What’s the chemistry behind hairspray?

Hairspray seems simple… until you actually stop and think about it. How does it come out as a fine mist? Why doesn’t it dry up inside the can? How can it hold your hair in place without acting like glue? This week we’re unpacking the surprisingly clever chemistry behind one of the most common products in our homes—and discovering it’s far more complicated than either of us expected.

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Timestamps

• 0:00 – A question inspired by our forensics episode: what is hairspray?
• 4:40 – The three ingredients inside a can of hairspray
• 10:40 – How the propellant turns liquid into a fine aerosol spray
• 18:30 – How polymers create an invisible “hairnet”
• 29:00 – Why designing hairspray is harder than you might expect
• 36:20 – How hairspray compares to gel and mousse
• 45:50 – Fun categories: movies, cast iron, and things that turned out to be more complicated than expected

References from the Episode:

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Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

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