Skip to content
Itz All About Hair On Line Hair Depot LogoItz All About Hair On Line Hair Depot Logo
A Guide to Hair Spray for Hair Styling

A Guide to Hair Spray for Hair Styling

Ever wondered how stylists get those incredible, gravity-defying styles to stay put all day? The secret weapon isn’t some complicated salon magic—it’s knowing how to pick and use the right hair spray for hair styling. Today’s formulas are so much more than a simple finishing touch; they’re the backbone of any great look.

Hair Spray Has Officially Grown Up

Let's be real, the hair spray of the past has a bit of a bad rap. We all remember the stiff, sticky, crunchy ‘helmet hair’ that felt like it could withstand a cyclone. Thankfully, things have changed. A lot.

Think of modern hair spray less like glue and more like a flexible, invisible scaffolding for your hair. Its main job is still to lock your style in place, but today's advanced formulas are multitaskers. They're designed to fight off frizz, inject some serious volume, build up texture, and leave you with either a brilliant shine or a sophisticated matte finish. This is what makes it a non-negotiable for getting that professional look at home.

It’s About So Much More Than Just Hold

A good hair spray is a true triple-threat in your styling arsenal. Here’s a little peek at what a quality can of our good stuff can actually do for you:

  • Your Personal Humidity Shield: Living in Australia means battling humidity is a national sport. Our formulas wrap your hair in an invisible shield to block out moisture, stopping frizz in its tracks and preventing your carefully crafted style from deflating the second you step outside.
  • Instant Volume and Texture: Need a little lift? A light mist at the roots or through the layers is all it takes to give limp, flat hair some oomph and create a fuller, more lived-in look.
  • The Perfect Styling Foundation: This is a pro-level tip. A quick spritz of our light-hold spray before you start curling or pinning up your hair gives it a bit of grit and grip. This makes it so much easier to work with and helps the final style last hours longer.

It's pretty clear why this humble can is such a favourite. In fact, hair spray is the undisputed champion of the Australian hairstyling market, pulling in the largest revenue share at a massive 32.09% in 2023. That figure alone shows just how much we rely on it for great hair days. You can discover more insights about the Australian hair care market if you're curious.

The right hair spray isn’t just the last thing you do; it’s the key to unlocking your creative potential. Choosing the perfect formula from our collection is your first step towards creating those incredible styles you thought you could only get in a salon.

Finding Your Perfect Hair Spray Hold

Choosing the right hair spray for hair styling can feel a bit like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect porridge. Too weak, and your style deflates before you've even left the house. Too strong, and you're stuck with a helmet head. The secret isn't just about strength; it's about finding the right kind of support for the look you're going for.

Forget the old myth that a stronger hold is always better. The real magic happens when you match the product's power to your hairstyle's personality. Trying to lock in soft, beachy waves with an extreme hold spray is like using superglue to wrap a present—total overkill and you lose all the beautiful, natural movement.

This little chart breaks down how our hair sprays work their magic, showing that hold is just one piece of the puzzle. It teams up with things like volume and humidity control to give you that flawless, long-lasting finish.

Image

As you can see, it's all about synergy. The right hold works with these other benefits to create a style that doesn't just look good, but feels great too.

Light and Flexible Hold: The Everyday Enhancer

Think of our light hold sprays as your hair's best friend—the one that gently smooths things over and makes you look effortlessly put-together. They’re perfect for whispering away frizz and taming those pesky flyaways without leaving a trace of stiffness or crunch.

This is your go-to for those gorgeous, flowing styles where you want plenty of natural bounce. The finish is so touchable, you’ll forget you’re wearing any product at all. It's also a fantastic primer before heat styling, giving your hair just enough grip to help those curls stick around a little longer.

Our light hold spray isn't about locking your hair down; it's about a gentle nudge in the right direction. It persuades your hair into place, leaving it soft, shiny, and beautifully polished.

Medium Hold: The Dependable Workhorse

For those days when you need your style to survive everything from the morning coffee run to after-work drinks, our medium hold sprays are the reliable partner you can count on. They provide a confident grip that keeps your look in check while still allowing for a bit of natural movement and life.

It’s that sweet spot right between freedom and control. Our medium hold is an absolute champion for:

  • Keeping loose updos in place without making them look stiff or 'overdone'.
  • Defining your curls and waves so they don’t droop and disappear by lunchtime.
  • Giving extra life to everyday styles like a sleek pony or a sharp bob.

Strong and Extreme Hold: The Style Savers

Alright, now we're talking about the big guns. For those special occasions or intricate styles where "out of place" is not an option, you need a hair spray that means business. Our strong and extreme hold formulas are built to lock your look down against humidity, gravity, and whatever else the day throws at you.

Our strong hold acts like a personal bodyguard for elegant updos, detailed braids, and other structured styles that need to look perfect for hours. But for those truly gravity-defying moments—think avant-garde masterpieces or competition-level cheerleading hair—our extreme hold is the superhero you call in. It creates a powerful, invisible scaffold around your style, ensuring your creation stays put, period.

Matching Our Hair Sprays to Your Style

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the options? No worries. This quick guide will help you pinpoint the perfect hair spray from our collection for your specific style and hair type.

Hold Level Best For Hair Type Our Recommended Product
Light/Flexible Taming flyaways, natural waves, prepping for heat styling Fine to medium hair Product Name for Light Hold
Medium Loose updos, defined curls, sleek ponytails All hair types, especially medium to thick Product Name for Medium Hold
Strong Intricate braids, formal updos, high-volume styles Medium to thick or coarse hair Product Name for Strong Hold
Extreme Avant-garde looks, dance/cheer competitions, editorial styles All hair types needing maximum lockdown Product Name for Extreme Hold

Think of this table as your personal cheat sheet. Once you know the look you're after, finding your perfect match is a breeze. Happy styling

Choosing Between a Matte and Shine Finish

Let's talk about the final flourish. Beyond just holding your hair in place, the finish of a hair spray is what gives your style its personality. It's the difference between looking intentionally undone and radiantly polished. Are you going for a relaxed, beachy vibe, or is today about turning heads with some serious glamour? Deciding between a matte or shine finish is where your creative vision really comes to life.

Image

Don't underestimate this choice—it completely sets the mood for your look. And we're not the only ones who think so. The Australian hair care market was valued at a whopping USD 1.16 billion in 2024, which shows just how much we Aussies care about getting our styling just right. You can dive deeper and read the full research about Australian hair care trends to see what's happening in the industry.

The Effortless Appeal of a Matte Finish

Think of a matte finish spray as your secret to achieving that perfectly imperfect, "I just rolled out of bed looking this good" style. Our sprays work by absorbing light instead of reflecting it, giving your hair a modern, textured feel without a hint of artificial gloss. It’s all about creating touchable grit and volume for a chic, lived-in vibe.

Our matte formulas are brilliant for:

  • Beachy Waves: Get that sun-drenched, salt-tousled texture without ever leaving the city.
  • Textured Bobs: Add some cool, piecey separation to shorter cuts for a bit of an edge.
  • Voluminous Ponytails: Give your pony some guts and body with a relaxed, casual finish.

The Glamorous Power of a Shine Finish

Now, for moments when your hair needs to be the main event. Our shine finish sprays are basically glamour in a can, ready for their close-up. They’re packed with light-reflecting particles that create a luminous, high-gloss surface, making your hair look ridiculously healthy and vibrant. This is your go-to for elegant, sophisticated looks that need to make a statement.

A shine finish doesn't just hold your style; it illuminates it. It’s the key to creating those red-carpet looks that catch the light with every turn of your head.

Our shine sprays are perfect for crafting everything from glamorous Hollywood curls to super-sleek ponytails and formal updos that demand a flawless, glossy seal. They work to smooth down the hair's surface, banish frizz, and deliver a mirror-like sheen that pulls your whole look together. It's your ticket to looking impeccably polished.

The Good Stuff Inside Our Cans

Ever actually wonder what’s in that can of hair spray you're misting all over your hair? When it comes to a truly great hair spray for hair styling, what’s inside the can is just as crucial as the hold it promises. We reckon you shouldn’t have to pick between a style that sticks around and hair that feels genuinely healthy. That's why we’re so chuffed with the clever formulas we’ve packed into our products.

It all comes down to a beautiful marriage of science and nature. The backbone of our sprays are high-performance polymers. Picture them as a super-fine, flexible net that wraps around each strand of hair. This creates all the structure and hold you need, but without that awful, crunchy "helmet hair" feeling.

But hold is only part of the equation. We’ve all used styling products that leave our hair feeling parched and brittle. That's why we load our formulas with conditioning agents that fight back against dryness. They keep your hair feeling soft, touchable, and vibrant, even after a long day of rocking your look.

More Than Just a Styling Spray

We take things a step further by infusing our hair sprays with ingredients that are actively good for your hair. It’s this philosophy that really makes our collection stand out, turning every single spritz into a multi-tasking marvel.

We’ve consciously added brilliant extras like:

  • Nourishing Botanicals: We're talking ingredients like aloe leaf juice, which helps to soften, moisturise, and shield your strands from whatever the day throws at them.
  • Essential Vitamins: Many of our formulas get a boost from vitamins that promote healthy-looking hair, adding a touch of vitality and some serious shine.
  • UV Protectants: Your skin needs sun protection, and so does your hair! A selection of our sprays includes filters to help guard your hair from those damaging UV rays.

This focus on hair health isn't just a whim; it's what people are asking for. The global hair spray market was valued at around USD 11.17 billion in 2024, and a massive trend is the shift towards products with natural and beneficial ingredients. Aussie consumers are right at the forefront of this, demanding formulas that deliver both killer performance and total peace of mind. You can learn more about global hair spray market trends to see how this ingredient-conscious movement is shaking up the industry.

What We Leave Out is Just as Important

What we put in matters, but what we deliberately leave out is just as vital. You won’t find any of those harsh, stripping chemicals in our products. We formulate our sprays to be kind to your hair, steering clear of anything that could cause damage or nasty build-up.

We want you to feel completely confident in what you're using. Our commitment is to give you a hair spray that not only gets the styling job done but also champions the long-term health and vitality of your hair.

This nourishing approach helps keep your hair strong and resilient, which is a massive help when you’re up against things like humidity. Hair that’s properly moisturised and protected is your best defence against frizz. For a few more tricks up your sleeve, check out our guide to achieving frizz-free hair with the right products.

How to Apply Hair Spray Like a Pro

Getting that flawless, salon-perfect finish with your hair spray for hair styling is all about the technique. Let's be honest, we've all been there: blasting our hair up close and ending up with a crunchy, sticky mess. It's time to ditch the helmet hair for good.

We're about to spill the secrets the pros use, so you can go straight to gorgeous.

Image

If you remember only one thing, make it this: distance is your best friend. Holding the can at least 30 cm away from your head is absolutely non-negotiable.

Why? Because this distance allows the spray to settle on your hair like a fine, delicate mist, not a concentrated jet stream. Think of it like airbrushing a masterpiece versus splattering paint on a canvas. You want a gentle, even coating for a touchable, beautiful finish.

Master the Fundamentals of Application

A little bit of prep work before you even pick up the can makes a world of difference. For styles that need serious staying power, like braids or an elaborate updo, working with second or third-day hair is a great trick. The natural oils give the product something extra to grip onto.

Once your masterpiece is complete, these core techniques will give you a pro-level result every single time:

  1. The Continuous Motion Method: The golden rule is to keep it moving. Never just stop and spray one spot. Use a constant, fluid motion to create a light, even veil of product over your entire style.
  2. Lift and Spray for Volume: Want some real oomph at the roots? Lift sections of your hair at the crown and give the underside a quick spritz of volumising spray. Let it fall back into place before you do one last, light mist over the top.
  3. Spray Your Tools, Not Your Hair: To tame those pesky flyaways around your hairline, spray a little flexible hold spray onto a clean toothbrush or a spoolie. This gives you pinpoint accuracy to gently brush those stray hairs exactly where you want them.

A professional finish isn't about using more product; it's about using the product more intelligently. The goal is to create an invisible support system that holds your style without ever overpowering it.

Advanced Techniques for Specific Styles

Ready to level up? Different hairstyles call for different battle plans. Whether you're setting bouncy curls or locking down a sleek updo, here’s how to make your spray work for you.

To Set Curls and Waves
After using your wand or iron, let those curls cool down completely—this is crucial! Then, flip your hair upside down and give it a light misting with a medium hold spray. Gently tousle with your fingers to break them up, and you'll have soft, defined waves that last all night. Of course, always use a heat protectant first. If you need some recommendations, check out our guide to the 12 best heat protectant spray options in Australia for 2025.

To Build Texture
For that perfectly undone, "I woke up like this" beachy vibe, grab one of our matte texturising sprays. Spritz it from the mid-lengths to the ends of dry hair. Now, get your hands in there! Scrunch and twist sections to build that effortless, lived-in feel without weighing your hair down.

To Lock in an Updo
Once every pin is perfectly in place, it’s time for the final lockdown. Give your updo an all-over mist with a strong hold spray from that all-important 30 cm distance. This creates an invisible shield that fights off humidity and keeps every single hair in its place. Effortlessly perfect, every single time.

Your Guide to Our Hair Spray Collection

Alright, you've got the theory down pat – hold, finish, application, the works. Now for the really fun bit. Let's play matchmaker and find your perfect styling partner from our exclusive collection. Think of us as your personal hair spray sommelier, ready to pair the perfect product with your hair's personality and your biggest styling goals.

Image

Finding the right hair spray for hair styling on our website is a breeze once you know what you’re after. Whether your fine hair tends to ghost you by lunchtime or your thick hair scoffs at anything less than industrial-strength, we've got a formula designed just for you.

For Fine Hair Needing a Lift

If your hair needs a little pep talk to stand up and be counted, our Volume & Texture Spray is about to become your ride-or-die. It’s an absolute marvel – feather-light but surprisingly mighty.

This spray gives you a flexible hold with a super-chic matte finish. It’s all about adding that bit of grit and body without ever weighing things down, creating that full, 'I woke up like this' vibe we all secretly want.

For Thick or Unruly Hair

When your style needs Fort Knox-level security, our Maximum Control Hairspray is the only one for the job. This is the heavy-hitter in our lineup.

We've engineered this strong-hold formula to lock down the most rebellious strands. It offers all-day humidity resistance and a brilliant shine. For those intricate updos or sleek looks where not a single hair can be out of place, this is your secret weapon.

We reckon choosing a hair spray shouldn't be a game of chance. It's about giving you the right tool to create any style you can dream up, with total confidence.

For Curls and Waves Prone to Frizz

Curly hair is a beautiful beast that needs a delicate touch – a perfect balance of control and moisture. Our Flexible Hold Shine Spray is just the ticket.

It's designed to define your natural texture while putting frizz firmly in its place. You get a touchable, medium hold that lets your curls bounce and live their best life, all while sealing them with a gorgeous, healthy-looking sheen. No stiffness, no crunch, just happy, defined curls.

Ready to meet your match? Go on, have a squiz at our complete range of professional-grade hair sprays. With a collection this good, you’re just a click away from totally transforming your styling game and getting that fresh-from-the-salon look at home, every single day.

Your Hair Spray Questions, Answered

Still got a few things you're wondering about when it comes to hair spray for hair styling? Perfect. Let's clear the air and bust a few myths so you can get the most out of your styling routine.

The old-school sprays that left hair feeling like a helmet? We’ve left those in the past. Our modern formulas are a whole different ball game.

The secret to amazing, healthy hair isn't about avoiding products. It’s about choosing our products and using them smartly.

Think of it like your skincare routine. As long as you're using our high-quality products and washing your hair properly to get rid of any build-up, using hair spray every day is absolutely fine.

Will Your Hair Spray Damage My Hair?

Not a chance! Our sprays are packed with conditioning ingredients that actually protect your hair from getting dry and brittle.

If you’re a daily styler, just grab a flexible or light hold spray from our collection. They give you the gentle support you need without any of the harshness. The only rule? Make sure you're washing your hair regularly to keep it fresh and clean.

How Do I Avoid That Crunchy Feeling?

Ah, the dreaded "helmet hair." That stiff, crunchy feeling almost always comes down to two simple mistakes: using way too much product, or spraying way too close to your head.

For a soft, touchable style, here’s the trick: hold the can at least 30 cm away from your hair. That’s about the length of a standard ruler. Then, spray in a continuous, sweeping motion. Don't just blast one spot! If you do happen to get a bit heavy-handed, just wait for it to dry completely and then gently brush it out to soften everything up.

Should I Use Hair Spray on Wet or Dry Hair?

For that final, locked-in look, always spray on completely dry hair. The whole point of a finishing spray is to set the style you've just spent time perfecting. Spraying it on wet hair is a recipe for a sticky, clumpy mess.

The only time this rule gets bent is with some of our texturising sprays. You can give damp hair a light mist before you blow-dry to build amazing volume right from the roots. But for setting and finishing? Dry hair is the only way to go. If humidity is your arch-nemesis, you'll find some great tips in our guide on how to control frizzy hair in Australian weather.


Ready to put all this expert knowledge into action? Head over to On Line Hair Depot and check out the full collection to find the perfect spray for your hair.
Find your perfect styling solution now!

Cart 0

Your cart is currently empty.

Start Shopping