The 8 Best Volumizing Mousses That Add Body While Minimizing Frizz
The best volumizing mousses make hair bouncy and full, and they add definition to waves and curls ... More while preventing frizz. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
When choosing a volumizing mousse, it's a good idea to look for high-performing formulas that add moisture, nourish the scalp and provide heat and humidity protection, according to hairstylist Nicole Henry of Nicole Henry Salon. That way you'll get bonus hair benefits along with a weightless, all-day style. Here, all the best mousses to help you reach new heights.
Best Volumizing Mousse Overall Trusted Formula For Extra Body And Definition
Amazon
Amika Plus Size Mousse
Size: 8.5 ounces | Key ingredients: Sea buckthorn berry, styling polymer, propylene glycol
Pros: Good for all hair types
Safe for color-treated hair
Has heat protecting properties
Cons: Some don't love the scent
Amika's popular formula contains styling polymers that provide medium flexible hold—without icky crunch and stickiness—and sea buckthorn, which is rich in vitamins A and C that nourish and protect hair. The results? A fuller, lifted and long-lasting look that resembles a bouncy salon blowout—without the steep price tag. Also nice: It's sulfate free so it's great for color-treated or chemically-treated hair, and it offers heat protection up to 450 degrees.
Best Drugstore Volumizing Mousse Affordable Formula That Battles Frizz
Ulta Beauty
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-Free Curl Mousse
Size: 7.5 ounces | Key ingredients: Coconut oil, hibiscus flower extract, neem oil, shea butter, glycerin
Pros: Extremely moisturizing
Sulfate-free
Fights frizz
Cons: Some say the consistency is watery
Some products can get the job done when it comes to creating volume or hold, but they make hair dull in the process. Shea Moisture's Curl Mousse contains coconut oil to moisturize and silk protein and neem oil to boost shine and softness. Overall, it enhances your natural wave and curl shape—whether you have type 3a or type 4b hair—without causing hair to droop. Reviewers also rave about the scent.
Best Root-Lifting Mousse Voluminous Hair From Scalp To Ends
Amazon
Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse
Size: 5.7 ounces | Key ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, glycerin, starch polymer
Pros: Gives volume and the appearance of fuller hair
Has UV protection
Good for fine and medium hair
Cons: Some say it can leave a filmy feel
Not only does this product boost hair from the scalp level, it makes strands feel physically thicker. Oribe's formula uses a starch polymer to plump the hair shaft and smooth it in the process. Vitamin E and sunflower seed oil moisturize and hydrate, and the brand's proprietary Signature Complex provides heat protection so you don't have to stress about damage. Plus, the light scent of Oribe's formula will have everyone asking what hair products you use.
Best Thickening Mousse Plumps Fine Strands Without Weighing Them Down
Amazon
R+Co Bleu Highest Volumizing Mousse
Size: 6.3 ounces | Key ingredients: Biotin, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, glycerin
Pros: Provides long-lasting volume
Boosts moisture and shine
Good for all hair types, particularly fine hair
Cons: The nozzle can be troublesome
R+Co's hair products can fly under the radar with some people, but this product should be a wakeup call to try the brand if you haven't already. It has synthetic polymers to offer flexible hold and conditioning benefits, and ingredients like vitamin E and sunflower seed oil moisturize and make hair glossy. Biotin also offers protective properties and adds moisture to fine strands.
Best Volumizing Mousse For Curly Hair Definition And Moisture For Curly And Coily Strands
Amazon
Pattern Curl Mousse
Size: 8 ounces | Key ingredients: Marshmallow root, castor seed oil, biotin, glycerin
Pros: Great for curl-enhancing and defining
Can be used for air drying or heat styling
Prevents frizz
Cons: Some don't love the scent
Maintaining curl definition and keeping frizz at bay without causing hair to look heavy is a delicate balance. This weightless formula has marshmallow root and castor oil to keep hair soft and springy. It dries quickly and doesn't leave noticeable residue or embarrassing white flakes behind, which can happen with some mousses.
Best Volumizing Mousse For Fine Hair Texturizing Formula That Doesn't Fall Flat
Sephora
Crown Affair The Air Dry Texturizing Hair Mousse
Size: 5.1 ounces | Key ingredients: Bolivian salt, plant protein blend, meadowfoam seed oil, camellia seed oil
Pros: Adds texture
Doesn't leave hair crunchy
Very lightweight
Cons: Not as much product as some other brands
Crown Affair's low maintenance formula is something you apply to damp hair out of the shower, and then you continue with your day—no blow drying required. Because fine hair doesn't have natural volume and it can appear blah and flat, this product has pink Bolivian salt to add texture and height and fakes the appearance of hair thickness. A plant protein blend strengthens hair, and the brand's proprietary Tsubaki Meadows—a blend of camellia and meadowfoam seed oil—moisturizes, defines and acts as a heat protectant.
Best Volumizing Mousse For Air Drying Lightweight Foam For When You Skip The Blow Dryer
Amazon
Ouai Air Dry Foam
Size: 4 ounces | Key ingredients: Kale protein, panthenol, carrot protein, glycerin
Pros: Great for wash-and-go styles
Creates defined waves and texture
Conditions and detangles hair
Cons: Small product size
We've featured a variety of Ouai's products on our best lists (like its fine hair shampoo and detox shampoo), and this one earns a place here for its curl-enhancing and time-saving capabilities. Oaui's Air Dry Foam creates tousled air-dried waves with flexible definition, leaving hair hydrated rather than crunchy. Key ingredients include panthenol, which combats dryness, retains moisture and protects hair, and strengthening and protecting kale protein.
Best Volumizing Mousse For Thick Hair Extra Hold And Manageability
Amazon
Bumble And Bumble Full Form Soft Mousse
Size: 5 ounces | Key ingredients: Soy protein, wheat amino acids
Pros: Creates dramatic volume
Provides heat protection
Soft, crunch-free feel
Cons: Some report the nozzle can break easily
Bumble and Bumble's formula appears on best lists often because it does lots of things well—it softens, adds volume, protects hair from heat, reduces frizz and gives styles staying power. Reviewers report that it provides a thickening effect without a heavy or weighed down feel, and it doesn't cause hair to get prematurely greasy after washing.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, our beauty team is admittedly a little haircare obsessed, and we spend considerable time researching, testing and reporting on the best hair products. We have covered everything from the best hair straighteners to the best blow dryer brushes to the best low-porosity hair products.
The author of this story, Forbes Vetted fashion and beauty writer Molly Calhoun, has covered lifestyle topics, including beauty, for two decades. Her recent stories include the best hair dryers, the best shampoos for color-treated hair and the best shampoos for oily hair. She has tested dozens of mousses on her type 2B hair over the years.
Forbes Vetted deputy editor Jane Sung reviewed this story and approved the curation. She oversees the beauty, fashion and travel verticals and is our resident beauty guru.
We reached out to stylist and colorist Nicole Henry of Nicole Henry Salon for her expert insights on what makes a great volumizing mousse as well as the best ways to use them.
How We Chose The Best Volumizing Mousses
We began with a broad search of body building mousses, including tried and true favorites as well as newer-to-market standouts before narrowing down our picks based on performance and value.
We started with a thorough investigation of volumizing mousse bestsellers from reputable haircare brands such as Oribe, Bumble and Bumble, Amika and R+Co.
We consulted a hair expert to determine what ingredients to look for in volumizing mousses, which to avoid and general best practices. We also took her guidance into account when choosing mousses for specific hair types from fine hair to thick hair to curly hair.
We included a variety of volumizing mousses for different hair types, preferences and budgets.
We carefully considered online reviews and only included formulas that were highly rated by consumers.
What To Consider When Choosing A Volumizing Mousse
'Volumizing mousses are designed to lift the hair at the root, add body throughout the ends and create a fuller, thicker appearance without weighing hair down,' says Nicole Henry, hairstylist, colorist and owner at Nicole Henry Salon. 'They also provide light to medium hold, helping styles last longer while maintaining movement and bounce.' Here's what to look for in the right one for you.
Hair Type
'Nearly every hair type can benefit from a volumizing mousse,' says Henry, 'but choosing the right formula is key.' Here's what to look for depending on your hair thickness and texture:
If you have fine or flat hair: Lightweight, alcohol-free mousses are ideal to add body without stiffness.
Lightweight, alcohol-free mousses are ideal to add body without stiffness. If you have thick or coarse hair: A mousse with a bit more hold and moisture can help manage volume while maintaining control.
A mousse with a bit more hold and moisture can help manage volume while maintaining control. If you have curly or wavy hair: Look for mousses that offer both volume and frizz control, often with added moisture or curl-enhancing ingredients.
Ingredients
There are several main types of ingredients to look for in volumizing mousses, according to Henry. Panthenol adds volume and moisture without heaviness. Polyquaterniums help hold style and add smoothness. Botanical extracts like aloe or green tea nourish the scalp and reduce dryness. A heat protectant can be a key thing to look for, too, especially if you'll be using a hot tool after applying to mousse. Avoid formulas with high alcohol content because they can dry out the hair and scalp, especially in fine or color-treated hair.
How You'll Use It
Volumizing mousses can be used before styling hair and in some cases specific formulas are marketed for when you're air drying hair, like Ouai's Air Dry Foam. But the key is in how you apply it, says Henry. First, 'apply mousse to damp, towel-dried hair, focusing on the roots and working through the mid-lengths for overall volume,' she says.
In general, you'll use an egg-sized amount for medium-length hair and should adjust that amount for longer or shorter hairstyles. Comb volumizing mousse through with fingers or a wide-tooth comb to distribute evenly. For best results, Henry suggests blow drying using a round brush, lifting at the root as you dry to lock in volume. 'Avoid applying directly to the ends unless you're looking for added texture there, too,' she says.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Best Mousse For Adding Volume To Hair?
Our pick for the best volumizing mousse overall is Amika's Plus Size Mousse for its versatility on different hair types, ability to boost volume and heat protection capabilities. Our pick for best root-lifting mousse is Oribe's Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse, and our recommendation for best thickening mousse is R+Co's Bleu Highest Volumizing Mousse.
Is Volumizing Mousse Good For Thin Hair?
Our recommendation for a volumizing mousse for fine hair is Crown Affair's The Air Dry Texturizing Hair Mousse. It adds texture to limp hair and gives the appearance of fuller strands—all without weighing hair down.
What Is The Best Hair Volumizer?
There are lots of hair volumizing products on the market, from shampoos to sprays to foams. Mousses offer impressive volume because they can hold styles without heaviness or crunchiness, and some physically thicken strands and offer heat protection. Even better, you can apply them before blow drying, or for giving definition to waves and curls when air drying.
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