What is hair powder?

Is your hair limp and lifeless? Does it fail to stick to any texture, wave or volume? If you’re looking for a miracle cure that will suddenly allow your hair to channel Cindy Crawford-circa 1991, a hair powder might well be your key to success.

According to Fashionista.com, hair powders – which are usually called texturizing or mattifying powder – are meant to give you amped up volume and texture. They generally come in small shaker bottles, and the product itself is a fine, white ground powder with a bit of a tacky feeling. A small amount yields big payoff in the volume department.

All of the hair powder brands generally contain the same ingredients. But it’s silica silylate that’s responsible for the products’ effect. “Unlike silicones (like dimethicone) that leave a smooth, shiny film on hair, silica is a rough particulate. It gives a matte look and will help ‘bulk up’ the hair by increasing friction between hair fibers,” Randy Schueller, a cosmetic chemist and editor-in-chief of The Beauty Brains told me. The various chemicals in these powders all interact to absorb moisture, too, which means they’ll get rid of excess oil, contributing to the volumizing effect.

How to Use Them: It’s generally recommended that you use hair powder on dry hair. L’Oreal Professionnel Artist Amit Abraham recommends shaking the bottle directly on your hair so you get a fine dusting, although you can also pour it into your hand and then apply to hair. (We found it harder to work with and a bit messy this way.)

You can either apply to just your roots or all over your head, depending on how much volume you want and where you want it. If you apply to your roots, the powder will give you instant lift–flip your head upside down and apply to the underside for some generalized volume. Carter Todd, a stylist at the John Barrett Salon in NYC likened the effect to “Dallas hair.” But you don’t have to go that dramatic with it. Abraham thinks it’s a great product to use to give a little strategic volume and hold to updos, too.

Davines Your Hair Assistant Volume Creator Texturizing Wood Powder is a fine texturising and mattifying powder that protects blow-dried hair from humidity, creates volume and gives hair structure and consistency. The formula is all-natural, obtained from micronised coconut and bamboo powder reduced to tiny particles.

The Volume Creator can only be used with the Volume Creator Brush specifically designed for a precise and controlled application of the powder which will be released through the brush. The dispenser can be refilled infinite times.

Apply with the Volume Creator Brush directly to the root area where you want to create volume and texture. Alternatively, even on lengths and ends to add texture.