Best hair mousse: Give your hair the boost it needs

If your hair is frizzy-prone, limp and flat, or lacking bounce, a good hair mousse might just give it the lift you’re looking for. Hairstylists often use mousse to create bouncy curls and volume. Hair mousse, like its 80s stablemate hairspray, fell out of fashion a bit in the sleek-and-straight 90s and early 2000s; but it’s back for the mid-2020s in an abundance of modern conditioning formulas that offer lightweight hold to give roots and ends natural-looking lift and bounce.

Mousse is especially good for adding curl to wavy and curly hair, but the right mousse can also bring soft volume and shape to straight hair without scrunching. A hydrating mousse is also a good option for reviving dry and frizzy hair, smoothing down the outer cuticles for a shiny, healthy finish.

The return of mousse to the styling roster means that there are lots of mousse products on the market, offering different benefits — from refreshing oily locks and boosting tired hair to, of course, offering volume.

Read on for our round-up of the best hair mousses available now, along with our tried and tested reviews.

Best hair mousse: At a glance

How to choose the right hair mousse for you

What should I consider when choosing a hair mousse?

When selecting a mousse product for your hair, consider your hair type and the style you want. For those blessed with naturally curly locks (or if you’re rocking a permanent wave), look for something tailored to sculpt your curls and tame unruly frizz. If you have wavy hair, opt for a formula that enhances definition and boosts curls where you want them. And if your hair lacks volume or needs a vitality boost, look for volumising mousses to breathe life into your locks. Some mousses are  particularly good for refreshing hair in between washes, or smoothing down braids and cornrows.

How do I use hair mousse?

Most mousses are designed for use on either towel-dried or damp hair. Comb hair to remove tangles, then squeeze a golf ball-sized blob of mousse into your palms and work your fingers through your hair from root to tip. Start with a small amount – you can always add more if you need to.

After distributing the mousse, you can either let hair air-dry; blow-dry  with a diffuser attachment to lift the roots and boost curls; or dry with a blow-drying brush to  smooth lengths and increase volume.

Will mousse make my hair sticky?

Perhaps you remember older mousse formulas that left your hair feeling stiff or sticky. Rest assured, modern formulations leave hair feeling softer with more natural movement when used as directed. If you do find that your mousse has left a bit of a sticky cast you can break this up with a conditioning cream or drop of hair oil; or if you need more hold you can finish with a slick of gel.

What should I look for in a hair mousse?

Hair mousse is suitable for all hair types, but there are mousses that will offer particular benefits for different hair types. A good volumising mousse can add plenty of dimension to fine and limp hair, while a hydrating mousse with conditioning ingredients is good for dryer and dehydrated hair.

If your scalp is sensitive, you may want to search for alcohol-free mousses and be sure to wash out after use to prevent product build-up. Curly girls following the Curly Girl Method for haircare will want to look for mousse that are sulfate-free, which is true of many modern mousses. We’ve noted which of the mousses in our roundup below are sulfate-free.

How we test hair mousse

At Expert Reviews we know that hands-on testing gives us the best and most complete information about a product. We apply hair mousse on clean, damp hair, following the instructions on the bottle, and test the results on both air-dried and blow-dried hair. We also use the mousse again to refresh second-day hair between washes. We note the overall ease of use, the smell and feel of the product, any stickiness or greasiness on the hair or scalp, and how long results last in a typical day of wear.  

READ NEXT: The best hair oils for growth

The best hair mousse you can buy in 2025

1. Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume Blow-Dry Foam: Best hair mousse overall

Price when reviewed: £28 | Check price at Space NK

Because this product by Sam McKnight is a non-aerosol mousse, it’s easy to apply throughout the hair without leaving a sticky residue. This is our favourite hair mousse overall because it works incredibly well on every hair type – from fine or curly hair, to waves and frizzy locks. When worked through the hair, this light and airy foam leaves locks feeling soft and plumped with body and natural shine, without feeling tacky. A small amount will give your hair the perfect building block for styling, whether you want to blow dry your hair poker straight or create big, bouncy curls.

This mousse has some impressive ingredients, including heat-protectant properties with conditioning provitamin B5, hibiscus to nourish and polymers. Better still, the botanical fragrance will leave your hair smelling like you’ve just stepped out of a five-star salon.

 Key details – Pack size: 150ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

2. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Styliste Mousse Non-Stop Volume: Best affordable hair mousse

Price when reviewed: £3.40 | Check price at Tesco

Not every hair styling product needs to come with a hefty price tag. Many better hair mousse products come from slightly more expensive brands than the trusty and affordable L’Oréal. But although this mousse is cheaper, it doesn’t sacrifice anything in terms of its capabilities.

Achieve impressive hair elevation with this high-performance, extra-firm control mousse. Packed with the power of Expansyl-A, it not only boosts but also lifts your hair from the roots, ensuring enduring support and volume that stands out.

This high-quality, affordable mousse is easy to apply and provides excellent hold. Begin by thickening the hair at the roots on damp, freshly-washed hair. You’ll be left with an epic do that holds its new, volumised shape for up to 48 hours.

Key details – Pack size: 150ml; Sulphate-free?: No

3. Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer: Best hair mousse for volume

Price when reviewed: £24 | Check price at Look Fantastic

You may have seen Color Wow’s volumising hair mousse on TikTok, praised by beauty content creators and loved by celebs. A first of its kind with weightless polymers and salts to instantly thicken the hair for a volumised mane that will last for days. If your hair is fine, thin or limp, then this is the mousse for you. It’s also an excellent option for colour-treated hair that’s damaged or fragile, as it gives the hair long-lasting heat protection and doesn’t contain alcohol or other drying ingredients.

One bottle lasts for a long time, as you only need around two pumps of product per section of the hair for instant lift and massive volume. Section the hair before applying to help evenly distribute the mousse from root to tip. Finally, comb through and get ready for your style of choice. A great thing about this mousse is that it can be left to air dry if you wish – something that you don’t find in many mousses, as it can make the hair sticky.

Key details – Pack size: 195ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

4. Cantu Shea Butter Wave Whip Curling Mousse: Best styling mousse for coily hair

Price when reviewed: £7.50 | Check price at Boots

This ultra-moisturising styling mousse with nourishing castor oil and shea butter has a gorgeous scent and delivers lasting shine and hold for afro-textured and coily hair. Free from sulfates, parabens, and silicones, Wave Whip is Curly Girl Method–friendly and especially well-suited to Type 4 hair. It’s also a great pick for drier Type 3 curls that need an extra hydration boost.

The lightweight formula tames frizz and softly defines curls, leaving them touchably soft with no crunch. For even more shine, try layering it with a spritz of Cantu’s Coconut Oil Shine & Hold Mist after scrunching.

Key details – Pack size: 248ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

Cantu Wave Whip Curling Mousse 248ml

£6.00

Check Price

5. Moroccanoil Volumising Mousse: Best hair mousse for keeping locks hydrated

Price when reviewed: £21 | Check price at Look Fantastic

Best suited for fine to medium hair, this product from Moroccanoil is one of the best on the market for those looking to better style their hair without dehydrating it. With a weightless texture, this mousse helps to lift the root and build volume without making the hair sticky. The formula has a memory factor built in that means your hair will remain firmly styled all day without looking stiff.

This product is enriched with antioxidant-packed argan oil and an anti-static agent to transform your hair and keep it manageable and silky – something that many users of mousse fear will be impossible when using the product.

To get tameable, silky soft hair, squeeze a palm-sized amount of the mousse onto towel-dried hair before running your fingers through to distribute evenly. To achieve maximum body, texture, and lift, you can flip your hair upside down and use a hair dryer with a diffuser. Once the mousse is distributed throughout the hair, blow dry your locks with a round brush, starting at the roots.

Key details – Pack size: 250ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

6. Only Curls Volumising Curly Mousse: Best mousse  for curly hair

Price when reviewed: £18 | Check price at Only Curls

This delicious-smelling and non-sticky mousse from Only Curls is a frizz-fighting hero that offers flexible hold even for thick and heavy curls. Enriched with nourishing Pro-Vitamin B5 and rice protein to help strengthen curls, it gives structure and control without weighing hair down.

Apply a generous amount on wash day to air-dry, or use it on damp hair to revive curls the next day. It adds volume while hydrating and taming frizz: a great option for Type 3 curly hair, Or scrunch into wavy hair to let your inner curly girl out.

Key details – Pack size: 200ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

7. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Mousse: Best for colour-treated hair

Price when reviewed: £31 | Check price at Look Fantastic

Colour-treated hair needs a bit of extra care to maintain; Bumble and Bumble’s gentle colour-safe formula contains no parabens that can cause colours to fade, so you can style coloured hair with confidence. The lightweight mousse also contains conditioning Pathenol pro-vitamin B5, to nourish dry and damaged hair, strengthening soy protein and heat-protecting polymers to protect hair while styling.  

Shake well and stroke through damp hair from roots to tips. Full Form Soft Mousse gives great volume and a soft shiny finish that lasts all day when scrunched into hair before either air-drying or blow-drying. A great choice for coloured hair, or any hair that needs a lift.

Key details – Pack size: 150ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

8. OUAI Air Dry Foam: Best hair mousse for frizz-prone hair

Price when reviewed: £26 | Check price at Look Fantastic

All hair types can be prone to frizz, whether that’s because of damage, the weather, or natural hair texture. Perfectly designed for those with frizz-prone hair that is dry and dull, and even more so for those who want to enhance their curls, this OUAI air dry foam style mousse has been developed as a wash-and-go solution to the problem of time-consuming styling.

With active natural ingredients that work with the natural patterns of the hair to generate lasting results, a few pumps of this mousse will help to tame frizz and protect against dryness throughout the day. The formula incorporates the potent ingredient of keratin to rejuvenate and restore damaged hair sections to beauty. Additionally, it contains kale extract, which effectively combats humidity and extends the longevity of your curls.

To style your hair with this product, apply to damp and towel-dried hair and scrunch between your fingers before letting your hair dry naturally. You’ll be left with beautiful, beachy waves.

Key details – Pack size: 120ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

9. Davines Volume Boosting Mousse: Best hair mousse for all hair types

Price when reviewed: £26 | Check price at Liberty

Long gone are the stiff styling mousse disasters of the past. This luxuriously creamy, feather-light texture mousse on the market is perfect for all hair types.

If you want to keep your hair natural looking whilst giving it that extra boost, you can’t go far wrong with this mousse. The active ingredients within each bottle help to increase your hair’s styling abilities if you plan on following up with a drier or tool.

With just a few pumps of this volume-boosting mousse on towel-dried hair, you will see a noticeable difference in the lift within your roots. It leaves hair feeling fresh and lightweight, without any residue, and doesn’t result in a head full of flakiness that you get with some styling products.

Key details – Pack size: 250ml; Sulphate-free?: Yes

Written By

Mollie Davies

Mollie Davies is a freelancer with a BA Hons in History and English Literature from Cardiff University. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan and Metro.

More about

Reviewed By

Lise Smith

Lise is a freelance writer specialising in beauty and lifestyle – spanning skincare, haircare, makeup, and home tech. With bylines across online and print titles since 2007, Lise has also covered parenting and the performing arts, and was Youth Zone Editor at londondance.com from 2014-15. A former dancer who knows more than most about the ins and outs of fake tan and firm-hold hairspray, Lise began her career in digital publishing with contributions to MacFormat, Den of Geek, PC Pro and Associated Northcliffe Digital’s localpeople.co.uk. Since 2018, she has been working with Expert Reviews, combining her love of hair and  beauty with a hard-earned understanding of what works – and what doesn’t.

More about