Thickening & Volumizing Mousse

Virtue Thickening & Volumizing Mousse is a lightweight styling foam created to give hair more visible body, bounce, root lift, and flexible hold without the stiff or crunchy finish traditionally associated with some mousses. Ulta currently sells the product in a 5.5 oz aerosol can, while Virtue’s own current product page names it Volumizing Mousse. The formula is suitable for all hair types but is positioned especially strongly for fine or flat hair that has difficulty maintaining volume.

The formula combines styling polymers with Virtue’s proprietary Alpha Keratin 60ku®, panthenol, hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat amino acids, hydrolyzed amaranth protein, individual amino acids, sodium PCA, vitamin E, and conditioning ingredients. Virtue also states that the mousse protects hair from heat styling and humidity, although the current official page does not publish a specific maximum heat-protection temperature.

About Thickening & Volumizing Mousse

Virtue Thickening & Volumizing Mousse is best understood as a styling product that creates fuller-looking hair while helping a finished style hold its shape. Its foam is distributed through towel-dried hair from roots to ends and can then be blow-dried, diffused, or otherwise styled.

The current formula uses VP/VA Copolymer and Acrylates Copolymer near the beginning of the ingredient list. These are film-forming styling polymers that contribute structure and hold around the hair fiber. That styling system is paired with keratin, proteins, amino acids, panthenol, and conditioning ingredients so the mousse can create volume without relying entirely on a rigid high-hold film.

The product’s current official formulation and specifications are published by Virtue, while Ulta confirms the 5.5 oz retail size and its positioning for straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair across fine, medium, and thick textures.

Thickening & Volumizing Mousse Features

The biggest advantage of this mousse is the balance between volume and movement. Virtue says the product adds thickness, body, bounce, and hold while disappearing into the hair without oily residue, stickiness, or a crunchy finish.

That makes it useful when hair needs enough styling structure to hold a blowout or lifted root shape but a stiff hairspray-like finish is not wanted.

The product can also support natural waves and curls. Ulta’s current directions recommend working the mousse from root to end and using a diffuser when the goal is enhancing existing wave or curl pattern rather than creating a straighter blowout.

Alpha Keratin 60ku®

The formula contains keratin, which Virtue markets under its proprietary Alpha Keratin 60ku® technology.

Virtue describes Alpha Keratin 60ku as a keratin protein that is bio-identical to the keratin found in human hair and says it is attracted to damaged areas of the strand, where it helps smooth and fill surface damage. These are manufacturer technology claims and should be identified as such rather than treated as independent proof that one mousse permanently reconstructs damaged hair.

Virtue’s broader testing of Alpha Keratin technology includes instrumental and imaging-based claims around frizz, split-end appearance, strand thickness, and color vibrancy. Those results relate to Virtue’s proprietary technology and are not all specific clinical outcomes for this mousse alone.

For this exact mousse, the most relevant product-specific evidence is its separate 50-person consumer perception study.

What “Thickening” Means In A Styling Mousse

The term thickening should be interpreted carefully.

Virtue Thickening & Volumizing Mousse can make individual strands and the overall hairstyle look and feel fuller through styling polymers, conditioning ingredients, protein, hydration, and increased separation between strands. Virtue’s product page describes immediate thickening and added body as styling effects.

It does not increase the number of hair follicles on the scalp.

It does not create new hair growth.

It is not a medication for hair loss.

Someone experiencing ongoing or unexplained hair thinning should therefore keep cosmetic volumizing and evaluation of actual hair loss as separate issues.

VP/VA Copolymer For Flexible Hold

VP/VA Copolymer is the second ingredient after water, making it one of the main structural components of the formula. Acrylates Copolymer appears shortly afterward.

These types of styling polymers form a lightweight film around or between hair strands as the product dries.

That film helps hair maintain the shape created during blow-drying or diffusing, giving the mousse its hold and volume rather than leaving the hair completely unsupported once dry.

Because Virtue specifically positions the product around flexible hold, the intended finish is movement rather than a rigid shell around the strand.

Panthenol For Moisture And Softness

Panthenol, or provitamin B5, appears relatively high in the formula.

Virtue highlights panthenol for moisture, softness, and shine.

This is particularly useful in a volumizing product because hair does not need to feel extremely dry or rough in order to look fuller. Panthenol adds conditioning support alongside the hold polymers and protein ingredients.

Its presence does not turn the mousse into a deep-conditioning treatment, however. The product remains a leave-in styler whose primary purpose is volume and hold.

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

The current INCI contains Hydrolyzed Soy Protein immediately after keratin.

Hydrolyzed proteins are broken into smaller components so they can be incorporated into cosmetic hair formulations more easily. In styling products, they can contribute to surface feel, temporary body, and conditioning.

The effect is cosmetic and temporary. A hydrolyzed protein does not make an individual hair permanently larger at the follicle.

Wheat Amino Acids

Wheat Amino Acids are also listed near the beginning of the formula.

These amino acids form part of Virtue’s conditioning and shine-focused ingredient system.

Virtue currently states that its brand is gluten-free even though this formula includes wheat amino acids. The ingredient declaration should remain the final reference for anyone who personally avoids wheat-derived cosmetic ingredients for a specific sensitivity concern.

Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein

The mousse also contains Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein.

Virtue highlights this ingredient as helping hair feel softer and silkier.

Its presence supports the product’s attempt to create volume without producing a rough, chalky texture.

Again, the benefit is mainly about the cosmetic feel and manageability of the hair fiber rather than changing natural hair density.

Amino Acid Blend

The formula contains a broad amino-acid mixture including:

Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Arginine, and Aspartic Acid.

It also contains PCA, sodium PCA, and sodium lactate.

Virtue describes its amino-acid system as supporting hydration and shine.

These ingredients are better understood as supporting the conditioning side of the mousse rather than as hair-growth actives.

Vitamin E

Tocopherol, or vitamin E, appears within the current formulation.

Vitamin E is commonly used as an antioxidant and conditioning component in cosmetic products.

In this mousse, it supports the broader formula rather than functioning as a treatment for hair loss, scalp disease, or permanent structural damage.

Polyquaternium-4 And Conditioning Support

Polyquaternium-4 is a conditioning and film-forming polymer included in the current formula.

The mousse also contains cetrimonium chloride, stearyl alcohol, PEG-12 dimethicone, and other conditioning or texture-support ingredients.

This combination helps explain why the product can provide hold while still being marketed around smoothness, shine, and touchable movement.

It Does Contain Silicone

Virtue Thickening & Volumizing Mousse should not be described as silicone-free.

The current formula includes PEG-12 Dimethicone.

This water-dispersible silicone derivative contributes slip and conditioning to the finished formula.

For shoppers who specifically filter styling products according to silicone content, this is an important detail.

Heat Protection Without An Invented Temperature

Both Virtue and Ulta state that the mousse protects hair from heat damage.

The current official product page does not state a maximum tested temperature such as 400°F or 450°F.

For that reason, Erothots should not assign a specific heat-protection temperature to this mousse unless Virtue publishes one for this exact formula.

Heat protection also does not make unlimited heat styling harmless. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using low or medium heat settings and limiting excessive use of blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners because repeated high heat can still damage hair.

Humidity Protection

Virtue also states that the mousse protects against humidity.

Humidity can affect the way a styled hair fiber holds its shape, particularly when the hair naturally swells or frizzes as moisture in the air changes.

The styling polymers in a mousse help give the hairstyle more structure, making it less likely to collapse immediately.

Virtue does not publish a precise number of hours of humidity protection for this exact mousse on the current product page, so claims such as “72-hour humidity protection” should not be attached to it.

Designed For Fine And Flat Hair

Virtue says the mousse is appropriate for all hair types, but specifically calls out fine and flat hair.

Fine hair can be particularly easy to weigh down with heavy styling creams and oils. A foam delivers the formula across a large section of hair without requiring a thick layer of product.

The most practical approach for finer hair is to start with a relatively small amount and add more only where needed.

Using substantially more mousse than the hairstyle requires can add unnecessary product buildup and reduce the airy result the formula is designed to create.

Straight Hair

Ulta lists the product for straight hair across fine, medium, and thick textures.

On straight hair, the mousse can be concentrated near the roots before blow-drying to create lift, while distributing a lighter amount through the lengths adds body and styling memory.

A round brush or directional blow-drying technique can create more noticeable root lift than simply coating the hair and allowing it to dry flat against the scalp.

Wavy Hair

Virtue also positions the mousse for wavy hair.

Its flexible hold can help support existing bends in the hair without creating the hard cast associated with some stronger curl gels. Virtue recommends applying the mousse through the lengths and using a diffuser when enhancing the natural pattern is the goal.

How much definition develops will depend on the person’s natural wave pattern, moisture level, styling technique, and other products being layered with it.

Curly And Coily Hair

Ulta’s current hair-type chart also includes curly and coily textures.

For these hair types, the mousse can add root lift and airy hold, but it may not replace the richer conditioning products or stronger definition products that some curl patterns need.

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that curly and coily hair can be more vulnerable to dryness and breakage and recommends gentle handling and suitable conditioning.

A volumizing mousse can therefore be one styling layer rather than the complete curl-care routine.

Color-Treated And Chemically Treated Hair

Virtue identifies the mousse as color-safe, and current retailer information also positions it for chemically treated hair.

That can be useful because lightened or chemically processed hair may still need styling support without an extremely heavy coating.

Color-safe does not mean chemical treatments stop affecting hair strength. The AAD recommends limiting heat and chemical stress where possible and using appropriate conditioning to reduce unnecessary damage.

Applying The Mousse To Towel-Dried Hair

Virtue’s current directions are straightforward: shake the can well, turn it upside down, dispense a small amount into the palm, and distribute it evenly through towel-dried hair from root to tip before styling.

The upside-down dispensing instruction matters because mousse cans are engineered to release the product as foam rather than as an uneven mixture of propellant and liquid.

Starting with a small amount also makes it easier to keep the finish light.

Creating More Root Lift

For more visible lift, Ulta recommends focusing the mousse around the roots before blow-drying.

Root volume depends partly on the direction in which the hair dries. Lifting sections away from the scalp while blow-drying can create more height than drying everything directly downward.

The mousse adds hold so the resulting shape has more styling support after the hair cools.

Enhancing Waves And Curls

For natural waves or curls, Ulta recommends applying the mousse from roots through ends and using a diffuser.

A diffuser distributes airflow over a wider surface instead of directing a concentrated stream of air at one section.

The AAD still recommends avoiding excessive heat regardless of hair type and using low or medium heat where possible.

Flexible Hold Rather Than Hard Hold

Virtue repeatedly describes the mousse as providing flexible hold.

That makes it more suitable for bouncy blowouts, movement, and natural texture than for hairstyles requiring an extremely rigid finish.

Someone who needs very strong final hold may still choose to finish the style with hairspray rather than adding progressively larger amounts of mousse.

No Crunch Or Sticky Residue Claim

Virtue says the product is designed to disappear into the hair without film, oiliness, crunch, or sticky residue.

This is a manufacturer sensory claim.

Actual feel can change depending on the amount used, the hair’s density and porosity, and how several styling products are layered.

Fine hair may particularly benefit from starting conservatively because too much of almost any styling polymer can eventually become noticeable.

The Citrus-Floral Fragrance

This mousse is fragranced.

Virtue describes the scent as a revitalizing citrus-floral blend combining leafy greens, flowers, fruit, white pear, spearmint leaf, and bright lemon essential-oil notes.

The ingredient list confirms Parfum / Fragrance and also lists fragrance components including linalool, benzyl salicylate, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, geraniol, citronellol, and citral.

Someone intentionally avoiding fragranced haircare should therefore not consider this a fragrance-free mousse.

Current Consumer Perception Study

Virtue publishes a product-specific consumer perception study involving 50 panelists at a third-party independent laboratory.

The brand reports that:

• 98% felt their hair looked healthier and stronger immediately.
• 96% felt their hair was hydrated and fuller and that their style lasted longer after three uses.
• 96% felt their hair had more volume and body, felt stronger, and looked healthier after one week.

Virtue also summarizes the results as 96% feeling fuller hair.

These are participant-perception results rather than instrumental measurements showing that every person’s hair diameter increased by a fixed percentage.

That distinction is particularly important with a product whose name includes “Thickening.”

Volumizing Effect Versus Hair Growth

The mousse can make a hairstyle look significantly fuller without changing the biological growth rate of the hair.

Film-forming polymers can increase separation and structure, while blow-drying can lift strands away from the scalp. Proteins, amino acids, humectants, and conditioners can improve the cosmetic feel of the fiber.

None of those mechanisms create new follicles.

For Erothots, the correct language is fuller-looking, thicker-looking, more voluminous hair, not claims that the mousse regrows thinning hair.

Brand Formula Standards

Virtue’s current site states that its brand is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic colors, and dyes, and describes its products as gluten-free and cruelty-free.

These are formulation and brand-positioning characteristics, not evidence that ingredients outside those categories are unsafe.

The current mousse is also clearly not fragrance-free or silicone-free, so those separate characteristics should remain transparent.

Aerosol Format And Storage

The ingredient list contains propane and isobutane, confirming that this is an aerosol mousse. Ulta also places air-shipping restrictions on the product.

The can should be stored and handled according to the warning information printed on the package.

Because packaging warnings can contain specific temperature, flame, puncture, and disposal instructions, the actual can should remain the final safety reference rather than replacing those directions with generic aerosol advice.

Current Full Ingredient List

The current formula is:

Aqua (Water, Eau), VP/VA Copolymer, Propane, Isobutane, Acrylates Copolymer, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Wheat Amino Acids, Panthenol, Glycine, Alanine, Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein, Serine, Valine, Tocopherol, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Polyquaternium-4, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Butylene Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Oleth-20, Decyl Glucoside, Laureth-23, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Aminomethyl Propanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-12 Allyl Ether, PEG-12, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, and Citral.

Anyone checking a known allergy or sensitivity should use the ingredient declaration printed on the can received as the final reference because cosmetic formulations can change.

A Note About Older Baobab Claims

Some older retailer descriptions of Virtue Volumizing Mousse prominently list baobab seed oil as a key ingredient.

However, Adansonia Digitata / baobab is not present in the complete ingredient list currently published by Virtue or Ulta.

The current Virtue product page now highlights panthenol, amino acids, and hydrolyzed amaranth protein, along with Alpha Keratin 60ku, instead.

For a current Erothots listing, the live 2026 ingredient declaration should therefore take priority over older baobab-focused product descriptions.

Who May Appreciate Thickening & Volumizing Mousse

This mousse makes the strongest case for someone who wants airier volume, root lift, body, bounce, and flexible styling support without intentionally creating a hard or crunchy finish. Virtue says it can be used across all hair types, with fine and flat hair receiving the strongest specific positioning.

It can work particularly well before a blowout, when lifting straight or wavy hair at the roots, or when diffusing natural waves and curls. Ulta’s directions support both root-focused blow-drying and root-to-end diffuser styling.

Someone who requires fragrance-free or silicone-free styling should choose another formula, because this mousse contains both fragrance and PEG-12 dimethicone.

Someone experiencing genuine progressive hair loss should also keep that concern separate from cosmetic volume. This mousse can create a fuller hairstyle, but its primary role is styling.

What Makes Thickening & Volumizing Mousse Different

The defining quality of Virtue Thickening & Volumizing Mousse is the combination of conventional volumizing polymers with the brand’s protein-focused haircare technology.

Its VP/VA and acrylates styling polymers create shape and flexible hold, while Alpha Keratin 60ku, hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat amino acids, hydrolyzed amaranth protein, panthenol, individual amino acids, sodium PCA, vitamin E, and conditioning polymers give the mousse a more treatment-minded formula than a simple hold-only foam.

Virtue’s 50-person independent consumer perception study reports that 98% felt their hair looked healthier and stronger immediately, while 96% reported fuller, more hydrated hair and longer-lasting style after three uses, and 96% reported greater volume and body after one week. These are participant-reported findings rather than proof of permanent biological thickening.

The current product is also color-safe, heat-protective and humidity-protective according to Virtue, while remaining fragranced and containing PEG-12 dimethicone. No specific heat-protection temperature is currently published, and older baobab claims should not be carried into a new product listing because baobab does not appear in the current official INCI.

For Erothots, Thickening & Volumizing Mousse is best positioned as a 5.5 oz lightweight Virtue styling foam for fuller-looking hair, root lift, bounce and flexible hold, featuring Alpha Keratin 60ku, panthenol, proteins and amino acids plus heat and humidity protection, with a clear distinction between immediate cosmetic volume and actual hair-growth treatment.