go in yet again with some spritzes on dry hair. The formula is packed with volumizing resin and rice brand proteins, which provide a combination of volume and body, as well as pro vitamin B5 to keep the hair shiny as opposed to overly textured.
Pros: Can be used on damp and dry hair
Cons: Expensive
Customer Review: "I use this as well as the hair oil. It does not make my hair heavy or tacky, it definitely gives my hair volume. I have coarse straight hair that can be heavy if I use too much hair products. I love this product." — Saks Fifth Avenue
Oil is the enemy of volume, so this volume spray makes sure all that grease is gone. The stars of the show are two minerals which soak up oil to make sure roots have the dryness they need to stay standing up. I’ll be honest though—that can take a bit of shine out of the hair. To counteract those drying effects, the formula is infused with ingredients like calendula and mica to restore hydration and moisture. If you need a little extra love, add some oil to your ends.
Pros: Absorbs oil; Restores shine
Cons: Can be too textures; Strong smell
Customer Review: "It gives you instant volume but without the dry shampoo ingredients and 'whiteness' and so can use all over your head. Lasts best for about six hours." — Dermstore
Meet the Expert
Blake Novick is a stylist at the Bumble and Bumble flagship specializing in cuts and styling.
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