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Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.
Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:- Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
- Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
- Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?
- Best hair mask: JUSU Honey Shea Hair Treatment
- Best leave-in hair conditioner: Coastal Creations Safe Harbor Leave-In Conditioner
- Best hair oil: artNaturals Avocado Oil
- Best hair elixir: SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir
- Best shampoo: Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner Duo
You might already know a few things that can damage your hair:
- styling with a blow dryer or hair straightener
- coloring
- relaxing, perming, or chemical straightening
But unwanted breakage and split ends can also happen for a number of other reasons — including things you do on a regular basis, like:
- brushing wet hair
- shampooing the length of your hair
- using hair products that advertise a long lasting hold
- spending a long time in the sun
- swimming frequently in a pool without a swim cap
Here’s the good news: You can do a lot to improve your hair health at home. The hair care market boasts plenty of products that help repair and prevent dried and damaged hair.
In fact, you might find yourself with so many options to choose from that you don’t know where to start, but we’re here to help.
Below, you’ll find our top five picks for fried hair fixes. We also included some guidance on shopping for products designed to kick damage and breakage to the curb.
To narrow down the best fried hair fixes, we considered a range of factors, including:
- Product ingredients. Does the product contain ingredients known to help treat damaged hair?
- Customer reviews. Do reviewers mostly like the product and find it helpful?
- Price. We tried to include products with a range of price points.
We also took ratings from Environmental Working Group (EWG) into account. This nonprofit organization launched the cosmetics database Skin Deep in 2004 to review and rate cosmetics and other personal care products.
They use 3 categories to rate products:
- 0-2: low hazard risk
- 3-6: moderate hazard risk
- 7-10: high hazard risk
Pricing guide
- $ = under $15
- $$ = $15–$30
- $$$ = over $30
Best hair mask
JUSU Honey Shea Hair Treatment
- Price: $$$
- Pros: low hazard score, deeply conditions dry and fried hair
- Cons: high price tag
Hair masks deeply condition and hydrate dry and frazzled locks.
This particular hair mask features shea butter, which may help prevent hair breakage. It also contains honey, a common ingredient in hair masks. Honey’s composition of protein, amino acids, and minerals — and its effectiveness as a humectant — make it great for damaged strands.
This hair mask also earns good marks from the EWG. Most of its ingredients score 2 or below, giving it an overall low hazard risk.
This product only has a few reviews, but Amazon reviewers give it 3.8 out of 5 stars. According to one reviewer, it does an excellent job moisturizing thick, dry, wavy hair.
Best leave-in hair conditioner
Coastal Classic Creations Safe Harbor Leave-In Hair Conditioner
- Price: $$
- Pros: vegan, organic, and gluten-free
- Cons: small product size (1 ounce)
Leave-in conditioner products can also do a lot of good for fried hair. These conditioners, which you primarily use on the hair shaft and ends, seal in any hydrating benefits provided by your regular conditioner or deep-conditioning products.
This leave-in conditioner from Coastal Classic Creations features just five ingredients, all of which are certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). One of these ingredients, coconut oil, is known to have benefits for hair health.
In fact,
This leave-in conditioner gets plenty of praise from reviewers. They say a little goes a long way for taming frizz and flyaways and detangling hair. Reviewers also find it helpful for reviving dry, dyed, or heat-styled hair.
As an added bonus, it has an EWG score of 1, making it a win-win for your hair and your health.
Best hair oil
artNaturals Avocado Oil
- Price: $$
- Pros: may help soften and hydrate hair, can also be used on skin and nails
- Cons: may leave hair oily and discolor skin
Hair oil can also pump some moisture back into fragile and damaged ends.
Many hair oils feature argan or coconut oil, but avocado oil offers another option to consider. For one, it can
This hair oil from artNaturals contains only cold-pressed organic avocado oil, and it has an EWG score of 1.
Overall, this product gets great reviews. Multiple people say it leaves their hair shiny and hydrated, though a few reviewers note that it feels very oily and thick.
You don’t have to reserve this oil for your hair, either — it can also help moisturize skin and nails. Just keep in mind that a few reviewers say it temporarily turned their hands green.
Best hair elixir
SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir
- Price: $
- Pros: inexpensive, helps hydrate hair
- Cons: contains an unspecified essential oil, may leave hair greasy
You can think of hair elixirs as a type of serum for your hair. These products typically contain antioxidants and botanicals that may help soothe and strengthen fried hair.
Some hair elixirs, like this SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir, also contain deeply hydrating ingredients like shea butter, which can come in extra handy if you’re experiencing severe dryness.
Research from 2014 suggested shea butter can have positive effects on both your hair and scalp. Fractionated shea butter in particular appeared to help boost moisture in hair, skin, and scalp.
To date, limited evidence supports the potential benefits of shea butter for hair health. That said, miracle fruit seed oil (Synsepalum dulicficum), a native West African fruit, produces an oil that has a high fatty acid content. This oil has
While most of this hair elixir’s ingredients earn an EWG score of 2, this hair elixir has an overall score of 4, due to its unspecified essential oil blend and the ingredient tocopheryl acetate, a form of vitamin E.
This product has an Amazon rating of 4.6 stars. Reviewers say it provides softness and shine, gives their hair a healthier feel and appearance, and helps control frizz. A few people say it leaves their hair feeling heavy and greasy, so you may want to start with a very small amount.
Best shampoo
Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner Duo
- Price: $$
- Pros: EWG verified, ingredients great for hair growth
- Cons: shampoo doesn’t lather well, scent could be too weak or strong for your preferences
The shampoo and conditioner in this duo are both EWG verified, meaning they fully meet the organization’s health and safety standards. Essentially, they have a score of 0 for “lowest risk.”
These products are formulated with several ingredients that may boost hair health, including aloe and lavender essential oil.
People have used aloe vera extract in herbal medicine for centuries, but it can do a lot more than help heal sunburns. It may also help condition and soothe damaged, dry hair. Some people also say aloe vera can help promote hair growth, but research has yet to find support for this potential benefit.
Lavender essential oil may also help promote hair growth and scalp health, as
According to a
Plus, lavender essential oil adds a pleasant scent — one that might help promote relaxation.
This product currently has a 4-star rating on Amazon. Many reviewers love its scent and say it leaves their hair soft and shiny. Others say the scent is too light or too strong.
One common complaint about this product: It doesn’t lather well. You might need to use more product or get used to lathering up without, well, lather.
Got more questions about fried hair? Check out the answers to commonly asked questions below.
Can you fix fried hair overnight?
You usually can’t fully fix fried hair overnight.
Depending on how damaged your hair is, your best bet may involve trimming away the damage and split ends and waiting for it to grow back.
Still, you can help your hair’s appearance by using moisturizing products and avoiding further damage.
What causes fried hair?
Fried hair can happened when you:
- use high heat to style your hair
- use heated tools or brushes on damp hair
- swim in chlorinated water
- frequently apply hair dye and other harsh chemicals to hair
What does fried hair look like?
Fried hair usually has very little moisture in it, so it appears dry. It may appear frizzy and dull, and the ends may break if you tug on them.
You also might notice:
- unevenness
- roughness
- plenty of split ends
The thousands of hair care products saturating the market can make it tough to choose the right option for your overprocessed, damaged, or dry hair.
As a general rule, opt for products that contain moisturizing ingredients. Argan oil, shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, and honey can all help keep your hair feeling soft and smooth.
Just remember: The best product in the world may not fully heal your damaged hair. Sometimes, your best option involves trimming away the damage and starting fresh.