Aqua Net is an American brand of aerosol hair spray created by Rayette of St. Paul, Minnesota. The company brought the product to retail stores in 1961.[3] By 1964, hairspray had become the top-selling beauty product in America.[4][5] The brand is known for its distinctive large purple spray cans, and the spray itself is known for its strong hold and distinctive odor.[6]
Aqua Net was invented by the Rayette Company of St. Paul, Minnesota[3] in the 1950s.[7]
In the 1960s, Aqua Net was advertised by The Three Stooges.[15]
In the 1980s, a renewed trend for big hair, and the rise of glam rock and hair metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Cinderella resulted in the widespread use of hair spray in mainstream and alternative culture alike.[16][17][18] Aqua Net became synonymous with these trends during that decade.[19][20] In the 1980s, Aqua Net was advertised by Donna Mills.[21][22]
Around January 1989, Fabergé entered talks to sell a number of brands, including Aqua Net, to Unilever.[23] The sale was completed in February 1989.[24]
In 1989–1992, Aqua Net was the subject of a product safety lawsuit, Nowak v. Faberge USA,[25] that has since entered legal textbooks.[26]
In the 1990s, Aqua Net was used by punk musicians such as Lars Fredriksen and Michelle Cruz Gonzales.[27][28][29]
The brand was acquired from Unilever in 2006 by Lornamead, Inc.[30] Lornamead instigated a rebranding effort intended to reference the product's heritage by reviving parts of its original design elements.[11][31] Li & Fung acquired Lornamead in 2012.[32] Lornamead is currently part of Meiyume, owned by a joint venture between the Fung Group and Hony Capital called LH Pegasus.
Aqua Net's ingredients include dimethyl ether, SD alcohol 40-B, and aminomethyl propanol.[6]
From at least 1970 through 1972, during a period in which it was manufactured by Fabergé, Aqua Net contained vinyl chloride as a propellant.[33] Vinyl chloride exposure is associated with a raised risk of certain liver cancers.[33][34]
In 2002, during the period in which it was manufactured by Unilever, Aqua Net was reported to contain the phthalates dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP).[35] Pthalates are associated with male reproductive dysfunction.[35]
Besides hairstyling, Aqua Net has been used:
