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The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists test hundreds of hair products every year, from shampoos and conditioners to hair masks, leave-in conditioners and every hair styling product on the market, including hair serums, mousses, hairsprays, dry shampoos and more. To find the best of the best, each product undergoes a rigorous testing process to determine which haircare and styling products really work.
To start, our scientists send label-masked products to a panel of thousands of readers across the country, who then use them in their day-to-day lives and evaluate them on everything from performance to packaging to scent. Meanwhile, in the Beauty Lab, GH analysts and chemists use state-of-the-art tools to scientifically measure the products' efficacy, like an Instron machine, which gauges a product's conditioning capacity, and a swatch-wash station to calculate a shampoo's ability to cleanse or protect against color fade. We also conduct weathering procedures to mimic hair exposure to UV light and heat styling and an environmental chamber that exposes hair to high levels of humidity to test frizz-fighting claims.
So, what products should you actually use in your hair? According to GH Beauty Lab testing, here is a definitive list of the absolute best hair products and haircare brands that are proven to work, including top picks for all hair types and textures (curly, natural, wavy, long, short, dry, damaged — you name it!).
Pros
- Keeps hair free of frizz all day
- Not sticky
- Lightweight
Cons
- Expensive
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.
Pros
- Dried hair faster than other models
- Powerful airflow
- Easy to use
Cons
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.
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Pros
- Instantly boosts fullness
- No weight or crunchiness
- Makes styling easier
Cons
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.
Pros
- Boosts body
Cons
- May not be conditioning enough for thick, textured, or damaged hair
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.
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Pros
- Boosts hair shine and smoothness
- Not heavy
- Great value
Cons
- Not a strong conditioner
A GH Beauty Award winner, this innovative L’Oréal Paris liquid treatment with wheat protein imparts weightless silkiness and shine to even damaged hair in seconds. 83% of GH Beauty Lab testers found that it made strands feel silkier; 88% reported that it didn’t weigh hair down.“I couldn’t believe how incredibly shiny and smooth my hair was,” one said.
Pros
- Affordable
- All-day anti-frizz effects
- Non-greasy
Cons
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.
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Pros
- Dries hair fast
- Powerful airflow
- Easy to use
Cons
- Expensive
The winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s travel hair dryer test, Drybar’s top-of-the-line model delivers fast-drying power in a portable package. It scored perfectly in Lab evaluations for having easy-to-use controls, dried hair samples quickly, had strong airflow, and was easiest to maneuver and comfortable to hold. This "light" tool "is the right size and could do double duty for home or away,” users noted.
Pros
- Proven to be highly conditioning
- Smooths damaged hair
- Verastile for different hair types
Cons
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.
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Pros
- Reduced chemical scent
- Softens and adds shine
- Less irritating
Cons
A GH Beauty Breakthrough Award winner and Good Housekeeping Seal holder, Clairol’s game-changing hair color kit solves the biggest dye gripes with a gentler, less chemical-scented, conditioning formula. In Lab evaluation, testers found that the color gave a natural look and good gray coverage, 79% said it left hair soft and shiny and 90% said it didn’t cause irritation. “Easy to apply and left hair extremely soft, even without conditioner," a tester said.
10
Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry Hair
Herbal Essences BioRenew Hydrate Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner
Pros
- Great drugstore value
- Highly conditioning
Cons
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.
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Pros
- 2-in-1 saves time and money
- Strengthening, smoothing and softening
Cons
- May be too rich for finer hair
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.
Pros
- Bargain price
- Instant volumizing effects
Cons
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.
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Pros
- Effective cleansing and conditioning
- Not heavy on hair
- Good value
Cons
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.
14
Best Color-Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner
TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo and Conditioner
Pros
- Prevents hair color fading
- Salon-quality at great value
Cons
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.”
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15
Best Salon Professional Shampoo and Conditioner
Kérastase Densifique Bodifying Shampoo and Conditioner
Pros
- Boosts hair thickness
- Weightless feel
Cons
- Pricey
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.
Pros
- Sulfate-free formula
- Prevents hair color fading
- Great value
Cons
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.
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Pros
- Doesn't weigh hair down
- Effectively cleans and leaves hair manageable
Cons
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.
Pros
- Boosts scalp health to minimize hair loss
- Produces visible results
Cons
- Takes time to see results
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.
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Pros
- Gives instant volume and thickness
- Lasting effects
Cons
Inject lasting body and fullness into fine or flat hair by misting this GH Beauty Lab thickening spray test winner from hairstylist Kristin Ess. 91% of users agreed that it made hair look instantly voluminous, and it was tops for thickening. “Fantastic volume that lasted two days!” a tester raved.
Pros
- Non-greasy
- Adds shine
Cons
- May be too heavy for fine hair
Goldwell’s dry hair oil was a strong smoother and the top shine booster in the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-frizz styler test. “It actually works — and wasn’t greasy!” a tester raved. Hair was “very shiny” and “never frizzy over many uses," others said. The oil blocked frizz on hair samples in the Lab’s test and tied for #1 at keeping users’ hair frizz-free all day.
April Franzino
Beauty Director
April (she/her) is the beauty director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day, where she oversees all beauty content. She has over 15 years of experience under her belt, starting her career as an assistant beauty editor at GH in 2007, and working in the beauty departments of SELF and Fitness magazines.