The Best Hair Products from the 2021 Beauty Crush Awards

CBD and aloe vera work together to calm irritated, dry scalps in this nourishing formula. One tester noted how hydrated her hair and scalp felt after using this product, adding that her hair looked clean for a full two days afterward—a rarity for her.

"You can never have too much hair or volume—this powerful duo delivers both," said Knot. "Biotin, vitamin B7, and collagen team up to strengthen and build up your strands for added body and fullness without weighing them down." For best results, she suggests leaving the conditioner on for a few extra minutes.

BREAD is a Black woman-owned brand focused exclusively on creating products for naturally textured hair, whether it's curly, coily, or pulled up in protective styles. This wash-day duo gives hair a gentle yet thorough cleanse followed by an intensely moisturizing treatment packed with Australian Kakadu plum, starflower, carrot seed, and sunflower seed oils.

Pyrithione zinc, which has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, is the anti-dandruff hero ingredient in this duo, but what makes them stand out from other products are the jojoba and Argan oils that soothe and moisturize the hair and scalp from drying out.

This shampoo and mask are formulated with antioxidant vitamins containing amino acids that restore your hair fiber and lock in pigments for long-lasting color. It's loaded with a high concentration of macadamia oil, proteins, and fatty acids that help damaged strands become hydrated, strong, and healthy. 

"Scalp care may not be the sexiest subject, but cleansing my hair with this detoxifying formula is a non-negotiable in my wash day routine," said Allen of this witch hazel and tea tree oil-infused product.

Dr. Henry, recommended this scalp serum, pointing out that it moisturizes the scalp without using heavy oils that weigh down hair. "It uses hyaluronic acid in an approach similar to skincare—it helps fortify the scalp skin and reduces hair breakage."

To target excess buildup, massage this gentle, fine-grained scrub into your scalp before shampooing to refresh its surface and prep it for cleansing. We love that it's infused with vitamin E and Argan oil, two super-nourishing ingredients that promote healthy hair growth.

You've heard about AHAs and BHAs for your face, but what about for your scalp? This scrub uses a combo of acids and biodegradable exfoliating beads to break down and dissolve product buildup and dead skin cells.

Knot loves this product as it creates voluminous, frizz-free hair. With this spray, "bamboo fiber plumps up strands at the root to add a little oomph where it matters most," she explained. "Spritz onto wet or dry tresses, then massage in for the best results."

This texturizing spray works double-time with minerals and vitamins that help thicken fine hair while also strengthening weakened strands. For the perfectly effortless lived-in look, use the product on styled hair, spraying directly onto roots for volume and on from the mid-shaft to the tips for added texture.

Here's your answer for fresh-looking hair on days between washes. Infused with ginger and formulated with castor oil, this spray lightly conditions hair and gives it a glossy shine without using any parabens or sulfates. Plus, it smells like oranges, clove, and vanilla, so it's a treat for your hair and your senses.

If you use heat on your hair, this is a great product to help keep your strands protected. The spray is heat-activated and formulated with vegan keratin to seal, reinforce, and smooth the hair cuticle, which leaves it super shiny for days.

This foam volumizer is designed to target the roots to add more body where it's needed most to provide hair with a natural-looking lift. The airy foam gives hair some lightweight volume that won't feel stiff or sticky to the touch. It's also formulated with caffeine, which helps stimulate the hair follicles, contributing to extra lift at the roots.

Like all MoroccanOil products, this mist is infused with Argan oil to hydrate and nourish hair, but mineral-rich Dead Sea salt is the star player here. It targets oiliness and detoxifies the scalp, so when you use this product, your hair won't only be more voluminous, but healthier, too

"Cotton fibers and conditioning agents increase softness and smooth the cuticle," Knot said of this affordable pick. "Mist on damp strands and let air dry for a frizz-free and natural-hair-don't-care look, or bust out your hot tools (it doubles as a heat protectant!) for an ultra-sleek style."

Treat yourself to a shiny, salon-quality blowout at home with this product. It's formulated with a protein complex to strengthen the hair and eliminate frizz, while lightweight silicones smooth and seal the hair cuticles. Plus, the product includes UV absorbers to protect hair from sun damage.

The hair treatment has two superstar ingredients: pracaxi oil, which has cell renewal effects that have been shown to heal wounds and scars and works to moisturize and strengthen hair, and murumuru butter, which penetrates the hair shaft to help repair dry strands and naturally protects against sun damage.

One tester, who had recently bleached her hair, said she had "silkier, stronger-feeling hair" after just two uses. The treatment contains the highest concentration of the brand's unique bond-building technology of its products, which works to relink broken bonds in the hair shaft to repair structural damage from within.

Use this when your curls need some damage repair—it's formulated with the line's moisture-infusing complex and nourishing ingredients like Argan oil, Shea butter, and fruit extract to give intense hydration to dry hair. One tester said she used this mask on her hair after another product dried it out, and it gave her hair the moisture revival it needed.

It's formulated with a smoothie-full of superfoods: avocados to nourish and condition hair, kiwi to provide antioxidant protection, and spinach to promote overall hair health. Plus, it's protein-free, so if you have over-proteinized or low porosity hair that's brittle and prone to breakage, you can get a hydration boost.

Flexing copper plates, precise heat settings, and thermal conduction technology make this straightener worth the steep price tag. "The vast majority of straighteners on the market have heated plates that don't move, therefore hair is tugged at high heat  which can cause damage to the hair shaft," one tester said. "However, with the new Dyson technology, the plates form to the shape of the hair inserted, preventing damage to curls and allowing for larger sections to be straightened."

This curling iron eliminates the guesswork (and room for error) by utilizing an innovative smart-touch interface and nine heat settings that automatically adjust to your specific hair needs. "I've worked in the beauty industry for nearly a decade, and I've never seen anything like this," said one tester. "T3's ID system customizes its settings to your exact hair type, texture, and length so that you use the perfect amount of heat on your hair—not too much, not too little."

This hot tool straightens hair with all the ease of using a hairbrush and utilizes ionic technology to minimize static, resulting in shiny, frizz-free hair in very little time. "I was able to completely straighten my curly hair in under five minutes, which is incredible for me as I have a lot of very thick hair," said one HG tester. "It typically takes me about 15 minutes to straighten my hair with a traditional flat iron, so this is a massive time-saver."

Emitting an airflow of 75 mph, this hair dryer will speed up your dry time significantly, and it utilizes ionic technology to reduce frizz and flyaways. "This hair gadget reduces dry time, cuts down on noise, and the contoured nozzle delivers uber-concentrated airflow, so each strand remains exactly in place," Knot said.