Root Lift
Styler / Volumizer, polymer-set
- Styler
- volumizer
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Manufacturer page: hairstory.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$4.04/oz at 8 oz, less than 66% of the 143 volumizers , which mostly run $3.31–9.38/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Synthetic hold polymers, the firmest kind of hold.
Film formers with little to soften them, so expect a cast to scrunch out.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
No absorbent powders or starches.
No oils or butters in the list.
Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No fragrance is listed.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat | drying alcohol | Sets the style fast, which is also why it can feel dry | Drying |
| Polysorbate 80 | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| VP/VA Copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Polyquaternium-11 | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Detangles |
| Rosa Centifolia Flower Water | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Hydrolyzed Quinoa | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
| Phenethyl Alcohol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Fragrance |
| Isopropyl Alcohol | drying alcohol | A small amount, for fast setting | Drying |
Full ingredient list (23)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Water
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Alcohol Denat.
· Alcohol Denat
General function
Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairPorous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairIt evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
3
Polysorbate 80
General function
A solubiliser that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
4
VP/VA Copolymer
General function
A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingSynthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSome acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- film former
- polymer
-
5
Polyquaternium-11
General function
A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdCationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
-
6
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
General function
Water distilled with Rosa Centifolia, standing in for some of the plain water in the formula. It carries scent and marketing more than measurable effect.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
7
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
General function
Chamomile extract, used for a soothing claim and a faint natural brightening on light hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
8
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
General function
Marigold extract, a traditional soothing botanical used at low levels.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- botanical extract
-
9
Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract
- botanical extract
-
10
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
General function
A quinoa-derived protein used for light strengthening and colour retention claims.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairFilling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
12
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
General function
A conditioning agent used for slip in thick creams and masks.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
13
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairWater moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.
- humectant
-
14
Propanediol
General function
A corn-derived humectant and solvent, often chosen as a lighter-feeling alternative to propylene glycol.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
- humectant
- solvent
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
15
Pentylene Glycol
General function
A humectant that also helps preserve the formula, often used where a brand wants a short preservative list.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
- humectant
- solvent
- preservative
-
16
Phenethyl Alcohol
General function
A rose-scented alcohol that acts as both a mild preservative and a fragrance note.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- preservative
- fragrance
-
17
Isopropyl Alcohol
General function
A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Well down the list it is a processing aid; near the top it can leave hair feeling dry.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
18
Laurtrimonium Chloride
General function
A light conditioning agent common in sprays and leave-ins where weight matters.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
-
19
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
20
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
21
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
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22
Trisodium Hedta
- hard-water chelator
-
23
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 6 solvents
- 6 preservatives
- 5 botanical extracts
- 3 film formers
- 3 conditioning agents
- 3 humectants
- 2 drying alcohols
- 2 polymers
- 1 emulsifier
- 1 solubilizer
- 1 protein
- 1 hydrolysed protein
- 1 fragrance
- 1 hard-water chelator
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $10 line; products that do this job typically go for about $25 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Hairstory
$32.308 oz · $4.04/ozOct 8Lowest per oz
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TikTok Shop
$32.308 oz · $4.04/ozOct 8Sale · was $38.00
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Hairstory (brand site)
$38.008 oz · $4.75/ozOct 7
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 8 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $32.30 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $10 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.29/oz; at 8 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $25 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.
Formula
Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a volumizer does and costs about what volumizers cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 4 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 66% of the 143 volumizers we’ve priced
- No softeners alongside the hold in the formula
- Reviewers mention 2 recurring complaints
- A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
- Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsPeople sensitive to fragrance, for a formula with no added fragrance and real detangling slip
Less suited to very dry or high-damage hair, anyone who will not scrunch out a cast, or people shopping on a budget
John Frieda Ultra Filler + Spray for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Several reviewers say the strong, alcohol-like scent is off-putting and some felt the price was not worth the results.
Reviewers across hair typesSeveral reviewers say it leaves hair sticky, greasy-looking or dirty-feeling, sometimes by the next day.
Reviewers with fine or thin hairGetting the amount right takes trial and error, since too much weighs hair down and too little adds no lift.
Reviewers across hair typesLift results vary: some reviewers see root volume, while others, often with fine hair, see little or no change.
Reviewers with fine, thin or straight hairMore from Hairstory
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 11 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-07.
