Do Volumizing Products Actually Work?

Volumizing products promise fuller-looking curls and lifted roots, but do they actually work for curly hair, or are they just sticky, overhyped, and a total waste of money?

Today, I tested it out with a side-by-side comparison: one routine with a popular volumizing foam, and one without. Here, I’ll break down how these products work, when they help, and whether they’re really worth adding to your routine—especially depending on your hair type.

How do volumizing products differ, and how do you choose?

Volumizing products are add-in products used with your other stylers. They come in various formats and vary based on:

• Format/formula
  • Foam
  • Mousse
  • Liquid sprays
  • Powder sprays
  • Aerosol sprays
  • Lotions
• Texture/grit level – some don’t have any, and some are highly texturizing
• Hold level
• Moisture/conditioning level
  • Conditioning properties likely will soften your hold/gel cast

Depending on your hair type and its needs, you may find certain volumizers more effective. For example:

• Soft, silky hair textures and loose curls and wave patterns may want a high level of grit and low moisture/conditioning.
• Rough-textured hair may want little to no grit and more moisture/conditioning.
• Tight textures can use a variety but may find that grit makes their hair more tangled. 

Volumizing Products
Product Category	Conditioning Level	Texture/Grit Level	Hold Level	Examples / Notes
Lotion	Medium	None	None–Light	Volumizing lotions & creams; Can be too heavy or softening for fine curls.
Foam	Low	Low–High	None–Light	Water-based foams; Lightweight, expands hair with air and texture, encourages clumps, varies in grit.
Mousse	Low-Medium	Medium–High	Light–Strong	Aerosol mousses; Plumps the hair with air while offering hold; varies in grit, conditioning, and hold
Liquid Sprays	Low	Medium–High	None–Light	Water-based salt sprays, root lifting sprays; Reduces moisture to create volume; varies in grit and hold
Powder Spray	None	High	None	Dry shampoos; Absorbs oil & moisture, gives a matte look, applied on dry hair, can cause buildup.
Texture Spray	None	Medium	None–Light	Aerosol sprays; Adds grit, gives a matte look, can break up clumps, applied on dry hair, can cause buildup.
Hairspray	None	High	Medium–Strong	Aerosol or water-based sprays; Adds grit and hold, hold varies, can cause buildup.

Step 1: Water + Heat protectant

For both routines, I started with freshly washed hair. You want to ensure your hair and scalp are free from buildup and oils that can weigh down your roots and make your curls appear more limp. I also make sure my hair is evenly wet and apply heat protectant.

Step 2: Volumizer (skipped in the 2nd routine using just gel)

Now here’s where the difference kicks in—for the first routine, I added a volumizing product to see if it actually boosts volume. I chose Innersense’s I Create Lift Volumzing Foam for this comparison routine because it’s a popular volumizing product that I find a lot of my clients and viewers use, hoping to get more volume.

Step 3: Jessicurl Gel + Styling in Sections

I talk a lot about simplifying your routines and minimizing products whenever possible. Since the Innersense I Create Lift foam doesn’t have enough hold, I have to use a gel on top. You always want your strongest hold product on top.

Step 4: Microplopping + Extra Gel

To help my curls last and reduce dry time, I microplopped and added a bit more gel. This is something I do in nearly every routine.

Now that we’ve applied our stylers, let’s move on to drying, because how you diffuse makes or breaks your volume.

Step 5: Diffusing

For both routines, I did my typical diffusing. I used the diffuser prongs to really lift the roots. That gives me way more lift than any styling product ever could. 

But since this is typically how I diffuse my hair and I want the comparison between the routines to be as close as possible, I still did this technique.

Step 6: Scrunch out the crunch

After my hair is dried, I used my dry hands to scrunch out the cast and fluff my roots. This step is key if you want volume.

As we discussed, some volume-boosting products create a gritty feel or slight stiffness or stickiness—that’s intentional. Soft, slippery hair usually can’t hold its volume. 

This is often when I add a hairspray if I’m not getting enough of that grit and want to really amp up the volume and hold, but I’m skipping it so we can isolate the foam to truly test it.

Our hair naturally falls throughout the day, but having that sticky/gritty feeling in your hair on wash day is what will help on your refresh days. Fluffing your hair when it has that feeling is what will bring back the volume and help it come back to life! 

We all want soft, touchable, AND fully voluminous hair. But, unfortunately, it’s usually a trade-off of volume vs. touchable softness.

Final Results & Analysis

Can you see a difference in my volume from these two routines? 

My observations:

Slip & Moisture

Hold & Cast

Volume & Fullness

Day 2 Results

What differences can you spot in my day 2 hair, without refreshing?

My observations:

Hold & Cast

Will volumizing products make a difference in your hair?

The short answer is, “it depends.” Volumizing products that contain texture and grit can help, especially if you have loose waves or fine curls that fall flat from being overly soft. Volumizing products typically don’t help (or do hurt) if used with heavy stylers (e.g., leave-ins, oils).

Volumizers that do not contain texture and grit, such as certain foams, lotions, etc., often don’t make much of a difference. They can reduce your hold, frizz control, and longevity.

The bottom line is – volumizing products can work for SOME hair types and only when paired with the right techniques and realistic expectations. And the only way to really know if a product will enhance your volume is to try it on your hair! Be sure to limit your variables and test one thing at a time, and track your results.

Use my Curly Hair Tracker and Planner to document your tests and identify if the product actually worked or not.

Choosing the right products based on your specific hair type while learning to have realistic expectations is something I help my clients with in my Curl Coaching Membership. If this is something you’d like help with, check the link below. Membership closes for the summer program tomorrow (June 30), though, so don’t wait!