Credit: Dennis Pedersen
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4 min read
After a lot of testing, we present our hair care heroes: the masks, shampoos, scrubs and more that left us with healthier hair and happier scalps.
As a signifier of our identity, our mood and our culture, hair is deeply personal. There’s so much rooted in it (no pun intended) that things can get emotional. One bad cut can leave us in tears, while a brilliant blow-dry sends us practically skipping out of the salon, ready to conquer the world.
So when testing hair care products for the Stylist Best Beauty Awards, we wanted to make sure we uncovered formulas and innovations that not only boost hair health, but make you feeling good, too.
From the biotech-powered dry shampoo that refreshed our roots to the scrub that revives clogged-up scalps, meet the hair care products that came out on top.
Stylist Best Beauty Awards 2025: hair care winners
Best Shampoo and Conditioner: Beauty Pie Stronger Shinier Hair Shampoo & Conditioner
Adding shine and hydration doesn’t mean you have to compromise on volume or bounce. This combo from Beauty Pie proves it. Harnessing the powers of rice and pea proteins and amino acids, it will smooth and strengthen hair and leave it as soft as butter.
Best Dry Shampoo: K18 Biomimetic Hairscience AirWash Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoos that make your scalp feel dusty or just a bit icky are a thing of the past. This non-aerosol spritz harnesses the powers of biotech to soak up excess oil, deliver hydration and subtly mask any unwanted odours. Our hair looked and felt refreshed, even when not newly washed; it’s become our gym kit staple.
Shop K18 Biomimetic Hairscience AirWash Dry Shampoo at Cult Beauty, £48
Best Styling Gel: Aveda Be Curly Advanced Coil Definer Gel
Designed with 3C-4C hair types in mind, this lightweight non-crunchy jelly will help sculpt coils and curls and fight humidity for up to 72 hours. Thanks to plant-based peptides, hair will be left stronger and smelling of lemon, bergamot and orange. Bliss.
Best Hair Treatment: L'Oréal Paris Glycolic Gloss
We all aim for a doughnut glaze finish for our skin but let’s not forget our hair. This five-minute wonder uses our favourite skin exfoliator, glycolic acid, to nourish stressed-out strands. It smells delightful and results in mirror-like shine – what more could you want?
Best Hairspray: Bouclème Flexible Hold Hairspray
Those with curls will know what it’s like to choose between drying out your ends with hairspray or accepting that your style won’t survive. Thankfully, Bouclème has solved this dilemma. We found this non-aerosol spray gently mists ends to deliver medium to strong hold for styles, while strength and shine come courtesy of vitamin B5 and vegetable proteins.
Best Leave-In Product: Kérastase Première Anti-Frizz Filler Heat Protecting Hair Serum
Packed with peptides, this lush serum works from the inner layer of hair to sleekly seal cuticles and rescue over-processed, colour-treated strands. It was our antidote for brittle ends, leaving hair feeling light, soft and frazzle-free.
Shop Kérastase Première Anti-Frizz Filler Heat Protecting Hair Serum at Sephora UK, £50.50
Best Curl Product: Trepadora Babassu Quench Diffusing Serum
Silicone-free and plant-based, this formula helped us cut down styling time and fight against damage without compromising on hydration (so we didn’t feel as guilty about picking up our heated hair tools). The silky serum worked on both curls and straight hair to lock in moisture and elasticity. Our strands actually looked freshly cut.
Shop Trepadora Babassu Quench Diffusing Serum at Trepadora, £31
Best Hair Mask: L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Molecular Strengthening Mask for Damaged Hair
If this was a perfume, we’d be spritzing it daily. But even if we hadn’t been won over by the luxurious ambery scent, the smoothness and moisture delivered by this mask would do it. Using peptides to bond and rich amino acids, it detangled our hair and gave it a salon-worthy finish in just two minutes.
Best Volumising Product: Amika Rising Star Volumizing Finishing Spray
Looking to zhuzh up your roots? This will get a rise out of the thinnest hair. Carob seed extract adds plumpness to strands, while hydrolyzed soy proteins make hair feel fuller. Expect lift without any stickiness or stiffness.
Shop Amika Rising Star Volumizing Finishing Spray at Cult Beauty, £14
Best Hair Oil: Koba Skincare Gold Drip Nourishing Body & Hair Oil
If you’re all about streamlining your routine, a 2-in-1 hair and body oil just makes sense. This golden oil is brimming with plant oils, protein and antioxidants to tame flyaways and deliver hydration. Use post-styling, as part of a scalp massage or as a pre-shampoo treatment. The possibilities are endless.
Shop Koba Skincare Gold Drip Nourishing Body & Hair Oil at kobaskincare.com, £55
Best Hairbrush: Kent Brushes Gold Pin Hairbrush
Hairbrushes have more of an impact on our hair health than we think. Not just a pretty face, this brush features fancy yet durable 22k gold-plated copper pins. These reduce static when brushing and help with scalp stimulation, increasing blood circulation and promoting hair growth over time.
Best Scalp Treatment: Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Salt Scrub
Packed with Himalayan salt, this scrub provided us with all the grit we needed to refresh our claggy scalps, while a nourishing trio of jojoba, grape seed and almond oils soothed any itchiness and reduced pesky flakes. It restores balance and makes for a healthy environment for hair growth right from the root.
Shop Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Salt Scrub at Space NK, £55
Best Brow Serum: Olaplex Browbond Building Serum
It makes complete sense that the hair experts at Olaplex have created a brow serum. After consistent use over a couple of months, we noticed our brows looked fuller and more defined while the hairs themselves felt softer.
Shop Best Brow Serum: Olaplex Browbond Building Serum at Sephora UK, £64
Main image: shot for Stylist by Dennis Pedersen; all other images courtesy of brands
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