The Best Volumizing Products for Gorgeous, Bouncy Hair All Day Long (2024)

While we all wish we could have thick and luscious locks, some of us have finer hair types that often get weighed down by denser and ultra-hydrating formulas. These hair types crave volume and smoothness, and product formulas packed with lightweight shine-enhancers and body-producing ingredients can be the difference between all-day volume and hair that falls flat by midday.

Celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Yepez recommends trial and error to find the best products for you, and with 18 to choose from on our list, you'll have no problem finding one that makes you fall in love with your hair.

To curate a top assortment of volumizing hair products, we tirelessly researched and tested top formulas across the luxury and drugstore markets by considering qualities like product type, key ingredients, and size availability. Along with Yepez's expert insight, you'll understand how various formulations can help or hinder your quest for added volume and bounce to your hairstyles.

How to Shop for Volumizing Products Like a Pro

Product Type

Most volumizing products fall into the traditional hair care categories. You have shampoo and conditioner duos, sprays or mists, mousses, creams, and powders. While each product type serves a purpose, determining your best formula depends on factors like texture preference, hair type, and the amount of time you're willing to dedicate to styling your locks.

For those who lack volume due to excess oil production, a powder or spray that works to absorb and regulate the excess oil production is likely more beneficial than a mousse, which better serves someone with thinner hair or curls. Ultimately, using a styling product that fits your lifestyle and goals will foster more volume and an overall bouncy look.

Volumizing Ingredients

There are certain ingredients found within volumizing products that can enhance results pre- and post-styling. Most powders and sprays will utilize additives like rice starch, which attaches to strands and allows them to build upon themselves. The ingredient also aids in oil absorption, making it a standout option for reviving hair between washes. Zeolites, found in some volumizing products, do the same task.

More chemically advanced ingredients like copolymers and polyquaternium-7 will add hold and shine to the hair, two qualities that are beneficial no matter your hair type. There are also added oils to keep hair feeling healthy and hydrated, as well as ingredients like hyaluronic acid and keratin to repair damaged strands and create a more resilient mane with continuous use.

Hair Type

Hair type is Yepez's top consideration when selecting a volumizing product for her clients. When styling, she says she likes to use a thickening spray for thick, dense hair, but for finer hair, she prefers a mousse. She understands that varying formulations can weigh down the hair or offer little improvement to overall volume without considering hair type.

Usually, fine hair needs more grip and texture to create a lifted appearance. With thicker hair, a dense formulation can actually make the hair look heavy, not light and airy, the way you want a bouncy blowout or curl to appear. If you have a curly hair type, creams or mousses work best to allow the curls to build on themselves and not intertwine, resulting in a more unruly look.

Questions You Might Ask

How often should you reapply volumizing hair products?

When it comes to application, a one-and-done approach is best. “When I'm styling a client, I mix it up applying on damp or dry hair depending on the situation, but you should really only need to apply once per hairstyle,” Yepez says. “There's no need to reapply volumizing products every day, as you'll get the benefit from the first application."

She says the maximum results come when the volumizing product is applied to damp hair. However, if you're using something like a powder, that formula type works best at the roots of freshly styled hair or hair that hasn’t been washed for a few days. This technique adds life back to the hair by enhancing the body.

How can you make volumizing hair products last longer?

According to Yepez, the trick to getting long-lasting results is by layering your styling products together.

"Once your hair is washed, apply your mousse or volumizing spray and then follow with a heat protectant before styling," she says. This method of "marrying" the volumizing formula with your heat protectant before styling allows volume and movement to last for days on end.

If hair needs refreshing between washes, she suggests keeping any product application super light so as to avoid weighing down the hair or creating a stiff look.

Can volumizing hair products actually improve volume in the long run?

Sadly, volumizing products won't majorly impact hair volume in the long run. Things like mousses, powders, and sprays all act as in-the-moment treatments to create volume until your next wash, Yepez says. She typically recommends scalp treatments for better results.

By treating the scalp and roots of the hair, you work to stimulate hair follicles and promote growth, which can catalyze volume loss for some individuals.

Treating the scalp is also critical, as lack of volume and body could be because of product buildup or accumulation of oils. Anything that weighs down the hair can create a limp look, so ensuring you incorporate products like detox shampoos into your routine can increase volume long-term.

Take Our Word for It

This article was written byGrace Parsons, a beauty industry veteran and writer with experience across the cosmetics, skin, and wellness industries. She researched countless sites and brands to find the best volumizing hair products available. Working alongside celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Yepez, she selected formulas that are efficacious, easy to use, and useful for a variety of hair types and textures.