Does Hairspray Have Alcohol In It? | The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast Ep. 25

Yes, most aerosol hairspray contains alcohol, usually the second ingredient after the propellant, and that is exactly why the Hair Finishing Stick exists in Delena's chair. In this episode Delena, a licensed cosmetologist, explains what the alcohol is doing in the can, what daily use does to hair over years, where a spray still earns its place, and why an alcohol-free, water-based gel wand replaced it for the edges, the part, and the flyaways, smoothed first with the Smooth and Polish Hair Brush.

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Episode Summary

Yes, most hairspray contains alcohol, and that is by design. Delena Markland, a licensed cosmetologist with 25+ years of experience, explains what the alcohol is doing in the can (dissolving the hold polymers so they can flash-dry), what it does to hair over time, how to read an ingredient list for alcohol denat and its cousins, where a spray still earns its place for all-over hold, and why the alcohol-free, water-based Hair Finishing Stick replaced it for the edges, the part, and the flyaways in her own chair.

The written companion to this episode: Alcohol Free Hairspray: Safer Styling Alternatives. Related listening: Ep. 08, Flyaways and Edges That Stay Down, which covers the flyaway routine; this episode answers the ingredient question.

Full Episode Transcript

Jess: Welcome back to The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast. I'm Jess with Delena Markland. Delena, quick one that a lot of people type into a search bar and never get a straight answer to. Does hairspray have alcohol in it?

Delena Markland: Yes, most of it does, and that is exactly why the Hair Finishing Stick exists in my chair. Almost every aerosol hairspray on the shelf uses alcohol as the carrier. It is usually the second ingredient after the propellant. It is there on purpose, because alcohol evaporates fast, and fast evaporation is what makes the spray dry on contact instead of dripping down your neck.

Jess: So it's not a filler. It's doing a job.

Delena Markland: It is doing a real job. The hold in a hairspray comes from polymers, little film-forming resins. The alcohol dissolves those polymers so they can be sprayed, and then it flashes off and leaves the polymer film behind on the hair. Water would do the same thing but it takes minutes to dry instead of seconds. So the alcohol is the trade-off the industry made for speed.

Jess: And what is that trade-off costing my hair?

Delena Markland: Moisture, over time. Alcohol evaporating off the hair takes water with it. One spray on one night, nothing. Daily, for years, especially on hair that is already fine, dry, color-treated, or curly, it adds up. What I see in my chair is a specific pattern: ends that feel crunchy and brittle, a dull look, and hair that snaps when you brush through it in the morning. People blame their shampoo. It is the hairspray they have been using every single day for a decade.

Jess: Is that why you moved to a stick?

Delena Markland: It is why I stopped reaching for the can for the things I actually use hold for most days. When I looked at what I sprayed hairspray on ninety percent of the time, it was not the whole head. It was the part, the hairline, the flyaways, the baby hairs, the two pieces that will not lie down. Blasting the whole head with alcohol to fix two inches of hair is a bad deal. The finishing stick is a water-based gel in a wand. You touch it exactly where you need it and nowhere else.

Jess: Water-based. So no alcohol at all?

Delena Markland: None. The hold comes from the same kind of flexible polymers, but they are carried in water with glycerin and panthenol in there, which are conditioning, not drying. It is vegan, there is nothing animal-derived in it. And it is a gel, not a wax, which matters because a wax sits on top and feels greasy, while a gel sets and then you cannot feel it. I selected it for my own clients because it did what I needed without the thing I was trying to avoid.

Jess: Now the honest part. Is there anything the stick can't do that the spray can?

Delena Markland: Yes, and I will say it plainly. The stick is not an all-over hold product. If you have built an updo for a wedding, or a full set of curls that need to survive eight hours, you need a spray, because you need a film over the entire style. That is what a hairspray is for. My rule is spray last and spray light, from a distance, so the style sets and you are not soaking the hair. Everything before that last step, the smoothing, the edges, the part, the touch-ups during the day, that is the stick. Most people can cut their hairspray use to almost nothing and not lose a thing.

Jess: Is there a way to tell if a hairspray is alcohol-free?

Delena Markland: Read the ingredients, not the front of the can. Front of the can says things like "hydrating" and "nourishing" while the back says alcohol denat second in the list. You are looking for alcohol denat, SD alcohol, ethanol, or isopropyl alcohol. If one of those is in the top three, it is an alcohol-based spray. The alcohol-free ones are usually pump sprays, not aerosols, because without alcohol you cannot get that instant-dry mist.

Jess: Any technique tips for the stick itself?

Delena Markland: Smooth first, then set. I run the Smooth and Polish brush over the area to lay the hair in the direction I want, then the stick over the top of it, one pass. Brush, then stick. If you put the stick on and then brush, you just wipe it off. And a little goes further than people think. It is a wand, not a paintbrush.

Jess: Where do people find it?

Delena Markland: thepixiegarden.com. The Hair Finishing Stick and the Smooth and Polish brush are both there. It is the one product I put on almost every head that leaves my chair.

Jess: Linked on this episode's page with the full written guide. See you Monday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does hairspray have alcohol in it?

Most aerosol hairsprays do. Alcohol is the carrier that dissolves the hold polymers and evaporates on contact so the spray dries in seconds. Look for alcohol denat, SD alcohol, ethanol, or isopropyl alcohol near the top of the ingredient list.

Is the alcohol in hairspray bad for your hair?

Occasionally, no. Daily for years, it draws moisture out and leaves ends brittle, dull, and prone to snapping, especially on fine, dry, curly, or color-treated hair.

What is an alcohol-free alternative to hairspray?

For edges, flyaways, and the part, a water-based finishing gel in a wand applied only where hold is needed. For all-over hold on an updo or a full curl set, a hairspray still has a job; use it last and lightly.

Is a hair finishing stick the same as a wax stick?

No. The Hair Finishing Stick is a water-based gel with flexible polymers, glycerin, and panthenol. A wax stick sits on top of the hair and feels heavy; a gel sets and disappears.

How do you apply a finishing stick?

Smooth the hair into place with a boar bristle brush first, then one pass of the stick over the top. Brushing after the stick wipes it off.

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Hosted by Delena Markland, Licensed Cosmetologist and Owner of The Pixie Garden. New episodes weekly. Browse all episodes.