These days, choosing products that keep your hair feeling as good as it looks is non-negotiable. Across the texture spectrum, these picks supply full, thick, lustrous strands.

Across the texture spectrum, these picks supply full, thick, lustrous strands.

and Kara Jillian Brown

Now more than ever, must-have hair-care products are the ones that keep your hair feeling as good as it looks. There’s no compromising on the integrity of your strands—and looking after your scalp, which is (literally) the root of good hair health. 

This year’s best offerings include a powerhouse strengthening treatment, hair oil that doubles as a heat protectant, and a blow dryer that auto-adjusts to keep high heat away from your scalp. See all 25 below.

Best Pre Shampoo:

Kérastase Première Concentré Décalcifiant Ultra-Réparateur, $58.00 Shop Now

The most successful wash day starts before you step foot in the shower. With this pre-shampoo treatment, I head into my lather-rinse-repeat ritual knowing that my strands are free of dulling minerals and strengthened by reinforced keratin bonds. —Kara Jillian Brown, beauty editor

Best Exfoliating Shampoo:

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, $42.00 Shop Now

This shampoo-scalp-scrub hybrid sets the standard for scalp scrubs. It features dissolvable granules and binchotan charcoal to gently scrub away dry skin, product build-up, and more, while a blend of coconut, tea tree, and mint oils soothe and moisturize. It leaves my scalp feeling clean and balanced. —K.J.B.

Best Clarifying Shampoo:

Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo, $34.00 Shop Now

A wash-day staple for me, Bumble and Bumble’s aptly-named Sunday Shampoo does a masterful job of clearing out dirt, excess oil, and product build-up so that my hair is squeaky clean but my scalp isn’t left feeling too tight or stripped. It has such a satisfying lather, plus it smells amazing with its aromatic blend of loral cassis, sweet cyclamen, and cool mint leaf. —Lauren Valenti, beauty director

Best Hydrating Shampoo:

Fable & Mane Holiroots Shampoo, $30.00 Shop Now

My hair is really dry and this works so well for it. It uses a coconut oil-based surfactant, which is really gentle. So, it’s cleansing the skin and getting rid of oil, dirt, and debris without stripping it. But it’s also giving the skin hydration by using aloe vera, plus a little bit of coconut oil and sunflower seed oil. I love the way it smells. —Michelle Henry, M.D., board-certified dermatologist

Best Conditioner:

Ceremonia Guava Conditioner, $22.00 Shop Now

I reach for Ceremonia’s Guava conditioner to repair my color-treated 3b curls while keeping my blonde highlights intact and protecting them from future damage. I love how it utilizes its hero ingredient, guava, an antioxidant-packed super fruit, plus moisturizing aloe vera, to nourish my strands. Its scent also gives me an instant dopamine spike. —L.V.

Best Deep Conditioner:

Akilay Naturals Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner, $18.00 Shop Now

Whenever I’m looking for intense levels of hydration, I always use the Akilay Naturals Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner. Once applied, It immediately makes the hair feel super soft and manageable. I love using this product on my daughter, especially when we need to do some major detangling. —Naeemah LaFond, celebrity hairstylist

Best Strengthening Treatment:

Cécred Fermented Rice and Rose Protein Ritual, $52.00 Shop Now

To ensure you can experience heat, color, and tension without wrecking your strands, incorporate strengthening treatments into your routine. This intensive treatment from Cécred is my absolute favorite. The primary part of the two-step program involves mixing a rice powder complex with water for a fresh and potent strengthening elixir. Follow up with the silk rinse and you're left with shiny, reinforced strands. It's so powerful that you can only use it once every three months. —K.J.B.

Best Strengthening Mask:

Dove Hair 10-in-1 Bond Strength Serum Mask, $10.00 Shop Now

When my hair needs a boost but I'm short on time, I reach for this mask from Dove. In just one minute, it perks up damaged strands with a bond-building mix of peptides. It can be used weekly or sparingly—however much you need it. —K.J.B.

Best At-Home Gloss:

Rita Hazan True Color Ultimate Shine Gloss, $15.00 Shop Now

Rita Hazan gave me the honey-blonde color of my dreams. But even with a great color job, heat, minerals, and more can cause your color to lose its oomph. So, to keep my strands bright and shiny, I maintain the look with Hazan's gloss. It comes in three shades (both Beyoncé and I use Breaking Brass) and is incredibly easy to use. After conditioning, I apply a few pumps, let it sit, and rinse for a refreshed look. —K.J.B.

Best Leave-In Spray:

Pantene Pro Vitamin Repair Essence, $40.00 Shop Now

Housed in a chic oval, Pantene’s luxe-smelling hair essence mist is powered by hair shaft-repairing Pro-Vitamin B5, which gives my hair some much-needed love in the shine and strength departments daily. The light floral and tropical scent doubles as a light hair perfume, too. —L.V.

Best Leave-In Cream:

Mizani 25 Miracle Leave in Cream, $26.00 Shop Now

I use this on all tightly coiled textures after a wash. This product leaves the hair feeling so nourished and moisturized. I’m also able to brush the hair easily because of the slip it provides. —N.L.

Best Curl Cream:

Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer Cream, $36.00 Shop Now

I’m so obsessed with Aveda's new Be Curly Advanced range, which has incredible styling options, like the Curl Enhancer cream. Designed for types 2A – 3C, its packed with conditioning kokum seed butter and 17 strengthening amino acids while providing just the right amount of hold, even in the face of high humidity. —L.V.

Best Hair Supplement:

Agent Nateur Holi Mane, $99.00 Shop Now

I love this hair supplement by Agent Nateur. It mixes really well in your morning coffee or a smoothie. I have seen huge changes in my hair since using it. —Jenna Perry, celebrity colorist

Best Scalp Serum:

This Hair of Mine Scalp Serum, $46.00 Shop Now

This scalp serum is loaded with all of the good stuff, including peptides, which help with hair growth. In my opinion, this is the most nourishing scalp serum. —J.P.

Best Hair Serum:

RŌZ Milk Hair Serum, $52.00 Shop Now

When I need to refresh my curls in between washes, I make a beeline for RŌZ’s Milk Hair serum, which is laced with its proprietary BotaniComplex (a blend of ginger root, frankincense, grape extract, and walnut), strengthening red algae extract, and scalp-soothing panthenol. A 3-in-1 that detangles, smooths, and adds light definition, it’s just what curls need to bounce back with a soft, silky finish. —L.V.

Best Hair Oil:

Olaplex No. 7, $30.00 Shop Now

This oil makes hair look super shiny and healthy. I love that it’s not only providing styling results, but that it’s also healing the hair on a molecular level through its bond-building capabilities. I use this on everyone, honestly. —N.F.

I love that this oil can protect your hair up to 450°F. It's really buildable, so you can add some serious shine as well! The more you use this product, the healthier the hair feels. —J.P.

Best Sea Salt Spray:

14th Night Surf Spray, $58.00 Shop Now

I love this surf spray by 14th Night to enhance the summer beach look. The packaging and scent is super chic, too. —J.P.

Best Shine Spray:

TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Silky Shine Spray, $7.00 Shop Now

Some beauty brands evoke a sense of nostalgia like few others can. For me, TRESemmé is one of those brands. My mom has loved the brand since I was young, and I’ll always remember seeing the tall black bottles in her shower growing up. Like most daughters, I take after my mom and have used TRESemmé into adulthood—its Keratin Smooth line in particular. Throughout the year and especially during humid summer months, the products help tame my frizzy strands and leaves my hair glossy and touchable. —Samantha Brash, director of content strategey

Best Texture Spray:

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $52.00 Shop Now

Another cult favorite, the Oribe Dry Texture Spray gives so much texture and smells delicious. It's a buildable spray so you can reapply it all day. —J.P.

Best Stronghold Hairspray:

L’Oréal Paris Elnett Unscented Hairspray, $14.00 Shop Now

It can be hard to improve on a classic, but L'Oréal Paris has done it with their recently reformulated Elnett hairspray, which now comes in an unscented offering. Make no mistake, the scent of Elnett hairspray is iconic—but having a fragrance-free option never hurts! And fear not, the new formula boasts the same high-to-heavens, yet touchable and brushable hold. —L.V.

Best Dry Shampoo:

Living Proof PhD Dry Shampoo, $30.00 Shop Now

It may sound dramatic, but I truly believe there’s no point in a blowout without dry shampoo. If I’m putting in the effort (or money), I want it to last. Enter Living Proof, the undisputed champ of dry shampoos. It absorbs any oil or sweat (I use this product to revive my hair after long runs) and adds so much volume and body to my hair that it arguably makes a second-day hairstyle look better than the day before. I’ve used this product for years and have never found anything else that quite measures up. —Madeline Hirsch Stamp, fashion features director

Best Edge Control:

Maui Moisture Lightweight Curls + Flaxseed Edge Control, $8.00 Shop Now

Finding the perfect edge control is tricky. You want it to have good hold without being goopy, and for it to dry down well without flaking. This one from Maui Moisture is the perfect middle ground. It blends moisturizing aloe with strong-hold flax for edges that don't budge —K.J.B.

Best Hairdryer:

Dyson Supersonic Nural, $500.00 Shop Now

Through all of the Dyson launches, the Supersonic has remained my favorite. From my own experience to chatting with friends and watching the girlies on TikTok, the Supersonic seems to be the one that everyone—no matter their hair type, texture, and styling preferences—seems to love. The latest version of this tool, the Nural, takes what we all love about the OG and adds a scalp protection mode. Plus, it boasts smart learning tech that clocks your styling preferences across attachments, and pause detection so the heat stops when you set it down. —K.J.B.

Best Curling Iron:

Pattern Beauty The Interchangeable Curling Iron, $249.00 Shop Now

Just because you wear your curls natural doesn't mean you don't reach for heat every now and then. I love this interchangeable iron. It comes with three different heads so you can create a natural look—because no one really has uniform curls all over their head. It's made from tourmaline ceramic, and the clips are removable, so you can use them as a traditional curler or a wand. —K.J.B.

Best Flat Iron:

ghd Chronos Styler, $329.00 Shop Now

This flat iron is my best friend when I'm wearing my hair straight. It's motion-responsive, so you get even heat across your hair no matter how hard you press. Plus, it styles at 365°F, working at an optimal temperature to get results with minimal damage. —K.J.B.