43 Best Hair Products, Tested and Reviewed

A salon splurge that’s worth it, Kérastase’s indulgent duo tied for best in the GH Beauty Lab’s volumizing shampoos and conditioners test for thickening strands using ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid. Testers “loved” this fine-hair “Holy Grail” that “truly worked” for “all-day body.” These won for thickening strands and making styles fuller compared with other shampoos and conditioners, data revealed, and also earned top points for weightlessness.

Great for anyone averse to heavier styling products, Kérastase, a winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-frizz styling products test, provides potent frizz-fighting power in a lightweight liquid spray. The mist stopped frizz on testers for a full day and on hair swatches in the Lab humidity chamber, and it didn’t feel tacky on hair. “This single bottle worked better than the three-product combination I was using,” a tester said. “It smoothed out my frizz and broken ends without leaving any film or crunch behind.” More than half of users raved about its “pretty” floral scent.

The BaBylissPro tool dried hair fastest of all the hair dryers in the GH Beauty Lab’s test. In calculations of drying time of standardized prewashed hair samples, it earned a perfect score, outperforming every other hair dryer tested. It also got high marks for strong airflow and easy-to-use buttons and attachments. “It is elegant-looking, not too loud yet powerful, and it works wonderfully!” an evaluator marveled.

Customized haircare for protective hairstyles, braids and more, this water-light lotion is massaged into the scalp before bed to soothe with peppermint extract and flake-flighting pyrithione zinc. “It relieved that itchy dry feeling I get on my scalp without residue that could ruin my style,” a tester commented.

This light, refreshing Dove shampoo (used with the matching conditioner) was by far the tester favorite in the GH Beauty Lab’s test of hydrating shampoos and conditioners, with 100% stating that they would continue using it. “The effects were wondrous,” a fan raved. “My hair was fantastic — brushable, silky and flowing.” In Lab evaluations, the formulas rated best for leaving hair clean and easy to style.

A GH Beauty Award winner for its breakthrough technology, this KeepItAnchored shampoo and scalp serum set helps maintain hair’s fullness by improving the scalp’s condition with ingredients like niacinamide, zinc and caffeine. In a clinical study on the technology, users of it had about 2,400 more hairs on their scalp after six months than those who used a placebo, according to GH Beauty Lab data analysis.

This argan oil-infused Garnier Fructis cream, a winner of the Beauty Lab's test of smoothing styling products, effectively fends off frizz and makes strands sleek. The formula earned high marks with testers for daylong frizz defense and for immediately smoothing hair with no oily or sticky effects. “It rained for almost a solid week, and I didn’t have a problem with frizz,” a user revealed. “I love the texture it left my hair with — smooth and bouncy,” another said.

A few spritzes of this L'Oréal Paris blow dry spray can save you precious hair drying minutes, GH Beauty Lab testing discovered. The mist reduced drying time by 15%, or 20 seconds per one-inch-thick hair sample, and 71% of testers said it sped up their drying time.

Double up on hydration by applying this GH Beauty Lab test-winning Biolage protein-infused spray moisturizer on damp hair. In Lab testing, it came out on top for its conditioning ability and for making damaged hair samples feel smooth.

Nexxus turns hair treatments upside down with this curl-specific shea butter formula, a GH Beauty Award winner. It’s made to be applied before shampooing to make detangling and softening curls easier, minimizing breakage. “My curls soaked this up and combing was a breeze,” a tester reported.

The winner of a GH Beauty Breakthrough Award, Kenra's novel powder-free dry shampoo comes in a light water-based foam formula. It absorbed oil and volumized strands for an average of three days without leaving the look or feel of residue on hair, our testing found.

Keep your style in place from morning to night by spritzing It’s A 10: It won the GH Beauty Lab’s test for having the best hold of all hairsprays tested. The spray ranked highest for ability to hold hairstyles in Lab evaluations. “Even with humid days, it kept my hair looking great,” and “It made my hair feel and look natural without any white, flaky dryness I’ve gotten using other hairsprays,” two testers said.

Herbal Essences’ products, made with coconut extract and aloe, boasted the highest level of conditioning in the GH Beauty Lab’s test of hydrating shampoos and conditioners for dry hair, with this pair performing best in a test with the Lab’s Instron machine which gauges combing force through wet hair, proving strong conditioning benefits. Consumer testers loved these infusions, too: “My dry hair was much more moisturized,” one tester marveled.

A sulfate-free 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner with a higher ratio of conditioning ingredients, Joico's cleansing conditioner was a winner of the GH Beauty Lab's cleansing conditioners and co-washes test for giving parched, damaged hair a nourishing cleanse. “My hair is noticeably softer and healthier-looking than with my regular formulas," a tester said. In Lab testing, it rated highest for making hair feel stronger and look smoother and less frizzy.

Get bigger, bouncier hair with this Garnier pair, which tied for best in the Beauty Lab’s volumizing shampoo and conditioner test. “My hair felt fuller after just one use," a tester raved. In Lab evaluations, these came in highest for noticeably upping hair’s volume.

It may be “blended” with olive oil and argan oil, but Garnier’s Legendary Olive shampoo — along with its conditioner — was a GH Beauty Lab test winner for its nourishing cleansing with no heaviness. The pair tied for second in the combing test for conditioning, yet more than 90% of users said it didn’t weigh hair down. The pair made hair “manageable,” “supersoft” and “bouncy,” testers said. Almost all gave the “fresh” scent a perfect score.

Perfect for the conditioner-averse, Pantene’s first-ever foam version feels as airy as a cloud, making strands supple and bouncy. The formula conditioned well in GH Beauty Lab testing and 95% of users reported that the formula didn’t weigh hair down. "It worked wonders for my fine, limp hair — it had more body,” a tester said.

The Tresemmé duo tops the Beauty Lab’s test of hair color-preserving shampoos and conditioners. Post-use, hair sample color faded least after 20 washes and 10 hours of UV exposure in Lab testing. One tester marveled that they were "like expensive salon products.”

To keep your shade vibrant, suds up with OGX’s sulfate-free shampoo, a GH Beauty Lab test winner for preserving hair color along with the matching conditioner. In tests on hair samples, these ranked near the top for preventing color fading after 20 washes and 10 hours of UV exposure, and for conditioning ability. “I didn’t notice any fading while using these,” a tester marveled.

Get an instant lift and noticeable volume with ColorProof's featherweight, fast-acting mist, the winner of the GH Beauty Lab's hair volumizing sprays test. Hair was “immediately bigger, fuller and thicker” and “looked the best it ever has,” two testers said. 100% of users agreed that the spray didn’t weigh down hair or make it feel crunchy, and it scored on top for ease of styling.