Gist.product intelligenceBuying guides
Buying guide

The Best Hair Styling Serums

We compared seven hair styling serums on owner ratings, expert reviews, and price. The Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair Serum is our top pick for its effectiveness and affordability.

Updated

The bottom line

The Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair Serum is our top pick, delivering effective frizz control and shine for $6.97. The Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original is a close second at $16.09, known for its heat protection and blend of natural oils. For a budget option, the Kitsch Hair Taming Wand at $11.99 provides good frizz control without stickiness. Those willing to spend more should consider the Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum for its overnight nourishment, though it's priced at $64.

Top pick
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair SerumGarnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair Serum $6.97

Best balance of price and performance

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair Serum provides up to 72 hours of frizz control and a lightweight formula for $6.97. Owners report significant improvements in frizz control and shine, with a 4.6/5 rating from 45143 reviews. The tradeoff is its smaller bottle size, which may not last as long for daily use.

Check price on Amazon
Runner-up
Mise En Scene Perfect Serum OriginalMise En Scene Perfect Serum Original $16.09

Top Korean serum with heat protection

Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original offers heat protection up to 446ºF and a blend of 7 naturally derived oils for $16.09. It has been a top-selling Korean hair serum for 11 years, with a 4.6/5 rating from 5946 reviews. The tradeoff is its higher price compared to the top pick.

Check price on Amazon
Budget pick
Kitsch Hair Taming WandKitsch Hair Taming Wand $11.99

Affordable frizz control without stickiness

Kitsch Hair Taming Wand provides frizz control and hydration for $11.99. It has a 4.4/5 rating from 2162 reviews and is vegan and cruelty-free. The tradeoff is its slightly lower effectiveness compared to the top pick.

Check price on Amazon

The field, ranked

  1. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Hair Serum Best balance of price and performance 9.0/10 $6.97 Amazon
  2. Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original Top Korean serum with heat protection 8.5/10 $16.09 Amazon
  3. Kitsch Hair Taming Wand Affordable frizz control without stickiness 8.0/10 $11.99 Amazon
  4. Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Expensive but effective overnight treatment 7.5/10 $64.00 Amazon
  5. Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Good overnight treatment but pricey 7.0/10 $35.00 Amazon
  6. Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original Heat protectant with good reviews but higher price 6.5/10 $18.49 Amazon
  7. IN COMMON Magic Myst Universal Hair Elixir High customer satisfaction but lacks expert reviews 6.0/10 $35.00 Amazon

What to consider

When choosing a hair styling serum, consider the price, effectiveness, and specific features like heat protection. Garnier Fructis offers the best value, while Mise En Scene provides superior heat protection. Kerastase's overnight treatment is effective but comes at a higher price.

Also-rans

The Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum (B0BZZJWGPQ) and (B0F2QZQWDN) are effective but expensive. The Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Original (B0CYT2HLVN) is a good option but slightly more expensive than the top pick. The IN COMMON Magic Myst Universal Hair Elixir (B07PHNX8R7) has high customer satisfaction but lacks expert reviews.

How this was put together

This guide is based on owner ratings, expert reviews, and price comparisons. We analyzed 5946 ratings for Mise En Scene, 45143 for Garnier Fructis, 2162 for Kitsch, 10900 for Kerastase (B0BZZJWGPQ), 10733 for Kerastase (B0F2QZQWDN), 800 for Mise En Scene (B0CYT2HLVN), and 2320 for IN COMMON. No products were tested hands-on, and evidence is thin on expert reviews for IN COMMON.