What is Finishing Hair Spray?

Hair spray is the hero of the hair world. Without hair spray, updos wouldn’t stay up, curling-iron curls couldn’t hold, and beachy waves would fall flat. Hair spray literally holds your summer hairstyles together. It gives you flexible hold, helps fight humidity and frizz, bumps up the volume, and adds shine. The perfect hair spray can truly do it all. 

Below, we’ll share everything you need to know about this multitasking superstar product ahead.

The main difference between finishing spray and hair spray is that finishing spray gives more hold and shine than a regular hair spray. Hair spray’s main job is to lock your hair into place. It’s a solution of long, chainlike molecules (called polymers) in a very volatile solvent. The polymers coat your strands in a lightweight film and connect individual hair fibers wherever they happen to touch. 

The spray then dries out the intersections and the polymers bond and hold your hair in place. So what is a finishing spray? It’s a type of hairspray that adds shine and sets hairstyles, while keeping your hair light, bouncy, and flexible. Finishing sprays are fast drying and humidity resistant to reduce frizz and flyaway hair.  

It gives you a touchable finish without buildup or residue. But, does finishing spray hold style in place? It sure does. Finishing sprays come in a variety of formulas from lightweight to super hold — though all versions have a lighter hold than gels, pomades and waxes.  

The real answer to this is whenever you want! But here are some of our favorite uses for finishing spray:

Use a finishing spray to tame flyaways on every style. Comb them down with a toothbrush then spray a light mist and watch them instantly disappear.

The season’s favorite 90s hairstyles wouldn’t be possible without tons of volume. Flip your head over, spray finishing spray, then flip it back over and spray again for fuller hair fast with an all-day hold.

Hair spray's main purpose is to hold a style. As the last step in your blowout, misting your hair with a finishing spray keeps the volume and shape in place while still allowing your hair to move. It doesn't build like gels and pomades can.

Hair spray creates a shield that protects hair from the elements, namely humidity. Finishing spray is ideal for keeping your strands frizz-free, especially during the summer thanks to sky-high humidity levels.

Especially if you have thin, fragile, or dry hair, a finishing spray can make your strands look shiny and smooth without weighing them down. Finishing spray is the best product to lock your strands perfectly in place to reflect light naturally for smooth hair with a glossy finish.

You can use a finishing spray in place of dry shampoo to absorb grease and refresh second-day hair. Similarly, it adds grit to hair that’s too clean for more grip and better hold in hairstyles like updos and braids.

There’s nothing like a hair product that smells as good as it works, and our shimmering mist is a glossy finishing spray with a gorgeous scent that leaves your strands silky and smelling amazing. 

A finishing spray is a type of hair spray that gives a firmer, stronger hold. So when used in combination with a lighter hold spray, the two formulas work together to create a stronger, shinier hold. A few of our favorite ways to use hair spray and finishing spray together include:

If your second day hair is a flat, oily mess, degrease your roots with a few sprays of light hair spray, then polish frizzed out ends with a finishing spray. 

Whether you are looking to preserve barrel curls, smooth out natural waves, or add definition to naturally curly hair, the light-holding power of finishing spray is perfect for this. Try mixing hair spray and finishing spray in your palm and using your fingertips to scrunch up from the ends of your hair.

Or use them to keep your strands in place for longer periods of time like extending the perfect updo or blowout. Spray them in the order of their hold, using the finishing spray last.

A teasing comb and your favorite fine hair products are your very best friends if you’re dealing with hair loss or thinning hair. Use your comb to backcomb or tease the front of your hair for height at the crown. This create the illusion of more hair, while helping to hide any noticeable bald patches on your scalp.

A finishing spray is the universal solution to perfecting every hairstyle and all hair types can benefit from using one (even color-treated hair). A finishing spray is a hairspray that comes in a variety of formulas — most have a firm hold that’s typically lighter than gel, pomade or wax). 

Finishing spray adds shine, helps control styles, and leaves hair soft bouncy, and flexible. It is humidity resistant with a dry finish that fights frizz and flyaway hair.. A finishing spray gives you brilliant shine without buildup or residue. For healthy hair, use only the highest quality hair sprays and finishing sprays. 

All Davines formulas are free of harmful toxins, and are made with renewable energy and packaging that minimizes the environmental impact. Our hair care isn’t just good for your hair, it’s good for the planet.

by Jaclyn LaBadia, featured contributor