Why Is Every Brand Coming Out With a Hair Serum and Which One Should I Be Using?

Haircare is evolving.

It's not just shampoos and conditioners anymore, for a while we've had masks, leave-ins, treatments and now we even have scalp serums.

So what's the deal? Do we actually need scalp treatments? Is there a point to serums for our hair? I sat down with our resident hairdresser Emma to chat about this exact topic:

Regardless of whether you watch the above video, let me break it down in a really digestible way for you.

There's a hundred different hair types and concerns out there.

Your hair could be oily, dry, flaky, thinning, damaged, frizzy, dull ... the list goes on.

So with that comes haircare that wants to solve these concerns for you.

As Emma puts it in the above video, a shampoo doesn't stay on the scalp long enough and conditioners are commonly only used on mid-lengths and ends - so there is a gap in our routines where we aren't giving our scalp what it needs.

And brands are noticing. In the words of Bigweld from 2005's Robots (too niche?) "see a need, fill a need".

Suddenly every brand is coming out with hair and scalp serums.

And I personally see this as a good thing since it means you have lots of formulas and brands to choose from, the only challenge being which one to choose. (I'll get into that in a moment.)

It's also worth mentioning that hair serums aren't actually a new thing, the unsung hero of overnight treatments is of course the Kerastase Nutritive 8HR Magic Night Hair Serum 90ml that's been well loved by AB staff for many years.

It just so happens that hair and scalp serums are becoming more popular at the moment.

If you have one of the aforementioned concerns and you want to treat it, then you can absolutely benefit from a hair serum.

If you're one of the lucky people out there with a luscious head of unproblematic locks and no hair concerns, then no, you probably don't need a hair serum.

However, Emma explains that everyone can still benefit from a scalp serum if we think of it as "fertiliser for the scalp".

It will help your scalp be in the best environment for your hair to grow healthily, if you wish to use one.

So the decision is purely up to you.

Now let's get into which product to use for which concern.

The challenge with fine hair is finding formulas that aren't too heavy, so here's some that are specifically made for our hair type.

And I have to hit you with the hard truth: no hair product is magic. Your hair won't grow overnight and any influencer that tells you so, I would question.

What a serum CAN do for you is stimulate circulation around the follicle, provide an ideal environment for growth or strengthen the hair to help it stay attached to your head - IF you use it consistently.

ColorWOW has recently launched a very aesthetically pleasing serum called ColorWow Youth Juice 50ml that Emma and I both tried. It claims to "reduce shedding by up to 90%* in 28 days", which I can't attest to since I only personally used it one time, but that does sound promising!

Davines is a really cool, sustainable Italian brand that tackles a lot of different hair concerns, including thinning hair with their Davines NATURALTECH Energising Superactive Serum for Thinning Hair. I have heard from one of my team members that their Davines NATURAL TECH Energising Thickening Tonic 100ml gives a wonderful peppermint-y, tingly sensation while supporting hair growth.

And Kerastase Genesis is one of my favourite ranges for fine hair as it's very light so I'd reccommend the whole range, inclusing their Kerastase Genesis Fortifying Anti Hairfall Serum 90ml.

If your hair is dry or frizzy, let's hydrate that scalp!

When it comes to the best hair serum for damaged and frizzy hair, once again we have a Kerastase fave, the Kerastase Nutritive Nutri-supplement Scalp Serum 90ml which has Abyssinian oil, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E for shine, hydration and antioxidant care.

If you're looking for something affordable, try the ELEVEN Australia Smooth & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum - 60ml which will smooth, protect and moisturise your hair.

And if your hair is super parched, you might also want to consider a hair oil.

I'm going to be bold and recommend if you have an overly oily scalp, before you get to the serums, try an exfoliant.

My favourite of all time is the Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt 250ml which foams up beautifully with water and leaves my hair the cleanest it's ever been!

You could also try something like Davroe Scalp Remedy Spa Exfoliating Scrub 150ml or KEVIN.MURPHY Scalp Spa Scrub 180ml which are both wonderful Australian made brands.

Then, if you still want to try a serum, go for something balancing like Biolage Scalp Sync Oil Balancing Serum 50ml focused on scalp health and oil control, or Kerastase Specifique Potentialiste Balacing Scalp Serum 90mL that helps strengthen the skin barrier, balances oil and soothes discomfort.

If you find you get irritated skin when the seasons change or itchy flaking every now and again, I have some recs for you. (This is also a good category if you don't have a really clear hair concern but you just want healthy hair and a calm scalp.)

Our friends over at Nak created another brand called Roh, which is entirely focused around scalp care. They of course have a specific serum (NAK Hair ROH Scalp Renew Serum 50ml) focused on renewing your microbiome and providing nutrients, but you could pick and choose any product from their range and your scalp will be changed for the better.

Nioxin is a brand purely focused on hair growth, and also happens to have a serum made to soothe and hydrate the scalp (Nioxin Scalp Recovery Scalp Soothing Serum - Itchy, Dry, Flaky Scalp Treatment, 100ml). If you're experiencing itchiness or flaking, give this one a try.

Davines also has a calming serum packed with nutrients for rejuvenation - Davines NATURAL TECH Calming Scalp Relief Superactive Serum 100ml

But if you have proper dandruff, you might want to check out our dandruff hair product review here.

If you're out here bleaching your scalp every month then you might need some extra TLC.

Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate is a range designed to repair the broken bonds in the hair, featuring the Redken Acidic Bonding 24/7 Night & Day Serumand is much loved by many of our Adore Beauty team members.

Virtue is also an incredible, high-tech haircare range in general. TheirVIRTUE Damage Reverse Serum is formulated with a high concentration of their patented keratin formula to repair hair from the inside out.

If you have a bit more time on your hands (and more funds in the bank) we highly recommend a hair treatment like Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Pre-Shampoo Strengthening and Reparative Hair Treatment that you apply before showering or K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask 15ml that you apply after showering.

These are both so iconic for repairing damage, although the scalp is less of a focus with these products.

There you have it, the best scalp serum for your hair type!