Hot on the heels of our recent Beauty Awards, we’re back with the latest installment of your beauty dispatch: Shop TODAY’s 2026 Hair Awards.
This year, we tested more of the category’s biggest innovations than ever before, wading through a list of over 600 products and consulting a panel of trusted experts to crown our 50 incredible winners. To celebrate and share the news, Shop TODAY executive editor Adrianna Brach stopped by Studio 1A, bringing along a sampling of the very best products we’ve lathered, spritzed and combed our way through.
Scroll on to check out the Hair Awards winners seen on TODAY, and be sure to shop the full list of winners here. Bye-bye, bad hair days!
Shop TODAY Hair Awards winners seen on 3rd Hour of TODAY
K-Beauty has been making waves in the skin care space the last few years, and hair care is shaping up to be the next frontier for K-Beauty innovations. Case in point: this winner, a roll-on from Dr. Groot. Anyone who may be experiencing hair loss is a great candidate. It has a precise applicator to target areas like the hairline and your part.
Trichologist Mandy Buechner says this is effective at getting hair to look fuller within just a few uses by reducing sebum and increasing scalp moisture. The formula is also packed with dermatologist-approved ingredients, like biotin, niacinamide, salicylic acid and caffeine.
This at-home color hack keeps your roots looking fresh between pricey salon appointments. Unlike sprays, which can be messy and tint your scalp, this gives you total control.
“Use the cream end to color in your part and flip to the opposite end to set with powder,” Brach instructs. “We love this not only for root coverage but even for thinning areas and sparse spots… It’s quick, easy to use and the color stays put thanks to the cream-then-powder approach — no worries about it rubbing off or looking unnatural.”
Think of this sculpting paste from Lolavie as the perfect finishing touch in your routine: It gives flexible, frizz-taming hold to your hair and helps set your style. Dermatologist in New York City, Dr. Marisa Garshick, explains that the formula’s hold complex combines bond technology with natural saps and peptides, plus a super fruit complex that helps maintain softness and moisture with a smooth, non-sticky finish. All of those ingredients together allow you to sculpt and control your hair while maintaining a more natural, touchable finish than you’d get with a traditional hairspray.
This leave-in hair mask really impressed our testers because it doesn’t add weight or heft to strands while it works its magic, and the results last several days (even after another shampoo!). A little goes a long way, with one tester noting she only uses about a nickel-sized amount on her shoulder-length hair.
“This leave-in hair mask has rosemary and 5% vegan keratin, a protein naturally found in our hair that we produce less of as we age, leading to frizzy strands more prone to breakage,” Brach explains. “Adding a product to your routine with keratin helps to strengthen strands, de-frizz and reduce breakage over time.”
Chi makes some of our favorite hair tools, but who has space to bring those clunky accessories along when they travel? Our winner for best travel hair tool is the Lava Mini Styler, a compact version of the brand’s bestselling classic flat iron with 1.5-inch plates. Testers found that it heats up quickly to help you straighten, touch up flyaways and smooth frizz in just a few minutes. You can even curl or add volume with a little technique, so this is basically the only tool you need to pack for your next getaway. One reviewer said it worked so well on a trip to Las Vegas, it kept her hair pin-straight even in the extreme heat.
This pre-wash treatment with castor oil, rosemary and hibiscus extracts is designed to be used before you shampoo for at least 20 minutes to condition the scalp, control dandruff and promote the growth of healthy hair. Brach’s pro tip: Put it on before bed to really let it work overnight.
“I can’t get over how well it worked right from the jump, and it worked so easily for a girl who considers herself low maintenance,” says deputy managing editor Jess Bender. “All I have to do is massage a few pipettes’ worth of product into my scalp and tips, let it sit for the duration of an episode of New Girl and jump in the shower… My hair rarely looks this sleek doing my usual routine, but it really looks like I put a ton of effort into the final product when this was as simple as apple pie.”
Shop TODAY Hair Awards winners seen on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
Achieve the bombshell blowout look at home with these volume-boosting rollers, which have velcro loops to help each one stay in your hair without any extra accessories. When your hair is almost dry, simply roll the strands up in sections and use a blow dryer to warm each roller. Let them cool completely and unroll to see lifted roots and ample volume. Our reviewers specifically loved the sleek case, which stacks each roller together by size for easy storage.
Our best aerosol-free dry shampoo winner is discreet, portable and won’t make a mess. It’s housed in a cushion format that absorbs oil with ingredients like silica powder, going on clear and leaving no residue behind. Senior producer Mirjam Lablans says she works out every day but only likes to wash her hair once or twice a week, and this was a winner to tide her over between shampoos.
“It’s so easy to use... just tap the powder with the included cushion, then dab it onto your part and hairline — wherever you get oily — and brush through,” Brach instructs. “It has a slight cooling effect that’s really nice on sweaty days.”
Brach recommends an epilator for those who want to go longer than a few days between shaves, but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on waxing or laser hair removal. Our winner for best epilator has a wide head that covers more area than others we’d used in the past, and the brand says you can get up to one month of smooth skin after a session. Pro tip: Use it in the bath or shower under warm water to make using the device as comfortable as possible.
Did you know that your hair tie could be damaging your hair? Garshick says these hair ties are a great choice for protecting the hair, as they’re made with 100% pure silk that creates less friction against hair to reduce pulling, tangling and mechanical breakage. These work for all hair types, but are especially great for curly hair, since they won’t disrupt your curl pattern.
This celebrity hair stylist-founded brand boasts formulas that are all built on natural butters, vegetable proteins and restorative botanicals. This texturizing mist makes your hair look effortlessly lived in, enhancing waves and minimizing frizz without leaving hair crunchy or dry like salt sprays can. Plus, this provides heat protection, so you can go in with a hot tool after if you want to add more curls or waves.
Deputy managing editor, partnerships, Francesca Cocchi Zabloudil says she air dried her hair and scrunched this in, and it instantly “added some nice volume, defined and separated waves and reduced frizz, all without adding weight, greasiness or a crunchy texture.”
Hair Awards winners previously seen on TODAY
As we age, hair thinning, dulling and greying is common, but this “age defense” line is designed to help. From Nioxin, the brand behind one Shop TODAY editor’s triumph over stress-induced hair loss, the shampoo has a subtle tingle and lathers up nicely. Coordinating producer Ali Deabler says she noticed baby hairs growing in after just a few months of consistent use.
To boost the system, apply a few pipettes of this serum directly onto a clean scalp after your shower, massaging in with your fingers and brushing through. One of our testers vouches that this “added density from the root” without leaving hair “feeling sticky or looking oily and flat” like other leave-in serums and treatments can.
“A great option for someone concerned about signs of hair aging, including thinning, dullness and color changes, this lightweight serum contains niacinamide, caffeine and black oat peptides, which together help to support scalp health, the hair follicles and help to support pigment production,” explains Garshick.
If you struggle with flat or fine hair, this volume-boosting spray mousse is a must-try. One of our testers loved it so much, she even recommended it to her 15-year old son, who has now asked to borrow it every day since to give his naturally flat hair a bit of lift.
“To use, just apply some of the foam to the roots of your hair when it’s wet and massage in,” Brach instructs. “My pro tip is to blow dry upwards from the root after that to really lock in volume. It adds volume of course, but it also has a medium hold that’s a little flexible but still controls frizz and flyaways.”
Rizos Curls products have been a favorite among the Shop TODAY team’s curly-haired staffers for years, and this custard was another clear winner, rapidly earning its way into our hair care routines. It has a jelly-like texture with plenty of slip that’s easy to smooth over strands without getting tangled, and the formula locks in moisture with ingredients like mango butter and aloe vera.
“I have genuinely never had a curl defining product that checks all my boxes, until now. This Rizos Curls Defining Custard is incredible,” gushes special projects associate Jordan Murray. “My curl pattern has never looked so springy and shaped. It leaves zero frizz, and you are able to gently remove the gel crunch cast without disturbing all the work you put into your curls. My texture looked and felt great. I will absolutely be repurchasing.”
A scalp massager is the instant shower upgrade you never knew you needed. Buechner says this one can help promote healthier hair growth by bringing circulation to the scalp, and calls it “one of the best budget-friendly tools you can quickly add to your routine, no matter what hair type you have.” This $7 find has amassed over 150,000 ratings on Amazon, and it’s been purchased over 10,000 times in the last month alone.
We all know the Revlon One-Step Blow Dryer Brush. Now, meet its latest, beginner-friendly version of the popular hair tool, which has been upgraded in some really genius ways to take you from wet hair to a salon-quality blow dry in minutes.
“It’s got a drying mode with strong airflow, of course, but then there’s a volumizing mode to add lift at the roots and even a thermal brush mode to smooth frizz and shape curls,” Brach says. “I love that this will help you declutter those hair tools that take up so much space, since it does the job of three tools in one.”
More Hair Awards winners
“For me, Batiste is the ultimate drugstore dry shampoo. No other dry shampoo I’ve tried — including those at triple the price — deliver on absorbing oil and adding volume to days-old dirty hair,” one tester writes. “This light formulation soaked up oil without leaving my hair stiff, white, or filmy. As someone with a greasy scalp, I reached for this product nearly every other day.”
“I have super frizzy hair, and nothing seems to make the frizz go away, but this turned my hair into more of a soft wave rather than a frizz,” shares tester Jody Ricevuto. “It worked so well, I even brought it on vacation in Jamaica where it’s humid and it still had my hair looking smooth.”
“A thick, buoyant, smooth conditioner that made my scalp feel refreshed, moisturized and with no buildup,” tester Jonathan Bender summarizes. “Post-shower towel dry left my hair feeling smooth, frizz-free and with a subtle scent of vanilla that didn’t overpower. I left it on my scalp for about two to three minutes for a deeper conditioning and felt the smooth results take over as the day carried on.”
“This spray is definitely my go-to anti-frizz product because it controls the hair while maintaining softness and movement” Claudio Belizario, a Europe-based stylist, previously told us. “I prefer to brush the product through while the hair is still wet, which helps give it perfect definition.”
“I liked how lightweight this product felt,” notes tester Jonathan Jackson. “I have low porosity hair, so heavier leave-ins can make my hair feel heavy and dull, but this was perfect for what I needed and left my hair feeling soft, moisturized and healthy.”
“This has been such a wonderful addition to my curl styling routine. It delivers exactly what it promised: an extra oomph to really make sure your curls are defined, shaped and springy,” shares Murray. “It’s super easy to use, doesn’t add frizz and helps add more volume when brought all the way up to the root. The side ridges do a great job of separating out the curls while the mix of boar and plastic bristles keep your curls tangle free and eliminate frizz. Just make sure you’re not using this to detangle. This is a styling brush only.”
“Ever since I took my braids out two months ago, I’ve been blowing out my hair to try out some different fluffy blow-out styles,” says senior social media editor Bianca Clendenin, who awarded this mist a perfect score. “The first time I used this product before blow drying my hair, I was shocked by how easy my curls went straight. Normally it can take me up to 30-40 minutes to blow dry my hair, it easily took me 20-25 minutes. I wasn’t running the dryer through my hair as often, which can lead to heat damage.”
“I love how easy this heated brush is to use and how quickly it heats up,” praises social video producer Dani Musacchio. “I could never master the technique of blow drying with a rounded brush that hair salons make look easy, so this is perfect for someone like me. I was worried that this product would make my hair shed a ton, but I actually didn’t notice much fallout while using it. As long as I gave my hair a quick brush before using it, my hair never tugged or pulled. I have pin straight hair, so I love how this product gave my hair a little more bounce.”
“I fear I can never go back to an average microfiber towel, because this has really unlocked a glow-up I’ve never seen with my hair (outside of a salon),” admits deputy managing editor Jess Bender. “I’ve noticed since using that my hair ends up infinitely less frizzy when I continue with my air-drying routine versus when I haven’t used this towel; the results really are that impressive as somebody who’s been gifted with hard-to-manage wavy hair. As for smaller features that I like, the dimensions of this towel makes it easy to dry every last strand of my hair, and the elastic strap sewn on makes sure the towel says secure and intact on top of my head for as long as I need to dry out my tresses.”
Olaplex’s latest launch is right in line with the efficacious and luxurious hair care we’ve come to expect from the brand. The shampoo cleanses deeply for a fresh, clean feeling at the scalp, without stripping the mid-lengths and ends of moisture and leaving them frizzy. The conditioner completes the shower ritual and feels so nourishing, helping reshape and define curls while boosting shine.
“Re:You Dual Path Hair Revival Serum is lightweight and gentle enough to use daily,” Buechner praises. “They have a 90-day money-back guarantee, which is great because who doesn’t get tired of wasting their money on products that don’t work? Re:You back up the effectiveness of their serum with this guarantee, so if you don’t see any results, you get your money back.”
“A curling iron that heats up and cools down quickly is a must when I’m rushing to touch-up my hair before I’m out the door,” says former associate editor Madison San Miguel. “This curling iron gets hot quickly, in under a minute. I also noticed it cools down fully within 30 to 40 minutes when I use it... It even curls my hair quickly, so I didn’t have to go back to previously curled strands that had fallen loose or just weren’t curled well. Each curl was evenly curled and lasted a long time.”
What are Shop TODAY’s 2026 Hair Awards?
Shop TODAY’s second annual Hair Awards touches on all the hair styling and care items that give our team and staffers their healthiest strands and best styles. They pitched the products they swear by in categories like shampoo, conditioner, styling cream, treatments and brushes, including picks that they’ve been loving and using for years on end.
We also combed through new launches and bestselling product submissions to complete our testing pool. Each product was evaluated through real-world testing to identify the formulas, tools and treatments that truly deliver on their claims. Our goal is to help readers discover products worth their time and money across every step of their hair routine.
What type of products do we test?
Our team of editors, writers and staffers sorted through hundreds of new launches, editor and expert recommendations, trending and tried-and-true products to solidify our testing pool of 161 contenders.
To determine our list of 50 winners, we incorporated products into our hair routines over the span of at least two months to see if they meet requirements when it comes to quality, special features, value and overall satisfaction for styling, strengthening and hair health. Finally, our panel of experts reviewed some of our winners to give their sign-off based on criteria that make a quality hair product.
How do we test products?
Our editorial team and a group of trusted testers evaluate products over an extended testing period as part of their everyday routines. Rather than relying on a single impression, testers use products in real-life conditions to assess how they perform over time.
Each product is scored using a standardized evaluation that measures:
- Effectiveness at delivering its intended benefit
- Overall satisfaction
- Ease and enjoyment of use
- Product quality, including formula, ingredients, packaging and performance
- Likelihood of continued use or repurchase
- Likelihood of recommending it to others
- Performance compared to similar products
- How well it addressed specific concerns
- How well it improved hair’s look and feel
In addition to numerical scores, testers provide detailed written feedback describing what they loved, what could be improved and how the product fit into their routines.
How we chose the winners
Winning products consistently stood out across both quantitative scores and qualitative feedback. Our editorial team reviewed tester ratings alongside written reviews to identify products that delivered exceptional performance, lived up to their claims and offered meaningful value to consumers.
While high scores were important, editors also considered factors such as innovation, ease of use, consistency of results and how products compared with others in their category. The final winners represent the products our testers would genuinely continue using and confidently recommend to others.
Meet the experts
At Shop TODAY, our reporters interview a range of qualified sources and experts to capture a wide scope of perspectives on the latest beauty products. We also ensure that all expert guidance and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest. Products were independently chosen by members of the Shop TODAY team along with Adrianna Brach.
- Adrianna Brach is the executive editor at Shop TODAY, with over a decade of experience as an editor covering beauty, fashion and shopping.
- Claudio Belizario is a Europe-based stylist.
- Mandy (Mandy B. Beauty) Buechner is a certified trichologist at Thairapy Wellness Center in Crescent City, California.
- Dr. Dara Spearman is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Radiant Dermatology Associates.
- Dr. Marisa Garshick is a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology.
Has your product been featured?
The Shop TODAY editors and writers interview expert sources, try newly launched products and search the internet to find the best products out there. Based on personal experiences and expert recommendations, we aim to make shopping easier for our readers. With our rigorous methodology created to ensure every product is reviewed the same way, we stand by everything we recommend across our broadcast, digital and social platforms.
