Hair styling powder for men has been gaining traction as an excellent hair care product today. It’s also known as hair powder, volumizing powder, volume powder, texture powder, or mattifying powder.
If you prefer something more lightweight than pomades for thick hair, hairspray for men, or wax sticks for hair, styling powders may be for you. A small pinch of the right hair styling powder can work wonders for your hair.
What Is Hair Styling Powder for Men?
A hair styling powder adds volume, texture, shine, grip, definition, and finish. These powders are very lightweight, which lets you style your hair without leaving it feeling greasy or heavy. Hair styling powders are also an excellent shortcut for hair that both looks and feels great if you cannot wash your hair.
Hair styling powders for men are made of ground ingredients, most commonly ground silica silylate and Oryza sativa (rice starch). When not broken down, silica creates a shiny, glossy look, but when used in hair styling powder, it creates friction between your hair. This friction causes your hairs to stand vertically against each other instead of horizontally on top of each other. The result is a fuller and thicker look with a matte effect.
Benefits
Hair styling powder is effortless to use. Due to its composition, hair styling powder leaves your hair feeling free and airy without any greasy residue from other hair products. Because hair styling powder is so powerful, you only need a tiny amount to see its effects. And while anyone can use hair styling powder, it’s especially useful for men with thinner hair since it creates a thick and full look with its matte finish.
Hair Styling Powder Ingredients
The best styling powders for men generally have the same key ingredients. One thing to look out for is the kind of silicon they use – you’re looking specifically for silicon silylate, as it’s that particular kind of silicon that causes friction for a fuller look.
Hair Styling Powder for Men Pros and Cons
Pros
Like all hair styling products, a hair styling powder for men carries its pros and cons. Here are some of the pros:
- Portable and easy to carry around due to its weight
- Most hair styling powder for men comes in a convenient shaker-type container for easy application
- No strong fragrances
- It can be used with other hair care products
- Once you’ve mastered how the powder works for your hair, you can achieve a lot with a minimal amount of powder
Cons
No product is perfect, though, so here are some of the cons of hair styling powder for men:
- You can’t touch your hair after using the powder
- Hair styling powder causes your hair to have a weird texture that’s both crunchy and soft
- The powder doesn’t always blend in
Hair Styling Powder Side Effects
No side effects have been linked directly to using hair styling powder for men. However, most powders advise only leaving them in for one to three days. Those with substance allergies, such as rice starch allergy, should check what a hair styling powder is made of before buying it.
Now that you know everything you should know about Hair Styling Powder for Men. Here are some of the best men’s hair powders for styling and texture!
Best Hair Styling Powder for Men Review
American Crew Boost Powder
American Crew Boost Powder uses a silica silylate mix to give your hair a fuller look with a beautiful and sleek matte finish. This volumizing hair powder is sticky enough to warrant the anti-gravity label, which translates well into its ability to style and define your hair. American Crew Boost Powder is also very dry and leaves no shine or oily feeling after use.
Customers have testified to American Crew Boost Powder’s efficiency but caution new users to be wary of how much powder they shake out. They even recommend covering some of the holes in the dispenser.
Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Powder
Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Powder was designed to keep your hairstyle even in the midst of the chaotic urban jungle. This hair styling powder gives men a gravity-defying lift with a matte finish while giving your hair enough strength and hold to maintain your hairstyle throughout the day. Not only does this powder help you maintain your desired look, but it also keeps your hair dry from excess oils.
Slick Gorilla recommends using their texturizing powder on conditioned and well-dried hair for the best results. Despite its performance, Slick Gorilla warns users that the bottle is only half-full but contains 20 grams of hair styling product.
Level 3 Styling Powder
Level 3 Styling Powder is a silica silylate hair styling powder that offers a strong, long-lasting natural look. This hair styling powder for men leaves no oily or greasy residue and gives a matte finish, alongside better hair volume and texture. While it has no added fragrances, Level 3 Styling Powder has been noted to leave a pleasant, clean smell.
Happy customers cite how easy this powder is to use and how quickly it works as one of their favorite things about it. On the other hand, customers have also noted that this hair styling powder clogs easily in its own container. While it’s easy to dislodge the powder, this can become an annoyance.
OSiS+ Dust IT Mattifying Powder
OSiS+ Dust IT Mattifying Powder is among the most commonly dropped brand name when looking for hair styling powders on the internet, with good reason. This hair styling powder is very fine and gives a matte effect and a rough finish.
It offers strong control and hair separation for a strong texturing effect and a fuller look, and its long-lasting hold and tough grip guarantee up to 24 hours of volume control. Best of all, OSiS+ Dust IT Mattifying Powder is also notably much cheaper than similar products – and despite its low product weight, you only need very little to see results.
Uppercut Deluxe Styling Powder
Uppercut Deluxe Styling Powder packs a punch with its flexible yet solid hold that allows you to style your hair however you wish. This hair styling powder adds instant volume, texture, and a natural shine based on how much powder you use.
Uppercut Deluxe Styling Powder works with any hair – as long as it’s dried beforehand – and can be reworked throughout the day to suit all your hair styling needs. Customers have noted that Uppercut Deluxe Styling Powder does become more potent with the more powder you add. You need to learn how much powder is too much, which can result in a greasy look.
DEGENTZ King-Sized Hair Styling Powder
DEGENTZ King Sized Hair Styling Powder offers increased volume and mattifying hold with non-sticky powder. Silica silylate base ensures that DEGENTZ King-Sized Hair Styling Powder gives a strong hold while keeping hair malleable enough for styling.
The powder is also remarkably sturdy, maintaining its grip despite strenuous physical activities. A gentle composition ensures a light feel for your hair while freeing your hands and scalp of oily residue. Customers have noted that the powder clumps up quickly in the container and recommend occasionally shaking the container to dislodge stuck clumps.
Saiyan Hair Styling Powder
Saiyan Hair Styling Powder offers a medium hold, a matte finish, and no shine – which you can use to get the iconic hairstyle on the box. This silica silylate-based hair styling powder is very fine but strong and lasts long. Saiyan Hair Styling Powder is a great product and is ideal for all lengths and all hair types, and it washes out very quickly.
It’s also free of added fragrances, sodium chloride, and alcohol, making it perfect for sensitive scalps. Do note that this product advertises a medium hold – if your hairstyle is more demanding, you should look for a hair styling powder with a stronger hold.
Floyd’s 99 Texture Powder
Floyd’s 99 Texture Powder is a light, versatile hair styling powder with volume, thickness, and definition. It gives your hair a strong hold while providing enough flexibility to make it easy to style. Drying components absorb excess oil from your scalp for a clean, airy feel.
Floyd’s 99 Texture Powder is safe for color-treated hair, and extra sea salt soothes itchy, irritated scalps while moisturizing them. This hair styling powder is ideal for men with thin and fine hair, but it can be enjoyed by just about anybody. Despite all these flaws, customers have complained that this hair styling product can absorb moisture aggressively.
Dapper Dan Ultra Matte Texture Dust
Dapper Dan Ultra Matte Texture Dust promises and delivers a strong natural hold with a textured finish suitable for a wide range of hairstyles. At the same time, this hair styling powder washes out very quickly and leaves no white residue, making it perfect for use alongside other hair care products.
A gentle, classy fragrance ensures that your hair smells as dapper as it looks, and a long-lasting hold guarantees that it remains styled throughout the day—customers with thin hair swear by Dapper Dan’s efficiency on their scalp and beards.
O’Douds Styling Texture Powder
O’Douds Styling Texture Powder comes in a stylish glass bottle and looks classy. Surprisingly, this hair styling powder doesn’t use silica silylate or rice starch, instead opting for kaolin clay, arrowroot powder, and shave grass powder. While these ingredients work, they don’t have the same potency as silica silylate or rice starch powder.
O’Douds Styling Texture Powder is also scented with labdanum and lime essence, which significantly differs from other hair styling powders with very little added fragrances. Its stark differences compared to other hair styling powders and its higher price tag tend to drive customers away, making this a very niche pick.
How Do I Use Hair Styling Powder?
- Take a small amount of powder. Sprinkle it lightly at the hair roots or all over your scalp.
- Gently spread the powder evenly around your scalp with your fingers or another tool.
While hair styling powder is effortless to use, there are two things you should be aware of.
First, the increased friction may lead to a sensation of pulling. If that happens, you’re massaging too hard. Second, if you see white clumps forming in your hair, you’re using too much powder in that spot.
Verdict
Using a hair styling powder for men is a great way to add that extra zing to your hair, especially when you’re on the go. Its ease of use and simplicity make it a great addition to any hair care routine, and is a potential lifesaver for hair that quickly gets messed up. Among all the hair styling powders we reviewed here, the best hair powder choice is the OSiS+ Dust IT Mattifying Powder due to its low cost and high efficiency, making it perfect for men still learning to use styling powder.
FAQs about Hair Styling Powder for Men
Are hair styling powder and dry shampoo the same thing?
No, they are not. Hair styling powder is meant for styling and holding hair. It won’t give you the same nourishment that dry shampoo does.
Are there hair styling powders for women?
Yes, there are! While these hair powder products are primarily marketed for men, nothing stops women who want to use the powder’s potent styling abilities on themselves.