You're not alone if you've always looked at a product promising extreme volume and wondering, "How do these products work?" We're here to answer this question!
How Does a Volumizing Product Work?
Volumizing or thickening products can work in a few ways, usually by providing grit, texture, or hold to the hair to add lift.
Why Would I Want to Use a Volumizing Product?
If your roots or curls fall flat as your hair dries, or as you get further away from wash day, a volumizing product can help bring some of that body back to your curls. Fine haired curlies may also appreciate the extra boost on wash day as part of their styling routine.
Volumizing Product Recommendations
Curlsmith's latest collection is specifically for volume and contains a shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, and mousse, all designed to improve the volume of your style. These products help plump your hair from the inside out, giving a fuller look as your hair dries.
Inahsi Natural’s Define and Shine Volumizing Foam is fragrance-free, making it one of the few foams we carry that doesn't have a scent. It also has rice protein to help fill in the chips and cracks in damaged hair. It will give a medium hold and is great for use on refresh.
If you haven’t tried the Evolvh brand yet they have an amazing foam, the InstaVolume Volumizing Mousse, that thickens and gives volume, definition, and hold.
One of my go to products has been Innersense I Create Volume. This is a liquid-y clear lotion that is organic, low scent and good for all hair types. According to Innersense, in this formula Honey and Aloe Vera lift roots and boost volume, and Rice Amino Acids and Eucalyptus create fullness and expansion while adding shine.
Dry Shampoos for Volume
Outside of the many products we have that give volume and temporarily increase the thickness of your hair, you can always use a dry shampoo or a salt spray to bring back that oomph to your hair on day 2+.
The Volumizing Dry Shampoo from Hair Dance is a fave in the community and is reasonably priced. This dry shampoo is a powder that needs to be worked in at the roots.
(Salt) Sprays for Volume
Innersense Organic Beauty's I Create Waves provides texture and hold. This is a great alternative to hair spray that has more of a salty finish than a sticky one.
How Else Can I Add Volume?
AG Hair's paste called Dry Lift will add volume to any hair. Keep in mind to only use a pea size and emulsify it between your hands. Press it towards your roots and yes you can run it though your hair just remember it will leave a bit of a gritty feeling. This is what is providing the texture and lift to flat hair.
Another great way to add volume during wash day is by diffusing or by clipping your roots using clips like the Curl Keeper Roller Jaw Clamps or the Bounce Curl Volume Root Clips. You can use these techniques with volumizing products or hair spray at your roots for even more lift.
Additionally, Bounce Curl's new Volume EdgeLift Brush creates the look of more density by making smaller, well defined curl clumps.
In summary, styling products that provide thickening/volume are designed to stay on your hair and build up without weighing your hair down (weighed down hair is not voluminous!). They are washed out when you use a shampoo with cleansing ingredients. We have a myriad of products that are geared towards creating volume and they run from serums to gels to foams. I have reviewed a few but remember you can always contact us at products@curlwarehouse.com for a personalized recommendation.
