If there's one thing you should know about our Shop TODAY team, it's that we can't live without our Dyson. But we're not referring to just any Dyson product — we're talking about the most iconic Dyson, aka the Airwrap.

Dyson first launched the Airwrap in 2018 with the promise of eliminating heat damage from ordinary styling tools through airflow technology. Since then, it has changed from a few attachments to different variations to accommodate various hair types. But before this tool changed the beauty industry, the brand released the Supersonic Hair Dryer — another industry-changing device — that promised just as big hair-changing results, too.

Both became two impressive devices in Dyson's already impressive portfolio. So when our team heard about their new Chitosan collection back in August 2024 — the brand's first time ever releasing styling products — we had a hunch that we'd be pleased, and sought to test the products ourselves.

About the Dyson Chitosan Styling Collection

While we love our results from the Airwrap, they don't always last. Many users have raised concerns about this issue, but that's where the Chitosan Styling Collection is cued into the picture.

The collection is designed to enhance these results with twice as much hold, all with the assistance of Chitosan and Triodetic technology.

Dyson Chitosan Pre-Style Cream

Dyson Chitosan Post-Style Serum

What is Chitosan?

Both products contain an ingredient called Chitosan to boost its holding power. But you might be wondering: What is Chitosan?

According to the brand, Chitosan is derived from oyster mushroom, which allows the product to add flexibility, moisture and support to your strands. Meaning, your hair should have movement and bounce throughout the day, without the concern of frizz or loss of your style. Each product says to have Chitosan from approximately four to five oyster mushrooms.

Chitosan is also the foundation of Dyson's Triodetic technology, which creates "a web of flexible bonds around hair fibers" to allow the strands to "move, flex and recall its style, in unison with the rest," according to their site.

"Chitosan does strengthen the hair shaft, making it less prone to breakage, and smooths the cuticle for a shinier, softer appearance," adds stylist Jennifer Korab. She also notes that the ingredient has "antimicrobial properties" which "contribute to a healthier scalp."

What's the difference between the rich and light conditioning formulas?

The four formulations each have one rich and one light conditioning option. Dyson differentiates the two based on your hair's density.

Light conditioning is recommended for those with fine and/or thin hair. Unlike the rich formula, it contains grapeseed oil for nourishment, which Korab says is lightweight, and "moisturizes and adds shine without heaviness, making it ideal for fine or oily hair."

Rich conditioning, on the other hand, is recommended for those who need intense nourishment. This is commonly those with thicker and denser hair types. Thus, the formula contains castor seed oil, an ingredient known for being thicker and highly moisturizing.

How we tried the Dyson Chitosan Styling Collection

Because the Pre-Style Cream contains four variations, we designated each type to different Shop TODAY writers of various hair textures. As recommended by Dyson, our writers first applied the styling cream to dry and/or damp hair, and finished with the Post-Style Serum.

When using the styling cream, Dyson suggests applying two to five pumps of product, then melt it between the palms before dispersing it through your ends.

After using your desired styler, the Post-Style serum must be applied using one to two pumps on dry hair before it is worked through. The two products are meant to be used as a pair to seal your style.

Our hair types

Madison San Miguel, editorial assistant: Wavy, color-treated and and thin
Danielle Murphy, commerce writer: Wavy, thick at bottom but thin on top and tends to frizz
Annie Shigo, social media editorial assistant: 3A curls, color-treated and thin
Shannon Garlin, associate editor: Wavy and thick

Our experience

The Chitosan Styling Collection was designed to be used with Dyson hair products. But if you don’t own the AirWrap or other Dyson tools, don’t fret: Our reviewers tried the collection with other brands and/or air and towel dried to see if the results are just as impressive with and without Dyson styling products.

It's also important to note the Pre-Style Cream does not provide heat protection, so some of our writers used a heat protectant before heat styling.

What we liked

Madison San Miguel

Products used: The Straight to Wavy Light Conditioning Pre-Style Cream with Post-Style Serum

My curls have lost their tightness over the years after many chemical and color treatments. They lean on the wavy side now, and overtime, have become more dry. My struggle with my current curl routine is that my curl cream enhances my curls, but simultaneously enhances my dry ends. Other curl creams are too heavy on my thin strands, so I've (sadly) opted to sacrifice anything hydrating for my hair.

But I was pleased to see that Dyson offered their Pre-Styling Cream in a light formula for my hair type. I distributed and scrunched the formula into my hair as I would any curl cream, and followed with a towel-dry. Once it was nearly fully dry, I used a non-Dyson diffuser to finish it off. While my curls weren't as defined, they noticeably looked and felt healthier.

I followed up with the Post-Style Serum, and applied as I would a hair oil. The styling serum really tops it off, offering more shine, softness and hydration than I expected.

Danielle Murphy

Products used: Straight to Wavy Rich Conditioning with Post-Style Serum

"I was worried that using two creams would make my hair feel heavy or greasy after styling, but they both proved to be lightweight and penetrated my hair pretty easily," exclaims Murphy, who used her Dyson hair dryer to blow dry and style. "The post styling serum is my favorite because it made every single strand feel extremely soft, and it still feels that way days later."

Murphy also noticed her blowout appeared more voluminous after using the duo. "[I also liked] how my hair doesn’t feel oily two days post wash/use," she adds.

Shannon Garlin

Products used: Curly to Coily Light Conditioning with Post-Style Serum

Garlin has been using her Dyson Airwrap for nearly three years, and opted to use the tool when testing out this collection. She used the Pre-Style Cream, and followed it with the Airwrap's round brush attachment to dry it straight. "[I] was surprised at how smooth my hair looked," she says. "I barely had to follow up with a flat iron. There were no fly aways, and it felt soft to touch."

When it comes to the Post-Style Serum, Garlin found the texture more gel-based than oil-based, with some stickiness to it. She often uses oils to finish her styling, but was "pleasantly surprised at how lightweight and smoothing this one was."

Garlin also noticed her style lasted through the night without needing to touch up in the morning.

Annie Shigo

Products used: Curly to Coily Rich Conditioning with Post-Style Serum

Shigo describes her hair type as the 3A curl type, and used her diffuser (non-Dyson) to lightly dry her hair with the Curly to Coily Rich Conditioning formula of the Pre-Style Cream. Right away, she noticed more shine and hydration in parts of her hair that are often dry.

However, Shigo was most impressed by the Post-Style Serum. She applied it using just one pump to evenly distribute through her ends and curls. "It didn’t weigh down my hair and seemed to enhance the color of my hair, too," Shigo noted. "It really held my curls together nicely and overall made my hair more synonymous."

What to consider

A little goes a long way

Although you can apply more if needed, a little goes a long way for both products. For instance, the brand suggests that each formulation of the Pre-Style Cream was designed to provide the optimal amount of conditioning for every hair type.

The applicator for both products is a bit finicky

Both products have a magnetic caps and a sturdy container that give it a luxurious appearance. The bottle that actually holds the product can be twisted off to replace with another. But to dispense the product, some of our writers found it a bit finicky. The dispenser is concave and pushes down to dispense in your hand, but it doesn't completely.

The fragrance is light and not overpowering

Dyson says each product has notes of bergamot, florals and musk that are incredibly light. If you're into strong scents, this one isn't overpowering, but those who are sensitive to smells might appreciate the delicate scent.

Who is the Dyson Chitosan Styling Collection best for?

We tested and tried the collection across multiple hair types to see if it met expectations. Each of our testers followed the brand's instructions using their desired tool and styling routine, and found the products compatible with their hair type. After testing, we believe the Dyson Chitosan Styling Collection is best for all hair types, regardless of texture and hair health.

"When using traditional styling tools, this collection still provides excellent results," notes Korab. "The collection’s moisture-locking and frizz-reducing properties keep hair soft, shiny and manageable, even with tools that might not have Dyson’s advanced technology."

More Dyson styling products to shop

Dyson Omega Hydrating Hair Oil

What to know

Dyson recently expanded their styling products with this new Omega line. The Omega collection centers on nourishment, with ingredients like omega-rich oils (the core of the line) and sunflower seed oil that work to improve, prevent and restore dry, damaged ends.

First out of the lineup is this Omega Hydrating Hair Oil. According to the brand, just one drop delivers more noticeable shine and stronger strands. While smoothing frizz, the hair oil also protects against heat and frizz before or after styling.

Dyson Omega Leave-In Conditioning Spray

What to know

The new Omega Leave-In Conditioning Spray is considered an 8-in-1 formula, with benefits that range from heat protection (UV, humidity, more) to breakage prevention. While you can use it on its own, Dyson recommends using the leave-in spray with their Omega Hair Oil for best results.

Why trust Shop TODAY?

The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources and use our own personal experiences with the product and brand to make shopping easier for our readers.

Madison San Miguel is the editorial assistant at Shop TODAY, who covers everything from fashion to beauty. She has previously been published in Allure, InStyle, Byrdie, Bustle, Elite Daily and more.