Celebrity Hairstylists Can’t Get Enough of These Top-Rated Hairsprays

The celebrity stylist-loved secret to perfecting hair is a beauty classic: hairspray. Our experts, who work with everyone from Kim Kardashian to KeKe Palmer, agree the best hairsprays help lock in the hair from a.m. to p.m., ensuring you can experiment with creative hairstyles.

Hairsprays sometimes get a bad rep because they can make hair feel crunchy and dry. Thankfully, modern hairsprays help prevent static, frizz, and tame flyaways, making them a must-have when you want a sleek straight or snatched ponytail lewk. They can even help pump up the volume at the roots of those with thin and fine hair.

With more than 4,000 hairsprays on Amazon alone, it's not easy to narrow in on the best hairsprays for your needs, and that's where I come in. As Best Products' beauty editor, I spent several years covering all things hair. So to help you shop smartly, I chatted with two of the most in-demand celebrity hairstylists in the game, Andrew Fitzsimons and Kee Taylor, about what to consider when shopping for hairspray. Our experts also unzipped their pro kits and revealed their all-time favorite hairsprays. The best part? Budget-shoppers rejoice! Everything on this list costs $35 or less.

Best Hairsprays

What to Consider

Hairstyling Goals

Fitzsimons recommends picking a hairspray that is targeted for your hair's needs. He says, "If you want to tame flyaways and give hair a strong hold and a glossy shine, you should opt for a finishing hairspray. If you want your hair to have more volume and texture, you should opt for a texturizing hairspray."

For this guide, we only included one Taylor-approved finishing hairspray (Mizani Lived-In Finishing Spray) because we already have a wealth of hair-texturizing content you can explore, including dry shampoos, products for wavy hair, and hair diffusers to help curls pop, to name a few.

Hold

Taylor notes someone's lifestyle will also help determine the right hairspray hold for their needs.

• Soft-hold hairspray provides a natural look and won't cause any crunchiness.
  
• Strong-hold hairspray, sometimes called firm-hold, is fantastic for anyone with an active lifestyle or looking for something to truly last an entire day. Taylor says, “If you are constantly on the go, you will most likely need an extremely strong-hold hairspray to ensure your hair doesn’t move an inch.”
• Medium-hold hairspray is the Goldilocks of the hairspray world – sitting happily in the middle, it provides control and movement.

Hair Type

Our experts agree that your giftee’s hair type will also impact the best hairspray for their styling needs. “Definitely consider your hair type, and ensure you know what you will be using your hairspray for. If you have fine or thin hair, look for hairsprays that help to volumize the hair, as this will help give your hair the boost you want. If you have curly or dry hair, look for a hairspray containing more oil-based ingredients, as the oil helps condition and maintain your tresses. If you have color-treated hair, look for hairsprays with color-treated friendly ingredients," explains Taylor.

Application

Before diving into our best hairspray recommendations, I wanted to highlight a simple, but game-changing tip from Taylor and Fitzsimons: It is always best to avoid spritzing on hairspray too close to the hair, so remind your loved one to read the product directions for individual brand guidance on how far away they should hold the can. Otherwise, it can turn your beautiful hairstyle into a sticky, greasy mess.

“When using hairspray I would avoid spraying too close to the hair to avoid buildup, as well as ensuring you don’t spray too much product onto your locks. To get rid of residue, I recommend using a clarifying shampoo or baking soda, which is great for getting rid of product buildup. To use, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your shampoo and spread the mixture on your hair, and leave it on before washing,” advises Taylor. A general rule of thumb she follows is to hold the hairspray can 8 inches away from the scalp to avoid buildup and flaking.

How We Chose

Fitzsimons and Taylor shared their best hairspray recommendations, while I pillaged the Best Products beauty closet to test several products. Together, we can confidently say these are the eight best hairsprays of all-time. Some stand out because they help volumize hair or are designed with color-treated hair in mind. While others caught our attention because some of the biggest names in music and Hollywood love them, but these hairsprays kept our attention because they live up to their promises.