Her World Beauty Awards 2023: Best shampoos, conditioners and treatments for Asian hair

Best Daily Shampoo: K18 Peptide Prep pH Shampoo, $52

Credit: K18

1/23

Why it won: A color-safe, pH-optimised shampoo, the K18 Peptide Prep pH Shampoo’s microbiome-friendly formula is great for everyday use as it effectively cleanses the hair while preserving the scalp’s natural protective barrier. Plus, it also helps reduce frizz and tangles, while enhancing hair’s shine and health too.

“This lathered easily and left my scalp feeling clean. Also, a little product goes a long way. Though it seemed better for oilier scalps.” – Dr Lynn Chiam, dermatologist, Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Medical Centre

Best Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo: PHS Hairscience FEM Fortify Shampoo, $46.30

Credit: PHS HAIRSCIENCE

2/23

Why it won: Specifically formulated for women with mild hair loss and hair thinning concerns, the PHS Hairscience FEM Fortify Shampoo delivers essential nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles to help strengthen the hair. The result: Hair fall is reduced and hair density is increased so tresses look fuller.

“I noticed that my hair was a lot healthier within a couple days. The subtle minty was also very refreshing. The shampoo not only soothed my scalp but also delivered a slight itch relieve, which was very helpful too. When paired with the full range, it was very effective in reducing hair fall.” – Mary Victor, makeup artist and body neutrality advocate

Best Shampoo for Damaged Hair: PHS Hairscience ADV Argan Oil Shampoo, $46.30

Credit: PHS HAIRSCIENCE

3/23

Why it won: Enriched with argan oil, the PHS Hairscience ADV Argan Oil Shampoo transforms dry, brittle locks into tangle-free, soft and silky hair. It imbues the hair and scalp with hydration for manageable and envy-inducing strands.

“ It lathered well and after rinsing, my hair felt so smooth and moisturised. Perfect for hair that’s dry and frizzy, especially after chemically processed treatments. And truly, a small amount goes a long way with this.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Shampoo for Bleached Hair: Cezanne Ultimate Blonde Shampoo, $42

Credit: Cezanne

4/23

Why it won: Keep your bleached hair looking like you just stepped out of the salon. With its blue-violet hues, sulfate- and paraben-free Cezanne Ultimate Blonde Shampoo neutralises brassy tones and replenishes moisture to keep your blonde tones looking fresh and hair looking healthy.

“It’s amazing and worked great in balancing out my bleached hair. However, hair can feel a little dry after rinsing, so using a good conditioner after would be good.” – Melvin Tseng, content creator

Best Shampoo for Coloured Hair: Papilla Hair Rewind Colour Protect Shampoo, $65

Credit: Papilla

5/23

Why it won: A hardworking shampoo, the Papilla Hair Rewind Colour Protect Shampoo not only helps repair chemically damaged hair, but also neutralises irritating chemicals from hair dyes to rebalance your scalp, keeping it healthy. In addition, it also seals the hair cuticles to prevent the colour pigments from bleeding.

“This did a great job in balancing out the yellow tones in my bleached hair.” – Melvin Tseng, content creator

[Drugstore] Best Daily Shampoo: Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original Shampoo, $13.10

Credit: Mise En Scene

6/23

Why it won: Fans of the Perfect Serum leave-in hair treatment will love the Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original Shampoo. Containing seven nourishing oils to nourish the hair, it gently and effectively cleans, leaving locks soft, glossy, tangle-free and in a floral scent of citrus, green apples, blossom floral and lily notes.

“I loved this shampoo! Repaired my damaged hair and smoothed it out! I’ve actually been using it ever since. My hair smelled great and the results lasted for days! Highly recommend!” – Anda, content creator

[Readers’ Choice] Best Shampoo: PHS Hairscience ADV Nutrition Shampoo, $46.30

Credit: PHS HAIRSCIENCE

7/23

Why it won: Is it possible to use a deep cleansing shampoo daily? Yes, you can with the PHS Hairscience ADV Nutrition Shampoo. Ideal for those who perspire a lot or use styling products frequently , it’s formulated with a Patent 5 Complex to effectively remove build-up on the scalp that can clog hair follicles yet will never over-stripping the scalp and hair of its natural oils. Best bit? It’s suitable for all hair and scalp types.

“Really liked that the shampoo didn’t leave my coloured hair feeling dry. Plus, it was gentle enough even on my sensitive scalp too.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Anti-Hair Loss Conditioner: Virtue Labs Flourish Conditioner for Thinning Hair, $76

Credit: Virtue Labs

8/23

Why it won: Powered by two ground-breaking keratin proteins, the Virtue Labs Flourish Conditioner for Thinning Hair is the answer to getting hair stronger and looking fuller. It nourishes locks, reduces breakage so hair is lush and healthy.

“While the texture was thicker than your usual conditioner, it was easy to use and glided smoothly over my hair. It left my hair soft and healthy. But more importantly, it’s also suitable for sensitive scalps too.” – Mary Victor, makeup artist and body neutrality advocate

Best Conditioner for Damaged Hair: DunGud Day Spa Restorative Conditioner, $36

Credit: Dungud

9/23

Why it won: Strengthen and repair damaged hair back to its healthy state once more with the DunGud Day Spa Restorative Conditioner. Containing waratah flower extract and argan oil, it nourishes and hydrates dry and chemically processed locks, imparting shine and lustre while reducing frizz at the same time.

“And though I had to use quite a generous amount each time, it left my hair instantly detangled after. After using it for a couple of days, I noticed that my bleached hair looking more hydrated and less ‘crunchy’ too. Highly recommended!” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Conditioner for Bleach Coloured Hair: DunGud Bimbo Blonde Treatment, $36

Credit: Dungud

10/23

Why it won: Repair bleach-damaged hair with the DunGud Bimbo Blonde Treatment. Its violet pigments together with botanical extracts like Davidson plum and nettle extract work together to hydrate the hair, cancel out brassiness, brighten the blonde tones and protect against free radical and sun damages.

“I need more of this for my bleached blonde hair! My hair stayed amazingly smooth and frizz-free, and the brass tones reduced with use.” – Larry Yeo, makeup artist

[Drugstore] Best Daily Conditioner + [Readers’ Choice] Best Conditioner: Stephen Knoll Scalp Care System Hydrator, $21.90

Credit: Stephen Knoll

11/23

Why it won: You don’t need to break the bank to get hair and scalp healthy. The Stephen Knoll Scalp Care System Hydrator is a great daily conditioner that not only delivers TLC to your scalp but it also keeps scalp and hair feeling fresh and clean with the use of natural clay. The formula also contains truffle extract, amino acids and ceramide to nourish the hair.

“The results with this was quite instant. I saw my hair looking shinier after, especially during when styling it. And on days where I needed to wash my hair more often due to styling for work, it was also very gentle on my hair, delivering great results every time.” – Munah Bagharibk, actor and host

Best Leave-In Conditioner for Dry, Frizzy Hair: Anti Everything Spray, $52

Credit: ANTI-Everything

12/23

Why it won: A hardworking leave-in treatment, the Anti Everything Spray is the only hair conditioning product you’ll need to get hair soft, smooth and shiny. Ideal for a variety of hair types, it uses coconut fruit extract and avocado oil to imbue dry hair with moisture, seal hair cuticles to lock in colour, refresh the hair and as a base before restyle your hair.

“I was quite surprised with this. The mist is super fine and it coats the hair well. And when brushed through, it left a ‘creamier’, smoother grip on my bleached hair that helped with styling.” – Larry Yeo, makeup artist

Best Hair Mask for Damaged Hair + [Readers’ Choice] Best Hair Treatment: Shiseido Professional Sublimic Airy Flow Mask (Unruly Hair), $66;

Credit: Shiseido Professional

13/23

Why it won: What makes the Shiseido Professional Sublimic Airy Flow Mask (Unruly Hair) so unique? It’s all thanks to its exclusive Thermo-Shaping Complex that works from deep within the hair to get hair smooth, airy and less frizzy when paired with a heated styling tool. And it also protects the hair from Singapore’s dreaded humidity too.

“This hair mask didn’t disappoint. Not only did it smell heavenly, it had the smoothening powers of a salon-quality hair treatment. It has become a mainstay in my haircare routine, and I will be genuinely gutted when it runs out.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Hair Mask for Coloured Hair: Biospa Color Lock Mask, $39

Credit: Biospa

14/23

Why it won: Preserve the vibrancy of your fresh dye job with this colour-protect Biospa Color Lock Mask. It not only keeps locks clean, but also conditions hair so it looks good always. But that’s not all. It also leaves hair smelling so good thanks to a patented long-lasting fragrance technology.

[Drugstore] Best Hair Mask For Damaged Hair: Mise En Scene Hello Bubble All Star Smoothing Treatment, $16.10

Credit: Mise En Scene

15/23

Why it won: With its Protein Complex and a unique Hello Bubble Double Bonding Ampoule, the Mise En Scene Hello Bubble All Star Smoothing Treatment will get dry, damaged hair smooth and manageable once more. Perfect for addressing frizzy and brittle tresses too. Plus, it’s also colour-safe so it won’t strip hair of its fresh colour either.

“While the mask had a rich creamy texture, it was easily squeezed out from the tube. What I liked was how it could be used in-shower after shampooing, and only took one minute to work, which meant I didn’t have to wait around. My hair was very smooth, soft and frizz-free after use. After towel-drying, I could even run my comb through my hair with zero snags. And it’s colour-safe too, making it great if you have coloured hair.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Hair Serum/Oil For Dry, Frizzy Hair: Shiseido Professional Sublimic Airy Flow Sheer Oil (Thick, Unruly Hair), $50

Credit: Shiseido Professional

16/23

Why it won: When used with a hot iron, the Shiseido Professional Sublimic Airy Flow Sheer Oil (Thick, Unruly Hair) leaves hair sleek and shiny thanks to its unique Thermo-Shaping Complex that works from the inside-out. But that’s not all. This leave-in hair oil also acts a heat-protectant against the damage caused by the heated styling tool too.

“Despite its lightweight formula, it did exactly what it promised – smoothing away frizz and offering instant hydration to my chemically processed, dehydrated locks. Plus, it doesn’t weigh down your hair or leave you with stringy, clumpy strands.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

Best Hair Serum/Oil For Damaged Hair: Virtue Labs Repairing Oil, $67

Credit: Virtue Labs

17/23

Why it won: Say goodbye to dry, frizzy hair with just a few drops of the Virtue Labs Repairing Oil. This lightweight serum infused with hydrating super-oils and Virtue Labs’ hair-repairing Alpha Keratin 60Ku instantly delivers shine and softness while repairing hair damage at the same time.

“I loved that it not only added shine, but also strengthened my hair. This clear oil didn’t alter the colour of my bleached tresses or weighed them down. Bonus: it's colour-safe, paraben-free, gluten-free and vegan. I’m sold.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor

[Drugstore] Best Hair Serum/Oil For Dry, Frizzy Hair: Ryo Beautiful Aging Fermented Hair Serum, $33.40

Credit: Ryo

18/23

Why it won: The Ryo Beautiful Aging Fermented Hair Serum pulls double duty as it deeply nourishes dry and frizzy locks, while leaving it smooth, manageable and healthy. Its secret? A powerful blend of fermented oils, including ginseng, camellia and soybean.

“Liked the lightweight texture and nice scent. It can also be used on wet or dry hair, which made it easy to use. It left my hair soft, shiny and less damaged.” – Didi, content creator

[Drugstore] Best Hair Serum/Oil for Damaged Hair: Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original, $17.10

Credit: Mise En Scene

19/23

Why it won: Repair your damaged locks with the Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original. Using a blend of not one, but seven oils – argan, coconut, camellia seed, jojoba seed, olive, apricot and birrea seed, it repairs damage done by chemical processes, repeated styling with heated tools and the environment, leaving hair looking silky smooth.

“A little bit went a long way, and my hair felt super soft after. Not to mention, the shine on my locks was fabulous. I was not expecting much but it surprised me in a good way.” – Lasalle Lee, makeup artist

Best Anti-Hair Loss Treatment: PHS Hairscience FEM Fortify Tonic, $113.89

Credit: PHS HAIRSCIENCE

20/23

Why it won: Specially formulated for women, the PHS Hairscience FEM Fortify Tonic is perfect if you’re dealing with mild to moderate hair loss and thinning hair woes. Using vital nutrients, it works to strengthen and nourish the hair roots, which in turn supports scalp health, resulting in stronger hair growth. It even promises to repair and reinvigorate damaged hair follicles to reduce hair loss. Plus, it’s never too early to start because it’s great as a preventive treatment too.

“The light watery texture absorbed instantly, and its nozzle applicator made it easy for the formula to reach the various areas of concern. With diligent use, I saw my hair looking healthier and hair fall reduced.” – Mary Victor, content creator

[Drugstore] Best Anti-Hair Loss Treatment (tie): Klorane Anti-Hair Loss Serum with Quinine, $109.90

Credit: Klorane

21/23

Why it won: Combining botanicals like organic quinine and edelweiss complex together with vitamin B and manganese, the Klorane Anti-Hair Loss Serum with Quinine is an easy-to-use leave-in treatment that has been proven to reduce hair breakage and hair loss in just one month. And thanks to the boosting of cellular metabolism at the scalp, it also promises to stimulate hair growth for fuller, more lush locks.

“Easy to use thanks to the long nozzle applicator. When used as instructed – 10 sprays three times a week, hair appeared strengthened and less prone to breakage.” – Dr Lynn Chiam, dermatologist, Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Medical Centre

[Drugstore] Best Anti-Hair Loss Treatment (tie): Nioxin System 6 Leave-In Scalp and Hair Treatment, $35.25

Credit: Nioxin

22/23

Why it won: Not only does the Nioxin System 6 Leave-In Scalp and Hair Treatment help reduce hair breakage and hair loss, it also gives thinning hair a boost of volume so hair looks fuller. But what we love most is how it also comes in various options for different coloured chemically treated hair too.

“Its light texture allowed the treatment to be massaged in easily. Over time, hair appeared strengthened, less prone to hair fall and looked fuller too.” – Dr Lynn Chiam, dermatologist, Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Medical Centre

Best Scalp Strengthening Treatment: Rene Furterer Tonucia Concentrated Youth Serum, $70.55

Credit: Rene Furterer

23/23

Why it won: It’s no secret that a healthy scalp means healthy hair. And to ensure that you scalp stays healthy, the Rene Furterer Tonucia Concentrated Youth Scalp is here to help. Using tamarind and lemon balm extracts together with a combination of B vitamins and wheat microproteins, it is able to protect and slow down collagen degradation in the scalp while rehydrating the hair fibre so locks look fuller and more lush.

“Very easy to apply – the serum while light was able to hold its form in a small blob that made it mess-free. There was no stinging sensation on the scalp too. And after a week of use, my hair felt great.” – Letty Seah, associate beauty editor