The Her World team tested myriad shampoos, conditioners, hair masks and leave-in treatments. The aim: to round up the best products for every hair type. This year, consumers are placing emphasis on caring for damaged hair – and we’ve found the best repairing products and services to do that.
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It absorbs excess sebum from the hair and scalp, keeping both grease-free the entire day. The aim is to give follicles a boost so that less hair falls out. Do note that the shampoo feels as if it leaves a film on hair when you’re washing it out, so you need to take more care to get the suds out entirely.
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Hair colour looks instantly brighter after the first use – and looks entirely refreshed by the third. It also pampers dry, bleached hair so that it looks healthier with every wash.
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The smoothing effects of the product can’t be felt instantly on wet and/or towel-dried hair. But give the hair some time to dry, and it’ll start to feel super-soft, as if you’ve had a salon-grade treatment done.
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The creamy conditioner leaves bleached, brittle hair feeling silky, and isn’t difficult to wash out despite its thicker-than usual texture. It also imparts a healthy sheen.
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Its foam like consistency feels very lightweight on hair. The morning after you use the conditioner, your hair feels lighter and appears more voluminous.
Its frizz-taming effects last for hours post-wash – hair stays neat without styling products. Without being heavy in consistency, it is able to provide intense moisture to drier ends.
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This sustainable-beauty brand takes eco-friendliness to a new level. It came up with a special technology that makes conditioner molecules break down faster when water is added so that it rinses off more quickly. It reportedly shaves an average of 10 seconds off the rinsing time in each wash. If you wash once a day, you’ll save more than 30 litres a month.
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Both products deliver impressive and longlasting results. The volumising mousse adds body to fine hair with minimal product – it has an airy, foamy texture that’s lightweight and holds instantly when blow-dried. Similarly, the styling gel keeps hair in place the entire day. Application is fuss-free too; the gel spreads easily and is not overly tacky.
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Our tester noticed that her copper-coloured hair looked glossier and more vibrant post-wash. Both products nourished her dry ends too, so her hair felt softer and smoother. She could even get away with using half her usual amount of hair oil after.
This is a good supplement to your anti-frizz shampoo. The lightweight cream is instantly absorbed by towel-dried hair and helps to further smooth flyaways. It also leaves a healthy sheen on hair.
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The wax is strong enough to reshape a messy bedhead and hold it in place all day. It also adds texture to fine hair without weighing it down. You need just a pea-sized amount to style a pixie cut.
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It’s easy to work the wax into hair because oil is mixed into the dry pastelike product. Styling is fuss-free and effortless, and the product is able to create natural texture for more dramatic looks.
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Hair feels instantly softer and less dry. Both products smell great, wash off easily, and don’t weigh hair down. The shampoo in particular is so moisturising, our tester didn’t feel the need to follow up with a conditioner after.
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Dry hair feels softer and bouncier, and looks smooth. The light oil is absorbed quickly without leaving a greasy or sticky residue. The refreshing yuzu scent also perfumes the hair.
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The 14-item range – which took founder Leonica Kei 10 years to formulate – has seven shampoos, a shampoo and body wash in one, a restoring conditioner, a moisturising hair mask, two hair tonics, one protein spray, and one kids’ shampoo. They each draw on the benefits of botanicals such as peppermint to detox clogged hair follicles, and tea tree leaf to soothe a sensitive scalp, while activated charcoal balances oiliness. The range has a salon-grade product for at-home use for every scalp type.
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Both products smooth frizzy hair without flattening it so it looks sleek, not limp. Even a small amount of the shampoo lathers well and detangles, while the conditioner tames flyaways and baby hair. We like the fresh floral scent too.
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Both the shampoo and conditioner are so intensely moisturising, their smoothing and softening effects can be felt instantly when you massage the product into your hair. After rinsing, hair feels manageable and tangle-free.
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A little goes a long way with both products, even on long hair. Damaged hair feels smooth, manageable and tanglefree post-wash. Both have a fresh, minty scent.
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Both the shampoo (02) and conditioner (04) smooth chemically treated hair well, so it feels less dry and brittle. They’re lightweight enough not to weigh even the longest strands down.
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It helps to intensely treat brittle hair – our tester noticed significantly less breakage. The mask’s airy gel-cream texture doesn’t leave a sticky or greasy residue, and doesn’t weigh hair down either, so it’s also suitable for fine hair.
Brittle hair feels smoother, stronger and more airy after use. It also tames frizz – our tester noticed that her hair didn’t have as many flyaways as it usually does after blow-drying.
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It takes away yellow undertones from silver lavender hair so it looks shiny and less brassy. The hair also feels smoother.
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It has a great volumising effect on flat, fine hair, making it feel soft and look airy the day after use, even without styling products. It doesn’t feel greasy, has a light and pleasant scent, and is easy to wash out.
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The shampoo makes fine hair look so bouncy that it almost seems windswept. The nourishing formula doesn’t leave your hair or scalp feeling dry. The fresh “green” scent is also a great pick-me-up.
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Hair feels refreshed and lighter post-wash, and frizz is tamed. The shampoo doesn’t really foam up, which makes it easy to wash off as well.
A little goes a long way. It has a strong hold that adds natural texture and structure to hair for the entire day. The silky product also doesn’t weigh hair down, and has a pleasant citrusy scent. Bonus: It’s easy to wash out, so it works as a good everyday hair wax.
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