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Picking the Best Hair Products of 2024 for Every Hair Type
Concerned about your hair health? Discover the best products to use that will help you experience only good hair days.
How do we vet brands and products? Learn more.
When it comes to caring for your hair, unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for keeping it healthy. This means that navigating the aisles of your local beauty store can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what works for your hair type.
To help you on your haircare journey, we’ve put together a guide of the top 45 hair products for all hair types and goals, whether you’re looking to tame your curly tresses or breathe some life into your limp locks.
Read on to find out which products you should be incorporating into your routine to take proper care of your hair while helping it look and feel its best.
Top 45 Best Hair Products of 2024
If you’re unsure of where to start when it comes to selecting products from the thousands that are available, we’ve narrowed them down to the top 45 in 15 distinct categories.
So, whether you’re looking for a new shampoo and conditioner or the best heat tool, keep reading to discover the top picks from our expert haircare team.
#1 Best shampoo
Shampoo is one of the most important steps in your haircare routine, as it helps remove any dirt, pollutants, or products that may have built up throughout the week. It also tackles the excess sebum on your scalp, an oil that makes your roots appear greasy.
You should try to avoid shampoos with ingredients such as sulfates, alcohols, and parabens, as they can damage your follicles, dry them out, and cause hair loss. Instead, opt for products made with natural ingredients like argan oil and herbs that contribute to strong tresses and could help your hair to grow faster.
Here are our top 3 recommendations that fit this criteria:
- Luxurious, relatively expensive product
- Strengthens delicate hair with keratin, biotin, and chia seed oil
- Boosts volume
- Color-safe shampoo
- Features Ouai’s unique “Mercer Street” fragrance blend
- Strong scent, which may be too strong for some
- Designed with men in mind
- Vegan, cruelty-free, and naturally derived gentle shampoo
- Addition of aloe vera soothes the scalp
- Removes dirt and excess oil
- Maintains strong hair with saw palmetto and vegan biotin
- Detoxes the hair and scalp by removing buildup
- Strong scent unsuitable for sensitive scalps
- Strengthens and protects lengths with desert-derived botanicals
- Leaves hair feeling soft, shiny, and bouncy without stripping natural oils
- Packed full of nutrients and natural plant extracts
#2 Best conditioner
Whether your hair is frizz-prone, curly, or pin-straight, it’s crucial to choose a conditioner for your specific hair type. For example, wavy hair requires thick moisturizing ingredients that provide a boost of moisture, whereas finer hair requires a lightweight yet hydrating product to prevent limp and lifeless locks.
We’ve selected a variety of products for all hair types below that we think score highly in the conditioner category:
- Pairs with their signature shampoo
- Adds volume and strength without weighing the hair down
- Fights frizz, softens, and smoothes
- Strong smell not enjoyed by all
- May be out of some consumer’s budgets
- Nourishes dry, color-treated hair with jojoba
- Ultra-moisturizing to add shine and softness
- Contains dimethicone, a silicone that coats strands and makes them feel greasy
- Green tea supports a healthy scalp
- Stimulates hair follicles with sage leaf extract
- Detangles severely dry coils and curls gently
- Leaves curls looking more defined for up to 72 hours
- Reduces damage and frizz
- May weigh thin or straight hair types down
#3 Best hair mask
If you’re looking for the best products for damaged hair, then hair masks are a great place to start. They often contain moisturizing ingredients such as coconut oil, which soften and hydrate thirsty locks.
Keratin is another ingredient commonly found, a protein that helps rebuild and strengthen hair damaged by bleach, chemical treatments, or environmental aggressors.
Find our top 3 hair mask picks below:
- Uses patented Bond Building technology to repair dry, damaged hair
- Provides intense, weightless moisture with hyaluronic acid
- Nourishes and provide strands with a glossy finish thanks to avocado, rosehip, and rice bran oils
- Avoids keratin overload, which can dry your hair out over time
- Combine with other Olaplex products for best results
- Contains moringa oil, which is rich in fatty acids to smooth frizz and promote shine
- Light and doesn’t weigh strands down
- Provides moisture to leave hair fully hydrated
- May leave a dry, waxy coating on the hair shaft
- Will need to wash hair more often
- Mango butter and banana revive damaged hair
- Repairs damage caused by a variety of factors, including pollution, styling, and environmental stress
- Coconut cream complex promotes new cell growth to help thick hair growth
- Relatively pricey product
- Strong, fruity smell that may not be for everyone
#4 Best leave-in conditioner
Along with using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner, adding a leave-in conditioner into your routine provides a boost of moisture that will help your locks feel silky soft on a daily basis. They can also help your hair to become more manageable, acting as a detangling agent and protecting against frizz. Discover the best leave-in conditioners below:
- Provides 72-hour frizz control
- Offers up to 450ºF heat protection
- Clinically proven to repair split ends
- Adds a pleasant yet light scent to the strands
- Slightly less hydrating than other leave-in conditioners
- Clinically proven to provide 3x more hydration with squalane and hyaluronic acid
- Detangles and helps to tame flyaways
- Naturally reduces frizz by boosting moisture for 72 hours
- May be too heavy for oilier hair types
- Lightweight yet hydrating formula
- May not work for fine or straight hair
- Gives a soft curl pattern definition
- Seals in moisture with natural oils and honey
- Works on taming dry, frizzy hair and flyaways
- Contains sulfates and silicones
#5 Best dry shampoo
Washing your hair too frequently can strip it of its natural oils, causing the scalp to produce excess sebum and make your roots greasy. This can also lead to damage and hair loss, which is why replacing some of your washes with a spritz of dry shampoo can be beneficial.
The best dry shampoos soak up oil and help your roots appear clean, although you should only use them as a temporary solution as they can cause hair loss when left for prolonged periods. Select one of the following products to use a couple of times per week:
- Scalp treatment neutralizes toxins caused by pollution and free radicals
- Weightless rice starch absorbs odor-causing oil and sweat
- Patented Bond Building technology repairs dry, brittle hair
- Proven not to leave a white powder residue like other dry shampoos
- Volume doesn’t last as long as other products
- Works as well as a rinse-out shampoo for cleaning and cleansing hair
- Balances sebum levels on your scalp
- Protects against pollution
- Adds extra shine and softness
- Leaves some white residue
- May not be suitable for particularly dry scalps
- Strengthens and nourishes dry, damaged hair
- Contains translucent powders to instantly absorb oil and dirt
- Extends blowout and prolongs the time between styling to maintain hair health
- Leaves your locks with movement and body
- Expensive product at $48 per bottle
- Sometimes leaves a white cast
#6 Best hair treatment
Whether you’ve got color-damaged, oily, or thinning hair, hair treatments should be an essential part of your weekly routine. They can cleanse the scalp and restore damaged follicles, which helps prevent hair loss or shedding and may even speed up the growth process.
Choose from products such as Moérie’s Hair Repair Set for all-round nourishment or hair growth supplements that target the root causes of hair loss. Read on for a summary of the top 3 treatments:
- Made of natural oils, which gives a strong scent
- Promotes hair growth while preventing further hair loss
- Scalp treatment improves the condition and appearance of hair
- Prevents oil, product, and dirt buildup by cleansing the scalp
- Softens and adds shine
- Powerful phytoactives stop shedding
- Provides hydration to strengthen strands and reduce breakage
- Karmatin vegan keratin alternative repairs damaged strands and gives them shine
- Supports the appearance of longer, denser, and healthier hair
- Serum may feel wet and oily
- Targets the root causes of hair thinning, from hormones to malnutrition
- Uses natural, medical-grade ingredients to promote healthy hair growth
- Improves both hair and skin health
- Side effects include nausea and diarrhea
- Must take 4 capsules per day for 3 months to see results
#7 Best hairspray
The best hairsprays provide long-lasting, weightless hold without making your locks feel sticky or crunchy. They should help to prevent flyaways, while some also have protecting features that help to combat oiliness and nourish hair. Our top 3 recommendations are detailed down below:
- Provides strong definition without the sticky, crunch residue
- Integrated memory means your locks will spring back into place after brushing
- Minimizes flyaways
- Gives limp, lifeless hair more bounce
- Some customers don’t enjoy the scent
- Also acts as a dry shampoo to combat oiliness but can be slightly drying
- Creates grip for easy hair styling
- Enriched with Smart Technology to nourish hair and enhance moisture
- Repairs and protects from humidity
- May not hold as well as other hairsprays
- Medium-to-high hold lasts up to 120 hours
- Provides up to 6 times the volume and lift of other hairsprays
- 72 hours of humidity resistance
- Flake-free finish but sometimes leaves hair feeling crunchy
- Spray nozzle clogs up
#8 Best product for shiny hair
Dullness often arises as a result of hair that lacks hydration, which is where moisturizing hair treatments are useful. These come in the form of hair oils such as biotin and argan that repair damage, protect against frizz, and infuse the hair with essential nutrients that nourish your locks, leaving them bright and shiny.
- Increases shine, softness, and color vibrancy
- Provides heat protection up to 450ºF
- Repairs hair damage with patented Bond Building technology
- Lightweight formula that reduces frizz and flyaways
- Applicator can be difficult to use
- More expensive than other hair oils
- Can be used as a leave-in treatment, conditioner, or as a pre-shampoo treatment
- Enhances and defines curls
- Hydrates and conditions strands with ceramide
- Provides 24-hour frizz control
- Too heavy for thinner or straight hair types
- Reflects light to provide a glossy shine
- Infused with vitamins, antioxidants, and argan oil for nourishment
- Protects hair against sun, chlorine, and saltwater
- Enhances color and highlights
- Doesn’t work for curly hair
#9 Best hair mousse
Hair mousse provides your locks with a boost of volume, but some can feel sticky and weigh them down. The best mousses are great for type 3 or type 4 hair as they define curls and coils while helping to hold wavy or curly styles for those with straighter type 1 or type 2 locks. Select your favorite from our top 3 choices:
- Ultra-lightweight yet provides instant volume
- Creates a thicker and fuller appearance for all hair textures
- Increases elasticity without leaving hair feeling stiff and sticky
- Some batches have faulty product dispensers
- Offers long-lasting flexible hold with a styling polymer
- Sea buckthorn superfruit provides vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids for scalp health
- Anti-humidity benefits
- Gives instant fullness, body, and bounce
- May leave hair feeling slightly sticky
- Targets roots to instantly increase volume by 99%
- Strengthens hair structure with vegetable proteins
- Contains saw palmetto extract to energize follicles and promote fullness
- Strong fragrance
#10 Best volumizing hair product
Having flat, limp, and lifeless locks can be frustrating, particularly when trying to style your hair into bouncy curls or waves. There are a variety of volumizing products on the market that help hold these styles without weighing your hair down, including the 3 we’ve selected down below:
- Provides lift to the roots without feeling stiff or sticky
- Made with proprietary elastomers that give volume to the hair
- Can also be used as a heat protectant
- Has an initial smell of alcohol
- Quickly adds long-lasting volume to flat hair
- Contains thickening volume polymers
- Added panthenol to protect and condition without sticky residue
- Must use a limited amount if you’ve got delicate hair to prevent it from becoming weighed down
- Kerasilk Silk + Technology and blue lotus extract help to strengthen hair
- Gently detangles
- Weightless conditioning and hydration
- Anti-static properties
- Strong Kerasilk Care Signature fragrance may not appeal to all
#11 Best anti-frizz product
- Creates shiny strands in just 8 seconds
- Works as an effective detangler to nourish the lengths
- Can be used as a conditioner alternative
- May not work as well for thicker hair
- Humidity-blocking technology stops moisture from ruining your hairstyle
- Super light anti-frizz formula
- Results last through 3–4 shampoos
- Isn’t as effective for those with curly hair
- 3D Sheer Pigment Technology provides a subtle tint that lasts up to 3 washes
- Mullein flower extract protects against UV rays
- Adds softness and silkiness
- Pigments prevent chemical damage by attaching only to hair’s surface layer
- Color fades a little after each wash
Frizz most often occurs in hair that lacks moisture, along with heat and humidity. This is because your hair seeks out moisture from the air around you, which worsens the frizziness.
You may also develop frizz if you use heat on your hair too often, causing damage to the hair shaft. Try these products to tackle this and restore healthy hair:
#12 Best detangling spray
Knotty tangles are a feature of all hair types and are caused when the outer cuticle layer becomes damaged and wraps around other open cuticles. It can be tempting to pull a hairbrush through your tresses to get rid of the tangles, but this usually causes more damage.
Start by using a suitable detangling spray for your hair type on dry or damp hair, which makes it easier to separate strands while keeping them healthy.
- Protects hair against heat up to 230ºC
- Detangles and smiths strands
- Provides ultra-hydration with avocado oil and vitamin B5
- Cuts down on blow-drying time
- Warm vanilla, spicy clover, and fresh citrus scent may be too strong
- Those with long hair won’t get many uses from the bottle
- Provides sleek, glossy tresses thanks to moringa proteins, mongongo, and karanja oils.
- Protects hair from external aggressors such as the sun
- Conditions and nourishes strands while detangling
- Costs an expensive $55 per bottle
- Detangles, conditions, and protects the hair
- Enhances hair’s natural body
- Controls frizz and prevents split ends
- Slows color fading
- Doesn’t work as a heat protector
#13 Best brush
As well as a good detangling spray, it’s important to have a brush that’s suitable for your hair type and goals within your collection. The best hair brushes provide great results easily, without putting too much stress on your strands and pulling them out.
We explore our top picks in detail below:
- Gets rid of dust and debris from the hair shaft
- Distributes oils from the scalp along the strand for shine
- Massages the scalp without tugging
- Unsuitable for curly hair
- Brush has an unpleasant rubber smell
- Nylon bristles penetrate strands to control the style
- Boar bristles add shine, but they do sometimes shed
- Soft rubber air cushion detangles gently
- Patented two-tier teeth detangle and smooth the hair cuticle
- Provides healthier-looking hair with more shine
- Loosens tangles with no tugging or pulling
- May not work for extremely fine and fragile or thick and curly hair
#14 Best hair dryer
We chose the best hair dryers based on their abilities to dry hair quickly without causing damage, how well they combatted frizz, along with how easy they were to use.
Whether you’re looking for a lightweight dryer to take on your travels or one with several attachments, we found 3 that fit all of these criteria.
- Can turn ions on to dry hair faster and reduce frizz or off for increased volume and texture
- Unique Nano Titanium technology distributes heat evenly
- Extremely quiet and lightweight
- Specially engineered airflow for efficient drying, but some customers find it difficult to control
- 20% lighter than a full-size dryer
- T3 IonAir Technology smoothes hair cuticle and speeds up drying
- Reduces frizz
- 3 heat and 2 speed settings for all hair types. High setting can be quite loud.
- Cord is thick and heavy for a compact dryer
- 5 styling attachments, including the flyaway attachment that decreases frizz by up to 61%
- Uses the powerful Dyson digital motor V9
- Protects hair from extreme heat damage
- 3 precise speed and 4 heat settings
- An expensive choice
#15 Best styling tools
Although they are essential for keeping your locks clean and healthy, heat styling goes beyond just shampoo and conditioners, leave-in treatments, and hair sprays. Sometimes, you require a little extra boost to give your hair that post-salon look.
When selecting a tool, it’s important to consider your hair type, texture, and the look that you’re going for, from sleek and straight to bouncy and curly. We chose a range of tools that cover all of these styles, which include the following:
- Rotating handle allows you to easily style with one hand
- Heat settings up to 430ºF for all hair types and textures
- Comes with 7 barrel sizes for different styles, which take a while to get used to
- Gold heat styling surface warms up quickly and evenly
- 9 temperature settings that adjust to your hair texture, length, and color treatments
- Denser 3D Teeth reach the roots, but tangles can get stuck between them
- Fast Heating allows quicker performance
- Built-in Ionic system for smooth, shiny hair with less heat damage
- Self-gripping, meaning they roll easily into the hair without pulling or tugging
- No need for clips to keep them in place, which minimizes damage
- Create mega volume and lift
- Ideal for all hair types and lengths but not the easiest tool for beginners
How to Choose the Best Hair Products
To ensure that we recommended the highest quality products, our team studied the effectiveness of each for a variety of hair types and textures. We also looked at the price, brand reputation, and quality, which helped us to create our list of the best haircare products on the market.
Quality
We looked at the ingredients within each product to see whether they were natural, came from good quality sources, and wouldn’t dry out or damage hair in the long run. It was important to check whether each high-quality ingredient was included in doses that would allow the product to achieve its purpose, whether that was to cleanse the scalp or reduce frizz.
When it came to hair tools, we looked for those that were made from high-quality materials such as ceramic, titanium, and tourmaline.
Price
From high-end to budget-friendly, we tried to include products that came at a range of price points. However, no matter which end of the scale a product falls in, the benefits that it provides for your hair should outweigh the cost.
Brand reputation
Brands that are reputable typically provide high-quality products that you can trust to keep your hair healthy. They are also honest about their formulations, and the products we chose came recommended by hairdressers and customers that found them to be a great addition to their haircare routine.
Effectiveness
Not all products will work for everyone, as those with curly or thick locks have different needs compared to straight or fine strands, for example. We selected a variety of products that would be effective for a range of hair types and textures, with many of them containing ingredients that would work for all.
FAQs
Every hair type requires different products to look and feel healthy. However, most people should use a shampoo and conditioner to keep their scalp and lengths clean, along with hair treatments like a leave-in conditioner, mask, or oil to use before or after washing. You should use a mousse or hair spray for styling and a heat protectant to prevent any damage.
Try to choose products that contain natural oils like coconut, argan, or avocado. Keratin and biotin are also great for strong strands and growth, along with essential fatty acids for moisture and shine. Avoid products with added alcohols, silicones, sulfates, and parabens, as these unnatural ingredients can dry out your locks and cause damage.
The best hair products are those that enhance your natural hair type and texture. They should leave your locks clean without stripping their natural oils, fight frizz while protecting against heat damage, and help you to style your hair without stopping growth. Look for products that contain natural ingredients and that don’t have any harsh added colorings, scents, or alcohols.
Getting healthy hair involves selecting products that are right for your hair type and texture while using them at the right frequency. For instance, those with oilier hair may need to wash more often than those with dryer hair. Haircare also goes beyond products, and it’s important to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals to support growth.
A Word From a Trichologist
If you’re hoping to get thicker, healthier, and longer hair, you should prioritize regular haircuts. Although this doesn’t make it grow faster, it can remove the dead ends that may be weighing your hair down.
You should also use a good clarifying shampoo to remove any dirt or product buildup and treat your locks to a conditioning mask or treatment for a moisture boost every so often.
Along with choosing the right products for your hair type, it’s important to follow a healthy lifestyle to keep your tresses strong and nourished. You should try to drink plenty of water, give yourself regular scalp massages to promote blood circulation and avoid washing your hair daily.
Include plenty of natural, whole foods in your diet that provide your locks with the important vitamins and minerals it needs to grow, including vitamins D, A, iron, and selenium.
Conclusion
If you’re hoping to keep your hair healthy, the best thing that you can do is choose the correct products for your hair type and texture. The best products restore life to dry, frizzy, or limp locks while protecting against future damage and not exposing your hair to dangerous chemicals.
Finding what does and doesn’t work for your tresses can be difficult, so speak to your hairdresser or trichologist for recommendations that can help you and your unique hair.