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If your skincare routine includes more than four steps, you probably have a serum or two in your arsenal. These lightweight formulas contain concentrated doses of various actives and complexion-enhancing ingredients, like retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Similarly, hair serum is any light, liquid styling product that gives your hair a boost of nourishment and finesse.
“Serums are a very effective means of adding moisture and nutrients to hair [while] sealing it off so it can repel humidity and fight frizz,” notes renowned session stylist and product developer Kevin Murphy. They can help with the effects of humidity, soften coarse hair, add shine, tame flyaways—you name it.
Keep scrolling for a rundown of the best hair serums you can buy today.
Beneath Your Mask Nourish Skin & Hair Serum at Bluemercury.com
Best Overall
BioSilk Silk Therapy Original
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- Minimizes frizz
- Hydrating
- Works on wet or dry hair
- Doubles as a skin serum
- Strong scent
What do buyers say? 89% of 18,400+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 5 stars.
For an all-around amazing serum that works for all hair types, you can’t go wrong with Silk Therapy. BioSilk’s original formula contains smoothing and conditioning ingredients like panthenol, dimethiconol, and alkyl benzoate, as well as ester of hydrolyzed silk.
Squirt a few drops onto the palms of your hands and work it through wet or dry hair. The result? Shiny hair that not only appears healthy but also feels just as luxuriously soft as it looks. You can use it daily or any time your hair needs a little TLC. Not only that, but the paraben-free formula also works as a skin serum.
Price at time of publish: $25
Size: 12 fluid ounces | Scent: Amber | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Budget
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum
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Amazon
- Affordable
- Minimizes frizz
- Works on wet or dry hair
- Makes hair look greasy
On a budget? You can still reap the benefits of using a hair serum, thanks to Garnier Sleek & Shine. Containing a blend of argan and apricot oil, the anti-frizz formula offers a supremely smooth finish.
Price at time of publish: $7
Active Ingredients: Argan oil | Size: 5.1 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Drugstore
John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Hair Serum
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- Affordable
- Minimizes frizz
- Protects against heat damage
- Only works on wet hair
The first product offering from the timeless beloved line, Frizz Ease Original Serum is a must-have for getting flyaways under control. The classic silk-infused formula seals split ends and leaves a gorgeous shine in its wake.
Price at time of publish: $13
Active Ingredients: Silicones and silk proteins | Size: 1.69 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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What Our Testers Say
“John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Original Hair Serum is a fan-favorite for a reason: It works and it’s affordable, too. The serum did a surprisingly good job at smoothing my hair.” — Joline Buscemi, Product Tester
Best Treatment
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3
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- Repairs broken hair bonds
- Reduces hair loss
- pH balanced
- Pricier than other options
Olaplex No 3 was made for bleached, dyed, and chemically straightened hair. With once-a-week use, this reparative treatment serum mends breakage and nourishes stressed hair, offering a healthy-looking finish.
Price at time of publish: $30
Active Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate | Size: 3.3 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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Best for Natural Hair
Pattern Jojoba Oil Hair Serum
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Ulta
- Hydrating
- Reduces breakage
- Smells great
- Can weigh down finer hair
Tracee Ellis Ross knows a thing or two about natural hair, and her brand’s beloved Jojoba Oil Serum was formulated with curly, kinky, textured hair in mind. Ingredients like jojoba, safflower, olive, and rosehip oil work to moisturize dry hair while reducing breakage and leaving your hair smelling like a slice of heaven.
Price at time of publish: $25
Active Ingredients: Safflower oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, olive oil, lavender oil | Size: 3.9 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Oil
Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil
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- Affordable
- Strengthening
- Helps treat dry scalp
- Strong scent
Oil-based serums can be a dream come true for curly or notably thick hair. With this in mind, Mielle’s Strengthening Oil nourishes hair follicles and smooths split ends with a nourishing blend of soybean, castor, rosemary, peppermint, and tea tree oils.
Price at time of publish: $10
Active Ingredients: Biotin | Size: 2 fluid ounces | Scent: Rosemary mint | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best for Flaky Scalps
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment Serum
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- Helps treat dry scalp
- Reduces flake and itch
- Natural formula
- Pricier than other options
Flaky, itchy hair? Reach for Briogeo’s Scalp Revival. This little tincture is infused with charcoal, witch hazel,1 and tea tree oil to soothe as it relieves dry, irritated scalps.2
Price at time of publish: $32
Active Ingredients: Binchotan charcoal, tea tree oil, witch hazel, biotin | Size: 1 ounce | Scent: Tea tree | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Multitasker
Beneath Your Mask Nourish Skin & Hair Serum
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- Hydrating
- Doubles as a skin serum
- Pricier than other options
We love a good multi-use beauty product, and Beneath Your Mask Nourish Serum doesn’t disappoint. The little dropper bottle contains a moisturizing, fortifying blend of plant-derived oils, like hemp seed, safflower, and rosehip, which thirsty skin and dehydrated hair will drink right up.
Price at time of publish: $60
Active Ingredients: Vitamins B, C, and E | Size: 1.7 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Smoothing
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum
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Courtesy of Amazon
- Doubles as a blowout primer
- Minimizes frizz
- Lightweight
- Makes hair look greasy
If it’s smooth hair you’re after, your best bet is Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny. This best-selling hair serum works as a blowout primer, but you can also use a pump or two on dry hair for an ultra-shiny, healthy-looking finish.
Price at time of publish: $27
Active Ingredients: Silicones | Size: 5.1 fluid ounces | Scent: Apple, berries, sweet florals | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Nourishing
Aunt Jackie’s Nourish My Hair Flaxseed & Monoi
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- Improves scalp health
- Hydrating
- Affordable
- Strong scent
Dry, brittle, or overprocessed hair? You can count on Aunt Jackie to deliver the nourishment it needs. This rich hair serum contains ingredients like Jamaican black castor oil and vitamin E to rejuvenate your tired hair and improve scalp health.3
Price at time of publish: $9
Active Ingredients: Flaxseed oil, Jamaican black castor oil | Size: 4 fluid ounces | Scent: Unscented | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Reparative
Kevin Murphy Young Again Oil
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- Hydrating
- Lightweight
- Pricier than other options
Murphy formulates his haircare with many of the same ingredients you’d find in top-shelf skincare products. Young Again contains reparative components that help add moisture, luster, and elasticity, such as lemon peel oil, safflower seed oil, and green tea extract.
Price at time of publish: $55
Active Ingredients: Immortelle, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, camellia sinensis leaf extract | Size: 3.4 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Fortifying
Sally Hershberger 24K Golden Touch Nourishing Dry Oil
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Sally Hershberger
- Lightweight
- Minimizes frizz
- Protects against heat damage
- Pricier than other options
To fortify your hair, celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger recommends 24K Golden Touch Nourishing Dry Oil. “It adds weightless control to tame frizz, provides protection from heat, UV, and color fade, and it hydrates hair,” she explains.
Price at time of publish: $10
Active Ingredients: Precious oils, goji berry, and amber extract | Size: 4.2 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Protective
Amika Blockade Heat Defense Serum
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Walmart
- Protects against heat damage
- Minimizes frizz
- Lightweight
- Makes hair look greasy
Amika’s take on hair serum is this brilliant heat-protectant formula. Blockade is a nutrient-dense elixir formulated to safeguard your hair from the heat of a blowdryer and other hot hair tools while creating a humidity-resistant barrier to prevent frizz.
Price at time of publish: $26
Active Ingredients: Sea buckthorn | Size: 1.7 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Final Verdict
The best serum overall is definitely BioSilk Silk Therapy Original (view at Amazon). It works for all hair types, can be used on wet or dry hair, and contains ester of hydrolyzed silk to deliver ultra-smooth, shiny hair. That said, those with natural hair should consider Pattern Beauty Jojoba Oil Hair Serum (view at Ulta), and anyone with bleached or chemically treated hair should go with Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 Repairing Treatment.
What to Look for When Buying a Hair Serum
Skincare Ingredients
As Murphy explains, hair serum is not unlike face serum in that it offers a concentrated dose of moisture, nourishment, or a smoothing effect without leaving a residue behind. To that end, you’ll want to look for many of the same ingredients you’d find in high-quality skincare products. This includes natural oils, vitamin E, cyclomethicone, dimethicone, alkyl benzoate, hydrolyzed silk, tea tree extract, green tea extract, and glycerin.
Oil Content
Like skincare serums, some hair serums contain nothing more than plant-sourced oils, such as jojoba, coconut, argan, apricot, lemon peel, rosehip, castor, and safflower seed. Additionally, you’ll find that many are blended with oils and lightweight ingredients.
Options heavy on the oils are ideal for treating damaged, brittle, or dry hair, and they tend to work best for thicker hair. For this reason, those with fine hair may want to avoid oil-based formulas, as the heavier liquid can weigh down hair.
Frequency of Use
Lightweight hair serums are generally meant to be used for daily styling, as they offer frizz control and a smoothing effect. However, thicker, oilier options are intended for treating the hair once or twice a week. So, how do you know the difference? Look at the directions to see the recommended frequency of use.
Why Trust Byrdie?
Theresa Holland is a seasoned commerce writer specializing in beauty and wellness. She’s been writing for Byrdie since 2020, where she covers fitness, makeup, skincare, and haircare. As a serum enthusiast, she’s tried several products on this list and is a big fan of BioSilk, Kevin Murphy, Olaplex, Briogeo, Amika, and Etude House.