The 13 best haircare brands and which products to use, according to professional hairstylists and trichologists
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OUAI/Prose
- Achieving salon-worthy hair at home can be tricky, but knowing what professionals use can help out.
- There are so many brands to choose from, making it hard to discern the good from products to skip.
- Here, hairstylists and a trichologist share the best hair care brands to shop and their top picks.
Nailing down a reliable hair care routine is no easy feat. First, there's the business of figuring out what your hair needs, which can be a long and complicated process in itself. Coupled with the overwhelming (and ever-growing) number of brands on the market, finding your perfect products sometimes even feels impossible.
From stylist-founded brands to buzzy startups, it can be difficult to know where you should be spending your money; which is exactly why we decided to go right to the source. To get the lowdown on the tried-and-true hair care brands that professionals love, we reached out to hairstylists as well as a trichologist (aka, a scalp specialist) for their top recommendations.
OUAI
Shop OUAI at Sephora, Ulta, or OUAI's website.
Created by celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, OUAI features a lineup of chicly packaged hair care products infused with noteworthy scents. However, it's not just aesthetically pleasing. Melissa Rose, a hairstylist at Arisa NYC says that the brand has some stellar formulas — namely, the OUAI Detox Shampoo.
"This is for the buildup you can't seem to can't get rid of," she says. "Twice a month you can lather this product in your hair for a deep clean that leaves your hair feeling light and shiny!"
Function of Beauty
Shop at Function of Beauty's website.
If you struggle to find hair products that meet your specific needs, Function of Beauty might be your solution. This buzzed-about brand allows you to create your own customized formulas, from shampoo and conditioner to serums and masks. For a fun twist, you can further personalize your products by choosing a color and scent.
Read our full review of what it's like to get custom shampoo and conditioner from Function of Beauty.
Prose
Shop at Prose's website.
Through a thoughtful and in-depth hair quiz, Prose creates a custom hair routine that includes shampoo and conditioner as well as more unique selections like dry shampoo and pre-shampoo scalp mask. Along with topical products, Prose also offers custom supplements to enhance hair health.
Read our full review on getting personalized haircare from Prose here.
R+Co
Shop at Amazon and R+Co's website.
Michael Dueñas, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Veluer Creative appreciates R+Co. for its out-of-the-box formulas. "Everything they do is extremely unique and nothing is similar to any other product on the market," he says. "They are extremely innovative."
As for must-haves from the brand, Dueñas recommends the Outer Space Hairspray and Trophy Shine + Texture Spray.
Sephora
Shop at Sephora, Amazon, and Ulta.
Founded by biotech scientists and hairstylists, Living Proof is beloved for its results-driven and science-based formulas. One of the brand's most popular products, the Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo, delivers a time-release scent to keep you feeling fresh all day.
Read our full review on Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo here.
Amika
Shop at Amazon, Sephora, and Amika's website.
This hairstylist-loved brand incorporates playful branding along with its unique, effective formulas. Dueñas recommends the Plus Size Perfect Body Mousse, which provides medium hold and a boost of volume, and Un.Done Matte Texture Spray, a dry finishing spray that helps create a tousled texture.
Mila Rose Hair Care
Shop at Mila Rose Hair Care's website.
Thirsty hair is no match for Mila Rose Haircare, says Lena Yumi, hairstylist and co-founder of Hairitage Family Salon. In an effort to offer her customer more mindful brands, Yumi stocks her salon with products from the family-owned company, which specializes in hydrating formulas made with organic ingredients.
For the perfect sleek blowout, Yumi recommends the 2 in 1 Silkening Leave-in Conditioner and for nourishing hydration, the Deep Conditioner Shine Treatment.
Sephora
Shop at Sephora and Oribe's website.
If your scalp needs a little extra love, NYC-based trichologist Penny James recommends Oribe's Serene line. "[These products] will give you good results without having to see the trichologist," she says.
She recommends the Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub once a week, as well as the Serene Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Serene Scalp Balancing Conditioner, which treat the scalp with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids and fruit extracts. "The results are good, and the hair is left feeling soft and hydrated," she adds. "The scalp feels clean and not itchy."
Joico
Freelance hairstylist Amanda Damon says that Joico is one of her favorite brands for everyday maintenance. "Joico has a wide variety of shampoos, conditioners, and treatment masks for all hair types," she says. "I specifically love their Defy Damage Protective Masque and recommend it to my friends and clients all the time. It has ingredients to strengthen and bond the hair which is great for someone who has lightened their hair at all. The scent of the mask is also to die for."
Paul Mitchell
Shop at Amazon, Ulta, and Paul Mitchell's website.
For polished styles or a fresh-looking blowout, Damon reaches for Paul Mitchell. "They have a wide variety of amazing products, but I know I can always count on the Super Skinny Serum for absolutely any style," she says. "I like to use it on damp hair before a blowout to help prevent any frizz from happening in the process. I then like to rub some on my hands and brush them through the hair after it's dry to lock in shine."
She adds: "I even use it on special updos to bring the shine back to any spot that's been hairsprayed to give it an effortlessly beautiful look."
Dermstore
To keep blonde hair looking its best, Dueñas turns to Schwarzkopf Professional's BLONDME collection. "Having an entire line dedicated to blonde hair with so much research and design into their products it makes it stand out," he says. "Blonde hair is a unique beast and they handle it perfectly."
The stylist recommends the BLONDME All Blondes Light Spray Conditioner and BLONDME All Blondes Rich Mask.
Innersense
Shop at Ulta and Innersense's website.
Rose is a fan of Innersense's effective formulas and intentional ingredient lists. For those with curly hair, she recommends the Quiet Calm Curl Control. "This styling cream is not only buildable but helps hydrate and shape your curls with a pillowy soft outcome," she says. "Innersense also uses clean ingredients and has a delicate scent that lasts throughout the day."
Milbon
It's no secret that color-treated hair requires extra maintenance. If your color is looking a bit worse for wear, Rose recommends Milbon's revitalizing lineup. "Milbon is great for everyone and anyone but especially those who do color services," she says. "The deep conditioner treatment leaves your hair feeling restored and adds amazing shine. Leave in for 5 to 10 minutes and your hair will feel like silk."