18 Best Vegan Hairsprays [Cruelty Free]

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Looking for that perfect vegan hairspray?

The one that holds your style without harming animals?

We gotchu Queen! 👸

In this guide, we’ll explore the top cruelty-free hairsprays and what to consider when shopping.

Let’s dive in and find the perfect product for you!

Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray

Aveda Control Force™ Firm Hold Hair Spray

For those seeking a strong hold and environmental responsibility, Aveda’s Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray is a standout choice. It offers long-lasting hold and humidity defense for all hair types.

Plus, it’s climate-conscious, with Aveda funding renewable wind energy to offset CO2 emissions associated with its production and use. Perfect for eco-conscious style enthusiasts.

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Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Hold Hair Spray

Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Hold Hair Spray

Ideal for those who prefer a gentle touch, the Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Hold Hair Spray offers a clear, non-aerosol formula that’s kind to your hair. It’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians, paraben-free, pH balanced, and contains no synthetic fragrances.

This product is a testament to the brand’s commitment to cruelty-free beauty since 1963. A great choice for those who value natural ingredients and ethical practices.

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ABBA Curl Finish Hair Spray

ABBA Curl Finish Hair Spray

For those with curly hair, the ABBA Curl Finish Hair Spray is a game-changer. Infused with Grapefruit and Avocado Oil, it amplifies curls for a long-lasting hold and shine. This product is paraben-free, ensuring a gentle touch for your hair.

It’s the perfect choice for those seeking to enhance their natural curls while maintaining a healthy hair routine.

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amika Fluxus Touchable Hairspray

amika Fluxus Touchable Hairspray

The Amika Fluxus Touchable Hairspray is a dream come true for those who want a flexible hold without sacrificing touchability. Its unique formula, featuring Butyl Ester of PVM/MA Copolymer, protects hair against high humidity while maintaining a natural feel.

Free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and more, it’s safe for color-treated, Brazilian-treated, and keratin-treated hair. Ideal for those who want a stay-all-day style with a natural finish.

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Pacifica Big Waves Soft Hold & Volume Hairspray

Pacifica Big Waves Soft Hold & Volume Hairspray

Embrace your inner surfer girl with Pacifica’s Big Waves Soft Hold & Volume Hairspray. This unique blend of sea salt and coconut helps maintain your big waves throughout the day or night.

The scent of coconut and vanilla adds a touch of summer and surfboards to your hair. Ideal for those who want to keep their waves intact while enjoying a touch of beachy aroma.

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Giovanni Cosmetics Inc. L.A. Hold Hair Spritz

Giovanni Cosmetics Inc. L.A. Hold Hair Spritz

The Giovanni L.A. Hold Hair Spritz is your ticket to perfect placement and stylized hold. Whether you’re under the lights or out on a hot night, this maximum-holding mist will keep your style in place.

It adds shine, washes out easily, and leaves your hair feeling conditioned. It’s color-safe, paraben-free, and cruelty-free, making it an excellent choice for those who want salon-quality hold with a conscious.

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IGK Hair 1-800-Hold-Me Flexible Hairspray

IGK Hair 1-800-Hold-Me Flexible Hairspray

The IGK 1-800-Hold-Me No-Crunch Flexible Hold Hairspray is a must-have for those who want a touchable, reworkable hold. Inspired by makeup setting sprays, it uses hi-shine micro-light reflectors to give a subtle, healthy glow to all hair types and colors.

It’s vegan, gluten-free, and offers UV protection. Ideal for those who want a medium hold that’s never crunchy or sticky, but always radiant.

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John Masters Organics Hair Spray

John Masters Organics Hair Spray

The John Masters Organics Hair Spray is a unique blend of organic, natural ingredients that provide a touchable hold without flaky residue.

It’s one of the only certified USDA organic hair sprays on the market, featuring organic aloe vera leaf juice and acacia senegal gum. It’s perfect for those who want a natural, organic solution to keep their hairstyles in place all day.

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drybar Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray

drybar Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray

The Drybar Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray is a flexible blowout finisher that provides a soft, movable hold with easy brushability. It’s never stiff or sticky, making it perfect for those who want a natural look that’s easy to manage.

This vegan hairspray is cruelty-free and free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and more. It’s a great choice for those who want a flexible hold that’s easy to brush through.

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R+Co Vicious Strong Hold Flexible Hairspray

R+Co Vicious Strong Hold Flexible Hairspray

This vegan hairspray is a wickedly good choice for those who want a seriously strong hold that can be brushed through without flaking or cracking. It allows you to style and re-style all night long.

It’s vegan, gluten-free, and paraben-free, making it a great choice for those who want a strong hold without compromising on their hair’s health.

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OUAI Texturizing Hair Spray

OUAI Texturizing Hair Spray

The OUAI Texturizing Hair Spray is an ultra-lightweight hair spray that holds your “undone” style using zeolite, panthenol, and fruit extracts. It’s perfect for volumizing, reducing oiliness, and providing hold.

The scent, North Bondi, is a nuanced blend of rich florals and sheer white musk, inspired by Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, featuring notes of bergamot, Italian lemon, rose de mai, violet, and more. The product is available in two sizes: Full Size (4.6 oz) and Travel Size (1.4 oz).

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Living proof. Flex Hairspray

Living proof. Flex Hairspray

The Living Proof Flex Hairspray is a versatile, medium-hold spray that can be used on damp or dry hair for setting, styling, and finishing. It offers heat protection up to 410°F/210°C and is safe for color or chemically treated hair.

The product is formulated with Flexible Web Technology, a blend of firm and flexible polymers, and conditioning emollient for brushability and shine. It’s a great choice for those who want a flexible, reworkable hold that doesn’t weigh down the hair or dry it out.

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Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Super Spray

Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Super Spray

The Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Super Spray is a shine-enhancing, non-aerosol hairspray that locks any look in place with powerful hold and a high-shine finish. It’s vegan, paraben-free, and gluten-free.

The refreshing cucumber melon scent with soft floral notes adds a pleasant touch. Ideal for coarse hair, this hairspray is perfect for those who want a firm hold that lasts all day and leaves their hair looking shiny and vibrant.

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PureOlogy Style + Protect Soft Finish Hairspray

PureOlogy Style + Protect Soft Finish Hairspray

The Pureology Soft Finish Flexible Hold Hairspray is a fast-drying, layerable hairspray that provides a flexible hold with a natural finish. It’s made with Orange Peel Oil, which softens the hair and adds luster for a natural, shiny finish.

This vegan hairspray is 100% vegan and is designed to protect color-treated hair. It’s perfect for those who want a soft, flexible hold that can be layered to achieve the desired effect without any stiffness.

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IGK Hair Beach Club Texture Spray

IGK Hair Beach Club Texture Spray

The IGK Beach Club Texture Spray is your shortcut to beachy waves and volume without drying out your hair. This salt-free, volumizing texture spray gives you that windswept look in seconds without any heaviness or stickiness. It’s safe for all hair types including colored and chemically treated hair.

The key ingredients are Glycerin, which helps lock in moisture and add texture, and Gluten-Free Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, which gives hair natural volume and body. Ideal for those who want to recreate that beachy hair vibe anytime, anywhere.

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Lush Sea Spray

Lush Sea Spray

The Lush Sea Spray Hair Mist is a volumizing sea salt spray that gives you that beach-beautiful style. It’s made with carrageenan, which thickens and softens hair, and sea water, which adds volume at the roots.

The product is scented with a fresh, citrusy ocean mist, featuring grapefruit oil, neroli oil, and rosewood oil. This vegan product is perfect for those who want to add body, shine, and texture to their hair with a light hold and an intoxicating citrusy-floral fragrance.

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Cake The Hold Out Flexy Hold Hair Spray

Cake The Hold Out Flexy Hold Hair Spray

The Cake Beauty The Hold Out Flexy Hold Hair Spray is a light-as-air formula that controls your style with a touchable hold and soft volume. It’s driven by beautiful natural ingredients and can be used to shape your desired look or gently mist through your hair to add a burst of lasting volume.

This product is vegan and brushes out with total ease while maintaining a memory of your style even after brushing. Ideal for those who want a natural look with a flexible hold.

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Sachajuan Strong Control Hairspray

Sachajuan Strong Control Hairspray

The Sachajuan Hairspray Light and Flexible is a lightweight styling and finishing product that provides a flexible hold without stiffness or stickiness. It adds a light, bouncy hold that won’t weigh your hair down, making it suitable for both men and women.

This vegan and cruelty-free hairspray is free from parabens and can be layered to build a style that feels natural and never leaves hair dull. Ideal for those who want a natural, flexible hold for everyday styling.

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Things to Keep in Mind When Shopping for a Vegan Hairspray

Before you can jump into making a purchase, there’re a few questions you need to ask before purchasing your product – namely, “is the product cruelty-free,” “will this spray be good for my hair type,” and “what am I going to use this for”?

Let’s dive a little deeper into each of these questions so they can help guide your decision.

Cruelty-Free Status

For myself and most vegans, it doesn’t matter how well a product works if it isn’t cruelty-free – if animals had to be harmed to make or test it, I’m not buying it!

For this reason, the cruelty-free status of a product is the first thing I check – this ensures that I don’t accidentally purchase a product that has been tested on animals, and makes it easier to choose from a smaller list of products, as opposed to the entire hair care aisle.

While animals don’t always die during animal testing like they do for meat, cosmetic testing creates the same – if not more – suffering: simply put, cosmetic testing is hell for animals.

Hairspray that’s tested on animals might be rubbed into the eyes and shaved skin of rabbits to see the type of irritation it causes or forced into the stomachs of mice to determine the lethal dosage of the product.

Additionally, many animals used in cosmetic testing aren’t covered under the meager animal welfare laws that have been put into place, so there’s little to no regulation over what happens to these animals in the lab. For more information on vivisection and why we should avoid products that are tested on animals, read our full guide on animal testing here.

Luckily for us and the animals, there are plenty of humane alternatives to animal testing that make vivisection obsolete. These, combined with the use of safe, natural, non-toxic ingredients mean products can still be safe for human use, and don’t require the suffering of mice, rabbits, and other animals to make their way onto shelves.

However, be aware that some companies may claim to be cruelty-free but still sell their products in countries where animal testing is required by law. Always do your research and look for certifications from reputable organizations like Leaping Bunny or PETA to ensure the products you’re buying are truly cruelty-free.

Leaping Bunny is the original animal welfare organization and keeps an expansive database of products and companies that do not engage in animal testing. If you have any question in your mind as to whether or not a product you’re interested in is animal-friendly, you can run it through their list at leapingbunny.org, check it out on their app, or look for the Leaping Bunny icon on the back of the bottle.

Your Hair Type

Different hair types have different needs when it comes to hair care products. That’s why it’s important to consider your hair type when choosing a vegan hairspray. Here’s a quick guide to help you understand what type of hairspray is best for your hair.

There are six major hair types to think about when shopping for hair care products, compare the descriptions below to your hair to get a little closer to finding your perfect spray.

1. Fine & Healthy Hair

While fine, healthy hair suffers no damage, the strands themselves are thin, and can’t hold their own against more assertive products. Look for products that increase volume, and aren’t so heavy that they weigh hair down or overpower it. Look for plumping, volumizing, and moisturizing products, but avoid anything waxy.

2. Fine & Damaged Hair

Because fine hair already struggles with volume, any damage caused by heat styling or coloring can create a one-two punch that’s difficult to breathe life into. Look for volumizing hair spray to plump up fine, delicate strands, but avoid anything with alcohol in the ingredient list, as it will dry out hair and exacerbate any damage.

3. Medium & Healthy Hair

Medium hair means your strands are of average thickness, few ingredients are off the table, and you can pull off most hairstyles without issue, especially if your strands are free of any damage or dryness. This hair type just needs to focus on preserving the lovely condition it’s in, so look for sprays that advertise themselves as thickening sprays that don’t contain alcohol that can dry out otherwise healthy hair.

4. Medium & Damaged

Your hair is thick enough to hold its own but not so much that it’s impossible to handle – the only issue is dry, brittle strands caused by damage from your blow dryer, flat iron, or over processing. Like fine and damaged hair, avoid anything with alcohol, which will suck any last bit of hydration out of your strands, and choose products that will help tame frizzies.

5. Thick & Healthy

While thick strands of hair make for awesome volume, they are more prone to coarseness and frizziness than thin or medium hair. In addition to a good conditioning routine, avoid hair sprays with water as the first ingredient. If hair is healthy, you don’t have to avoid alcohol altogether – cetyl and stearyl alcohol are fatty acids, which can help coarse, frizzy hair look shinier.

6. Thick & Damaged

Thick hair can be unruly in a healthy state, but add a little damage and things can go haywire quickly. People with thick, damaged hair should reach for sprays that are hydrating, moisturizing, and formulated to fight frizz. Because layering on too many strengtheners can cause thick hair to misbehave, avoid any sprays that include keratin.

With a better handle on the type of hair, you’re working with, the last step is to think about the role your vegan hairspray is going to play and the environment you’re wearing it in.

The Function of Your Hairspray

Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind the role your hairspray will play in your style – and this goes beyond simply holding hair in place. The amount of hold you need in your hairspray varies wildly between sitting behind your computer at the office to dancing the night away at a rooftop bar. Consider the elements, such as a classroom versus a windy beach, as well as how much movement you plan on doing over the course of the day (or night).

In addition to a variety of scents and formulas for certain hair types, hair sprays come in varying degrees of hold, from “soft and natural” to “helmet hair.” Depending on your needs, and how many different places you plan on wearing your hairspray, you may want to stock up on a few types, or grab a few travel sizes to keep in your purse to bring it from the office to the club.

To give you a better idea of what to look for, a soft hold hairspray is ideal for a natural, flexible look, while a medium hold hairspray offers a balance between flexibility and control. A strong hold hairspray is best for structured styles that need to stay in place all day or night.

Good for Your Hair, Good for the Animals

While it may require a little extra effort to find the perfect hairspray that is good for you and good for the animals, it is worth the effort.

By finding a brand or product that is committed to animal welfare, in addition to containing (or not containing) certain ingredients for your hair type, you can achieve the hairstyle and amount of hold that works for you and your lifestyle.

By choosing products that are cruelty-free and vegan, you’re voting with your dollars to show companies that animal testing is cruel, outdated, and unacceptable. Arm yourself with knowledge as you replace your cosmetics with animal-friendly alternatives, and take care of the animals and our earth, in addition to your great style.

So why wait? Start your cruelty-free journey today and make a difference with every purchase. And don’t forget to share this guide with your friends and family to spread the word about cruelty-free and vegan hairsprays. Together, we can make a difference for animals and our planet.

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