Up to 50% more volume
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
—
Stated by brand
Only the brand’s testing shows this.
Sexy Hair
Big Sexy Hair Powder Play Lite Soft Volumizing & Texturizing Powder
Styler / Volumizer, light-hold
- Styler
- volumizer
- powder
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size0.4 fl oz
Price$21.95seen at one store · 0.4 oz
Price / oz$54.88/ozat 0.4 oz
Where to buy3 stores · $21.95–21.95
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Listing used for research: ulta.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.
- In 10 minutes we can identify your exact hair condition and traits.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
- A personalized routine for your daily life — 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.
$49.00 one-time consultation, no subscription
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Straight–Wavy
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Hold (as stated)
Light
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Little
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
None listed
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Scent
Unscented
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Pump or tube
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
High
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
10 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
UltaOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.
Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$54.88/oz at 0.4 oz — more than 97% of the 64 volumizers , which mostly run $3–6.80/oz.
Great for
no fragrance (parfum) on the label
free of strong smells
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Maybe skip if
Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
If scent matters to younothing is added here
Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only
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.
Hold (as stated)
Light
A light hold, as stated by the brand.
Hold system
Wax
Gums and synthetic polymers together.
Cast risk
Unlikely
Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Oil absorption
High
Absorbent powders or starches high in the list.
Oils and butters
Present, high in the list
Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fragrance
None listed
No fragrance is listed.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater (Aqua) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Propylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Silica Silylate | powder | Mattifies and absorbs oil | Stabilizes |
| Gluconolactone | humectant | Adds a little water-binding | Moisturizes |
| Sodium Benzoate | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Calcium Gluconate | hard-water chelator | Binds trace metals | Stabilizes |
| Citric Acid | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil | oil | A little softening for the film | Softens |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Chelators for hard water.
Full ingredient list (10)
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.
-
1
Water
· Water (Aqua)
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
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.
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
-
3
Silica Silylate
General function
A treated silica used to absorb oil and add grip in texture products.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairA dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.
- powder
- thickener
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
4
Gluconolactone
General function
A gentle acid that holds water and helps loosen surface build-up. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.
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 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 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.
- humectant
- exfoliant
- hard-water chelator
-
5
Sodium Benzoate
General function
A food-grade preservative that works only in acidic formulas, which is why it usually appears alongside citric acid.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
-
6
Calcium Gluconate
General function
A mineral salt used in trace amounts to stabilise the formula.
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
- salt
-
7
Citric Acid
General function
Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the 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.
International Journal of TrichologyMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesHolds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairThe acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairWhere a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
8
Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil
General function
The oil pressed from Passion Fruit (Passiflora Edulis). How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.
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.
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil
General function
A light oil used for shine and slip, often alongside rice-derived proteins.
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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
-
10
Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Oil
General function
The oil pressed from Acai (Euterpe Oleracea). How much weight a plant oil leaves depends on the hair it lands on; coarse hair tends to take more of it than fine hair.
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 suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 hard-water chelators
- 3 oils
- 3 emollients
- 2 solvents
- 2 humectants
- 1 powder
- 1 thickener
- 1 exfoliant
- 1 preservative
- 1 salt
- 1 pH adjuster
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 0.4 oz
Seen at
$21.95
Good value under
$1
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $1 line; products that do this job typically go for about $2 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 3 stores
0.4 ozmost listed
-
Ulta
$21.950.4 oz · $54.88/ozAug 27Lowest per oz
-
Ulta Beauty
$21.950.4 oz · $54.88/ozAug 30
4 ozBest per ounce
-
JCPenney
$21.954 oz · $5.49/ozAug 30Lowest per oz
-
Ulta
$21.95Aug 25
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
- 0.4 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 $21.95 is the price we have observed for the 0.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $1 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.31/oz; at 0.4 oz that is $1. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $2 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 0.4 oz.
Formula
9
Formula score
9 of 10
The formula carries what a volumizer is built around, and 3 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is buying the label, not a different formula.
How the score is counted
- 3 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 97% of the 64 volumizers we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a volumizer 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 is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.
SexyHairSame function
Big Sexy Powder Play Volumizing & Texturizing Powder
$40.52/oz $14.36/oz less
- Fragrance-free
- Unscented
- Protein-free
- Differs
JoicoClose function
Hair Shake Liquid-to-Powder Texturizing Finisher
$4.90/oz $49.98/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Function
- Also
OCOALowest cost per oz
Curl Refresh + Hold Spray
$4.00/oz $50.88/oz less
- Curly method
- Silicone-free
- Rinses clean
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costBest user
People sensitive to fragrance — for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to styles that have to hold all day, very dry or very humid climates, or frizz on humid days
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.
Claims check
What the brand says, against what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Invisible, lightweight, transparent finish
Light silicones and low wax content help it avoid visible residue.
- Water
- Propylene Glycol
Supported
Less likely to weigh hair down.
Talc-free
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Instant volume and texture
It reads light on the strand, which is what volume claims depend on.
—
Supported
Leaves room for lift.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
Great for very thin, flat-lying hair, helps achieve volume goals
Ulta reviewer with thin, flat hairThe spray pump makes application easy and mess-free, doesn't get on clothes or in mouth, and is effective at adding volume
Ulta reviewerLong-time repeat user who has loved the product for several years
Ulta reviewer, multi-year repeat purchaserMade already-dry hair feel even drier; only recommends it for hair that isn't as dry as theirs
Ulta reviewer with dry hairHard to direct the powder spray precisely, especially difficult to apply to the back of the head alone
Ulta reviewer applying product soloMore from Sexy Hair
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per 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.
- 1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
- Ingredient references are linked for 4 of 7 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
- We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
- 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 v22. Record last updated 2026-08-27.