Her World Beauty Awards 2024: best shampoos, conditioners and treatments for Asian hair
From shampoos and conditioners to intensive treatments and heat protectants, we’ve got your tresses covered
By Vanessa Chia -
Healthy hair starts from a healthy scalp. Whether your hair is dry and damaged, curly, poker-straight or thinning, it requires a specific regimen to get it healthy and smooth.
The good news? We’ve narrowed down the hardest working products – from shampoos and treatments to styling must-haves – that’ll suit every hair type and budget, so you can look forward to a good hair day, every day.
What It Is A luxurious creamy shampoo that’s powered by the brand’s exclusive TFC8 to revive lacklustre locks. It also contains black oat complex, brassica seed extract, baobab and pomegranate seed oils to nourish the hair and scalp.
“Hair and scalp feels good and I love the scent. This is possibly the best shampoo I’ve used so far.” — Adeline Eng, art director, Her World Singapore
What It Is A deeply nourishing conditioner that not only harnesses the brand’s iconic TFC8, but also a biolipid complex, marula oil, sunflower sprout extract, peptide-protein and rice protein complexes to restore and strengthen dry and damaged locks.
“A little goes a long way. Hair instantly feels softer and smoother after rinsing, and when dried, is less tangled too.” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is A sulfate-free shampoo that’s infused with nutrient-rich sea buckthorn (it’s rich in vitamins A and C and fatty acid omega 7) and coconut acid to gently cleanse while leaving hair nourished and soft.
“I love the scent and texture. It’s not too drying and perfect for my dry, sensitive scalp. Hair felt soft and silky after the first wash.” — Dr Lee Hwee Chyen, consultant dermatologist and medical director, Epi Dermatology & Laser Specialist Clinic
What It Is A reparative conditioner that’s powered by a vegan keratin alternative, Karmatin to help hydrate and strengthen dry hair. Also contains amino acid, marula and moringa seed oils and murumuru butter to leave locks soft, shiny and frizz-free.
“Love the scent and how it repaired and revived my frizzy hair. My hair felt stronger and more hydrated, and also looked glossy too.” — Lasalle Lee, makeup artist
What It Is This fortifying shampoo combines the reparative properties of not one, but four excusive honeys, to gently cleanse and revitalise the scalp. It also contains phytoceramides, arginine, D-panthenol and cassia alata extract to protect the hair, leaving it stronger and smoother.
“Genuinely enjoyed using this product because of how amazing it lathers up, and it smells amazing and leaves my hair feeling really soft and moisturised.” — Shazrina Shamsudin, senior digital writer, Her World Singapore
What It Is Just like the shampoo, this conditioner is also enriched with the brand’s exclusive honeys. In addition, it also contains ectoine to protect the keratin naturally found in our hair while countering the ageing process, restoring hair to its healthy state And it also plumps the hair fibre from within for a soft boost in volume too.
“My damaged tresses are less tangled and moisturised after each use. I usually leave it on for a few minutes for a deeper condition.” — Shazrina Shamsudin, senior digital writer, Her World Singapore
What It Is Suitable for naturally textured or permed hair, this nourishing shampoo uses organic oat milk, soybean and castor seed oils to strengthen the hair and help retain moisture to keep locks healthy and shiny.
“It helped define and enhance my natural curls and gave them bounce, shape and structure. I also liked that the product was colour-safe and didn’t affect my hair colour.” — Melvin Tseng, beauty content creator
What It Is A daily conditioner that not only hydrates and strengthens locks, but also enhances curls without weighing them down. The key lies in its formula that combines various plant-derived oils – coconut, avocado, quinoa seed, argan jojoba seed and castor seed – along with hydrolysed keratin.
“This conditioner is so good for curls! It hydrates my hair so well and when my hair dries, my curls are elevated and my hair is light, not so weighted down. I could just leave my hair to air dry and the curls naturally create a nice volume.” — Munah Bagharib, actress and host
What It Is A silicone-free dry shampoo. It’s infused with aromatic plants, apple vinegar and silica to absorb impurities and excess sebum from the scalp, leaving hair feeling refreshed and lighter.
“Worked exactly like a dry shampoo, but without the feeling of powder or residue on the scalp. Even used it as a mist to style a sleek centre part ‘do – quickly combing through and styling my product while hair was still damp, and surprisingly it worked!” — Cheryl Chan, digital editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is infused with biomimetic silk and bondamide, this 100 per cent vegan leave-in conditioner works to repair and strengthen the hair from within, which in turn helps with future damage. Hair is smoother, shinier and softer to the touch.
“Smells nice and it doesn’t leave an oily finish even after blow-drying my hair. My bleached ends also feel smooth and strong too.” — Tay Ying, actress
What It Is This heat protection spray uses special polymers to protect hair from heat, especially from your styling tools, while delivering a long-lasting and smooth finish. Plus, it also shields against humidity to combat frizz and minimise hair breakage.
“Easy to use. Hair felt straighter and smoother. It also didn’t weigh my hair down or look greasy at the end of the day.” — Dr Rachel Ho, aesthetic doctor, La Clinic
What It Is A multi-tasking spray that protects against heated styling tools while repairing and nourishing damaged locks. Perfect for helping you achieve a polished finish as hair stays smooth and silky.
“In just two days of using this, it has provided me with the best results, leaving my hair smooth and soft. I didn’t even need to use a flat iron to help tame my frizz when using this.” — Adeline End, art director, Her World Singapore
What It Is A leave-in styling cream, it uses organic oat milk, shea butter and a refining complex to hydrate the hair while helping to define and enhance your curls. Works on both naturally texture locks and permed hair.
“Really easy to use. It leaves my curls shiny and not frizzy at all. It also protects from humidity and I see the results when I’m on-the-go. My hair looks so smooth all day.” – Munah Bagharib, actress and host
What It Is Using marine bamboo, this hair treatment instantly tames dry, unruly hair leaving locks silky smooth and healthy-looking even without blow-drying.
“It makes styling so effortless and easy. 10/10 would recommend.” — Melvin Tseng, beauty content creator
What It Is Enriched with the iconic K18 peptide, this silicone-free hair oil repairs and strengthens the innermost layer of the hair, while keeping frizz at bay and protecting against the heat from your styling tools at the same time. It also contains natural oils – avocado and sunflower – as well as hemisqualane and squalane to provide extra nourishment and enhance hair’s radiance.
“The tech and research behind K18 makes this a clear winner.” — Larry Yeo, makeup artist
What It Is Perfect for time-starved individuals. All it takes is just 60 seconds to transform hair, leaving it soft and silky-smooth thanks to the use of hydrating hyaluronic acid and coconut water.
“Amika hair masks always work for me and the happy colourful packaging puts a smile on my face. Hair is left instantly smoother.” — Leanna Ho, beauty content creator
What It Is Designed for compromised, chemically-treated strands, this potent formula repairs and enhances hair’s manageability with a rich blend of vitamins and minerals.
“The best hair mask I’ve used. Really moisturising for my split ends and coloured hair!” — Saffron Sharpe, content creator
What It Is Made with upcycled jackfruit, beetroot extract and plant-based polymers, this lightweight lotion instantly tames flyaways and frizz. Plus, it also offers intense thermal protection, shielding your mane from heat damage caused by hot tools.
“The light texture doesn’t weigh the hair down. Hair looks smoother with a natural finish.” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is Using rosemary extract oil together with watercress extract, this anti-hair loss treatment works to stimulate and promote hair growth while reducing hair fall.
“Noticed slightly less hair fall after shower. Has a pleasant scent and is easy to apply – I’ll definitely continue using it to see the full results.” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is A scalp and hair treatment combined. It not only gently cleanses and strengthens the scalp’s barrier function, but also works to care for dry locks too. The result: a fortified scalp and healthy mane. Its relaxing scent also helps soothe the senses during bath time. A necessary addition to any self-care routine.
“The results are quite significant. It was very soothing and my scalp remained moisturised while hair was a lot bouncier, silkier and softer.” — Dr Lee Hwee Chyen, consultant dermatologist and medical director, Epi Dermatology & Laser Specialist Clinic
What It Is This salt scrub shampoo uses Andes Lake salt particles alongside rosemary extract to exfoliate and cleanse the scalp, reducing dandruff and preventing hair loss. It also contains probiotics and caffeine to help restore balance to the scalp, which in turn, helps hair grow healthier.
“Easy to apply and the scent is very refreshing. Scalp feels less oily and itchy, even after a long and sweaty day under the sun.” — Ray Christian Ticsay, senior art director, Her World Singapore
What It Is The Amika haircare range is designed to be your hair’s bestie. The key ingredient in all its products is the antioxidant-rich superfruit sea buckthorn that protects the hair against free radical damage and signs of ageing.
What It Is Perfect for shaving time off your morning routine. The Airstrait Straightener dries and straightens simultaneously. It uses a high-pressure airflow that is precisely heated and projected evenly throughout the hair as you style.
“This hair dryer and flat iron hybrid is an absolute time-saver. What a game changer!” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is Using a blend of rice and soy proteins, this shampoo helps build volume while reducing breakage for bouncy and fuller-looking hair. It also contains Sakura extract to lock in moisture so hair is soft and smooth.
“Gave my naturally wavy hair a lot of bounce and volume. Love the scent too.” — Cheryl Chan, digital editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is An anti-hair loss shampoo that’s powered by a unique Ginsen9ex complex that combines nine different ingredients as well as a whole ginseng to care for the scalp and strands. Plus, the comforting scent of thyme, geranium, muguet and olibanum relaxes the senses.
“A little goes a long way. It lathers easy and doesn’t leave scalp dry. Hair is soft, smooth and shiny after wash. Love the spa-like scent too.” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is The key lies in the use of a proprietary Ginsen9ex complex that combines nine different ingredients including a whole ginseng to moisturise and nourish the scalp while hydrating and strengthening the strands. It also uses a patented volumising technology to add body.
“My hair is smoother and less greasy. In fact, I used it for a few weeks and my split ends were kept under control. In addition, I don’t need to apply hair oil to make my wavy curls smooth.” — Letty Seah, beauty editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is An intensive hair mask that uses unique acid-heat treatment ingredients to deeply repair and restore damaged locks. Additionally, three types of heat repairing and two types of heat protection ingredients work to repair and protect hair from heat damage. Best used once to twice a week.
“Looks can be deceiving – this repair mask looks really ordinary on the shelf, but it really worked wonders for my hair! After use, my mane felt so soft and smooth; I didn’t even have to apply my usual leave-in conditioner.” — Lee Kyll Synn, contributing sub-editor, Her World Singapore
What It Is A deep cleansing shampoo that is designed to combat odour and prevent scalp acne. It uses AHA and BHA for a gentle yet effective clean, juniper berry oil and a blend of scalp-soothing herbs to neutralise odour and soothe irritation as well as keratin, collagen and seaweed extract to keep hair soft and lustrous.
“After using it for two weeks, I noticed that my scalp became less sensitive and my hair felt softer. The shampoo also left a very nice scent. Highly recommend it!” — Cheryl Chan, digital editor, Her World Singapore
Correction: An earlier, print version of this article mistakenly left out Coulisse Heir Chemic Relief Hair Mask as a winner of the “Best hair mask for damaged hair” title in Her World Beauty Awards 2024.
All the items are independently selected by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. But we only recommend products we love. Promise.