Worked Up Hairspray
Styler / Hairspray, polymer-set
- Styler
- hairspray
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Curly-method
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: paulmitchell.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
$2.66/oz at 9.4 oz, less than 55% of the 242 hairsprays , which mostly run $1.61–3.87/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.
The silicones here are the water-soluble kind.
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat. (SD Alcohol 40-B) | drying alcohol | Sets the style fast, which is also why it can feel dry | Drying |
| Hydrofluorocarbon 152a | propellant | Pushes the product out of the can | Neutral |
| WaterWater (Aqua, Eau) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Polyurethane-14 | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Panthenol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Detangles |
| AMP-Acrylates Copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Glycerin | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Peg-14 Dimethicone | emulsifier | Stabilises the mix | Shine |
| FragranceParfum (Fragrance) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Citral | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
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
Alcohol Denat.
· Alcohol Denat. (SD Alcohol 40-B)
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.
Role in this product typeIn hairspray, denatured alcohol acts as a fast-evaporating solvent that carries the styling polymers and helps distribute them in a fine spray. As it evaporates, the polymers remain on the hair to form the hold film.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewMay suitFine or easily flattened hairMay suit hair that needs a fast-drying, lightweight spray base rather than an oil- or wax-led finish.
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.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairConsider if hair is very dry or highly damaged: when alcohol is this prominent, the fast-evaporating base may leave the hair feeling drier.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
2
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
General function
A non-flammable aerosol propellant used in dry shampoos and finishing sprays.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- propellant
-
3
Water
· Water (Aqua, Eau)
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
-
4
Polyurethane-14
General function
A flexible hold polymer that bends rather than cracks, used for touchable styling.
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
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
General function
A firm hold polymer used in hairsprays and gels. It holds well in humidity and brushes out.
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
-
6
Panthenol
General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairIt hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
7
AMP-Acrylates Copolymer
General function
A neutralised acrylate hold polymer used in sprays for firm, humidity-resistant set.
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
-
8
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
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
-
9
Peg-14 Dimethicone
General function
A silicone made water-soluble by ethoxylation. It smooths and adds slip, and rinses out with water rather than needing a detergent.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
May suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDelivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.
- emulsifier
- silicone
- water-soluble silicone
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
10
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
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 hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- preservative
- emollient
-
11
Triethyl Citrate
General function
A citrate ester used to stabilise fragrance and support the preservative system.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
- preservative
-
12
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
General function
A biodegradable hard-water chelator used in place of EDTA.
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 suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairCopper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
- hard-water chelator
-
13
Aminomethyl Propanol
General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic hold polymers so they thicken and set properly.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
14
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
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
-
15
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
16
Fragrance
· Parfum (Fragrance)
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
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.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
17
Citral
General function
A lemon-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
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 routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
18
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
General function
A cold-pressed orange peel oil used for scent. Citrus oils are naturally high in limonene.
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.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesEssential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
19
Hexamethylindanopyran
General function
A synthetic musk used as a long-lasting fragrance base 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.
- fragrance
-
20
Hydroxycitronellal
General function
A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.
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 routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
21
Limonene
General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
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 routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
22
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.
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 routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
23
Linalyl Acetate
General function
A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.
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.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
What the whole list adds up to
- 8 fragrances
- 5 named fragrance allergens
- 3 solvents
- 3 film formers
- 3 polymers
- 3 humectants
- 3 preservatives
- 2 pH adjusters
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 propellant
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 vitamin
- 1 emulsifier
- 1 silicone
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 9.4 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $18 line; products that do this job typically go for about $23 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Han's Beauty Stor
$24.009.4 oz · $2.55/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Paul Mitchell (brand site)
$26.009.4 oz · $2.77/ozOct 7
-
Total Beauty Experience
$26.009.4 oz · $2.77/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
- 9.4 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 $24 is the price we have observed for the 9.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $18 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.93/oz; at 9.4 oz that is $18. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $23 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 9.4 oz.
Formula
The formula carries the systems a hairspray is built around, and it sits in the middle of the range for hairsprays per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 2 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 55% of the 242 hairsprays we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a hairspray should do
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- 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.
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Differs
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Differs
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?
Only for a specific needHair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and a curly-method-compatible formula
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or anyone who will not scrunch out a cast
Sebastian Shaper Medium Hold Flexible Hairspray, 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 hair brushes out easily and stays touchable, with a soft shine.
Reviewers who brush out or restyle their hairSeveral reviewers like the subtle, pleasant scent, noting it is lighter than many hairsprays.
Reviewers across hair typesMany reviewers say the spray holds style with a light, flexible feel that isn't sticky or stiff.
Reviewers across hair typesSome reviewers found the hold too light, especially on fine or straight hair that needs firmer control.
Reviewers with fine or straight hair, or who wanted firmer holdMore from Paul Mitchell
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.
- 3 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 13 of 20 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.
