Hair styling powder is great for volumizing and texturizing your hair. It’s one of the most effective solutions for hair that looks thin, flat and generally lifeless.
It also helps if you have greasy hair by absorbing excess oils and giving your hair a natural matte look.
This can be especially helpful if you want to add grip to the hair for styling. Some styles don’t work well if the hair is too fine or slippery.
Unlike volumizing gels and creams, hair styling powders don’t leave your hair feeling all heavy and greasy. If you already have oily hair, we highly recommend a powder over a gel.
In this buying guide, we review the best hair styling powders, for both men and women. But first, here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a hair powder.
What to Consider When Choosing a Hair Styling Powder
1. Ingredients
The first thing to check is the list of ingredients. This is especially important if you have delicate hair or a sensitive scalp.
Make sure there’s isn’t an ingredient that can irritate your scalp or damage your delicate hair.
If you have a very sensitive scalp, look for a hair styling powder that uses all-natural ingredients such as keratin.
2. Texture
A fine and lightweight powder penetrates to your roots easier and doesn’t feel too heavy on your hair. It’s also easier to apply.
Remember you only need a little. It’s easy to apply too much and ruin your look. See further below for our tips on how to apply hair styling powder.
3. Amount and Price
When comparing among different powders, check the weight of the bottle and compare it to the price. This will give you an idea of how much value for money you are getting.
Two bottles may cost roughly the same but one has half the amount of powder, making it the more expensive choice.
4. Extra Features and Benefits
Here are some of the extra features and benefit to look for in a hair styling powder.
- UV protection. Beneficial if you spend a lot of time outside.
- Electrostatic hair powder. This is powder with a negative charge to help it stick to the hair for longer.
- Travel-friendly packaging that fits neatly into your handbag or travel bag.
How to Apply Hair Styling Powder
The golden rule to remember with hair styling powder is that a little goes a long way. Apply too much and you’ve got a powdery mess to deal with.
You can add the powder first to your hand and then hair or apply it directly to the hair.
Either way, focus on getting it as close as possible to the roots to get the best volume and height. Then use your fingers to spread and blend the powder throughout your hair.
Another option is to apply a little powder section by section until all the hair is covered.
Remember to apply styling powder only on dry hair.
The Best Hair Styling Powder Reviews
1. Got2B Schwarzkopf Powderful Volumising Powder
The Got2B Powderful Volumising Powder provides an instant lift and volume. It also gives the hair some texture, which is handy when you need to style it.
The powder is very fine and lightweight. It penetrates easily to the roots and doesn’t add any weight to your hair. If anything, your hair feels lighter and airier afterwards.
For best results, focus mostly on the roots.
Apply a little of the Got2B powder on your hands, rub hands together until powder disappears and then spread it in your hair roots.
For an extra-high lift, the manufacturer recommends sprinkling it directly into the hair and then spreading it with your hands.
Customer feedback is very positive. Users say it volumizes better than most powders and they love that it doesn’t leave any residue on hair.
The powder comes as a duo pack – two bottles of 10g each.
What we like about it:
- Works instantly.
- Penetrates easily into the roots.
- Leaves no residue.
- Reduces shine on oily hair.
2. Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Texturising Powder
This is the best texturizing and volumizing powder for men. There’s no special reason it’s for men – its benefits are great for anyone with thin flat hair.
Instead of wax or gel, which sometimes leave a not-so-great greasy appearance on hair, use the Slik Gorilla powder to create texture and lift while keeping your hair looking natural (another advantage of powder over wax is that it’s easier to wash out).
The powder leaves an understated matte finish that’s especially helpful for men (and women) with oily hair.
It’s easy to apply the powder.
You can first apply it on your hands and then spread it on your hair or apply it directly on hair. The latter will result in a more noticeable lift.
To spread the powder, just run your fingers through your hair, roughing it up as much as possible. The lift is instant and it holds well throughout the day (even in rain).
In the evening, it washes out easily with some shampoo.
What we like about it:
- Instant results.
- Provides a beautiful natural look.
- Maintains lift through the day.
- Easy to wash out with shampoo.
3. L’Oreal Expert Professionnel Tecni Art Powder Volume
This is our most expensive picks, costing roughly the same as other powders but only for 7g of hair styling powder.
But it’s one of the best texturizing and volumizing powders.
It provides an instant lift, giving your hair plenty of volume. The matte finish looks natural, unlike the sometimes-greasy look you get from gels and waxes.
One thing we love about the L’Oreal powder, more specifically the bottle, is how it dispense the fine dust.
You don’t have to shake the powder onto your hands. Instead, you squeeze the bottle gently and it sprays a small puff in your hair.
This allows you to precisely apply the powder exactly where you need it.
Keep puffing away until you’ve covered all your hair. You can then go ahead and style it however you want.
L’Oreal says it’s okay to apply it on semi-damp hair but dry hair is the best.
What we like about it:
- Excellent results.
- Natural matte finish.
- Holds up through the day.
4. Osis Schwarzkopf Plus Dust It Conditioner
This one is also fairly pricey but it works really well.
Just add a bit to your hand and spread it through your hair. The lift is instant and it holds well through the day.
The best part is that you don’t have to worry about sticky or greasy hair that is common with clays and gels.
You have to be careful not to apply too much though especially if you already have dry hair. It can dry out the hair, giving it a dull look.
With some practice, you’ll find the perfect balance that volumizes your hair without making it too dry.
What we like about it:
- Great results – works really well for those with wispy and limp hair.
- Holds well through the day.
- Requires just a little to add enough lift to hair.
5. Great British Barber Hair Styling Texture Powder
This is the only styling powder among our picks with UV protection. That’s a nice bonus especially if you spend a lot of time outside.
It works great for thin and fine hair, providing a good lift and adding texture for easier styling. If you have greasy hair, the powder soaks up the excess oils and leaves your hair with a natural matte look.
It comes in a 20g bottle, which will last you longer than the Osis and L’Oreal powders. Just remember to apply only a little.
What we like about it:
- Instant results.
- Provides UV protection.
- Easy to apply with no residue left.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where to buy hair styling powder?
Most high street salons will sell you hair styling powder. You can also find them in chemists, or dedicated health and beauty shops. Failing that, you can order these volumising powders online – have a chat to your stylist if you are not sure which brand you should go for.
Q: How does hair styling powder work?
Hair styling powder, also called mattifying or texturising powder, is for adding texture and volume to your hair.
These powders contain silica silyate which is a rough particulate that feels a bit like talcum powder (but without the health issues that come with talc), and it is this which adds the texture and volume by increasing friction between the hair strands.
The other ingredients in the powder also help to remove moisture, and can get rid of excess oils and make your hair look bigger.
It is best to use hair styling powder on dry hair, and it’s easiest to shake the bottle directly onto you hair as putting it in your hand first can be a bit messy. Applying just to the roots of your hair will give instant volume, or you can flip your head over and apply the powder everywhere for some serious lift.
You can use it on short or long hair – for short it is recommended to apply it to the ends of the hair in small sections, and for longer hair you should go for the roots.
You can also apply it to ponytails; sprinkling a little on the ends and scrunching them between your fingers will revamp a limp, tired ponytail.
Q: Is hair styling powder bad for your hair?
Hair styling powder is completely harmless to your hair. If you were to use it repeatedly without washing it out well then you may end up with a dry, itchy scalp and even flaky dandruff, but as long as you follow the directions and wash it out well within three days or so then it should be absolutely fine.
