The 12 Best Hair Serums That Yield Transformative Results

Best Overall

Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector

$30 at Amazon $30 at Sephora $30 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Red algae extract, bond-building technology | Hair Type: All | Size: 3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Olaplex’s No.9 serum tops our list because it does it all: hydrates, protects, and adds shine—and for all hair types. (No surprise, it even nabbed the number one spot on our list of the best heat protectant sprays.) All you have to do is massage a little bit of the lightweight serum through your damp or dry hair and watch as it absorbs within seconds. You can either leave your hair to air dry naturally on its own or grab a hair dryer and get to work. 

The formula contains red algae extract—which bonds the hair and blocks pollutants—and a proprietary bonding technology that repairs severe damage, so you can expect it to leave hair smoother than before. Even after heat styling, our hair felt soft, silky, and healthy. We wish this product came in a larger bottle so we could get more use out of it!

Best Budget

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum

$7 at Amazon $7 at Target $7 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Argan oil, apricot oil | Hair Type: All | Size: 5.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Garnier’s Sleek & Shine serum is a prime example that you don’t have to compromise your budget for a good hair day. Whether you have curly, straight, or dry hair, its blend of apricot and argan oils will provide you with a smooth finish and restored shine. Right out of the bottle, you’re met with a slippery formula that feels like a serum you’d slather all over your face, which allows you to cover more hair with less. (And you should, since too much product can actually make your hair look greasy, especially if you have fine hair.) 

It works well as both a styling serum (on wet hair before styling with a hot tool) or a finishing serum (the final touch on dry hair after you’ve blown it out or curled it), imparting shine and softness each time. For best results, we recommend that you deposit a tiny drop of product onto your palms and rub them together to warm it up before applying it directly to the ends of your hair, working your way up to the middle of your strands.

Best for Hair Growth

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum

$23 at Sephora $15 at Ulta $23 at Target

Key Ingredients: Redensyl, procapyl, baicapil | Hair Type: All | Size: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Show of hands: Who wants thicker, fuller, denser, healthier hair? (That’s what we thought.) That’s where The Ordinary’s serum comes to the rescue. The brand is a household name in the skincare world, but don’t discount its hair products. As the name suggests, it’s packed with multiple peptides (which have been shown to help with hair growth) in addition to natural extracts and caffeine. The result: A serum meant to invigorate the scalp and encourage regrowth. 

Online reviewers share that over time, their thin (or thinning) hair appeared fuller. Simply apply it to your scalp before bed each night, then wake up with fuller hair in just a few months.

Best for Shine

Sachajuan Shine Serum

$42 at Amazon View on Nordstrom View on Sachajuan.com

Key Ingredients: Geraniol, limonene | Hair Type: All | Size: 1.01 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Small but mighty—that’s the best way to describe this petite bottle of Sachajuan serum, which guarantees to give your hair a protective, shiny finish. Just a pump or two of this lightweight serum acts like a breakage treatment, repairing your damaged ends, all while fitting in a TSA-compliant bottle. Also nice: It prevents further damage and split ends from occurring, for those of us who have a codependent relationship with our hot tools. Best of all, It quickly absorbs into your locks, so it doesn’t leave behind residue or weigh things down.

Best Travel-Friendly

Goldie Locks Signature Serum

$65 at Amazon View on Goldielocks.com

Key Ingredients: Rose water, vanilla bean, white truffle | Hair Types: All | Size: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When traveling, every centimeter in your TSA-approved liquid bag is prime real estate. But that doesn’t mean your hair should have to endure sunshine, chlorine, humidity, and sea salt unprotected. Snag one of these travel-sized Goldie Locks serums, and your hair will thank you—namely, in the form of a shiny, smooth finish no matter where you’re vacationing. Plus, with its secure cap, you can feel confident it won’t leak all over your other carry-on items. (The worst.) The only thing to be aware of here is that the bottle is made of glass, so if you’re not careful (aka, you throw your bag onto a conveyor belt or airport floor), it might break. 

As for the formula, we love that this one contains gentle, nourishing ingredients that can be found in nature—rosewater (which is known to hydrate all types of hair, including processed and colored), vanilla bean, and white truffle (both of which help strengthen strands). 

Best for Scalp

Nécessaire The Scalp Serum

$45 at Amazon $45 at Sephora $41 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Biomimetic peptide blend, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Hair Types: All | Size: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The health of our hair is important, but our scalp health is arguably just as—or maybe even more—important. After all, that’s where all the hair growth happens. In other words, a healthy scalp leads to thicker, healthier hair. This serum leans on hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which work in tandem to hydrate and strengthen the skin on the scalp. What’s more, it also includes a peptide blend that the brand claims accelerates hair growth. 

We like that this formula is great for those with sensitive scalps and the fact that it’s oil-free, so it won’t leave your scalp greasy or dirty-looking. To apply, simply fill a dropper and deposit it on your areas of concern once daily on dry or towel-dried hair. Massage it into the skin with your fingertips.

Best Oil Serum

Pattern Jojoba Oil Hair Serum

$28 at Amazon $28 at Sephora $28 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, lavender oil, safflower oil | Hair Types: Curly, coily | Size: 3.9 oz |  Cruelty-Free: Yes

Tracee Ellis Ross knows a thing or two about good hair. If you have curls like she does, this moisturizing serum from her eponymous brand is your best bet. It combines the power of safflower, olive, rosehip, and jojoba oils to minimize breakage from root to tip. Plus, the lightweight oil has nourishing, anti-inflammatory benefits that leave hair feeling brilliantly bouncy and full of shine. It’s worth noting that this product has a strong lavender scent—which may not appeal to everyone.

A little bit of product goes a long way, so a few drops is all you need. Once you’ve deposited the drops into your palms, work the oil through wet or dry hair. You can also use it as a scalp treatment; just apply a few drops to your scalp and massage away.

Best for Restoring Elasticity

Oribe Hair Alchemy Fortifying Treatment Serum

$66 at Amazon $32 at Sephora $66 at Dermstore

Key Ingredients: Chia seed, bio-fermented bamboo leaf, plant-based protein, hyaluronic acid, cotton seed extract | Hair Types: All | Size: 5.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Oribe has tons of different collections for different hair care concerns, but allow us to point you in the direction of the Hair Alchemy line, which has been designed to prevent breakage before it even starts. The brand reported that the collection is responsible for almost three times more elasticity and 133% more strength—all thanks to a specially curated cocktail of strengthening botanical ingredients. 

This product features the brand’s proprietary Signature Complex, a blend of plant-derived antioxidants and strengthening extracts to build elasticity and hydrate brittle strands. Just keep in mind that it has a fruity floral smell, so those with an aversion to fragrance in products might want to skip this one.

Best for Dryness

Act+ Acre Stem Cell Scalp Serum

$86 at Amazon $86 at Sephora View on Actandacre.com

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, bamboo and pea sprout blend, H2-Grow Complex | Hair Types: Straight, wavy, curly, coily | Size: 2.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

It should come as no surprise that Act+Acre customers rave about the Scalp Serum powered by 2% Apple Stem Cells. According to the brand's website, 91% of consumer testers agreed that their scalp felt more nourished after using the serum, and the hydration delivered from this product supports hair follicle health—so you can experience less dryness and more volume.

Best Strengthening

Vegamour Gro Hair Serum

$165 at Amazon $64 at Sephora $49 at vegamour.com

Key Ingredients: Turmeric, caffeine, biotin | Hair Types: All | Size: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If shedding and fallout are concerns of yours, it’s time to strengthen the bond—of your hair. Vegamour’s Gro Hair Serum will make your hair appear more thick and luscious, while working hard at the root of your strands to make your hair stronger. A huge plus of this serum is that it’s water-based so you won’t experience greasiness from oils and can be applied either to wet or dry hair. Simply fill the dropper, massage the product in, and go about your day.

Best Color Safe

Nutrafol Growth Serum

$69 at Amazon $69 at Sephora $88 at nutrafol.com

Key Ingredients: Pea sprout extract, Irish moss peptides, Ashwagandha exosomes  | Hair Types: All | Size: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Nutrafol’s super lightweight serum promises visibly thicker and stronger hair in as little as 90 days. This physician-formulated product is made with Ashwagandha exosomes, meaning that the serum delivers living plant matter directly to the root of your hair, which boosts cell renewal. This accomplishes two big things—it provides stress protection and it gives you the ability to replenish important nutrients directly at the source (aka the scalp) for healthier hair. We also love it works for those with color-treated hair or extensions, so that no one is left out of the healthy hair group chat.

Best for Hair Loss

Divi Divi Scalp Serum

View on Ulta View on Diviofficial.com

Key Ingredients: Caffeine, tea tree oil, amino acids, hyaluronic acid | Hair Types: All | Size: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Influencer-turned-founder Dani Austin opened up about her hair loss journey to her followers and Divi was born as a result. According to the brand, in a clinical test after 12 weeks of using Divi’s Hair Scalp Serum 90% of testers noticed an improvement in the look of fullness of their hair. You can apply this serum daily to either wet or dry hair. Simply shake the bottle and apply the serum to your scalp, focusing on any problem areas you want to target, and massage the product in. The serum helps combat hair shedding and thinning and as an added bonus it’s also vegan, cruelty-free and dermatologist-tested.