Best Hair Styling Products: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Product for Every Hair Type

Choosing the right hair styling product can, at best, be a challenge. When you walk into any beauty supply store, shelves are lined with gels, mousses, styling creams, pomades, waxes, clays, hairsprays, texturizing sprays, curling creams, serums, oils, heat protectants, finishing products and on and on.All claim to have the best hold, the right volume, smoother texture, perfectly defined curls or the latest salon finished look.

And what may be best for your hair might be the least expensive or least advertised product in the salon aisle.

Choosing the best hair styling product really just depends on your hair type (coarse, fine, thick, thin), hair texture (straight, wavy, curly, coily) as well as the condition (damaged, healthy, oily or dry), desired style (sleek up-do, bouncy blow out, choppy short style) and the finish you’re after.

For instance, a lightweight mousse may be better suited for fine hair in need of body but a rich conditioning styling cream may work better on thick, curly hair to achieve moisturized defined curls. A firm hold gel is ideal for slick, structured hairstyles, while a matte clay may look more appropriate on a short, textured style.

According to Hair.com, “Styling products have different intended uses – things like mousse and curl definers add texture, definition, volume, structure and hold.”

What exactly is a hair styling product and why does it matter whether or not you have the one that works best for you? In this guide you will learn about different types of hair styling products, their purposes, how to choose the right products and how to layer those products for various looks, not forgetting what product works best for each and every hair type.

What Are Hair Styling Products?

Hair styling products are the formulations you use to shape, control, enhance, define or protect your hairstyle. Shampoo and conditioner add cleanliness and condition to your hair but it’s generally styling products we rely on to achieve a specific look and enhance the look, manageability and even feel of the hair.

Depending on the formulation, a hair styling product may help to:

Add volume

Increase hold

Define curls and waves

Smooth strands and reduce frizz
Slick and control flyaway strands

Add shine

Create texture

Provide a matte look

Protect hair during heated styling

 Greater manageability

Smooth, streamlined aesthetics.

Make a blowout last longer
Maintain the structure of a formal up-do

Add separation and definition

Ultimately there isn’t a ‘best’ product to use on all hair types or to achieve all styles; it all depends on what you want your hair to achieve and perform now you are looking for that perfect finish.

Short Guide: What are the best hair styling products?

 

 

 

What difference will the best hair styling products make on your hair?

Incorrectly applying the right hair styling products can sometimes make your normally health-looking hair appear:

Oily

Stiff

Crunchy

Heavy

Dry

Dull

Sticky

Over-shiny

Hard to wash out

An example: Applying a heavy styling wax onto fine hair might make your roots flatten with the weight while applying mousse to thicker strands might not hold the style effectively.

It’s just as important to know what a product will and won’t do for your hair and hair type as it is knowing whether you have curly, wavy or straight hair in the first place. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends, “know your hair type,” “understand your hair’s properties, and handle your hair appropriately to minimize potential damage while Styling procedures that minimize the need for heat and the manipulation or movement of the hair” are suggested to keep it as manageable as possible, which is certainly key when finding hair styling products.

1. Hair Mousse

A versatile styling product, hair mousse usually comes out as a foam and is a great styling product for those who require volume, lift, and body or slight definition of your curls/waves. Generally, it won’t leave your hair feeling coated and is widely used for fine/thin or flyaway hair, wavy and curly hair as well as blowouts.

According to Hair.com: “While mousse works for many textures and hair types, a lightweight foam styling product will be most effective at achieving bounce and hold while giving hair a fluffy but structured texture to encourage volume and lift, as well as shape.”

Best Hair Type:

Fine or thin hair lacking volume
Straight or wavy hair in need of definition and movement
Medium-density curly and wavy hair
Hair that gets easily weighed down by too much product (a lighter product can be a styling advantage)

How to Use mousse:

Apply mousse onto towel-dried hair that hasn’t been dry. Rinse from hair and remove as much water as possible from your strands with a hair dryer; next distribute about a ping-pong-ball sized amount onto your strands, using your hands to smooth, scrunch your hair if you are trying to shape waves or curls and style it with either heat or air. For more lift, focus a decent bit on the root area.

2. Hair Gel

Designed to make sure your hairstyle of choice stays put in place for a number of hours, the most typical uses of hair gel include structured hairstyles, defined styles, spiked or structured looks and more importantly edge styling and slicked-back hairstyles. Gels generally provide strong hold while a suitable formula may even increase the body and flexibility of your style.

Benefits of Styling Gel:

Adds hold

Boosts definition

Achieves the ultimate sleek or classic styles

Combats flyaway strands

Suitable for creating a controlled look, including defined curls
Assists maintain and shape an up-do

Drawbacks of Styling Gel:

Some formulas can make hair seem extremely stiff or appear flaky and dusty if too much product is applied. For curls, a gel can make them incredibly defined, however, if your choice gel makes them very stiff and dry, consider another option.

Best Hair Types:

Hair types where hold and definition are a priority more than extreme softness.

3. Styling Cream

Lighter in composition than a pomade or styling wax, styling cream works at giving hair a smooth and natural-looking finish that is styled yet not excessively done. Styling cream adds control and reduces frizz; it also works wonders at defining waves and making hair appear softer while controlling flyaway strands and for any that just don’t enjoy a heavily productified or over styled look.

4. Curling Cream

If smooth, defined, well-moisturized curls are the goal, then curl cream must be in your arsenal of hair styling products. Generally, they enhance curl patterns while working to reduce frizz.

Best For:

Wavy, curly and coily hair types

Damaged hair

Flyaway-prone and curly hair types

A good curl cream should not feel greasy when added to your hair, nor make curls droop.

How to apply Curl Cream:

Add to wet hair and use your fingers to spread through hair, mid-lengths to the ends. Use your hands and pull up at the roots in an upward motion; for defined texture, use your fingers to twirl any stray curls to ensure they match the curl pattern and dry using a heat or air dry option; experiment to find if your curls thrive best by air-drying or blow-drying. Only add enough product as is necessary and use sparingly.

5. Hair Wax

A personal favourite for many because it’s ideal for creating texture and definition, as well as giving flexible hairstyles that don’t completely harden. It is ideal for those who want to be able to reshape or retouch your hairstyle during the day. Works great for spikes, textured choppy and layered haircuts.

Who not to use it on:

Very strong holding waxes may make the finer/thinner hairs appear flat and grungy-Use with caution, and apply lightly, or use a lighter texturizing paste.