In an ideal world, we would all have full, bouncy, bombshell hair à la our girl Barbie, but alas, that’s not the case. The reality is, many of us (myself included!) have baby-fine strands that lack density and volume without the proper products, namely volumizing shampoos and thickening sprays or foams. Both types of volumizing hair products certainly serve a purpose, but if you’re looking for a serious boost that’ll last you all day into the night, then the latter is a must-have in your routine.
What are hair-volumizing sprays?
“As the name suggests, a thickening or volumizing spray is a product designed to add volume, fullness and thickness to your hair,” says hairstylist Sunnie Brook. “They’re commonly used by people with fine or thinning hair who want to achieve a fuller and more voluminous hairstyle.” In other words, folks like me, who could use a bit more help than, say, air-dry creams can provide.
How exactly do these products work, though? According to Brook, the majority of formulas on the market contain polymers, copolymers or resins — usually combined with strengthening ingredients like proteins — that adhere to the hair shaft to create a textured surface on the hair, giving it more grip and in turn making it feel thicker. “Some sprays also provide a light hold, helping to maintain the desired style,” she says.
How to use hair-thickening and volumizing sprays
Most thickening formulas are designed to be used on the roots, as this is typically where people want more volume. “When you spray the product directly onto the roots, it can lift the hair away from the scalp, creating a voluminous effect,” says Brook. “This is especially useful for people who want to avoid flat, limp hair.”
If you want all-over volume, hairstylist Nunzio Saviano recommends a different method of action: “Spray the product evenly on damp hair from roots to ends to give the hair a ton of volume throughout the head,” he says. Additionally, hairstylist Jennifer Korab recommends incorporating heat for best results. “Blow-dry your hair using a large round brush for maximum thickening effect,” she says. “Concentrate the heat at the roots for lift and then follow to the ends.”
Now that we’ve covered what a thickening spray is and how it does its thing, we’re sharing the top-tier formulas on the market, according to hairstylists who use them everyday.
A favorite of Brook’s, this strand-enhancing spray from Biolage contains a blend of powerful polymers to dramatically thicken the appearance of thin, fine strands. It’s best applied to damp hair from roots to ends — and it doesn’t require a blow-dryer to work its volumizing magic.
Another must-have in Brook’s kit, this spray-on treatment not only visibly thickens fine strands, but also helps repair broken keratin bonds with its biotin, protein and tripeptide-infused Triple-Boost technology, which aids in strengthening the hair. This one is activated by heat, so after spraying it on damp hair with a concentration on the roots, use your blow-dryer or another hot tool to get the best volumizing results possible. It also has heat protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so you don’t have to worry about adding another product into your hair care routine.
Hairstylist Gerard Caruso raves about this unique volumizer from Rusk. “It’s a great product to provide strong hold and volume with great herbal extracts,” he says. The innovative formula is a foam that gets sprayed directly onto the roots to lift the hair, and no heat activation is needed. The body-boosting formula never leaves hair crunchy or stiff (which some mousses and sprays have a tendency to do), but instead soft, shiny and touchable.
Korab, Caruso and Brook all swear by this lightweight styling spray from Bumble and Bumble, which contains copolymers and hydrolyzed wheat protein to simultaneously volumize and strengthen the hair. While you don’t necessarily need a blow-dryer with this one, it is recommended if you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Caruso created this heavy-hitting formula with nourishing and strand-strengthening ingredients including milk proteins, panthenol and organic fruit extracts. “I love it because the sugarcane in the product provides great structure and an immense amount of support and volume with a flexible hold,” he says. No heat is required for the formula to work wonders, and it’ll never weigh your hair down or leave residue behind.
“This lightweight formula provides maximum root lift and volume,” says Korab of this hybrid spray-foam from Redken. “I love the spray nozzle for easy application, too.” Despite offering powerful volume and hold, it won’t make hair feel hard or crunchy, plus it contains ingredients like glycerin and vitamin E to help tame frizz and flyaways. While not required, using a blow-dryer with this one is recommended for the most impressive outcome.
“This is one of my absolute favorites,” raves Korab. “It provides maximum lift and volume while feeling weightless.” The vegan and sulfate-free formula provides color protection with sunflower seed oil and vitamin E, and it also protects against heat damage. You can either air-dry or blow-dry your hair with this one, though the latter will definitely deliver next-level lifting results.
“This spray is applied on dry hair but gives the most beautiful texture and hair plump for that ‘day at the beach’ look,” says hairstylist Aviva Jansen Perea. It offers lightweight, flexible hold and effortless texture without ever weighing the hair down — plus it contains strand-loving ingredients like vegetable keratin and vitamins E and B to help strengthen hair and restore shine.
Another favorite from Korab’s kit, she says this “lightweight spray adds extreme fullness and volume.” It contains long-chain polymers and cotton sprout extract to do so — and on top of adding visible thickness, it also helps with reducing frizz and resisting humidity. After spraying it all over damp hair, simply hit your strands with a blow-dryer to watch them expand in size before your eyes.
Hairstylists far and wide rave about this iconic volumizing spray from Oribe, which adds gorgeous grit and lift to the hair without feeling heavy. “I love this as it offers both volume and texture while also acting as a dry shampoo,” says Korab. This one is different in that it’s meant to be used on dry hair, either as a finishing spray or to help refresh second- or third-day strands. Also worth mentioning: it smells incredible.
“This heat-activated blow-dry spray adds lightweight shape memory and definition to the hair,” says Saviano of this luxe pick from Shu Uemura. In addition to adding mega volume, it also aids in smoothing strands, leaving hair soft, shiny, and healthy-looking. Another bonus? It contains hydrogenated castor oil to help with hair repair.
“This innovative, lightweight and alcohol-free spray noticeably lifts strands at the roots,” says Saviano of this luxurious plant-based mist. It features the brand’s proprietary CBD corrective complex, which helps to balance the scalp, leading to stronger hair follicles and healthier-looking strands — both immediately and over time. If you’re looking for lift at the crown, spritz strands right at the roots from two inches away, and if you want all-over volume, spray it on your hands and distribute it everywhere.
“This heat-protective lightweight spray elevates the roots to create and hold voluminous styles,” says Saviano of this French pick. Beyond protecting against heat damage, this hero formula also adds shine and helps strengthen hair with hydrolyzed pea protein, vitamin E and castor oil.
This Australian pick smells like a tropical vacation and makes fine, limp strands look anything but. It contains a unique ingredient called lilly pilly, which is a powerhouse antioxidant native to Australia that helps thicken the hair shaft for increased body and volume. Additionally, it has aloe vera for shine and weightless hydration.
“This is a great all-over spray and I love the style memory that it provides,” says Perea of this fan-favorite pick from Jen Atkin’s brand Ouai. Its main benefit is adding mega body, but it also conditions hair, reduces frizz and adds shine with MVP ingredients like panthenol, glycerin, and vitamin E. Spritz it on damp hair from root to tip and follow by blow-drying if you want seriously wow-worthy results.