SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER DUO - MOISTURISING

Dry hair looks dull. It can feel almost ‘crispy’. It probably frizzes more easily. And it’s incredibly common, because dry hair isn't just a post-holiday problem. It's a central-heating-related problem, a stress-related problem, a colouring-your-hair-related problem... In other words, dryness seems to have become a year-round challenge for so many people (most definitely the Beauty Bible team included!). 

So: 'moisture-replenishing' haircare has become an important haircare category, in response to all that – and our testers have identified some brilliant winners. We reckon you’ll almost hear your hair slurping up all the moisture, from these…

GOLD AWARD Molton Brown Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner with Chamomile

Molton Brown began life as a super-cool and groovy hair salon on South Molton Street, but their haircare reputation was somewhat eclipsed over the years as they became known and loved for fragrances. This Gold Award-winning duo taps into both areas of Molton Brown expertise, fragrantly enriched with chamomile grown in London’s underground tunnels (yes, really), and Technically, Molton Brown recommend this for ‘normal’ hairtypes, but this tester had specified they had dry hair – so: definitely ace for that, too. We like that (travel-friendly) 100ml sizes are available, so you can try before buying the 300ml size – and we like that Molton Brown’s apothecary-style plastic bottles are made of at least 50% recycled plastic.

Shampoo/£20 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£22 for 300ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Didn’t think I was a chamomile fan but the scent was so relaxing and natural (not overly synthetic or fake or strong), it made my whole shower experience so enjoyable’ • ‘I have never been so impressed with a shampoo and conditioner as I was with this. I still cannot get over how wonderful my hair felt and looked after use, even with a small amount of conditioner. The conditioner ran out before the shampoo and I have not had the same effect using the shampoo and a different conditioner brand, so I definitely think they are most effective as a duo – I was completely gutted when they ran out to be honest!!’ • ‘I used less shampoo and conditioner than normal,  but still had great results. Easy to comb through hair, which was left nicely moisturised and with a high gloss shine – it looked healthier with more bounce • ‘My hair was more manageable after use with less dry frizzy bits. My family all noticed the healthy shine, it seemed to bring out the redness in my hair • ‘I didn’t know that Molton Brown had hair products and I can honestly say that I am really impressed. The scent is gorgeous and its one of the best shampoo and conditioner combos I've ever used. The conditioner is a little thinner than expected but still does a great job of detangling my thick curly hair • ‘My partner nicked some and he said - 'I only want to use this from now on. A joy to use – a 5* hotel feeling at home!’

Shampoo/£20 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£22 for 300ml – click to buy

SILVER AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL  Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Shampoo and Conditioner

We welcome this duo back yet again – the wonderfully affordable ‘designer’ haircare brand has previously won several Beauty Bible Awards for this duo. Some particularly nourishing botanicals feature in the (high-tech) formulations, including argan, Abyssinian, coconut, macadamia and Tsubaki oils (even we had to Google that last one: it's tea seed oil, FYI). With its orange-y scent, the duo promises that hair will be left feeling 'five times softer, three times smoother and silkier than ever before' – so it's over to our testers, who really rather agreed…

Shampoo/£8.99 for 250ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£8.99 for 250ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Within the first three to eight washes, I had comments from seven different colleagues about how shiny my hair was/is’ • ‘Fragrance is lovely and subtle, fresh and uplifting and does not interfere with other fragrance you wear’ • ‘I have always been a bit dubious of celeb hairdressers lending their name to shampoos and conditioners, but I have to say this product has turned my head. A real difference in the condition of my hair. On the day of first use I was on holiday and without my usual styling product. So: I used this and was amazed at how well my hair took shape and how good and frizz-free it looked, without the need for styling product’ • ‘Loved the design of packaging, in that without my glasses in the shower I could tell the shampoo from the conditioner!’ • ‘My hair personally responded better and better with each use.  I love the fresh, clean, citrus scent and feel; the shampoo was easy to lather, while conditioner was easy to rinse off.  I could still smell the scent on my hair hours later which was lovely’ • ‘My hair felt nourished clean and bouncy it looked super shiny and much healthier even after first use; definitely a moisturising effect’ • ‘My hair was less frizzy and this continued until my next hair wash; it also had great shine’ • ‘The longer I left the conditioner on my, hair the better results – on occasion I left it on for up to an hour, but my hair was still softer and improved even when I needed to rinse it immediately’ • ‘Ideal for people with dry hair, delivering a lovely soft feel – all in all, an amazing-smelling product that really does help with moisture and styling for hair.’

Shampoo/£8.99 for 250ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£8.99 for 250ml – click to buy

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD FFØR Re:Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner

Might sound Scandi, but FFØR is actually a made-in-the-UK brand whose name stands for ‘Free From/Original/Real’, offering products that are 100% vegan, PETA-certified cruelty-free and In fully recyclable bottles, jars and tubes that are made from PCR materials, derived from drinks bottles and opaque milk bottles. FFØR’s range is extensive, but this particular duo is infused with organic orange and cinnamon; it’s not 100% natural, but is free from sulphates, parabens – and is what we consider to be the most natural of our winners, in this category, so we’ve identified them as such. As with Molton Brown, 100ml sizes are available – good for travel, but also for checking out the products, if our testers’ comments aren’t enough to convince you to go straight for the bigger bottle!

Shampoo/£18 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£19 for 300ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘I suffer from long term damage to my hair from colouring over 40 years and my hair is frizzy – particularly in the damp, almost to the point of being unmanageable. With this duo, I noticed a difference straightaway. The amazing thing was how soft my hair felt, from the very first hair wash – manageable too’ • ‘Not a brand I'd heard of, so I had no preconceptions. I practically swooned when I sniffed the bottles – what a gorgeous smell; it reminded me of Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte perfume, which is one of my favourites and so very much to my taste’ • ‘I enjoyed using the products; they were effective and I liked that I could smell the product on my hair when I had a swish’ • ‘A shampoo/conditioner combination that's renourishing your hair – it smells amazing, with its gorgeous, sexy, orange-y fragrance’ • ‘The duo really did have a moisturising effect; my hair felt good after towel-drying rather than having some dry, frizzy patches, as I sometimes experience. I didn't develop any of my usual dryness at all whilst using these products, actually’ • ‘This product has literally transformed my greying hair. I have gone from being very unsure of my colour after growing it all out over lockdown, to being so proud of it! My hairdresser said women are paying hundreds of pounds every year to see the different hues and shades that are shining out from my now-beautiful, sleek head of hair.’

Shampoo/£18 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£19 for 300ml – click to buy