Is mousse bad for hair?

[Ravenwind]

Hi everyone :)

Sometimes I like to use mousse in my hair, because it defines my waves better and it keeps my hair from turning into a fluff ball. I have been using it the past couple times after I wash my hair (and towel dry of course) and although it doesn't leave my hair very soft and it feels rather crunchy, it keeps my hair "tamed" :p.

I use Pantene's Medium to Thick Mousse maximum hold and I put quite a bit on my hair after towel drying. I kind of thought it keeps my hair moisturized that way and I like the way my hair looks.

Even though I like the end result of using mousse, is it in any way bad for hair? If so, are there any natural alternatives that have the same effect? Thanks!

[ellen732]

I don't think it's bad, as long as it is alcohol free.

[Ravenwind]

I don't think it's bad, as long as it is alcohol free.

The warning does say it's flammable... O.o

Here are the ingredients:

Water, Isobutane, Propane :confused:, Polyquaternium-11, PVP, VP/VA Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Chitosan, Polyquaternium-16, Laureth-4, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Formic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether.

I have no idea what any of those are, but a few of them don't sound good to me.

[chou]

The flammable ingredients (isobutane, propane) are propellants to eject the mousse out of the canister. It is my understanding that they evaporate right of the can before they touch your hair.
I don't think mousse can damage your hair unless you let it build up and dry out of your hair too much. IMO polyquats, while they are amazing for defining curls and waves, have a tendency to build up in a crunchy way over weeks or months. But that's what clarifying is for!

[Ravenwind]

The flammable ingredients (isobutane, propane) are propellants to eject the mousse out of the canister. It is my understanding that they evaporate right of the can before they touch your hair.
I don't think mousse can damage your hair unless you let it build up and dry out of your hair too much. IMO polyquats, while they are amazing for defining curls and waves, have a tendency to build up in a crunchy way over weeks or months. But that's what clarifying is for!

Ahh ok that makes sense :) Thanks for the info

[holy7231]

I think it's bad for hair, but if you don't use it too frequently, then no big deal. Now, so many products are bad or have bad sideeffect on our hair, but we still use them to make us more beautiful! So, I don't think it's really a big thing to worry so much.

[Ravenwind]

I think it's bad for hair, but if you don't use it too frequently, then no big deal. Now, so many products are bad or have bad sideeffect on our hair, but we still use them to make us more beautiful! So, I don't think it's really a big thing to worry so much.

I don't really use it all too often, probably a couple times every couple months or so :) after looking at the ingredients it does make me think twice about using it.