A texturizing spray: why clean, fine hair falls flat, and how texture spray differs from hairspray and dry shampoo

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Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

COLOR WOW Style on Steroids

COLOR WOW's Style on Steroids is among Amazon's beauty best sellers this week. It is a texturizing spray, and if you have ever wondered why your hair holds a style better on the second day than right after washing, it is the product that explains it.

Why clean hair falls flat

Freshly washed and conditioned hair is very smooth. Each strand slides easily past the next, which feels lovely but means curls drop, volume collapses, and updos slip. By the second day, a little natural oil and grit give strands something to grip, so the hair holds shape. A texture spray creates that grip on purpose.

What texture spray does

It deposits a fine, dry layer on the strands that makes them less slippery, so they hold onto each other and stand apart a little. The result is volume, body, and that piecey, lived-in look. According to the listing, this one is a moisturizing texture spray that is not sticky or stiff, does not glue strands together, and gives hair long-lasting "style memory". Its texturizers are transparent, so they leave colour looking bright rather than dull, and the listing says it does not yellow.

Texture spray, hairspray, dry shampoo

They are easy to confuse. Hairspray holds a finished style in place with a flexible film; it is the last step. Dry shampoo absorbs oil at the roots between washes; see K18's dry shampoo. Texture spray adds grip and body throughout the hair, and it can be used on clean hair or second-day hair, before or after styling.

How to use it

Shake it well. On dry hair, lift sections and spray from about a forearm's length away, focusing on the mid-lengths and the roots where you want lift. Then scrunch, tousle or rough up the hair with your fingers. Before curling or braiding, it helps the style hold; after, a light mist adds separation. Start with less; you can always add more.

Buildup

Any styling product used daily can build up, leaving hair dull or heavy. A clarifying wash every week or two clears it; see clarifying shampoo and buildup.

Who it suits

Fine or flat hair that will not hold volume, hair that is too silky to hold curls or updos, short cuts that need piecey texture, and anyone who likes a lived-in, beachy finish. It also suits colour-treated hair, since the listing says its texturizers are transparent.

What it will not do

It will not give the firm hold of a strong hairspray. It will not soak up oil like a dry shampoo. And on very thick, coarse hair, it may add more bulk than you want.

The product

A moisturizing, non-sticky texturizing spray for volume and hold, in Amazon's beauty best sellers this week, sold by Amazon when we checked.

The one people are searching for is the COLOR WOW Style on Steroids Texturizing Spray.

COLOR WOW Style on Steroids

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by CatieH, who covers nails and hair here.