Don’t get me wrong; I love a slicked-back ponytail. It’s the perfect hairstyle for a chic, elegant vibe (or if it’s nearly wash day). But sometimes, I crave volume. I want my bun to have texture or full waves that don’t fall flat against my head.
If you’re struggling with limp hair (we’ve all been there) or want to switch up the sleek style, hair styling powder is an incredible option. Read on to discover its benefits, ingredients to look for, how to use it, and the best hair powder styles. Who’s excited?
Index
What Is Hair Powder?
Hair styling powder is a fine powder sprinkled or sprayed onto hair, giving your style extra body, texture and va-va-voom.
Hair powder, texture powder, and volume powder are essentially the same. They give texture, volume, hold, and a matte finish for maximum style. They make your hair look thicker and more voluminous, while having a natural look.
Hair texture powders are typically formulated using silica (not to be confused with silicone). It creates friction and airiness between each hair strand to prevent your style from slipping and losing shape.
Benefits of Using Hair Texture Powder
Below are some incredible benefits of applying hair styling powder:
- It adds plenty of volume and body.
- It gives hair texture, making it easier to style.
- It provides medium hold for long-lasting hairstyles.
- It gives a natural, matte finish that is also great if you’re prone to greasy hair.
- It’s versatile and works for most hair types.
- It’s easy to use and reapply on the go.
- It’s practical to carry on due to its small size and not being liquid.
Can Hair Volume Powder be Bad for Your Hair?
Some hair styling powders contain harsh chemicals like silicones, drying alcohol, or parabens. They can dry out your hair and scalp, causing itchiness and breakage, or even hair loss. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use texture powder. You just have to choose the right one!
When shopping for hair styling products, I always look for hydrating and soothing ingredients for my hair and scalp. Achieving that bouncy volume does not have to happen at the expense of the health of your hair. Here are a few ingredients I love:
- Aloe vera – The goddess of all hair ingredients, aloe vera has a gel-like consistency and is a natural humectant that hydrates hair.
- Glycerin – This natural humectant locks moisture into thirsty hair for long-term hydration.
- Oat extract – Oats are rich in moisturizing omega-3 and fatty acids. They repair and renew skin's lipid barrier, as well as help to reduce irritation and redness in the scalp.
- Vitamin E – A powerful antioxidant protecting hair against free radicals.
Who Can Use Hair Volume Powder?
Anyone! If you want to add body and texture to your hair, then hair styling powder is for you. It works on all hair types, lengths, thicknesses, and genders. It’s particularly beneficial for fine-haired people to give a voluminous boost that can be hard to achieve with other products.
My Choice: The Best Hair Styling Powder
Okay, so now you know that styling powder is a must, I want to share the best hair styling powder for maximum impact.
Volume Wizard™ Hair Powder
This guy is a winner for me, and here's why:
- Contains hair-loving ingredients – Remember that list of ingredients I look out for? This styling powder contains all of them to nourish and hydrate hair and scalp.
- Free from silicones, drying alcohols, parabens, mineral oils, and perfume – Drying and harsh chemicals can inflame hair follicles, stunting hair growth. But this powder has a soothing effect, perfect for sensitive scalps.
- Practical packaging – I like to spruce up my hair on a night out or during a workday. I can slip this travel-size bottle into my bag and give myself a cheeky revamp for glorious locks.
- Non-aerosol – There are so many toxins in beauty products, and I don’t know about you, but that’s not something I want. You don’t need to worry about that with the Volume Wizard™ Hair Powder because it’s safe for you and the environment.
How to Use Hair Styling Powder
So you’ve found the perfect styling powder, but how do you apply it? Listen closely to learn how to use a hair-boosting powder effectively.
Step 1. Apply to Dry Hair
Use a small amount of powder and sprinkle or spray it onto your roots, but not right at the parting. Don’t get overexcited and add too much. Instead, build it up slowly.
Step 2. Activate the Hair Texture Powder
Give the powder a few seconds to settle, then gently massage it with your fingertips to activate it. You can also apply it lightly to the lengths of your hair to add more volume and texture. Be careful to not apply too much, a little puff goes a long way.
Step 3. Style Your Hair
Now you’re set with the powder, start creating your desired hairstyle (texture powder hairstyles coming up later!). You don’t have to worry about your hair slipping and falling flat, and you can rework or “reactivate” the product with your fingers throughout the day.
Other Products to Maximize Your Results
Combining hair volume powder with other volumizing products makes an unstoppably good hair day. Here are my recommendations:
Volume Wizard™ Shampoo and Conditioner
This set is awesome at boosting volume on wash day. Volume Wizard™ Duo includes a nourishing volume shampoo and conditioner that give your hair extra bounce and body. They are formulated with strengthening wheat protein and lightweight humectants that make fine and flat strands bouncy, healthy, and soft.
Volume Wizard™ Pre-Styling Spray
While a volume powder is perfect for styling dry hair, a volume spray works on damp hair too. Volume Wizard™ Pre-Styling Spray is my choice for achieving that gravity-defying blowout full of body and movement. Thanks to its content of sucrose and glycerin, it leaves your hair feeling hydrated and nourished.
Scalp Delight™ Detox Scrub
Does your hair feel limp or heavy? It might be due to build up of oils, dirt, hair products, or hard water minerals in your hair. The solution is a clarifying shampoo scrub. It keeps your scalp fresh to prevent build-up from weighing down your hair.
Hair Powder vs. Powder Dry Shampoo?
These powder based products can be easily confused but they are not the same. A volume powder is a styling product that adds body, texture, and hold, whereas powder dry shampoo aims to refresh greasy hair. Both of them have a mattifying effect but if your main concern is oily hair, opt for a dry shampoo. Remember that you can always use hair texture powder and natural dry shampoo together for the best of both worlds!
How to Avoid Build-Up from Styling Products
Volume powder looks great, but you must factor it into your hair care to prevent build-up. Here’s how:
1. Clarify Your Hair
Clarifying shampoo has slightly stronger cleaning properties than normal shampoo and is excellent at breaking down pollution, grease, and hair products. If you don’t clarify, these things can clog hair follicles leading to irritation, itching and even hair loss. I recommend using a gentle scalp scrub instead of your regular shampoo once a week if you use hair styling powder frequently.
2. Double Shampoo
The first wash with shampoo breaks up dirt, oils, and product residue. However, they can still hover around your roots and hair strands, so you often need a second shampoo to ensure fresh and rejuvenated hair. This is especially important if you use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo.
3. Use Small Amounts of Hair Texture Powder
There’s too much of a good thing, and that thing is tipping an entire bottle of volume powder on your head every day. This could make your hair too sticky or irritate the scalp. Instead, apply when you need a boost and combine it with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner for best results.
4. Choose Products With Gentle and Natural Ingredients
Hair products can contain harsh chemicals that strip the hair or build up quickly. However, choosing styling products with natural ingredients that enhance your hair’s health is a great option.
Hairstyles That Look Great Using Hair Powder
Here are some incredible hairstyle ideas that you can elevate using hair powder.
Messy bun
I am a sucker for a messy bun. It’s a seriously cute ‘effort-but-no-effort’ look. But getting that volume? Nightmare. That’s where hair volume powder comes in. Here’s how to use it:
Step 1. Prep your hair
Brush out your hair and add some volumizing hair powder to the roots. Ensure you put it in different areas to create volume all over your hair.
Step 2. Activate the powder
Turn your head upside down, then shake and ruffle up your roots. Get in there and flip your hair from side to side to give it volume. Make sure you’re doing more of a gentle roll with your head rather than an AC/DC headbang, or you’ll tangle your hair. Try a scalp massager if you don’t want to use your fingers.
Step 3. Create the bun
After massaging in the powder, create a high bun. I like finger-combing it for a natural, messy look, but you can also use a brush or a wide-tooth comb.
Once you’ve got the shape you want, look in the mirror to give it some tweaks. Pull out strands to frame the face and near the back of the head to create the ‘I just woke up like this’ vibe. You might want to secure it with bobby pins or add a jaw clip for added height.
Textured waves
There’s nothing worse than flat waves. Okay, there are far worse things, but don’t you just hate it when you get those curls looking perfect, only for them to fall out two minutes later?
Step 1. Create your waves
Use a curling iron (apply heat protectant!), or try heatless curls to start the look.
Step 2. Add powder
When your waves are set, apply some powder (including your hairline along the back of your neck). Let it settle and shake gently at the roots with your fingers to distribute and activate the powder.
Step 3. Set your style
Set your hair with a medium-hold hair spray. Remember, the powder will settle after a minute or two, so don’t freak out if there’s more volume than you bargained for in the beginning.
A messy ponytail
I love a good ponytail, but I hate it when the hairband slides back, and I’m left with a flat and pretty boring hairstyle. Here’s how to create a great look:
Step 1. Prep your hair
Like the messy bun, you want to brush your hair and apply the texture powder throughout your roots. Rub in the powder, flipping your hair from side to side for height.
Step 2. Create a showstopping ponytail
Gather your ponytail high on your head and secure it using a good quality hair tie that secures hair without pulling it out. You can also add a claw clip to bump your pony higher or add waves for extra texture.
Bed head look
Hair styling powder works wonders in short haircuts too. Unlike pomades or gels it gives a natural matte look, making it the perfect styling product for creating casually cool bed head styles.
Step 1. Apply powder
Apply hair powder evenly all over your hair, focusing on the roots and top sections.
Step 2. Create the messy look
Use your fingers to massage the product in and tousle your hair. Play around until you achieve the desired look. If you’re craving more hold, apply a pea-sized amount of Mineral Clay Wax.
If you want that effortless beachy look, texture powder is the way to go. Give it a try to give your roots lift, and your locks bounce.
