The Most Popular Types of Hair Product in 2020 – and What They Actually Are

Remember the days when applying makeup was as simple as foundation and mascara, and haircare didn’t get more complex than shampoo and conditioner? Well, as you’ve probably realised, the world has changed a lot since then. If you’ve managed to keep up with it, give yourself a medal. But most ordinary people won’t know everything there is to know about the plethora of haircare products available on the market today.

For this reason, we thought we’d go into the different types of haircare available, and what they actually mean. Let’s get straight into it.

1.       Serum

Originally, serum was used when styling your hair, and was mostly good for protecting hair against humidity and keeping it in shape – a bit like a hairspray. But nowadays, you can find serums for all different purposes, especially growth serums, which, as the name suggests, are supposed to target hair growth. You can usually tell a serum apart from another product because of its texture. Serums have a fairly thick consistency, but don’t tend to be as thick as shampoo or conditioner.

2.       Mousse

Mousse is another one that has been around for quite a while now, but its purpose has changed somewhat. You might remember your boy mates at school using mousse in their hair in place of gel, but the mousse of today is also used to condition your hair and prevent it from looking limp. It uses synthetic resins, which coat the strands of your hair and help them keep their shape after styling. Your hairdresser might apply mousse to your wet hair before blow-drying it.

3.       Root pump

Root spray, pump, or whatever else a manufacturer might call it, is designed to be applied to your hair at the roots. It tends to be thin and liquidy in texture, and its main purpose is to make hair easier to volumize with a backcomb or brush. There are also root sprays that are designed for hair growth, and some that will offer protection against humidity and wet conditions as well.

4.       Hair masks

Hair masks are cropping up all over the place nowadays, and they’re quickly transitioning from a one-off “home spa day” product to an essential everyday item. Many people use hair masks now as part of their shampoo and conditioning routine, as they’re said to deeply condition hair, help to repair breakage and prevent colour from fading. It’s common to have to leave a hair mask in for between 5 and 25 minutes to allow it to get to work on your hair, so you’ll need to have plenty of time to spare with this one.

5.       Hair oils

We’ve written in the past about coconut oil, almond oil, and other oils that are becoming increasingly popular in the beauty world. There are so many benefits to these oils; they can lubricate your hair, prevent split ends, and encourage faster hair growth. You usually need to apply oils to the roots or the tips of your hair, but be warned: oils can be very heavy, and if your hair is thin or suffers from excess oil anyway, this might not be the solution for you. If your hair is thick and prone to puffing up with humidity, on the other hand, you’ll see the biggest benefits of using hair oils.

6.       Colour extenders

You might think that colour extenders are something of a miracle invention if you frequently dye your hair. These products are designed to help you maintain your hair colour for longer between dyes, preventing fading. Purple shampoo, for example, is great for blonde hair, as it stops the warm colours from showing through. You might find colour extenders in spray, shampoo, conditioner, or mask form.

So there you have it: the top mysterious haircare products debunked. By no means have we covered them all, so expect a future post to add to what’s written here.

We should say that whether any of these are actually worth your money or not would depend entirely on the brand you’re buying from. While all products have clearly been made with a science behind them, some are simply more effective than others.

You can find plenty of customer reviews online if you want to know the likelihood of something working. Just watch out for bloggers who have been sponsored to talk about a product, or sites with affiliate links, as of course, they’re going to be more complimentary of a brand.