With so many curly hair styler options, it can be tricky trying to determine what stylers will best enhance your curls and achieve the desired goal. Hair mousse and hair foams for curly hair have and continue to gain popularity in Dubai and the wider UAE. This summer alone we saw record breaking sales for Camille Rose Spiked Honey Mousse and TréLuxe Soothe & Restore Curl Defining Mousse. Before we explore why these mousses in particular have gained so much popularity, it’s important to strip it back and understand what a hair mousse is, what curl types best benefit from this type of styler and how best to use a mousse.

What is a hair mousse?

In the simplest terms, a hair mousse is a styling agent that can be used on all hair textures. For curly hair in particular, hair mousse is used to enhance the natural curl pattern by increasing curl definition and volume which is a measure of how bouncy your curls are right from the root and enhance natural shine.
Interestingly, the word mousse actually originates from French term meaning foam. So with many articles online aiming to offer an explicit explanation as to the difference between a mousse and a foam based on the terms origin it’s clear the terms can be used interchangeably and they often are.

While hair mousse has regained popularity due to its ability to define and volumise curly hair, it’s not new to the hair market, as hair mousse first gained popularity in the 80’s and now considered the most popular styling product after a hairspray. Looking at an article published by the New York Times in January 1985, the term “ Mousse Maina” was coined as there was a rampant increase in the use of mousse in the haircare industry, as hairstylists began advertising this revolutionary and versatile styling product to their customers
If we look back at the hairstyling market in 80’s, we see that big hair was in. The more the volume, the better! That was the look many high profile celebrities were going for. We see many celebrities reinvent those same looks today. We must highlight this big hair trend seen in the ‘80s wasn’t unique to women alone. Images from the 1980’s show us that mullets were very much a trend back then for males.

Hair mousse and its rising popularity in the curly hair world

In the last 18 months, we have seen numerous indie curly hair brands come to market with a mousse or foam. Why? There was a noticeable gap in the market for a styling product that delivers definition, volume and in some cases hold in a lightweight format that all curl types can benefit from, particularly fine curly hair types.

Fine curl types often struggle to achieve maximum curl definition without being weighed down, the weight starts at the roots, sometimes resulting in flat curls at the top and clumped curls from mid to the ends of the hair shaft.

You may wonder what causes curls to be weighed down? There are many causes including excessive use of styling products, improper cleansing and use of products not suited to your hair porosity, if your hair is unable to absorb products well, it sits on the hair shaft. For the best styling results, regardless of the chosen styling product, we always recommend applying on freshly washed hair.

Social media often makes styling curly hair appear to be a game of trial and error in order to understand what styling products are best suited your curl type (including texture, density and porosity), but the reality is some what different. Once you understand your hair’s porosity and density, it’s easy to navigate the curly hair product market.

 Recommended application for best results with a curly hair mousse

• Consider applying on wet hair, not soaking wet if you are going for maximum definition and volume with a wash and go. Incorporate the root clipping method to ensure volume starts right from the roots, particularly if you have fine curls.

• For soft, lightweight curls. Use a mousse as your sole styler, using the raking method or praying hands followed by a detangling or curl defining brush.

• For stronger hold and more elongated curls. Use a mousse as your base styler and layer this with a defining strong hold gel.

• For braid out, twist outs or bantu knots styles, apply to damp hair and use the mousse to set your style in place. Be sure to fluff your roots once your style is dry and the twists or braids has been unravelled.

• For tighter curl patterns that need a little more encouragement with curl clump formation, we recommend smoothing the mousse onto the hair shaft, start from close to the root but avoiding the scalp and take a few passes with a detangling brush to encourage more definition.

Finding the right mousse for curly hair in Dubai

When choosing a mousse for curly hair textures in Dubai, it is crucial you consider the middle eastern climate and use that in determining what key features you need in a mousse. We know that a mousse generally speaking is a lightweight styler, however many mousses contain drying alcohols. These types of mousse should be avoided at all cost for curly hair types, which is naturally more prone to dryness.

Key features to look for include:

• Frizz control during seasons of high humidity, this will avoid your hair pulling in excess moisture from the air. Your primary form of moisture should be from your conditioning treatment and leave in conditioner. Frizz control comes via ingredients such as VP/VA Copolymer. Cosmeticsinfo.org refers to this ingredients ability to help hold the style of your hair in place by limiting the hair’s ability to absorb moisture. Absorbing moisture from the air is a by product of many humectants which offer hydrating and moisturising properties for curly hair.

• A curl defining emollient such as Aloe Vera Juice, Honey or Flaxseed Extract which offers the best of both worlds – moisture, curl definition and elongation.

• Polysorbate 20 – a binding ingredient which reduces ingredients separating in the product and increases the spreadability and absorption in the hair shaft without excessive build up.

These features can be found in our best selling mousse - Treluxe Soothe & Restore Curl Defining Mousse and Camille Rose Spiked Honey Mousse.