Best Hair Mousses of 2023

Volume, style, and a long-lasting hold all in one — what’s not to love about adding hair mousse to your routine? With the resurgence of ’80s volume and ’90s blowout hairstyles, you can join in on the fun by increasing the bounce in your mane. Get these amped-up hairstyles with a little help from hair mousse.

We’ve scoured the beauty aisles to find the best hair mousse for each hair type and budget to inspire you to create all kinds of voluminous, shiny, and frizz-free styles. Here are the top 10 hair mousse products we found.

Best mousse overview:

• Best overall: Amika Plus Size Volume & Body Mousse
• Best for the environment: Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam
• Best thickening: Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse
• Best hydrating: Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse
• Best for curls: DevaCurl Frizz-Fighting Volumizing Foam Lightweight Body Booster
• Best for humidity: Big SexyHair Root Pump Plus Humidity Resistant Volumizing Spray Mousse
• Best for dry hair: MoroccanOil Root Boost 
• Best budget: John Frieda Volume Lift Air-Whipped Foam
• Best long-lasting: Paul Mitchell Flexible Style Sculpting Foam
• Best anti-frizz: R + Co Chiffon Styling Mousse 

How we chose the best hair mousses

To compile this list, we researched dozens of hair mousses and narrowed down our favorites. We considered manufacturer specifications, ingredients, whether the product is cruelty free, what chemicals have been added, and how it works with most hair types to create a short list of the top hair mousses. We also looked at ratings and reviews from seasoned users to help us pick the best mousse for each category.

Our picks for the mousse for your locks

Amika’s volumizing mousse is the universal go-to for all hair types. Whether your natural hair is curly, wavy, or straight, this product can amp up your strands. It promises to create big, voluminous hair with its whipped formula, and in addition to enhancing body and volume, you’ll enjoy the flexible, medium hold that this frizz-banishing mousse provides.

Amika’s Plus Size Perfect Body Mousse is also designed to serve as a heat protectant, and added ingredients, like sea buckthorn berry, vitamin A, and vitamin C provide moisture and nutrients to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy.

Size: 8.5 oz | Sulfate free: No SLS or SLES

If you have fine hair, you probably know that product build-up can often make your tresses look even thinner. But Aveda’s Phomollient product offers a weightless, foamy solution to create body, volume, and a healthy shine without that dreaded product buildup. Even those with semi-thick hair can reap the benefits of this product. 

The Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam is environmentally friendly, thanks to the air-infused technology, which produces a foam free of hydrocarbon propellants. And as you’ve come to expect from Aveda, this volumizing mousse is also vegan and cruelty free and free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates.

Size: 6.7 oz | Sulfate free: Yes

Living Proof’s thickening hair mousse is perfect for fine or limp hair that needs a little bit of a boost. It works perfectly with most hair types except for curly hair, as it can make curls look a little frizzy. 

It promises to provide your hair with a flexible hold while also doubling as a heat protectant against styling tools. Along with this, you’ll love how this product not only makes your hair look thicker but also feel fuller. It’s safe for chemically treated hair and claims to create long-lasting volume.

Size: 5 oz | Sulfate free: No SLS or SLES

Big, voluptuous hair doesn’t need to be a pipe dream, thanks to Oribe’s Hair Plumping Mousse. If you’ve been on the hunt for a volumizing product, this one will certainly give your strands an inflated lift. 

The best part? You won’t get any of the stickiness or crunchy strands that everyone wants to avoid when using hair mousse. With Oribe’s product, you’ll get a long-lasting hold while benefiting from its moisturizing properties.

This mousse can be used on color-treated hair since it’s free of parabens, sodium chloride, and SLS and SLES.

Size: 5.7 oz | Sulfate free: No SLS or SLES

An airy and light mousse, DevaCurl’s frizz-fighting hair volumizer is a dream come true for anyone with a head of curly hair. Since you can apply the mousse anywhere on the hair, it makes for an easy one-step routine.

And, the product was co-developed by dermatologists to create the perfect hair and scalp balance: It’s moisturizing without causing too much buildup on the scalp. 

For those of you without curly hair, this product can still work for you. It functions well on styling straight or wavy hair — it’s just best for giving luscious curls a life without causing frizz.

Size: 8 oz | Sulfate free: No SLS or SLES

This hair foam is designed to work at the root and gives you massive lift, especially for medium to thick hair. Perfect for those that live in a humid climate and have simply learned to cope with their hair being overly frizzy, this mousse works hard to tame that struggle. 

While some reviewers pointed out that it made their hair feel sticky, those who were seeking shine and humidity-resistance were thrilled by the improved smoothness of their hair. Anyone that heat styles will love that it provides thermal protection for up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Size: 10 oz | Sulfate free: No

When you have dry hair, it can be hard to achieve a voluminous bounce without shifting into a frizzy mess. Moroccanoil’s Root Boost is best for medium to thin hair, working as a spray-on mousse for ultimate volume and texture. This hair mousse hydrates with intense moisture, thanks to the added argan oil, while also serving as a heat protectant. 

Although this product has a strong smell that may not be for everyone, it’ll definitely enhance your natural texture and boost your roots.

Size: 8.5 oz | Sulfate free: No

You don’t have to overspend to get a full, bouncy hair look. One of the most affordable mousses on our list, this John Frieda product is lightweight yet works to enhance fullness, particularly apt for fine or flat hair.

John Frieda’s Air-Silk Technology aims to give strands the ultimate lift, shine, and softness you’re striving for using a combination of volumizing, detangling, and smoothing agents — it’s even gentle enough for color-treated hair.

According to some reviewers, the only downside is that the foam may lose its fluff too soon, often becoming watery after continued use.

Size: 7.5 fl oz | Sulfate free: No

Everyone loves a defined style, but no one wants a head of hair that feels crunchy. Paul Mitchell’s hair mousse works to prevent frizz while providing shine and infusing moisture into your strands. 

The long-lasting product was designed to uplift your hair and continue to keep it volumized throughout the day. It works using panthenol for strengthening support while also hydrating and defining your strands. Some reviewers found that they could sleep on it and simply re-style in the morning!

Size: 16.9 oz | Sulfate free: Yes

Wavy hair can easily waffle between frizzy or defined, depending on the products you use. Thankfully, we’ve discovered R + Co’s Chiffon styling mousse. Designed to create defined styles in even the frizziest hair, this product is a go-to for those that suffer from unruly locks. 

With a styling polymer in the ingredients list, this product also can double as a heat protectant when in doubt. Simply add a small bit to your hair in the morning and comb through for the smoothing, volume, and shine that you desire.

Size: 5.6 oz | Sulfate free: Yes

How to pick the right hair mousse for you

Everyone seems to wish for a hair type they don’t have. While a complete hair change may not be entirely possible, adding extra volume or decreasing frizz every now and then certainly is. This is where finding the best mousse for your hair comes in. 

Like every hair product on the market, mousses aren’t going to all react in the same way on different hair. Everyone has distinct, unique hair, and what’s best for your tresses might not be best for someone else’s. When choosing your ideal mousse, consider the following: 

Hair type

• Dry. Dry hair just needs a bit of extra care. With moisture at the forefront of your hair’s needs, hunt down a product that contains oils and other moisturizing properties that can make your hair feel shiny and soft. Products that have these ingredients will often boast benefits like shine-enhancing or contain vitamins, so keep an eye out for that on the label.
• Oily. Anytime you add extra product to your hair, it can increase oil and greasiness. If your hair is already oily from the start, this can be even more of an issue. So, make sure to limit the grease by finding a light product that contains a bit of alcohol — which can help dry out the oil. 
• Curly. When it comes to mousse (or any product) for curly hair, finding options that won’t weigh down your hair will be the biggest obstacle since heavy products can take away from your curls. We suggest looking for a product that adds shine to your hair via argan oil, making your tresses light and airy, but still helping retain the bounce of your curls. 
• Straight. Straight and fine (or even medium) hair will likely respond well to any type of mousse. But remember to keep your specific needs and hair qualities in mind to find something that will mitigate whatever hair issues you’ve noticed, like frizz or limpness. 

Color-treated hair

• Bleached and dyed. When it comes to using hair mousse on color-treated hair, finding a gentle product will be key. You’ll also want to use products that are free from sulfates to avoid diminishing the color in your hair. 

Scalp conditions

• Dandruff. When you have dandruff, adding more product to your hair can sometimes enhance it. But changing up how you apply hair mousse can be a quick fix. Instead of applying it directly at the roots, work the mousse into the top parts of your hair without touching your scalp. 
• Alopecia. When you’re prone to hair loss, adding a thickening mousse to your hair seems to make the most sense. But since many products contain chemicals that can damage your hair or even increase hair loss over time, it’s best to select a gentle mousse that contains natural ingredients.

FAQ

Which hair mousse is the best?

Overall, the Amika product we selected as our pick for the best mousse for all hair types is our favorite overall. It works on any hair type, is lightly scented, and is a perfect go-to when you want to add bounce to your hair. Amika’s mousse is frizz-banishing, universal, and easy to use.

Is hair mousse any good?

If you want to add volume to your hair and need a long-lasting hold, mousse is certainly the right move. Application styles can vary, but overall, how you use hair mousse will remain the same. If you’re looking for a new way to style your hair to create a fuller, more voluptuous look, our picks for the best hair mousses can get you started. 

What’s the best drugstore mousse?

From this list, we suggest reaching for the John Frieda Volume Lift Air-Whipped Foam or the BigSexy Hair option. Both are often carried at drugstores and are fairly easy to find. However, they’re both high-quality products that can add volume, texture, and shine to your hair on the cheap.