If we were to ask the average person on the street, almost all of them would say that they have a favorite health and beauty brand(s) that they consider to be their go-to.
For many fans, White Rain Hairspray was that favorite, and the news of the hairspray line being discontinued was surely a disappointment.
The overall reasoning behind the discontinuation and what that truly means is a confusing topic that requires further research.
Especially as customers continue to find the product in some retail stores or on third-party websites for purchase, the confusion continues to increase.
Let’s take a look at the events that have caused the White Rain brand to be discontinued.
Why Is White Rain Hairspray Discontinued?
A likely reason for the discontinuation of the hairspray is that the company went through a corporate transition and has since had a new owner.
White Rain was first produced by Gillette in the 1950s under the company High Ridge Brands LLC, with the tagline, “Your lovely hair is the essence of romance, so keep it sunshine bright with White Rain.”
In 2021, High Ridge Brands, LLC sold the White Rain brand to International Wholesale.
International Wholesale then migrated its Health Smart line with the White Rain brand.
In a press statement by Tengram Capital Partners, the company that owns High Ridge Brands LLC and Gillette, they stated, “We are pleased to transition ownership to a high-quality company such as International Wholesale where White Rain is a clear and meaningful strategic fit.”
This may suggest that High Ridge Brands LLC and Tengram Capital Partners determined that the White Rain brand was no longer a strategic fit for their company to continue producing.
High Ridge Brands LLC may have also known that selling was ultimately the best way to allow the brand to hopefully continue to be offered to its lifelong customers despite it no longer fitting into the capabilities of its organization.
At the time of this article, International Wholesale does offer White Rain Hair Spray for retail stores, convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, or any other type of store looking for a dependable wholesale source of White Rain.
There are two options for purchase in bulk:
However, for customers looking to purchase independently for their own use, it is important to note that they cannot purchase directly through International Wholesale.
Instead, customers must go through a retailer that already has the product in stock.
Customers should verify with a local store that they sell the product, as supply and demand change quickly and websites may not be updated.
However, the most common retailers that purchase White Rain Hairspray from International Wholesale include Walmart and Family Dollar.
Online stores like Amazon and eBay also have some for sale, but customers should be cautious and pre-determine if the product is expired or authentic.
Third-party websites like Amazon may state that the product is brand new when, in fact, it is not.
One way to determine the authenticity of the White Rain Hairspray online is by determining what version of the product is being marketed, as International Wholesale no longer produces the aerosol hairspray.
Any third-party websites attempting to sell aerosol hairspray may be lying about the authenticity of the brand, or they may have old, expired hairspray from before High Ridge Brands LLC sold to International Wholesale.
An additional source to search for White Rain products is the official White Rain website.
Customers cannot purchase directly from White Rain’s website, however, the site does give information on retailers that currently sell the brand.
1. Customer Reviews
Like any hair care product, what works for some individuals’ hair will not necessarily work well for another person.
A positive review found online about the product explains that it was “dirt cheap.”
As almost any individual with hair can attest to, purchasing hair care products can get expensive very quickly.
Therefore, the review that White Rain’s Hairspray is cheap may have been very intriguing to some who were looking to save some extra cash.
However, White Rain also had a lot of negative reviews as well, which may have played a role in its eventual discontinuation.
A common review made by Amazon reviewers is that the spray function often got stuck or stiff, making it difficult to use the product.
Other negative reviews found on Amazon state:
- The product didn’t hold the hairstyle in place nearly as well as other competitive hairspray brands.
- The hairspray leaves a sticky residue and makes hair feel heavy.
- The dry time after spraying it onto hair was longer than other brands.
However, despite some negative reviews, plenty of fans were disappointed over the discontinuation of White Rain’s Hairspray.
One Facebook user stated that she had used the product for more than 40 years and was “in a full-blown panic” over it no longer being available.
It’s also important to note that each individual is likely to have a slightly different experience with the same product.
For example, one Amazon user stated that the original version of the hairspray had no odor, while others compared the smell to bug spray and stated that it was “highly scented.”
2. Affordability Of The White Rain Hairspray
The affordability of White Rain is a controversial topic.
To some, the hairspray may be a bargain price while others may consider it expensive.
The ultimate determination by each customer on what they consider to be expensive is likely a result of comparing the products they have purchased in the past.
For example, it is common or “trendy” for customers to utilize subscription services to obtain their beauty supply products.
These subscription services are convenient, but they come at a higher price.
One example of a popular subscription company is Monat Global, a hair care and beauty subscription service offering hairspray at $40+ a bottle before any subsequent shipping, tax, or other subscription-related fees.
Customers who have become accustomed to the high price tags of these premium brands may believe that brands like White Rain are indeed a great bargain price.
Cost Comparisons At Retail Stores
Let’s compare the varying costs of the brand at a few different retailers that currently offer White Rain Extra Hold Non-Aerosol Hairspray in 7oz bottles at the time of this article.
Walmart sells one bottle for $8.22 when purchased online, before any taxes or shipping costs.
The website does not specify whether the hairspray is in stock at any of their retailers.
Family Dollar also offers the hairspray online, with a minimum purchase of 12 bottles, for a total of $15.00 before taxes or shipping costs.
The website states that the product is in stock and available for pickup at a local Family Dollar location for $1.25 per bottle.
However, it does not allow the user to search for nearby stores that have the product in stock.
Even though the hairspray line is still being produced and distributed by International Wholesale, it continues to be difficult to obtain the product without purchasing online for direct shipping from stores like Walmart and Family Dollar.
It is difficult to find any press releases or verified reasonings behind the apparent minimal distribution of the product.
However, it is likely that heightened inflation related to shipping costs, transportation difficulties, and overall worker shortages experienced throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic from 2020 to 2022 may also play a role.
Hairspray Alternatives To White Rain
If you have been a White Rain fan and are finding it difficult to locate the product at your local retailers, you may have been disappointed with the news that White Rain Hairspray has been discontinued by High Ridge Brands LLC.
As mentioned above, International Wholesale has absorbed White Rain and continues to produce the products, but it continues to be difficult to actually find and obtain the hairspray.
Some alternative options for hairspray brands include:
Alternate Uses For White Rain Hairspray
If you are someone who loves a good “do-it-yourself” or life hack, White Rain Hairspray may have other functions beyond using the product to hold a hairstyle.
This reviewer gave the product five stars, stating that they used it to hold clay items in place before firing them in the kiln.
This suggests that while the product may not be suitable for holding some hairstyles in place effectively, there may be some other creative ways to still get some use out of it rather than throwing it away.
Good Housekeeping put together a list of surprising ways to utilize that extra hairspray we all have sitting around in our cabinets.
Their ideas include:
- Spritz the hairspray on flowers after they have dried to preserve them and prevent the color from fading.
- If you’re having difficulty threading a needle, spraying the tip of the thread with hairspray allows it to stiffen and is easier to manipulate through the eye of a needle.
- Spray a small amount onto a finger and use it to tame any stray eyebrows into place.
- Preserve your child’s drawings or artwork by spraying it with a fine mist of hairspray. It can also be sprayed on chalk art to prevent the chalk from smudging or fading over time.
- Prevent pantyhose from running or tearing by spraying a small amount of hairspray on the fabric, avoid over spraying which will make the fabric sticky.
- Spray on the stamens of fresh flowers to prevent the pollen from falling off and staining furniture.
- Stop clothing static by spraying a small amount of hairspray into your hands and rubbing it onto the selected clothing item, it will reduce the static without damaging the fabric.
If you have a spare bottle of White Rain hairspray leftover or strategically placed in the back of your cabinet due to non-use, don’t throw it away and, instead, find a creative alternative for it within the home.
