If there's one person that I can wholeheartedly trust, it's a hairstylist. And not just with my deepest darkest secrets (they're our unofficial therapists, right?) but for a dose of great hair advice. Whether it's recommending a new haircut to suit my face shape, trending hair colour or how I can get my loose curls to last for longer, they always have the answers. After all, hairdressers and hairstylists work with hair day in and day out. They work with multiple hair types and textures and know how to get the best out of our hair, even when it's not playing ball.
"In the salon we use one or more of just six styling products for 99% of our work," says hairstylist Michael Van Clarke. "That’s across our client base of about 6000 clients with a variety of hair types. It's how they are used matters," he says. This is a sentiment shared among many hairdressers, who will often have their tried and trusted products in their kitbags, whether on set or in the salon.
What are the benefits of styling products?
Styling products are designed to enhance the look, feel, and longevity of your hair, making them key players in achieving both everyday styles and more polished finishes. They can add volume to flat roots, define curls, smooth frizz, boost shine, and provide hold so your style lasts longer. Many formulas also help protect the hair from environmental stressors—thsuch as ink humidity, UV rays, or pollution, which can cause frizz, dryness, or dullness. Heat protectants, for example, shield hair from damage caused by styling tools, while creams and oils help replenish moisture and keep strands supple. Essentially, styling products work to bridge the gap between the hair you have naturally and the result you’re trying to achieve, helping your style stay in place and look fresher for longer.
How should you choose a styling product for your hair type or concern?
Start by identifying your hair’s natural tendencies—whether it’s fine, thick, curly, straight, oily, dry, or somewhere in between—as this will guide the texture and weight of the product you need. Fine or flat hair benefits from lightweight formulas like mousses, volumising sprays, and texturising mists that add lift without residue. Thick or coarse hair responds better to richer creams, balms, and oils that help smooth, soften, and control frizz. Curly or coily hair generally thrives with moisturising gels, or curl creams, that define shape and enhance bounce. If your scalp tends to get oily, focus on water-based or airy products, while dry hair types should reach for hydrating, replenishing options with nourishing ingredients.
Next, match the product to your main styling goal. If you want hold, look for gels or hairsprays with flexible or strong hold depending on the finish you prefer. For shine, serums and lightweight oils can transform dullness, while creams help add polish and tame flyaways. If heat styling is part of your routine, make heat protectant your first step to help minimise damage. Those dealing with frizz should prioritise smoothing or anti-humidity products, while anyone craving texture or movement will benefit from sea salt sprays or texture pastes. And if your hair has multiple needs—such as being both fine and frizzy—layering the right combination (like a hydrating cream on the mid-lengths and a lightweight volumiser at the roots) can give you the best of both worlds.
Whenever I'm in the salon chair, I'm a bit nosy and love to know exactly what my hairstylist is using on my hair. It is their expert knowledge of hairstyling products that give professional results. Blow-dries last longer (without falling flat), hair feels healthier and bouncy (dull hair? We don't know her) and nothing quite beats the feeling of walking out of the salon with shiny new hair and letting the compliments roll in.
But how can we ensure every day is a good hair day if we're not lucky enough to have our hair professionally done every day? The answer comes down to have a roster of the best hairstyling products in your arsenal. Hairstyling products will help you level-up your game and help keep bad hair days at bay. So, to find out what hairstyling products the pros recommend, I asked celebrity hairstylists (who are forever prepping hair for the red carpet and shoots) to the most booked and busy hair salons in the UK to share their best hairstyling products picks. I've spilt everything below.
The Best Hairstyling Products
- Best for soft, flexible hold: L'Oréal Professionnel Pli Shaper
- Best for taming flyaways: Larry King Hair Flyaway Kit
- Best for adding volume: Nioxin Instant Fullness Dry Shampoo
- Best for root lift: Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray
- Best for heat protection: Cantu Thermal Shield Heat Protectant
1. L'Oréal Professionnel Pli Shaper
I've been lucky enough to have my hair done by Jack Merrick-Thirlwall, creative director of Neville Salon, and he tends to the tresses of Kitty Spencer and Viscountess Emma Weymouth. I always leave his chair with the bounciest blow-dries which also have serious staying power, so I was curious to know what styling products might be behind it. "My go-to product has to be L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.ART Pli Shaper—it is a great prep spray to use before any styling," he says. "You can also layer this product up without it becoming heavy on the hair, and I love to combine it with different products depending on which style I want to achieve. Whether it be in the salon or backstage, this is a great styling necessity."
Pros
- Provides soft hold and volume
- Lightweight and non-sticky
Cons
- On damp or untreated hair, effect is limited
2. Larry King Hair Flyaway Kit
Celebrity hairstylist Larry King has tended to the hair of Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevigne and Pixie Lott and recommends his Flyaway Kit, which contains a taming cream ad double-ended brush to achieve many results. "To tame your flyaways, a smudge of A Social Life for Your Hair cream on the brush is all you need to smooth back those baby hairs around the hairline—which bad weather can aggravate," he says. "For the finer details, you can tidy up a sleek ponytail or bun for a super sleek, high-shine finish. You can also use either end of the brush to lay your edges."
Pros
- Polished finish
- Great for sleek up-dos
Cons
- Sometimes leaves white residue
3. Nioxin Instant Fullness Dry Shampoo
Jordanna Cobella, Wella craft expert, creative director of Cobella salon and author of The Mindful Hairdresser tends to the hair of London's cool girls and rates dry shampoo for achieving effortless hair—one of which is Nioxin's Instant Fullness Dry Shampoo. "It is essentially a dry shampoo which puffs up the hair, but it can also be used when you're brushing out waves to expand the width of your hair," she says. "It has a really nice fluffy finish which helps the curls stay separate from each other to give the hair volume and width."
Pros
- Instantly refreshes hair
- Gives hair a fuller, thicker appearance
Cons
- Frequent use can lead to product build-up
4. Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray
Cobella also rates Volupt Spray by Sebastian Professional, which helps to give fine hair oomph. "This is really good for holding a curl and is a great prep spray if you have the type of hair that doesn't hold a style," she says.
Pros
- Adds noticeable volume and lift especially at roots
- No heavy residue or greasiness
Cons
- Not super long-lasting
- Works best when paired with blow‑drying
5. Cantu Thermal Shield Heat Protectant
You'll find celebrity hairstylist Dionne Smith tending to the hair of celebrities such as Clara Amfo, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Sonequa Martin-Green. "I use this for any heat styling to protect the hair against any damage that may be caused by using heated tools," says Smith.
Pros
- Shields hair from heat damage
- Adds moisture
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Can feel greasy if over-applied
- Doesn't add hold
6. Gummy Styling Wax
Another hairstyling favourite of Smith's is Gummy Professional Styling Wax. "I love it for doing sleek hair-up styling and laying edges," she says. "It has great hold and keeps the hair in shape and moulded for hours."
Pros
- Provides strong hold and shape
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Can feel heavy on finer hair
- Can be difficult to wash out fully
7. Color Wow Extra Mist-Ical Shine Spray
I'm always keeping tabs on Chris Appleton's Instagram (AKA the hairstylist behind J.Lo and Kim Kardashian's hair) and he often mentions this product when he's creating high-shine looks. It gives hair a mirror-like sheen that instantly makes it look like you've just had an expensive blow-dry.
Pros
- Adds shine without greasiness
- Leaves hair soft and weightless
- Especially good for fine, colour‑treated or dull hair
Cons
- Works best after heat styling
8. Color Wow Raise The Root Thicken & Lift Spray
This is another of Color Wow's products that I see pop up on Appleton's Instagram profile time and time again. Simply spray at the roots and blow-dry into the hair for instant weightless lift and volume.
Pros
- Gives noticeable lift at roots
- Lightweight formula
Cons
- Volume sometimes doesn’t last all day if hair is heavy or fine
9. L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Constructor Thermo-Active Spray
Molly Marie Mcilhatton, stylist at Trevor Sorbie Manchester for L’Oréal Professionnel has one product that she uses on everyone. "I use the L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Constructor on every single guest in the salon," she says. "There isn’t anyone I wouldn’t use it on. To use it, I apply it to dry or wet hair before a heat styling tool like a soft curl tong to produce gorgeous waves or curls. The most important time I use it is once I blow dry; I spray this evenly from a distance to put a veil over the hair before waving, it really makes those waves last," she says. "You can’t even notice that it’s on the hair but it gives a beautiful effect plus thermal protection from the heat."
Pros
- Offers heat protection while also adding texture and volume
- Good for those who want flexible styling control
Cons
- May not suffice if you want strong hold or dramatic structure
10. Virtue Flourish Volumizing Styler
Celebrity hairstylist Lona Vigi (who does Reese Whetherspoon's hair) rates Virtue's volumising mousse to get weightless volume with movement. "If you have hair that's prone to flyaways, this tames the flyaways and new growth but still leaves hair soft. You can run your fingers through it, too," she says. "Use a golf ball size portion and apply to the scalp. Massage in all over and don’t miss a single root. Then, work your way to the ends. It’s like magic, and not only gives you lift, but it also makes the style and texture last for a really long time.”
Pros
- Contains proteins to support hair strength and growth
- Leaves hair with bounce and movement rather than stiffness
Cons
- Expensive price point
11. Unite Hair 7seconds Detangler
"My hairdresser Melissa Timperley got me hooked on this miracle-working spray years ago and I've used it ever since," says contributing beauty editor Grace Day. "It's a 2-in-1 detangling spray and heat protectant and it smells amazing."
Pros
- Great for instantly detangling hair
- Provides thermal and UV protection
- Leaves hair soft, smoother, and more manageable
Cons
- You’ll still need a separate product for shaping or hold
12. 3 More Inches Lifesaver UV Leave-In Styling Treatment
Hairstylist Michael Van Clarke swears by 3 More Inches Lifesaver UV Leave-In Styling Treatment. "Pile this onto dry, frizzy hair and 15 minutes later you can enjoy soft beachy waves. The results astonish people" he says, advising to use a little on wet hair before styling to eliminate frizz, give body, and make your style last for longer. "This product was discovered last year by the Dyson Airwrap Fan Group on Facebook and it dominated the site chat to such an extent they created a separate Facebook fan page just for our products. It has nearly 5000 followers now," he says.
Pros
- Adds UV and heat protection
- Good for helping maintain softness, manageability, and combating dryness
Cons
- Won’t provide strong hold, volume or structure by itself
How We Tested
To compile this edit, we combined hands-on testing with expert recommendations from celebrity hairstylists and salon professionals. We tried a wide range of styling products across different hair types, lengths, and textures to see how each one performed. We assessed how well they delivered on claims like hold, shine, frizz control, volume, and curl definition, as well as how they felt in the hair. Versatility, ease of use, and value for money were also considered, ensuring only the top-performing formulas made the final list.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products, including skincare, makeup, hair and nails, over the years and work closely with trusted experts—dermatologists, make-up artists and leading industry insiders—to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.
