I Tried 8 Of Your Most-Recommended Shampoos + Conditioners. I Fell In Love With 2 of Them.
Plus 11 of my go-to hair products + accessories.
Greetings and salutations, friends. I had really great plans to do a whole try-on story for you today, but apparently when I placed the order last Monday, I did not actually finalize the transaction. Which I didn’t realize until yesterday, whoops. But right now there are approximately 10 pairs of affordable jeans en route to my house, and hopefully a few of them will be good enough for me to cover here.
So instead, let’s talk about hair!
If you haven’t noticed, I don’t write very many hair-centered stories, and I’m not really sure why? I’m guessing it’s because I’ve had essentially the same haircut (long layers) and color (blondish brown) since I was about 14. And going back even further, I’ve had long hair and bangs since, well, always. Yes, I dyed it red in high school once, and sure, there was that time I had the top half of my hair super blonde and the underneath half dyed dark brown, which gave me the highly unsophisticated chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream look. But other than that, it has been business as usual. I’ve even used many of the same products and techniques for a decade plus.
But recently, I felt like maybe it was the right time to reevaluate my foundational hair products. I put out a request to you, dear readers, for your favorite shampoos and conditioners for fine-haired humans like myself, preferably something that was kind to color-treated hair too, and you certainly delivered. As the kids on TikTok say: Let’s get into it.
The Tried and True
Historically, I have been dedicated to Sachajuan Thickening Shampoo ($33 for the normal size, but I historically bought the giant, 1-liter bottle which would last me the better part of a year or more, but costs $95) and Thickening Conditioner ($36), both of which I really love. In fact, I adore pretty much everything I have from the line, including the Color Protect Shampoo ($32) and Conditioner ($35), the Anti Pollution Shampoo ($38) and even the Ocean Mist Beach Spray ($38) before I basically weaned myself off of salt/sugar sprays.
My other go-to is OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo ($32) and Conditioner ($32), both of which are always in my shower, and will always be, as the brand is excellent and I have a very sentimental attachment to OUAI. (I’ve been friends with the brand’s founder Jen Atkin for almost two decades, and got to try samples of the formula when she was in development. Plus it works really well and smells great; what’s not to love?) I also was a longtime Aveda Shampure devotee, and liked the Color Control line too, but the brand reformulated the scent at some point, and the nostalgic in me just can’t move forward.
The New (To Me)
I still love Sachajuan and OUAI, but I also wanted to see what else is out there, so I picked up four new shampoos and conditioners based on your recommendations. I went through well over 100 suggestions, narrowed it down to the four most-nominated, bought them all, and have been using them for the better part of a month.
1: Living Proof Full Shampoo ($32) and Full Conditioner ($34)
Made for: Fine and medium hair that’s straight or wavy. Part of Sephora’s Clean Hair Care group. Color safe. Vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.
Of the four brands I tried, this was the one I knew the least about, other than Jennifer Aniston was once a co-owner and spokesperson, that it was co-founded by a biotech scientist from MIT, and that they work with lots of celebrity hair stylists.
2: Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume ($49) and Conditioner for Magnificent Volume ($52)
Made for: Fine and medium hair that’s coily, curly, straight, and wavy. Both color safe and keratin-treatment safe. PETA approved.
One of the first celebrity hairstylist product lines, Oribe’s editorial and celebrity work was legendary and that truly translated to the line, which debuted in 2008 and has a scent that was inspired by Jennifer Lopez. I first fell in love with the brand’s Dry Texturizng Spray ($52), which gives you excellent volume and also makes a styled look last forever, as it also absorbs oil.
3. Crown Affair The Ritual Shampoo ($36) and The Ritual Conditioner ($36)
Made for: Straight, wavy, culy, and coarse hair that’s fine, medium, or thick. Part of Sephora’s Clean Hair Care group. Considered color safe and good for oily scalps.
I’ve been following the brand since it launched in 2020—the founder Dianna Cohen is so interesting; she started in shopping tech, and worked for Tamara Mellon, Away, and Outdoor Voices before starting her company—and am honestly shocked I never tried the shampoo and conditioner until now. I was early on their bestselling The Dry Shampoo ($36), which is talc-free and comes in a little container that reminds me of the Clinique loose powder I loved in the late ‘90s.
4. Roz Hair Foundation Shampoo ($39) Foundation Conditioner ($42)
Made for: All hair types and textures. Considered color safe. Vegan, cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free, SLS free, Triclosan free.
Created by celebrity hairstylist Mara Rozak (you know her work with ladies like Emma Stone and Zoe Saldana), I’ve been a longtime fan of the brand’s incredible Santa Lucia Styling Oil ($45), which is lightweight, amazing, and smells so good I’d wear it as a perfume. I was excited to try these products, as I think Mara is incredible. I also like that the bottles are aluminum, which can be reused and recycled, and the brand makes refills for both the shampoo and the conditioner.
The Assessment: In full transparency, I have relatively easy hair. While it’s fine and highlighted, I have a fair amount of it and at this point, it’s pretty healthy. (Back in the day, I used to heat style it at least five days a week, and also used a lot of dry shampoo and salt spray, which resulted in breakage. I’d also gone too blonde at a certain point before I started working with Lorri Goddard, who is an actual artist and has helped transform my hair health and color over the last decade. Also giving my hair a break from hair dryers and curling irons during two maternity leaves made a difference.)
That said, I find conditioner particularly tricky. Obviously I need hydration, but lots of formulas are too heavy for my hair and make it look totally impotent. Also, because I workout every day and have bangs, I need to wash my hair more than most people, so whatever products I use have to be gentle enough for at least four or five washes a week.
Effectiveness: All of the shampoos and conditioners met the criteria of being both gentle and efficacious. Two of the duos—Living Proof and Oribe—are formulated specifically for volume, but honestly I didn’t notice a great difference between them and the more inclusive products from Crown Affair and Roz Hair.
Packaging: In terms of the bottles themselves, I had lots of thoughts, which surprised me. I don’t love that Oribe’s Shampoo for Magnificent Volume—which is the best name—comes in a bottle with a fully removable screw-top cap. I’m absolutely certain this will result in spills in the future, at least for me. Crown Affair’s shampoo bottle has a cap with a central dispenser, which I like, the Living Proof bottles have a really good hand feel, but I probably liked Roz Hair’s aluminum bottles and pump dispenser the best. Update: Um, so apparently I’m just a dork who didn’t open the Oribe bottle correctly. Thank you to the handful of readers who messaged me to say (kindly): You’re doing it wrong? So ignore that part, please. Ha.
Scent: Of the four, Oribe’s is probably the most potent, and while I like it, if you’re sensitive, it might be a bit much. Crown Affair reminds me a tiny bit of Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue fragrance, which is light, clean, and slightly citrus-y with woody base notes. Living Proof is also lightly citrusy. Of the four, the one I like the most by a mile is Roz Hair, which is a little herbaceous and earthy, but still very clean and light.
Final Thoughts: Honestly, I would feel comfortable recommending all four brands, but if I only could pick one, it would be Roz Hair. The products are really incredible, formulation is clean, packaging is sustainable and thoughtful, and the scent is my favorite. Plus, I love a female founder, and am a big fan of Mara’s artistry and entrepreneurial spirit.
UPDATE: Mara Rozak kindly created a code for Hi Everyone! readers. For this week only, you can get 20% off anything on the site with the code: Kerr20.
Thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions. I love hearing from folks who read the newsletter, and appreciate your candor and ideas.
OTHER HK HAIR ESSENTIALS
As for my other go-to products in this category, I have a few! These days, I’m trying to stay away from salt spray and dry shampoos, but if you want to talk about them, I still have lots of thoughts and feelings. Drop me a comment below and we can discuss.
STYLING PRODUCTS
OUAI Finishing Creme ($26)
Super lightweight and frizz-fighting, this is my favorite product for smoothing the ends of my hair. Jen once said it was like “lotion for your hair,” and she’s not wrong.
L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray ($13)
It’s iconic for a reason.
HOT TOOLS
BabylissPRO Nano Titanium Professional Hot Rollers For All Hair Lengths ($60)
I got involved with hot rollers in college, but our relationship has been on and off for years. After years of not using them, I’m having a love affair again. I do one roller on top of my head, rolling that section toward my face. Then I split the rest of my hair into two parts, and use four to six rollers in total for the rest of my head. In a perfect world, I leave them in my hair until they cool, typically when I’m getting dressed and doing my makeup. They give my hair more body than curl, which is what I like.
Also, I know this might be controversial, but I don’t like the butterfly clips. I’m team metal clips, for life. The butterfly ones always leave marks in my fine hair, but the metal ones (that come with this set) never do.
T3 Switch Kit Curl Trio Interchangeable Curling Iron with 3 Barrels ($299)
Years ago, I bought a version of this T3 kit with three different barrels, and it is amazing, works incredibly well, and lasts forever. I personally don’t like a clip iron and prefer a wand barrel, and this set has my favorite 1.25-inch size wand for loose curls.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($429)
Full disclosure: This was a gift from a friend who works with Dyson that I got a few years ago, but honestly I would totally invest in it. I haven’t gone back to my old hairdryer once since I got the Dyson, which tells me everything. It’s so fast and lightweight and quiet, and it comes with a diffuser!
ACCESSORIES
Slip Small Slipsilk Scrunchies ($39)
The way I look at it is I spend a fair amount of time and money on my hair and keeping it healthy. So when I do pull it back, it’s worth it to use a scrunchie that doesn’t pull or tear it. These are excellent.
Slip SIlk Pillowcase ($89)
Silk pillowcases are great for protecting your hair (and face) and I’ve tried a lot of brands over the years. Slip remains my favorite.
MetaGrip Premium Hair Pins ($19)
I love a hairpin more than most—must be all those years of doing ballet—and these pins in bronze blend into my hair seamlessly.
Shhhowwer Cap The Rumi ($43)
A couple of years ago, a few folks recommended this shower cap as the best option out there, and after buying an assortment of products in this category, I most certainly agree. 11/10 endorse it!.
Harry Josh Pro Tools Magnesium Thermal Brush 1.3-Inch ($50)
For round-brushing my bangs, my go-to is actually an old Dyson brush that’s no longer in stock, but I really like this one from Harry Josh too.
Wet Brush Original Detangling Brush ($13)
Okay, so the Elsa brush is technically my daughter’s, but it’s mine now too. I keep it in the shower to brush conditioner through her hair before rinsing, and it’s very gentle on even sensitive scalps. (Hers, not mine.)
So here’s the thing: I know the products I like, obviously my hair type is just one of many. In the hopes of making this a little more relevant, I would greatly appreciate it if you dropped your favorite hair product in the comments? Everyone has been so helpful as of late, and I love seeing everyone learning from each other!
Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.
Thinking I might have to try Roz next! I’ve been very intrigued. I am using purology right now and loving it so far!
I hate to add another to the list since you’ve done so much legwork already, but as someone with similar hair texture and an affinity for many products you mentioned, I think you should try the brand new Saltair shampoo and conditioner for volume. It is so damn good and, drumroll please, a 14-ounce bottle costs 12 bucks. I seriously thought I was being punked when I saw the price. Give it a try!