When you hear “hair mousse,” you probably think it only works on one hair type — curly hair. Many people assume mousse is only useful for our friends with huge and luscious curls.
After all, one of the mousse’s greatest gifts is to style and enhance waves and texture in our tresses.
You might ask yourself, what does mousse do to straight hair?
Contrary to popular belief, anyone can use a good hair mousse—yes, even people with pin-straight hair.
Hair mousse provides terrific benefits for straight hair, like adding a boost of volume and bringing back the gorgeous shine.
With a quick pump and a five-minute application, mousse makes hair look healthy and salon-beautiful every single day.
Intrigued yet? You should be.
Here’s the lowdown on hair mousse and how you can use it on your straight hair.

What is hair mousse, and what are its benefits?

A mousse is a hair styler that comes in the form of thick, airy foam. It’s more lightweight than other hair products like gels and creams, which is why it’s an excellent option for fine and delicate hair.
It’s a fan favorite in the beauty community because it’s one of the only styles you can apply liberally without thinking about how heavy it will be on your head.
It doesn’t weigh the hair down, and nor does it let your tresses get too crunchy because of its airy texture.
You can apply mousse to your roots for many reasons, from volumizing your locks with an added lift to refreshing braids and making them look brand new.
It’s common to comb it through your hair with a brush or your fingers and have it blow-dried in to finish your hairstyle.
Mousse has many advantages if you have damp hair—most of which aren’t shared by its heavier counterparts like creams, serums, and gels.
First off, it gives your hair va-voom volume and body. You can make your hair look two times bigger than when it’s lying flat and air-dried with a blow dryer if you use a good-quality mousse.
It does so by lifting the roots and allowing them to sit in an upright position so that your hair falls nicely with some bounce and body.
It’s also popular as a curl-enhancing product, which is why many people assume you can’t use mousse on straight hair.
It brings out your natural texture and adds definition to it. For many people with straight hair, mousse is a way of discovering just how wavy their hair can get without heat styling.
Another benefit mousse provides is hold. It keeps your locks in place all day without that stiff, crunchy feeling traditional hairsprays and gels leave.
Mousse works wonders when it comes to providing flexibility to your locks, all the while keeping them tame and controlled, even if they’re super frizzy.
Mousse also adds a bit of sheen to the hair. You can opt for a small amount of product for a natural shine, or go all-out and opt for a slicked-back wet-look for more glamorous formal affairs.
Lastly, mousse is a great way to add extra protection, especially if you have thin hair. It fights humidity so that your hair won’t get poofy and frizzy in extreme weather.
It also provides heat protection to keep your locks safe if you feel like grabbing that curling iron or straightener.

Can people with straight hair use hair mousse?

Yes, tons of mousses are friendly to and even designed specifically for straight hair in need of elevating.
Mousses are very versatile—there’s one for every styling need. For curly hair, you want something to bring out your natural spiral pattern and define those waves.
For straight and flat hair, you want a mousse that will give you maximum volume and movement for your locks.
Limp, pin-straight hair turns into a bodied head of thick hair when mousse gets involved by lifting the roots near your scalp.
Mousse can give your locks a lot more flow, texture, and structure than you’re used to, so you should enjoy every second of it.
Aside from just volume, straight hair can also benefit from mousse because of its hold.
If you want to maintain a fancy hairstyle for longer than a few hours, you can always count on mousse to keep it together for you. Think of it as a modern hairspray, but without stiffness and unnatural shine.

Incorporating hair mousse in your hair care routine

To incorporate mousse into your usual hair routine, you first have to pick out the right mousse for your hair needs.
There are many kinds of hair mousse, and you can’t just pick up a random mousse. Listen to your hair and see what it needs most.
For example, if you live in a windy city and hate how frizzy and unruly your hair gets because of it, you could opt for an extra-hold mousse.
And if you have fairly dry or damaged hair, you can get a nourishing conditioning mousse that can make it smooth and hydrated again.
When you have the mousse that you feel is best for your locks, you can start thinking about how to can incorporate it into your routine—that is, in which two steps will make it go-between.
Mousse is best applied to damp hair, so it is a good idea to use it right as you get out of the shower.
If you have a regular leave-in conditioner that you spritz into your hair, the mousse should go after that.
Your leave-in will moisturize your hair to prep it for the styling process, making your mousse’s job of smoothing out the hair easier.
The mousse should go on next, applied to your roots, and spread through the ends of your hair as well. This is considered your styling step.
You can use it alone or in conjunction with something heavier if your straight hair is relatively thick. You can pair it with a nice gel or cream.
Make sure your finishing oil or serum goes after your mousse. A finisher like the argan oil will ensure that the moisture your mousse fed your hair will stay sealed in all day.

The correct way of applying hair mousse to straight hair

Yes, there is a correct way of using hair mousse. If you’re careless about how you apply it to your hair, you risk not reaping the full benefits of your mousse, so read carefully and take notes.

First, you want to start with clean and freshly washed hair. Putting mousse on dirty hair can just add to the product buildup already in your strands, which can weigh your hair down.
It also keeps your hair shaft from sucking up all the moisturizing goodness your mousse has to offer.
Make sure your hair is still a little damp (but not soaking wet!) before putting the mousse in.
If you’ve towel-dried or air-dried your hair for a few minutes, you can use a leave-in to help get your hair back to its damp state.
Now, it’s time to apply. If you’re using mousse for the first time, spray a dollop of airy mousse into your hand, not directly into your scalp.
If you put the product into your hand first, you can keep an eye on how much mousse will be going into your hair.
It also gives you more control of where you want to put the mousse, which is why it’s a great way to do it for beginners.
When it comes to mousse, a little goes a long way. Don’t cover your whole hand with the stuff—an egg-sized amount should do the trick.
Next, you want to use your fingers to spread the product along your roots.
It’s crucial that you concentrate your initial application on your roots because this is what’s going to give your hair that lift and volume you crave.
It’s best to use your hands for this step so that you can easily massage the mousse into your scalp. This ensures that your roots get as much of the product as they need.
Make sure your mousse is spread evenly across your roots and that no area is wetter than another, as this may cause stiffness and crunchiness later on.
With your hands, spread the mousse down to the lengths of your hair until all your locks are covered. You can use your hands again, but you can also go for a wide-toothed comb or boar brush.
They don’t have to be super wet and saturated. As long as a little bit of product was absorbed by your hair, you’re good to go.
Good distribution is key. You don’t want any wet patches on your hair. Start from the roots near your head and work your way down to the ends.
This will be easier when done in sections, so you may want to part your hair into quadrants before starting.
Now for the fun part—styling however you want! You can put your hair in any style you want, whether it’s a full-bodied blowout or curling withrollers.
If you opt for the blown-out look, one tip to get maximum volume is flicking your hairbrush upwards as you blow-dry.
This adds even more lift to your roots so that you can get the most out of your mousse and the volume it magically provides.

Top recommendations for mousse for straight hair

While many people presume that most mousses are formulated primarily for curly hair, that’s not really the case.
There are tons of mousses designed to give straight hair volume, shine, and hydration. These range from professional salon products to drugstore mousses that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
If you’re looking for voluminous hair that looks like you just stepped out of a fashion show, you’ll want a salon-quality mousse like theNexxus Mousse Plus Volumizing Foam.
It gives your roots a nice lift without making your hair look too poofy and outdated.
This Nexxus mousse has a light hold so that you can maintain your hairstyle’s structure without it looking fake or feeling too stiff.
It encourages natural movement in your locks, so you don’t have to worry about crunchiness, and all that extra weight creams and gels burden you with.
It’s light and aerated for that soft, weightless feel while still giving the utmost hydration and bounce to your tresses. It’s even enriched with keratin proteins and nourishing ceramides to add even more silky softness and bounce.
If you want a more affordable option that you can just grab at your local drugstore, you can opt for the cult-favoriteOGX Locking + Coconut Curls Decadent Creamy Mousse.
Not only does this mousse leave your hair smelling of sweet coconut, but it adds hydration to restore dry hair too.
This is the kind of mousse you’ll love if you have thick hair that you have trouble moisturizing. It’s infused with coconut oil and shea butter to eliminate frizz and keep your hair sleek and moisturized.
It has a strong hold, so your hair’s sleekness won’t budge.
And lastly, if you have the extra cash to burn and love all things luxurious, set your eyes on theMoroccanoil Volumizing Mousse. It’s perfect for fine hair that needs a little more oomph of volume.
Give your hair fullness and lively movement with this volume-boosting mousse.
This Moroccanoil mousse has a unique memory technology that maintains its hold and volumizing power even as you reshape and restyle your hair.
It’s also infused with hydrating argan oil to soften your locks and give it a luminous shine, giving the most beautiful finishing touches to your hairstyle. That said, it never leaves a sticky or oily residue on your tresses.

Conclusion

While many mousses only consider the concerns of curly hair, you can use a trusty foam on your straight hair as well. You just have to find one that suits your hair’s needs and learn how to work it to your advantage.
Bring your hair back to life with an excellent hair mousse.
In just a couple of minutes, it can transform your hair from limp and lifeless to full and voluminous, like those superstars walking down the red carpet with their hair swaying in the wind.
Who says straight hair will never look voluminous and bodied? With hair mousse, you should never say never.