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Hair

These Root-Lift Sprays Deliver Big Hair Energy

 

They use polymers and resins to create instant volume—without extra weight or a crunchy feel.

If you’re dreaming of bouncier, fuller-looking hair at your crown, a good root-lift spray might be your five-second answer. These lightweight, targeted volumizing products are designed to give hair a boost right at the scalp (where volume starts) without the crunch or stiffness of traditional styling products. Paired with a good hair-thickening conditioner, their effects can last for days, too.

Perfect for fine, flat, or thinning hair, root-lift sprays help create the illusion of thicker hair while keeping your style soft and touchable. They’re also great for adding longevity to your blowout, preventing styles from falling flat by midday, or simply giving hair that refreshed, lifted look between washes. “Root-lift sprays form a coating or barrier around hair strands, providing structure and an illusion of thickness,” says Eddie M. Parra, a hairstylist in New York City. Many are heat-activated, making them ideal for blowouts or quick volume touch-ups.

Best Overall: Living Proof Full Volume & Root Lifting Spray

Why we love it: For lasting volume and lift—especially for fine, thinning, or low-density hair—you can’t go wrong with Living Proof Full Volume & Root Lifting Spray. The formula features the brand’s patented thickening molecule and water-soluble resins to create full-bodied, touchable volume that doesn’t feel sticky or stiff. It also includes amaranth peptides, which help plump hair for a bouncier, fuller look. “I love how lightweight it feels while still delivering up to twice the volume compared to untreated hair,” says Parra. “You can spray it directly at the roots and throughout your hair for an all-over thickening effect. Plus, it protects against heat up to 450°F and is safe for color-treated hair. It’s a win-win.”

Best for Long Hair: Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray

Why we love it: A 2024 Best of Beauty Award Winner, Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray, is also a stylist favorite. Designed for use on both damp and dry hair, it features proprietary elastomers that act like tiny springs at the root, giving hair instant, long-lasting volume without stiffness or stickiness. “If you’re looking for serious root lift—especially for fine or thinning hair—this is it,” says Lauren Paglionico, a hair colorist in New York City. “It’s sulfate-free, offers heat protection, and makes hair look noticeably thicker." While the formula sets as it dries—making it a bit trickier to blow-dry—New York City stylist Kimberly Gueldner says that’s exactly what makes it ideal for roller sets or structured blowouts. “It has impressive staying power and works especially well for medium-fine and oily hair types,” she adds.

Longest-Lasting: K18 AstroLift Reparative Volume Spray

Why we love it: Volumizers usually come with a catch (crunchiness, stickiness, or buildup), but K18’s AstroLift Reparative Volume Spray is in its own league. Powered by the brand’s biotech-backed peptide complex (yes, the same one that made their leave-in mask go viral), this featherlight spray does more than just boost volume—it repairs damage from the inside out. “K18 is notorious for the strengthening peptide in their products, which is in this spray,” says Parra. “It has a conditioning effect while creating volume.” You can use it on damp or dry hair, with or without styling, and thanks to its two-day hair memory, that volume lasts.

Best for Flat Hair: RÅŒZ Air Thickening Spray

Why we love it: After years behind the chair at Mare in LA and styling some of Hollywood’s best manes (hi, Emma Stone and Cara Delevingne), celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak bottled her expertise into RÅŒZ—and the Air Thickening Spray is a standout. “This lightweight, buildable mist adds airy volume, touchable texture, and flexible hold without any crunch. It’s infused with ingredients like rice protein and mushroom root extract to strengthen strands and support scalp health, especially helpful if you're not washing daily,” says Paglionico. It’s not just what she advises her clients to use; she uses it on herself: “It delivers impressive volume without weighing the hair down and works beautifully on both fine and medium textures. The mist is ultra-light and never sticky, which makes it easy to layer. I also love the scent—it’s fresh with a subtle floral note that’s never overpowering,” she says.

Best for Frizz: Sisley Paris Volumizing Spray

Why we love it: Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Volumizing Spray brings flat roots back to life. It’s loaded with plant-based ingredients that do more than just style: Boswellia gum gives your roots lift and structure, rice bran proteins plump up each hair, and pro-vitamin B5 adds strength and shine. A lightweight volumizing resin keeps everything bouncy and touchable, not stiff. “Yes, this spray is luxurious and expensive, but it’s worth it,” says Paglionico. “It has anti-humidity ingredients that keep your hair full, even in the heat. And because it’s so lightweight, it won’t weigh hair down or make it frizzy. I also love the fresh scent.”

Best for Fine Hair: Phyto Volume Styling Spray

Why we love it: If you’re after all-day volume and hair you can still run your fingers through, Phyto Volume Volumizing Styling Spray is a must. This mist is boosted by waterlily extract to lift at the roots and white mallow extract, which not only amps up shine but also smooths the hair cuticle for a silky, light-reflective finish. “Phyto Volume is definitely a classic in a salon setting,” says Gueldner. “It’s great for fine hair because it’s lightweight, easy to use, and not too stiff, so it’s easier to blow-dry. Plus, it won’t leave hair oily by the end of the day.” It’s free of silicones, sulfates, and parabens, so your hair stays bouncy, soft, and looking healthy.

Best for Oily Hair: Unite Liquid Volume Texture Spray

Why we love it: Less is more with Unite Liquid Volume—in the best way possible. This lightweight root lifter goes on wet, dries in seconds, and leaves a matte texture that you can reactivate anytime with a touch or brush. It delivers long-lasting fullness, helps control oil at the roots, and adds touchable hold without weighing hair down. “A little goes a long way with this one,” says Mia Santiago, a hairstylist in Columbus, OH and New York, NY. “It delivers major volume and a grippy finish. I like to say it keeps your hair full of secrets.” It’s safe for color-treated hair and extensions, so it works for everyone looking for a boost.

Best for Heat Styling: Kérastase Volume in Powder Hair Spray

Why we love it: For truly effortless styling, Kérastase Volume in Powder Hair Spray adds touchable volume. This dry aerosol spray adds airy volume and texture with a strong yet re-shapeable hold, making it perfect for anyone who wants full hair that still feels soft. “It stands out to me because it gives body and hold, but is still touchable,” says Raven Hurtado, a stylist at Maxine Salon based in Chicago. “It’s perfect for fine hair and provides an immediate lift without weighing it down,” she says. It also features dimethicone, which helps smooth frizz, boost shine, and protect against heat damage from thermal styling. Plus, there’s UV protection to help fend off frizz and sun-induced damage.

Best for Damaged Hair: Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Treatment Spray

Why we love it: If your hair looks sparse or feels flat, give it a spritz of Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Treatment Spray. This weightless, multitasking mist gives roots a subtle lift for instant volume and supports the appearance of thicker, fuller-looking hair. “It’s great for those with thin hair who struggle with volume. What stands out is that it doubles as a styling product and a treatment,” says Hurtado. Infused with peptides and red clover extract, pea sprout extract, and polymers, the formula helps support scalp health and strengthen hair from the root. “It leaves a cooling effect on the scalp, which is how you know it’s working,” Hurtado adds. “It’s not sticky or waxy and doesn’t leave behind any residue."

Frequently Asked Questions

What does root lift spray do?

Root lift sprays are designed to boost volume right at the roots, giving hair a fuller, more lifted appearance, especially when paired with heat-styling tools. “Root lifting sprays are generally applied directly at the root with the intention to maximize volume while blow drying,” says Parra. “They create a coating, barrier, or even fibers between the hair strands, allowing it to have structure and the illusion of thickness.”

What is the difference between mousse and root lifter?

Both mousse and root lifters are among the best hair-volume products on the shelf, but they each have their own unique benefits. “Root lifting sprays provide more focus at the root for a variety of hair types, while a mousse is used throughout the hair entirely for all-over body and hold,” says Parra. “Mousse is generally used for event hair styling and is a bigger product commitment. Unless you know you love the mousse, root lifting sprays have more flexibility and tend to be easier to use at home yourself.”

How do I get more lift at roots?

To get more lift at the roots, apply a root-lifting spray directly to damp hair at the scalp and blow dry using a round brush or by flipping your head upside down. “Root-lifting spray can work on any hair type, with the most dramatic effects on finer or flat hair because of the natural structure,” says Parra. “I tell clients they may want to only use this product while blow drying, as most of these sprays need heat to be activated.”

For even more lift before a special event, Parra suggests skipping conditioner in the shower and opting for a lightweight, spray-on leave-in instead “so the hair remains malleable” and doesn’t get weighed down. Dry shampoo can also work in a pinch.

Meet the experts

• Lauren Paglionico, a hair colorist and founder of Lrn Beauty, based in New York City
• Eddie M Parra, a senior stylist at Benjamin Salon, based in New York City
• Kimberly Gueldner, a stylist and founder of Voel Hair
• Mia Santiago, a stylist and owner of Headspace by Mia based in Columbus, OH
• Raven Hurtado, a stylist at Maxine Salon based in Chicago

How we test and review products

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls—right?

For our review of the best root-lifting sprays, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and board-certified dermatologists—who have experience with different scalp conditions, including dandruff. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.