7 Best Mousse for Wavy Hair in 2022

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When you have those beautiful beachy waves, all you want to do is make them last longer. If you have naturally wavy hair, then mousse is a lifesaver because it adds volume and definition to make your waves look bouncy. Even if you just want waves occasionally, then mousse is the best way to ensure the waves last all day without flattening and straightening.

There are so many types of waves, so it’s often hard to pick the best mousse for wavy hair. If you have type 2 (wavy) hair, there’s always this struggle between defined and textured hair and then the overly crunchy and dry feeling when you use a mousse. But the secret to healthy-looking hair is to use the right formula.

Mousse for Wavy Hair

Wavy hair is quite easy to style with a mousse product. That’s because you can get all the benefits of several different styling products in one pump. The mousse defines curls and waves and adds lots of volume. As well, mousses don’t make your hair feel sticky and prevent the waves from falling flat.

There are many gels, spray, and mousse formulas for wavy hair. But, if you want the best results for wavy hair, a mousse is the best pick. That’s because a mouse is more lightweight and airy than a gel product, for example. Therefore, it doesn’t weigh down the hair. Some gels make your hair clumpy, crunchy, and impossible to comb through.

The role of the mousse is to gently sculpt the hair and give you defined waves or curls. It creates that ‘salty beach waves’ effect even if you’re nowhere near the beach.

Best Mousse For Wavy Hair Reviewed

Best Rated: Moroccanoil Beach Wave Mousse

Moroccanoil Beach Wave Mousse

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This premium mousse is one of the most popular ‘beach wave’ products on Amazon. It provides texture without drying out your hair, so you get the pretty beach waves without the salt effect. It’s very easy to work with this product, simply put a pump in your hair and work it through the strands for that windswept look.

Besides texturizing your wavy hair, this mousse also holds the waves in place all day long like a hairspray. It’s so easy to create the ‘tousled waves’ effect with this product because it doesn’t make hair sticky and crunchy. Instead, it leaves hair looking fresh and hydrated.

Pros

  • Contains UV absorbers to protect hair from sun damage
  • Hydrates hair
  • No sticky residue
  • No crunchy or stiff texture
  • Gives amazing tousled texture
  • Contains antioxidant ingredients like argan oil

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Hair can tangle after prolonged use.

Best Budget-Friendly: Aussie Headstrong Volume Mousse Maximum Hold

Aussie Headstrong Volume Mousse Maximum Hold

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If you like voluminous sky-high roots and defined curly waves, then this drugstore product is a great option. The formula contains white ginger, which gives your hair extra body without feeling heavy or crunchy. Since it’s such a lightweight formula, you can tousle your waves without clumping them together.

I love this product because it has maximum hold, which means that waves don’t lose their curl at all. Also, if you’re eco-conscious, you’ll be pleased to know that Aussie products are made with low carbon emission, less plastic, and less waste. The mousse also contains great ingredients such as jojoba oil, Australian alos, and sea kelp for shine and volume.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Compact bottle design and good nozzle
  • Gives lots of volume
  • Maximum hold for all-day wear
  • Weightless
  • Contains nourishing oils like jojoba and sea kelp

Cons

  • Contains benzyl alcohol
  • It makes the hair a bit greasy

Best for Coarse Hair: Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse, Quick Drying Must-Have for Perfectly Defined Luminous Curls-Almond & Avocado Collection

Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse

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If your waves are coarse and hard to detangle, then this mousse is a lifesaver. It is a medium-hold mousse formulated for coarse and thick wavy hair. If your hair is stubborn to work with, this avocado infused mousse will help you make it softer and shinier. It defines the waves and strengthens the hair shaft to prevent breakage.

This formula contains wheat protein, which penetrates the hair cuticle and strengthens it. The avocado makes hair shinier and easier to style. Almond oil adds that extra hint of moisture and makes hair look healthy from root to tip. And if you’re concerned about harmful ingredients, you’ll be glad to know that this mousse is also good for your hair. It is paraben-free and contains no petrolatum and mineral oil.

Pros

  • Contains healthy ingredients like avocado, wheat protein, and almond oil
  • Offers lots of shine
  • Very volumizing
  • Combats frizziness
  • Doesn’t leave any residue or stickiness
  • Works even on short hair
  • Paraben-free

Cons

  • Curls and waves don’t have as much hold; therefore, they can go straight after a few hours.

Best No-Frizz Formula: Cake Beauty The Curl Whip Whipped Curl Mousse

Cake Beauty The Curl Whip Whipped Curl Mousse

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Frizziness is a big concern for many people with wavy and curly hair. The waves tend to lose their definition, and hair becomes frizzy, especially in humid weather. This mousse contains vitamin E and aloe vera, which prevents frizz and keeps wavy hair intact in any weather. As well, it keeps hair hydrated, so you don’t have to worry about dry and crunchy hair.

This mousse also offers lots of volume, bounce, and hold. It can make lifeless and lackluster waves look dense and shiny. Cake Beauty prides itself on its natural formulas, and this mousse is no exception. It is cruelty-free, vegan, and formulated with quality natural ingredients.

Pros

  • Doesn’t dry out your hair
  • Contains natural ingredients
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Paraben, mineral, and sulfate-free
  • Offers volume
  • Nourishes hair and doesn’t cause dryness
  • Offers frizz and humidity protection

Cons

  • Heavier than some of the other mousses on the list
  • Has a powerful scent

Best for Color-treated Hair: OGX Quenching + Coconut Curls Frizz-Defying Moisture Mousse

OGX Quenching + Coconut Curls Frizz-Defying Moisture Mousse

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You’ve probably heard about the amazing effect of coconut oil on wavy and curly hair. It helps keep hair frizz-free, and it makes hair thicker, shinier, and more voluminous. So, if you want well-defined and textured waves, this is the right mousse. The product comes in a non-aerosol bottle, and you don’t end up with too much product per pump.

The combination of coconut oil, honey, and circus helps nourish the strands, and it boosts spirals while reducing pesky flyaways. This product is suitable for soft waves as well as dense curls. As well it’s also ideal for color-treated hair because it helps lackluster and even damaged hair look healthier.

Pros

  • Gives hair moisture and makes it looks healthier and more nourished
  • Contains natural ingredients
  • Formulated with coconut oil, citrus oil, and honey to enhance natural softness
  • Hair doesn’t dry out
  • Mousse doesn’t weigh down
  • No sticky or crunchy residue
  • No clumping
  • Makes hair very bouncy and voluminous

Cons

  • The product doesn’t smell like coconut like you expect
  • Add only a small amount, or else hair feels heavy

Best for Fine Wavy Hair: L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Ruffled Body Mousse

L'Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Ruffled Body Mousse

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This L’Oreal formula is an affordable way to get luscious waves when you air dry your hair. It’s easy to get a ruffled bouncy texture and a voluminous hairstyle. This mousse offers a 24-hour flexible hold without weighing down your locks or creating a crunchy texture.

If you really like heat-fry styling mousses, then this one is perfect because it helps hair maintain its moisture as it dries naturally. As well, hair feels softer to the touch, and there are no flakes and no residue. We really enjoy this mousse for its density effect: it makes your hair look much more voluminous, so it’s perfect for women with thinner wavy hair.

Pros

  • Great air-dry formula
  • No heat required
  • Gives lots of volume from the root to the tip
  • Makes hair shiny
  • Doesn’t weigh down your hair
  • No flakes, no residue, and no crunch
  • Makes hair very soft and touchable
  • Affordable

Cons

  • The scent doesn’t last at all, and it’s a chemically floral scent.
  • Once you apply the product, the hair is very hard to touch up.

Best Non-Aerosol: SexyHair Healthy Fresh Hair Air Dry Styling Mousse

SexyHair Healthy Fresh Hair Air Dry Styling Mousse

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For voluminous and bouncy waves, apply this mousse formula on wet hair and squeeze the hair. Then, let it air dry for that effortless beach waves look. Once it penetrates the roots, this mousse makes hair look thicker and full of volume instantly. If you don’t like aerosol bottles, you’ll like this foam pump, which pumps out the product as a liquid and turns to mousse.

It doesn’t weigh the hair down, and its residue-free, so you don’t need to worry about a crunchy and clumpy texture. As well, this mousse offers up to 72 hours of humidity protection to keep your waves intact. Therefore, hair doesn’t start to get flat or straight as the day goes on.

Pros

  • Very lightweight
  • Creates a tousled and ruffled wave effect
  • Non-aerosol formula
  • Add lots of volume
  • Makes waves more defined and dense
  • Contains mimosa flower and moonstones extract
  • Gives hair a beautiful shine
  • Medium-hold

Cons

  • Not good for fine and thin hair
  • Can make hair look greasy

Buyers Guide

What to look for in a mousse:

Before you choose a mousse, consider the following questions:

  1. How is the mousse applied? Is it easy? Does it come in an aerosol or spray pump?
  2. Can you use the mousse in combination with other products without weighing your hair down?
  3. Is the coverage buildable, and does it offer lots of volume?
  4. How long-lasting is it? Does it offer light, medium, or maximum hold?

After thinking about the questions above, consider getting a formula specifically formulated for wavy and curly hair. Get a mousse that is suitable for your hair type. The most important thing to keep in mind is that wavy hair needs a lightweight and airy type of formula. Of course, you don’t want a heavy product to make your hair look greasy and crunchy.

Now, it’s time to consider the product’s ingredients. Many mousses are made with lots of natural ingredients that are actually good for your hair. But, there are still many harmful ingredients that can damage your hair. Dryness is one of the biggest issues for wavy and curly hair. You need to stay away from any ingredients that are known to dry out your hair. These include:

  • SLS ( sodium laurel sulfates)
  • Parabens
  • Alcohol
  • Isopropyl
  • Salt

Instead, we recommend picking natural products that will maintain a neutral pH level and infuse strands with protein and healthy minerals. Also, look for hydrating oils such as argan, coconut, and almond oil because these will give your hair much-needed nourishment and shine.

How To Use It

Mousse replaces a bunch of different styling products. So, when you want your wavy hair to look its best, simply add this product to your styling routine. After you wash your hair, dry it with a towel until it’s damp. Then, apply a mousse pump to damp hair, working it in from the roots all the way to the tips. Make sure to squeeze the strands together to make the product stick. If you want the best results, crunch and squeeze your hair in different directions because this makes hair look more bouncy.

Now, if you want a more natural wave, let hair air dry as this makes the waves softer. If you want extra volume and bounce, blow dry your strands and keep squeezing the mousse into your hair.

The Bottom Line

With a mousse product, you can easily create a gorgeous wavy hairstyle that lasts all day long. The products on this list will give you lots of density and volume without that greasy and crunchy texture everyone hates. After all, you want your waves to look natural and effortless, not sticky and clumpy. So, whether you air dry or blow dry your locks, an airy mousse is going to give you that beautiful “I’ve been to the beach” look.