The Best Men’s Hair Care Products of 2023
Caring for your hair doesn’t have to take a million steps, and we also don’t have to settle for a rogue 2-in-1 drugstore pick. A great shampoo and conditioner will take you most of the way there, and the picks on this list are for men of all hair types. Foggy mirrors and a great-smelling shower are likely to follow each use.
Davines Naturaltech Energizing Shampoo
A great shampoo cleans the scalp without frying the hair. That’s about it. Davines’ roster of shampoos, however, has something for every hair type and need, like smoothing thick hairs or hydrating curls. The Naturaltech Energizing Shampoo is our pick for the best shampoo of the year because it targets thinning hair. Caffeine boosts circulation in the scalp and fortifies follicles with improved nutrient delivery and absorption. After years of testing hundreds of shampoo formulations, SPY’s grooming editors found that Davines yields the strongest hair growth while giving hair a healthy sheen.
Blind Barber’s Lemongrass Tea Shampoo
Blind Barber’s Lemongrass Tea shampoo is formulated with a fragrance so gratifying, it would make a fantastic aperitif (may mix in a bit of tonic?). That’s why it stands out. Pure and simple. That said, it’s also a good generalist product that strengthens all hair types and smoothes textures without weighing them down. The stylish matte bottle also looks super chic on any countertop. It’s a nice touch.
Blind Barber Lemongrass Tea Conditioner
Most conditioners coat the hair in moisture, but there are very few that do so on a variety of hair types without causing excess grease or weighing hair down. Blind Barber strikes that balance, which is why it’s superior. It helps exfoliate dead skin cells with rooibos tea and pumps minerals like zinc, potassium, and calcium into the follicles. Coconut oil conditions each strand and leaves hair with a healthy shine, sans any frizz or split ends. Hops extract tones the scalp and prevents dandruff from forming and to top it off, Blind Barber’s soothing signature aroma — lemongrass tea — isn’t noxious when it inevitably fills the shower.
Sachajuan Leave-In Conditioner
Many leave-in conditioners are formulated to give thick and curly hair a ton of moisture. Sachajuan’s leave-in is moisturizing but also works for folks with fine hair who can’t handle a coat of oil post-shower. Their serum nourishes strands and won’t weigh down folks with lighter hair that’s thinning. It’s also a fantastic detangler after a shower, as the oil-free formula contains Sachajuan’s signature Ocean Silk Technology. The ingredients set it over the edge in our book, as it contains two types of algae that improve elasticity in the scalp and strands, and create a healthy, natural shine across the top.
Imperial Barber Gel Pomade
Many gels these days aren’t as focused on being the highest hold or highest shine in the game, even if that’s what the category always asked for. Imperial’s hybrid gel pomade is different. It’s not only carrying the product category on its back but honoring both branches of its family tree. It’s flake-free and an extremely versatile grooming product, a major plus in our book. Use it as a hold or shine enhancer by mixing with other styling products, to tame just the sides, or to build body and volume up top that won’t deflate halfway through the day. Running wet hands through the hair midday can give it a reenergizing boost, and its water base means it rinses clean in the shower with minimal build-up.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Dair Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
There are no showerless “great hair days” without dry shampoo, and Living Proof makes one of the best products for minimizing oil build-up between washes. While the majority of these powder-based products target just the scalp — and leave a residue in their wake — this one can be applied more uniformly throughout the hair. Spray it in greasy, dry hair and wait 30 seconds then give it a quick tousle and comb through to remove any excess powder. The result is visibly cleaner hair that looks like it was washed that morning. Better yet, Living Proof’s spray doesn’t build up at the roots, meaning there’s less risk of microbial proliferation and scalp suffocation throughout the day.
Briogeo Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment Drops
Briogeo is king when it comes to scalp care, and this treatment drops rank among their best sellers. By combining the detoxifying and purifying powers of charcoal with the antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial bennies of tea tree oil, this serum leaves the scalp clean, balanced, and void of any itching or flaking. It even packs in witch hazel to tone oil levels, in turn reducing buildup on strands and any lingering hospitality for fungus. Our editors like to drop in 2-4 drops on a clean, dry scalp before bed for minimized scalp irritation come morning.