Marie Claire UK Awards 2021: Wash & Care Winners

The cornerstone to your hair routine

You use them all the time, sometimes everyday, so you really want to make sure that you can rely on your wash and care products to do what they promise.

Healthy hair starts from the scalp and then as it grows out, cleansing and nourishing is key. Here are the best wash & care products according to our judges...

Best Shampoo For Damaged Hair

Winner: Nexxus Keraphix Damage Healing Shampoo, £4.99

True healing comes from within and this shampoo does exactly that. Rich in proteins - keratin, elastin and collagen - and black rice extract (known for improving hair strength) it cleans, then flushes the hair shaft with goodness, meaning it targets so much more than cosmetic damage.

Runner up: Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Shampoo, £50

Best Conditioner For Damaged Hair

Winner: Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Conditioner, £28

This range has been six years in the making, so you know that it's got the goods to back it up. Showing us that the power of nature can excel against synthetic formulas, this conditioner works on three levels - repairing the core, smoothing the cuticle to prevent breakage and creating a fatty layer around the shaft to protect from future damage.

Runner up: Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Conditioner, £52

Best Hair Mask For Damage Repair

Winner: The Hair Lab by Mark Hill Hydrating Treatment, £10.99

Picture this: you step into the shower with dry, straw-like hair that's as far from smooth as it'll ever be. You then pop this super concentrated mask on whilst you shave your legs, and then 15 minutes later you step out with hair so soft, so silky that you lose days from all the stroking.

Best Hydrating Shampoo

Winner: Fable & Mane HoliRoots Shampoo, £26

Fable & Mane is taking us back to where shampoo originated. This formula is inspired by the Indian tradition of hair oiling, which is what makes it so deeply hydrating. However, that's not all it does, it also creates the shiniest of manes and nourishes and soothes the scalp.

Runner up: SheWolf Hydrating Shampoo, £12.50

Best Hydrating Conditioner

Winner: ecooking Repair Shampoo, £19

When you have dry hair, it doesn't look or feel luxurious. You crave smooth, manageable hair that's soft to the touch. If it smells good too, then that the trifactor. Ecooking's rich and nourishing conditioner is all of those things. And yes, it smells really lovely too.

Runner up: Maui Moisture Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Conditioner, £8.99

Best Nourishing Hair Mask

Winner: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Deep-Conditioning Treatment, £34

There's a reason why this is a cult product - it's been around for years and continues to impress as time goes on, proving that sometimes the original classics are the best. It works wonders as a weekly deep-conditioning treatment to transform lifeless, dry and brittle hair. Originally created for Audrey Hepburn, it now looks after every single hair type (including natural and textured).

Best Shampoo For Natural/Textured Hair

Winner: Cantu Beauty Avocado Hydrating Shampoo, £6.99

We all know that natural curls are thirty girls, so the ideal shampoo needs to be a moisture hit in a bottle. Thankfully, all curls, coils and waves will be delighted with this avocado oil-based offering. High in fatty acids and vitamins A, B, C and D it acts like a really brilliant moisturiser for textured hair.

Runner up: The Afro Hair & Skin Co Nurture Gentle Cleansing Shampoo Bar, £11.95

Best Conditioner For Natural/Textured Hair

Winner: Cantu Beauty Avocado Hydrating Conditioner, £6.99

There's little surprise that the above shampoo's partner has also taken the award for best conditioner for natural/textured hair. Containing the same formula make-up, it strengthens the hair, protects it from damage, feeds the hair with vital nutrients and prevents future dryness and brittleness.

Runner up: The Curl Company Sulphate-Free Conditioner, £5.99

Best Shampoo For Curly Hair

Winner: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo, £10.99

All curls want is to feel hydrated and soft. This shampoo ensures that they get what they want. It's sulphate free, so cleanses hair more gently and without stripping out any of the natural moisture. It's made from nourishing silk protein, coconut and Neem oils, which further hydrate and repair.

Runner up: Schwarzkopf Professional Mad About Curls High Foam Cleanser, £11.99

Best Conditioner For Curly Hair

Winner: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner, £10.99

When this conditioner is used in conjunction with its shampoo partner, curls appear more defined, they feel softer to the touch and boy do they shine. Despite the formula being heavy on oils, the texture couldn't be further from it.

Runner up: AZURE by PlanetFriendlyBeauty Smooth & Curl Miracle Conditioner, £14.99

Best Shampoo For Coloured Hair

Winner: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, £21.11

Colour damages your hair. That's not news to anyone, but what might come as a surprise to some of you is that using this shampoo makes it look and feel like you've never had your hair coloured before. It's so thick and so nourishing, that one of our judges remarked on how little conditioner was needed after.

Best Shampoo For Blonde Hair

Winner: Kérastase Blond Bain Ultra-Violet, £23.50

We all know how transformative a purple shampoo can be - it removes the buttery brassiness from blonde tresses. But the toning qualities to these formulas can also be incredibly drying (not ideal if you've used bleach to achieve your look). Enter Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet. Its formula contains Hyaluronic Acid and Edelweiss Flower, which alongside the ultraviolet neutraliser, add moisture to nourish the cuticle and protects the lengths from damage.

Best Conditioner For Coloured Hair

Winner: Christophe Robin Color Shield Mask, £37

An absolute must for colour-addicts. It helps to combat damage, but also preserves the colour's intensity. Whilst it can be used as a deep conditioning mask if left on for longer, it works just as well as a quick post-shampoo conditioner to fight brittle strands and seal the cuticle.

Runner up: Revlon Professional Nutri Color Creme

Best Hair Mask For Coloured Hair

Winner: The Hair Boss The Double Hair Mask, £19.99

Unlike other masks, this is a two-phase product. The first part is a protein-rich bond restorer that deals with damage caused by colouring, which is followed by the sealing moisture mask that adds softness and shine. Weave it into your #Selfcaresunday regimen.

Best Smoothing Shampoo

Winner: Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo, £22

This nourishing shampoo contains clever plant-based micro-capsules that find the damaged parts of your hair (eg. split ends) and ionically bond to them. They essentially coat the strands in repairing goodness. Hair is left noticeably smoother and tangle free after just one use.

Best Smoothing Conditioner

Winner: Hask Keratin Protein Smoothing Deep Conditioner, £3

It's the Keratin protein in this mask that makes it such a wonderfully effective product. That vital ingredient replenishes and protects your hair's natural keratin, to smooth and soften and reduce frizz. We just wish it came in a big pot.

Best Hair Mask For Smoothing Frizz

Winner: Function of Beauty Custom Hair Mask, £19

Function of Beauty allows customers to take things into their own hands and create products that are suited to their individual needs. Their hair masks are designed for quick in-the-shower application, so there's no waiting around for it to do its magic. The base formula for all of the masks contains Jojoba Ester Oil, which conditions the hair to help reduce hair breakage and frizz while also protecting against heat damage.

Best Volumising Shampoo

Winner: Rahua Voluminous Shampoo, £36

When you have flat, lifeless hair you crave an injection of volume. The organic lemongrass extract inside this shampoo gives hair the added body that it so desperately needs by gently removing excess oils from the scalp and hair shaft. Hair isn't weighed down, it's full of life.

Runner up: Living Proof Full Shampoo, £23

Best Volumising Conditioner

Winner: Living Proof Full Conditioner, £23

The worst thing for flat hair is a rich and conditioning product that weighs it down. Living Proof's Full Conditioner is the exact opposite - it's really hydrating, yet lightweight and adds softness and shine. It helps fine, flat hair to look, feel and behave like naturally full, thick hair.

Best Natural Formula Shampoo:

Winner: weDo Professional No Plastic Shampoo, £14.95

Shampoo bars might take a little getting used to after years of using the typical liquid type, but they are set to be a beauty cupboard staple. WeDo's bar contains 95% natural, ingredients, no silicone, sulphates or artificial dyes. Plus it lasts for up to 80 washes and utilises less water and no plastic.

Runner up: Innersense Hydrating Cream Hairbath, £26

Best Natural Formula Conditioner

Winner: Innersense Hydrating Cream Conditioner, £28

Aloe Vera, Monoi oil, shea butter, flax seed, coconut and Tamanu oil combined together in this formula make for an incredibly hard working product. This conditioner heals hair, by tackling dryness, dull colour and brittleness, whilst also defrizzing and boosting shine.

Runner up: Wild Science Leaf + Seed Lab Head Way Scalp Recovery Conditioner, £26

Best Natural Formula Hair Mask

Winner: Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Mask, £28

Hair is a little bit like our skin, it goes through peaks and troughs. Some days it's manageable and strong, some days it's dry, brittle and in need of nourishment. This mask is for those latter days. Maybe just after you've visited the colourist? Maybe during Winter when hair is blasted by cold air and then warm central heating? Whatever it needs, this will repair stressed hair.

Best Natural Formula Scalp Treatment

Winner: The Body Shop Ginger Scalp Serum, £15

The key to tackling dandruff is to realign the way you see your scalp. Think of it as an extension of the skin on your face. If your skin were dry and flaky, you would treat is with nourishing, skin caring ingredients. The Body Shop's Ginger Scalp Serum is packed full of these such ingredients - ginger essential oil, White Willow Bark, Birch Bark and vitamin C - all from Mother Nature's back garden.

Best Scalp Health Treatment

Winner: Monpure London Hydrate And Soothe Scalp Serum, £96

As one judge noted, 'This is like skincare for your hair.' Which is exactly what the people behind Monpure London set out to create. They realise that healthy hair begins at the scalp, so they concocted this scalp serum using skincare ingredients such as retinol and lactic acid to subdue any redness, soreness and general discomfort. It dries well too, so doesn't leave hair looking greasy. It also adds a bit of texture, which helps create the illusion of fullness.

Best Detoxifying Scalp Treatment

Winner: Oribe Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub, £46.50

This is very much like your regular weekly exfoliator, it helps get rid of dead skin cells, oil, dirt and product buildup. A blend of AHAs and fruit enzymes leaves your scalp clean and purified.

Best Hair Supplement

Winner: Viviscal Hair Health Programme, £29.99

The people behind Viviscal have spent the past 25 years investing in researching and development to make this the best hair supplement brand on the market. And those efforts have paid off - clinical trials have revealed women see a notable reduction in hair loss and an increase in the thickness of regrowth with continued use.