Hair mousse is a hair styling product that is dispensed in an aerosol foam spray. Hair mousse adds volume to hair and often provides both conditioning and hold. One of the lighter weight hair styling products, hair mousse is applied to wet hair before drying and styling. Hair mousse may also be referred to as styling foam.

As a versatile hair styling product, hair mousse is a popular choice for both short and long hairstyles. When hair mousse is applied to wet hair that is allowed to air dry, the hair is often left with a “wet” look that can be “crunchy” feeling, but unlike hair gel, hair mousse combs out easily for a softer look. When hair mousse is applied to wet hair that is dried with a hair dryer, it provides additional volume and hold.

There are hundreds of brands of hair mousse from professional to store brands, many delivering a quality styling product. Certain brands contain alcohol, which is fine for most hair types except dry. For dry hair, look for hair mousse that contains natural conditioners and vitamins, but no alcohol. You might also consider checking hair mousse and other styling products for ultra-violet sun protection.

One way to determine quality hair mousse is by its expansion when dispersed into your palm. If your hair mousse barely expands into its foam state, but rather remains mostly liquid, try a different brand. You should be able to dispense your hair mousse into your palm and have it expand from silver dollar size to about egg size. Quality mousse not only expands well but is easy to easy to distribute throughout your hair.

Use hair mousse to give your hair volume, control frizz and flyaway, and to provide moderate styling control. If you are looking for strong hold to create molded or sculpted hairstyles, consider using hair gel, pomade, or wax instead. Additionally, if you are extremely conscious of aerosol dispensers and their effect on the environment, you can find lightweight, non-aerosol spray gels for styling that hold as well as hair mousse. Unfortunately, the versatility and performance of quality hair mousse as a styling product can often not be duplicated by any other styling product. Experiment with different brands and you will most likely find one to be a staple favorite.