Hundreds of products come across our desks every month, but not all of them deliver on their claims or live up to the hype. (Not everything that goes viral on TikTok is a miracle worker.) This is our exclusive curation of the best-in-class hair-care products receiving rave reviews from our team and hitting shelves right now.
Coco & Eve Bond Building Pre-Shampoo Treatment ($25)
If you have bleached hair, this may be your next game changer, though it works on all hair types. This vegan, sulfate-free treatment employs micro 3-D bond-building technology to rebuild three structural bonds in the hair—disulphide, ionic and hydrogen—that have been damaged by bleach and hair color and strengthen weak strands. Other key ingredients include coconut, avocado, pomegranate and apricot oils, which work together to moisturize and smooth, for a noticeable difference you can feel after one use.
Just apply the creamy treatment to damp hair from root to tip and leave it in for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse it out and wash your hair with your normal shampoo and conditioner (you can even use a moisturizing mask for more serious smoothing effects). In a clinical study, the treatment was proven to reduce hair breakage by 85 percent.
Crown Affair The Signature Scent Hair Fragrance ($85)
If you know of and love the dreamy scent that perfumes all of Crown Affair’s products, you have probably been champing at the bit for this launch: a subtly beautiful, non-drying hair perfume. The top notes are citrusy and sparkling bergamot, yuzu and lemongrass; the heart is fresh and calming calla lily, fresh water lotus and green tea; and the base notes are warm and cozy teakwood, sandalwood, cedar and amber.
“Whenever I meet someone or give someone a hug, they often ask what scent I’m wearing—it’s Crown Affair,” says brand founder Dianna Cohen. “Our customers have been asking for our signature scent in pure fragrance form, so to be able to bring our essence to life as a hair perfume is thrilling. Fragrance is a key part of the hair care experience—I’m grateful to have been able to work with my dream fragrance house to bring that fresh, romantic, and calming feeling of the Crown Affair woman to life.”
NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Clean Dry Shampoo ($15)
Keep this non-aerosol dry shampoo in your carry-on bag, your purse, your desk drawer or anywhere else you might need a quick hair refresh, as it sops up oil and hits the reset button on grimy hair in a flash. The powder is super fine and light, so it doesn’t weigh down the hair or leave a white residue behind (you definitely need to massage it in like any dry shampoo though).
Instead of talc, the key ingredients are oil-absorbing silica and odor-neutralizing Japanese rich powder and shiso oil, which leave hair smelling clean (it also has a pretty scent of Japanese almond flower and violet).
“This Dry Shampoo is like no other,” says celebrity hairstylist Marty Harper. “The applicator diffuses its distribution while the powder is derived from rice, which not only absorbs oil, but also really helps balance the pH in the scalp. I love that the dry shampoo diffuses down without leaving a white residue. My clients have found that the technology enlisted in the powder formulation has helped their scalps find a balance of oil production and decreasing scalp itch and irritation.”
Musely FaceRx The Hair Pill ($84 for a three-month supply)
The stats are certainly daunting: More than 50 percent of women will experience noticeable hair loss in their lifetime, and not just in “old age.” This new medication from prescription-based company Musely is made for women ages 45 and older (though they also have a new product for women younger than 45 too), and is the first of its kind on the market to combine oral minoxidil (1 milligram) with other ingredients known to combat hair loss, such as dutasteride (0.4 milligrams), and biotin, zinc, folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
The goal is not only to prevent hair loss, but also to promote hair growth within three to six months, and is formulated to treat, female pattern hair loss, androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium and postpartum hair loss, all of which can take a huge toll on a woman’s confidence. Because these products are prescription-strength, they require the telehealth approach: Fill out a quick medical questionnaire on the brand’s site in order to be approved by one of Musely’s board-certified dermatologist partners, and then it will be shipped your way.
AQUIS FLIP Hair-Drying Tool ($50)
Trade in your traditional bath towel for this high-tech, hair-friendly one, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Powered by patented AQUITEX technology, which uses uniquely woven, quick-wicking channels to dry hair without the frizz-inducing friction you get with a standard towel, it actually strengthens hair as it dries it (this was also proven in clinical studies).
The fabric and design makes it comfortable to wear and easy to use: It doesn’t leave a mark around my hairline because it’s not too tight (like some other hair towels I’ve tried) and you don’t have to worry about it being too small because there’s a flexible loop-and-tuck design to lock your twisted towel in place. Plus, how cool is it that the antimicrobial microfiber fabric for each FLIP is made with six recycled water bottles?
TO112 Anti-Breakage Detangler ($38)
I can’t tell you how much hair I’ve lost over the years as the result of a stubborn knot: I typically lose patience and end up ripping out of a chunk of my hair (who’s with me?), and I wonder why I didn’t just open the darn drawer and use a good detangler. This one is the real deal, using deep-conditioning ingredients like tamanu oil and aloe vera to enhance elasticity and prevent breakage. Glycerin gives the hair a nice bit of slip so you can easily comb or brush right through tangles and knots, but not too much that hair falls flat during your blowdry, or looks greasy afterward.
It also contains orange extract to increase shine, and it’s safe to use on all ages and hair types, even kids. The brand also recommends it as a helpful aid for facilitating the removal of braids and weaves, as well as a go-to for gray hair that becomes coarse over time.
Nécessaire The Scalp Serum ($58)
For those experiencing thinning hair or hair loss, or a dry, irritated scalp, this daily scalp treatment is a must-try. The watery, oil-free serum is made with a 5-percent biomimetic peptide blend of five peptides at concentrations that have been clinically proven to help visibly minimize thinning and support new hair growth, as well as seven different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid for a mega boost of hydration. Green tea extract helps soothe itchiness, too, and if you’ve ever experienced an itchy scalp, you know it’s the worst!
There’s also no alcohol, silicones or synthetic fragrance in the ingredient lineup, and it’s safe for color-treated and keratin-treated hair. If you use it every day as suggested, one bottle should last you two months: Just part your hair into sections and apply the dropper directly on your scalp and then massage it in.
In a clinical perception study (participants also used the brands shampoo and conditioner), 80 percent of people said their hair looked thicker, 84 percent said their hair looked fuller and 88 percent said their hair looked healthier.
Innersense Organic Beauty Bright Balance Hairbath and Conditioner ($30 and $32)
A gentle and effective cleanser and toner for those with blonde or gray hair that’s become brassy or yellowish in between salon appointments, this vegan purple shampoo (the conditioner is purple too and silicone-free, which I love) works on all hair types and textures. It’s chock-full of nourishing ingredients like apple extract and rice syrup that help draw moisture into the hair, and monoi oil, which creates a smoothing, protective effect on the hair (it also lends to the addictive, fruity-floral scent).
“We wanted to formulate a collection specifically to nourish and tone gray, blonde and bleached hair without silicones or other common cosmetic ingredients that build up over time and compromise overall hair health,” says Greg Starkman, brand founder. “We are always looking for cleaner, healthier solutions using certified-organic ingredients to keep hair healthy and balanced.”
Leaf + Flower CBD Instant Curl Defining Cream ($34)
Finding a good curl cream can involve a lot of trial and error, but have you ever tried one with CBD? Developed by hairstylists, this alcohol-free cream gives waves and curls just the right amount of definition and hold (and a ton of moisture) without weighing them down with a crunchy, stiff or sticky residue.
The secret lies in the brand’s plant-based bio-adhesive properties that improve the hydration within individual curl bonds, and you really do notice better bounce and less frizz. The CBD comes into play in the brand’s proprietary CBD Corrective Complex that combines CBD with other key cannabinoids (CBC and CBG; combining them makes them more effective) to help bring homeostasis to the scalp and strengthen hair follicles. In the end, you’re getting so much more than a curl cream!
Geologie Smoothing Hair Co-Wash ($38)
As we move into the colder weather months and our hair gets drier (the case for many of us, but not all), hydration is essential. This low-foam formula (it’s sulfate-free) cleanses and conditions both the hair and scalp simultaneously without stripping it of its natural moisturizing oils. The conditioning benefits come courtesy of strengthening avocado oil, moisturizing squalane and fatty acid–rich coconut oil, which dry hair and a dry scalp will soak right up.
The brand suggests using it only twice a week, and letting it sit in your hair for a minute or two before rinsing it out (and remember to really rinse it out well!). There’s also a cooling version that’s great for oilier hair types and has a minty scent and creates a tingly feeling on the scalp, if that suits you better.
