Anyone who blow-dries their hair and wants more lift at the root without a stiff feel. Paul Mitchell lists it as suitable for all hair types and safe for color-treated hair. It is an everyday consumer styling product, easy enough for home use and light enough for stylists to use as a blowout prep step. It is less relevant if you air-dry your hair, since it is designed to be applied before a blowout.

It does two jobs in one spray before the dryer: it builds lift at the root, and it carries lightweight conditioners that are meant to soften the effect of blow-drying, so the hair is styled and prepped in one step. The awapuhi extract is the signature ingredient of the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger line and the brand says it helps balance moisture and reduce frizz.

1. Towel-dry your hair.
2. Spray onto the roots first for lift, then spray throughout the rest of the hair.
3. Blow-dry and style as desired; the brand suggests a round brush for extra smoothness.

• Adds volume at the root and a light hold for round-brush blowouts.
• Conditioning agents are included to help protect against blow-drying damage.
• Color safe and suited to all hair types, according to the brand.

The drawbacks: it is a light-hold styler, so it will not lock in a strong shape by itself. It contains alcohol and several fragrance allergens (such as limonene and linalool), which may bother people with sensitive skin or scalps. It is scented, with a tropical ginger, green tea and mango fragrance. The brand describes it as protective against blow-drying damage rather than as a dedicated heat protectant, so anyone using very high heat may want to check that against their needs.