New mousse formulations moisturize, add shine and make your hair soft and manageable.
They also protect your hair from the damage caused by heat styling.
I thought about writing about the best mousse for 4c hair after trying out various products and getting different results.
But even with the greatness, finding the right mousse for natural 4c hair can be a hell of a trial-and-error exercise.
One that will cost you money, time, and your hair in some instances.
This is why I am taking the time to equip you with all the info you need about mousse and how to go about finding the best mousse for 4c hair.
Keep reading.
Table of Contents
What Is Mousse?
A mousse is a versatile foam styling product.
It is one of the easiest products to use and its uses are limitless on natural hair.
There is just so much that you can achieve: you can get strong hold, volume, shine, and bounce all in just one application.
All these without your hair getting crunchy or sticky like it is with so many styling products.
Mousse is lightweight, airy in texture and even with too much application, it still doesn’t weigh down hair or leave it looking too flat.
Benefits Of Using Mousse On Hair
There are plenty of reasons why you should invest in good mousse.
Take note, GOOD mousse.
It can instantly revive dull-looking curls and enhance their definition.
It also controls frizz on hair without adding on to the bulk of other products.
Mousse can be used on all hair types, from straight fine hair to coarse deep curly hair.
You can use it for your wash and go, twist outs, roller sets, rod sets, and so forth.
If you have high porosity hair, combining a mousse and a cream or gel may help you retain moisture in your hair.
Mousse tends to be too drying to high porosity hair especially if it contains alcohol.
Mousse is best applied to damp (not wet) hair if you want a wash-and-go style.
However, for twists, you can use mousse directly on dry hair.
You can also use it on dry hair if you want to redefine your curls.
One more great benefit of mousse is the volume it gives you from the roots.
Also, it’s super easy and economical to use, has great coverage, and can be layered on with other hair products without weighing down your hair.
And if you are wondering about flaking and residue, mousse leaves none of that on your hair.
This is attributed to its airy light texture.
To sum it up, the benefits of mousse include:
- Adding shine, bounce, and volume
- Helps in moisturizing and nourishing hair
- Heat protection
- Curl definition
- Create lift
- Create versatile hairstyles
Best Mousse For 4c Hair
The main ingredients in mousse are water, alcohol, and other active ingredients, all put in an aerosol can.
Some mousse brands add oils, heat protectants, polymers among others for hydration, nourishment, shine, and frizz taming.
So what’s the best mousse for 4c hair? Let’s check out some options.
Lotta Body Wrap Me Foaming Mousse with Coconut and Shea Oil
Another favorite mousse of mine is the Lotta Body Wrap Me Foaming Mousse with Coconut and Shea Oil.
There are several reasons why I love it.
First, it dries super fast. I literally style my hair and I’m out of the door in minutes.
I also love that it contains two great oils – coconut and shea oil.
These two have high hydrating power.
This combo leaves your hair looking healthy, so soft, and shiny.
Your hair also becomes very easy to manage.
You can use this mousse for your wash-and-gos, defining curls, rod sets, or just when you have some unruly frizz that needs taming.
One more thing, I love the scent.
It’s so warm, inviting and so relaxing.
Another bonus is that you can use this mousse on both relaxed and natural 4c hair.
Pros
- Creates soft curls
- Dries quite fast
- Contains oils for nourishment and hydration
- Great for taming frizz
- Leaves hair soft and manageable
- Can be used on natural and relaxed hair
Cons
- Doesn’t tame frizz for some hair types
The Doux Mousse Def Texture Foam
This is one of the most versatile styling products you will have for your 4c hair.
It’s a true all-in-one product.
This is because it defines curls and adds shine and volume to your styled hair.
This product can be used on both wet and dry hair.
It’s also quite simple to apply.
You don’t need to layer with more styling products, it works great just as it is.
You can use it for your wash-and-gos, twist-outs, or refresh your curls and old twist-outs.
Pros
- Defines your curls
- Adds shine to your tresses
- Helps to resist humidity
- Adds volume to the hair
- Contains protein that strengthens the hair
- Leaves hair soft and manageable
- Gives the mane a nice shine
Cons
- It leaves some hair types feeling dry
AG Hair Natural Cloud Airlight Volumizing Mousse
This is a great mousse for those keen on using all-natural products.
It is 98% plant-based and the majority of the ingredients are botanical extracts such as sugar cane extract, olive leaf, sweet almond among others.
Besides adding volume to your 4c hair, this mousse will also provide heat protection.
It’s good at taming frizz and adds leaves your hair shiny and bouncy.
The mousse contains conditioning and detangling formulations to make hair more manageable.
I must also mention that it contains a blend of orange and tangerine essential oils for an amazing citrusy scent.
Pros
- Adds smoothness to hair
- Adds volume, bounce, and shine
- Minimizes frizz for a perfect finished look
- Provides protection against heat
- Botanical extracts contain powerful anti-oxidants
- Helps to strengthen proteins in hair strands
Cons
- Has a fairly light hold
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-free Curl Mousse
The Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-free Curl Mousse is a great moisturizing mousse.
You must know by now how important moisture is to 4c hair: it prevents dryness, breakage and split ends.
Lack of moisture also causes frizz.
This product’s formula has rather interesting ingredients like neem oil which is great at taming frizz and adding shine.
It also contains silk protein which is great at softening and smoothening hair.
This makes 4c hair a little more manageable.
Other great ingredients include shea butter (organic certified), coconut oil, and hibiscus.
All these ingredients work together to give you healthier, stronger hair that is easy to style.
What I love most about this mousse is its versatility.
You can use it to style your hair in so many ways and it still doesn’t disappoint.
Pros
- Enhances curl pattern
- Doesn’t leave any residue behind
- Great at taming frizz
- Leaves hair soft, smooth and silky
- Helps to moisturize the hair
- Reduces breakage and dryness
- Doesn’t cause any crunchiness
- Helps in detangling
Cons
- Dries out some hair types
Eden BodyWorks Citrus Fusion Styling Mousse
Eden BodyWorks Citrus Fusion Styling Mousse is another favorite of mine.
It is super light, foamy, and contains botanical extracts like lime, acai, and orange.
These extracts add to the citrusy scent of the mousse and nourishment.
It’s a great mousse if you desire a light hold for your wash and gos, twist-outs, or sets.
It will make your hair look shiny, and keep it in place all day.
You can layer this mousse with other styling products and it won’t cause any drying or crunchiness.
But it still does perfectly well by itself.
Pros
- Adds shine to your curls
- Nourishes and conditions for soft, manageable hair
- The mousse doesn’t cause crunchiness
- Minimizes frizz
- It doesn’t cause flaking
- Pleasant citrusy scent
- Leaves hair looking shiny
Cons
- The foam comes out a bit runny and can be hard to work with
Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse
Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse is a perfect styler for your wash-and-go days.
It is infused with two great ingredients: olive oil which is a good moisturizer and Vitamin B complex for nourishment.
This is a very lightweight formula that dries pretty quickly leaving a crisp and shiny finish with no flaking.
It also reduces frizz.
This mousse gives a very enhanced definition to curls, coils, and waves.
And since it is infused with oils and butters, it leaves your hair looking healthy.
Pros
- Enhances curl definition
- Has a medium hold
- It reduces frizz
- Dries quickly
- Does not flake
- Has a lightweight formula
Cons
- It doesn’t hold the styles for a long time
Creme of Nature Argan Oil Style and Shine Foaming Mousse
What I loved most about the Creme of Nature Argan Oil Style and Shine Foaming Mousse is how silky soft and light it is.
It does not weigh down hair or cause build-up and flaking.
It also feels very smooth when applying it to hair and makes the tresses manageable.
I must mention that the scent is also very subtle, it has this combination of coconut and floral accents that smells really nice.
If you have curly or kinky hair, this is a great mousse for your type of hair.
It brings out defined curls and great twists-outs.
This mousse is also great at setting straight hair in place.
For great definition, I would highly recommend that you use a brush that enhances curls.
Pros
- Helps to moisturize dry hair
- It defines curls
- Leaves the hair soft and shiny
- Prevents frizz
- Improves hair volume
- Suitable for both relaxed and natural hair
Cons
- Does have a long-lasting hold for some hair types
How To Use Mousse On 4c Hair
If you have short hair or what we refer to as TWA, you can use mousse for your wash-and-gos.
If you have longer hair, you could use mousse to do twist outs, wrapping, or rod sets.
For curl definition, here’s how you can use your mousse:
- Start off with clean hair, so first shampoo your hair and condition it
- Detangle your hair to break off any “lumps”
- Section your hair and starting from the back or whatever is comfortable, pump some product onto your hand and work it into each section
- Soak the roots with the product as you work it up to the ends, making sure each strand is saturated with the mousse
- For more defined curls, start by combing through the section then fingerstyle.
- Section and repeat the steps until you are done with the entire head. You can shake off your head to allow the curls to fall naturally in whatever direction they want.
- Let the hair air dry or you can sit in a hooded dryer for a couple of minutes.
Let me share a few tips that I have found to be super helpful when using mousse.
However tempting it may be, don’t add any oil to your hair before styling with the mousse.
Oil lessens the curl-defining power of the mousse.
Physically coil the ends of your curls for a better definition.
For greater hold, leave a bit of the product on your wet curls when finger-styling.
Also, be generous with the amounts, use several pumps for every section.
The curls will come out so defined and it will help tame any frizz.
If you wish to also use a styling gel, cream, or wax, don’t go for one with a super hold.
It may make your hair crunchy, stiff, and dry.
Conclusion
And there goes all the info you will ever need to know about mousse for 4c hair.
If you settle for any of the products listed in this review, try it out and let me know your experience.