These Hair Products Will Always Guarantee A Good Hair Day

We can mark 2024 as the year that hair-care aisles reached peak skinification. Over the past few years, we’ve gone from coating our hair in silicones and drying alcohols in an effort to manhandle it into submission to infusing it with high-tech skin care ingredients like stem cells and exosomes to help heal and repair it from the inside out. Scalp care took center stage as an emphasis on healthy hair starting at the root became more of a daily part of our beauty routines. In-shower treatments that rebuild hair bonds, tame frizz, and increase shine without interfering with our hair’s natural texture, went from the stuff of dreams to a place of pride on our shower shelves. Our hair has never felt or looked better thanks to these advanced care and styling superstars. Ahead, here are Bustle’s best new hair products of 2024.

Best Shampoo for Fine Hair

When a product bills itself as “the only shampoo you’ll ever need,” we tend to be (rightfully) skeptical, but this clean cleanser from celeb stylist Mara Roszak’s namesake brand lives up to the hype. The hair whisperer best known for keeping Emma Stone’s locks looking endlessly chic has created a shampoo that works wonders on even the sparsest strands. It uses coconut-based surfactants to cleanse and is made with scalp-nourishing and protective botanicals like ginger root, grape, walnut, and frankincense, so it won’t dry out or weigh down delicate, fine hair. Hey, if it’s good enough for an Oscar winner…

Best Conditioner for Fine Hair

Fine-haired bbs no longer need to fear conditioners weighing down their strands and making them look lackluster. Instead, they’ve got options like this plumping all-star from Nexxus — designed specifically for fine hair — that helps prevent breakage as it forms micro-thickening bonds between each strand to add shape and structure for visibly fuller locks. “Using Nexxus’ Unbreakable Care Conditioner is like wrapping hair in a luxurious silk cocoon; its rich formula nourishes and strengthens strands from within, leaving them resilient, silky, and ready for any hairstyle,” says guest judge and celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos, whose clients include Megan Fox, Ciara, and Joey King. “It's my holy grail for rehabilitating damaged hair and ensuring my clients' locks remain flawless and unbreakable, no matter the stress of styling and spotlight.”

Best Styling Product for Fine Hair

When your hair is fine, hairspray is a vital product to add grip while helping to create the illusion of thickness and keep hair from falling flat. But just because you need it doesn’t mean you need to deal with sticky iterations that dry out the hair. This luxe version from Sisley is infused with pro-vitamin B5 and vitamin E acetate to nourish the hair fiber as it delivers flexible hold and a volumizing effect. “Its fine mist provides a flexible yet long-lasting hold, ensuring hairstyles stay flawless throughout any red carpet event,” says Giannetos. “I rely on its lightweight formula to deliver a touch of elegance and sophistication, making it an essential tool in my kit for creating iconic looks.”

Best Treatment Product for Fine Hair

The last thing anyone with fine hair wants to do is add more products into their hair, however, in the case of scalp serums, these liquid potions are a necessary step to help create fuller, thicker hair at the root. Act + Acre’s version wowed our judges for being both effective and sensorially appealing. Lightweight yet powerful, the intensive daily treatment features a proprietary growth complex, caffeine, and growth peptides to fortify the hair follicle and help optimize follicle function for thicker-looking hair. “This has a beautiful peppermint smell, calming treatment for itchy scalp, and felt like it would be good for hair growth,” says BDG staffer Eileen Cain.

Best Shampoo for Medium-Thick Hair

Most clarifying shampoos tend to be a little too harsh on your strands, drying them out and creating frizz issues. That’s not the case with this purifying cleanser from Oribe, which helps balance oily scalps while still adding moisture to your hair. It’s made with green marine algae and a sugar-derived prebiotic that both help rebalance the scalp’s microbiome as they control oil and extend the time between washes. “The lather is bananas, and it does seem to make my relatively thin and sad hair a little more voluminous,” says BDG staffer Miranda Rake. “A little goes a long way and it’s not strongly scented, too, which is a huge plus for me.”

Best Conditioner for Medium-Thick Hair

Dry, damaged hair has met its match with this ultra-hydrating conditioner from Vegamour. Delivering eight times the hydration as it repairs the look of damaged hair, the HYDR-8 (get it?) Conditioner uses a vegan keratin alternative to control frizz and lock in hydration for up to 72 hours for softer, shinier, stronger hair with every wash. “I've never felt my hair feel as soft as it does after using this conditioner,” says Rachel Lapidos, Bustle’s senior lifestyle and beauty editor. “It makes my strands *so* silky, and the texture is perfectly creamy without being overly heavy.”

Best Styling Product for Medium-Thick Hair

Designed to be used with your heat styling tools, this unique oil goes on wet hair to smooth frizz and moisturize dry strands, creating an invisible thermal protective layer to shield against heat damage. With a non-greasy feel and lightweight texture, ghd Sleek Talker delivers long-lasting results without the heaviness of traditional hair oils. “I was hesitant to use it because I was worried it was going to make my hair too oily, but I was wrong,” says BDG staffer Katy Elliott. “I really liked it for taming the frizz on days I did a full blowout. A little goes a long way and I would definitely recommend.”

Best Treatment Product for Medium-Thick Hair

Fight frizz from the inside out with this multi-action reparative hair oil from the scientific geniuses at K18. Designed to help address the damage that causes frizz long-term while also instantly smoothing frizz and flyaways, this weightless strengthening oil is biotech-engineered and provides heat protection up to 450 degrees. Made with a unique peptide and plant oils, it nourishes and hydrates the hair as it repairs split ends and imparts a sleek, shiny finish. “It left my damaged, bleached hair feeling incredibly soft and hydrated,” says Faith Xue, BDG’s executive beauty director. “I like that it sinks in instantly and can be used on wet hair, too.”

Best Shampoo for Curly Hair

Those with curls have a complicated relationship with shampoo, as traditional cleansers can overstrip the hair and cause frizz. Not so with this frizz-controlling shampoo from Curlsmith — the sulfate-free formula is made with extra-gentle cleansers to remove dirt and build-up without disturbing the delicate moisture balance of your curls. It’s also infused with coconut butter, argan oil, and blackcurrant seed oil to moisturize mid-lengths and ends. “The curly hair girls love CurlSmith — I think if you're going for a true shampoo, this is a great option,” says BDG staffer Sophia June. “It's low-lather and I felt like my curls were more defined afterwards.”

Best Conditioner for Curly Hair

Enriched with humectant aloe, glycerin, cactus flower extract, and inca inchi oil, this ultra-creamy conditioner helps draw water from the air into parched hair as it nourishes and adds definition to curls and coils. Hair is more manageable, softer, shinier, and less frizzy for up to 72 hours after using. “This product is a game-changer for curly hair,” says BDG staffer Kiara Brown. “Its luxurious formula deeply nourishes and hydrates, leaving curls soft, defined, and manageable. Say goodbye to frizz and hello to beautifully moisturized curls with this must-have conditioner.”

Best Styling Product for Curly Hair

Crunchy curls? Not with this incredible cream from the pros at Pardon My Fro. Made with aloe, castor seed oil, and shea butter, it enhances curls and creates definition while also giving them a smooth and silky texture that’s touchable and soft. “Meet my new favorite,” raves BDG staffer Alex Pollack. “It resides permanently in my shower, housed in this adorable designer green bottle featuring a stylish illustration and it brings me joy. Post-shampoo and conditioner, I apply a small amount as a leave-in conditioner, setting the stage for the rest of my curl routine. The scent is reminiscent of springtime, adding to the overall delightful experience.”

Best Treatment Product for Curly Hair

Boasting 10 minutes to total hair transformation, this treatment from SpoiledChild lives up to the hype and wowed our judges with its ability to take damaged, dried-out curls and return them to their former silky smooth glory. Infused with high concentrations of collagen, argan oil, avocado oil, and keratin, it helps repair existing damage while fortifying strands against future breakage. Dull, dry, frizzy, lackluster locks are transformed into smooth, shiny, soft, well-behaved curls that are safeguarded against future damage from coloring, heat styling, free radicals, and chemical treatments.

Best Shampoo for Coiled Hair

If anyone was going to do a shampoo for coiled hair right, it was going to be Taraji P. Henson. This sulfate-free shampoo from the actor’s namesake hair-care line uses biotin and Jamaican black castor oil to help reduce breakage and lock in moisture as it gently cleanses to remove dirt and buildup. Curls and coils are longer, stronger, and more resistant to damage with every wash. “This was surprisingly very moisturizing,” says BDG staffer Jessica Fields. “It didn't strip my hair and actually made my curls feel hydrated and soft after rinsing. I also really enjoyed the scent — it wasn't overwhelming and didn't conflict with all of my conditioners.”

Best Conditioner for Coiled Hair

Maybe we should rename 2024 the year of aloe. It’s certainly having a banner year, especially for those with textured hair, and this scalp-nourishing conditioner from SheaMoisture is no exception. Formulated with aloe butter, shea butter, and vitamin B3, it works to smooth and soften the hair follicle as it also moisturizes the scalp to help prevent dryness — a common complaint for those with coiled hair. “This conditioner worked pretty well for me,” says Fields. “It has a nice slip and it moisturized my hair.”

Best Styling Product for Coiled Hair

A hair gel that hydrates as it defines? Only if it’s from Bread Beauty Supply. Billed as a protective gel gloss for wet set curls, this water-based styler is loaded with botanicals like yuzu, hydrolyzed silk, and a red algae-based polymer to help lock in your curl pattern as it hydrates for shiny, perfectly defined coils. “This hair gel, from the packaging, scent, texture, and application process, is a solid 9.5 for me,” says beauty expert Kahh Spence, whose clients include Kelly Rowland and Kehlani. “For starters, this is my first time seeing packaging for gel like this, which is so convenient for stylists or consumers that don’t love mess. The best part is the formula. I applied it to some curly extensions to let dry and wow — non-sticky, non-crunchy, and it left the curls with a glossy sheen, which is very rare for most gels. It feels like a mixture of a soft mousse with a moisturizer as it leaves the curls super defined, but really hydrated.”

Best Treatment Product for Coiled Hair

Reading the ingredients in this treatment mask from Swedish brand Maria Nila is like looking at the equivalent of a cozy blanket for your coils. Shea butter, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E help detangle and moisturize while defining curls and taming frizz for a softer and easier-to-manage mane. “I used this right after washing and was impressed with how well it moisturized my hair,” says Fields. “I usually layer several conditioners but didn't feel the need to do so with this mask. A little went a long way too, which is something I'm always looking for since my hair is thick.”

Best Dry Shampoo

It takes a lot for a dry shampoo to impress us, mostly because we’ve seen and tried pretty much every iteration of it out there. But Batiste piqued our judges’ interest with this overnight(!) dry shampoo that works while you sleep to remove dirt, buildup, and excess oil. With rice starch, baking soda, and charcoal, simply spray on before bedtime, hit the sheets, and wake up to a refreshed ‘do as it goes to work while you dream of great hair days and shorter morning routines. “I've been trying to wash my hair less, but it gets so oily,” says BDG staffer Rachel Chapman. “This dry shampoo was so great for those days I was skipping. It doesn't leave a powder residue and I woke up with volumized and clean hair.”