As any beauty aficionado will tell you, it’s not the packaging (or the claims) that matter—it’s the formula inside that counts, and this is especially true when it comes to hair. With so many different textures, types, and concerns to address, there's rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, which is exactly why Formula Pioneers is our most extensive category in the 2026 Marie Claire Hair Awards.
Across the categories that follow, the brands rewriting the rules aren't just launching new products—they're rethinking what haircare can be: more personalised, more sustainable, more attuned to the full spectrum of hair types and needs. From liquid collagen and natural ingredient formulas to specialist colour care and kids' ranges, our experts tried the full gamut of products on the market to find the ones that really work. Whether you're navigating a curly hair routine, protecting a fresh colour, or simply searching for a shampoo that actually delivers, consider this your definitive guide to what's worth your shelf space right now.
How are the products tested and judged?
The Marie Claire UK Hair Awards judging panel is made up of industry experts, from esteemed hairstylists including Sam McKnight, Samantha Cusick, Luke Hersheson and Adam Reed, to journalists, content creators and hair specialists, ensuring every product is thoroughly put through its paces.
WINNER: BEST NEW HAIR BRAND
Our judges were impressed by new-to-market Saudi Arabian hair brand CLARA. Created by regional experts who understand the nuances of Middle Eastern hair, the range is designed to cater to straight, frizzy and thick hair types while protecting against humidity. All formulas are vegan, as well as paraben- and sulfate-free.
WINNER: BEST NEW HAIR PRODUCT
Olaplex is no stranger to innovation, and their newest pre-shampoo treatment is clinically tested to leave hair three times stronger, after just one use.
WINNER: BEST PERSONALISED HAIRCARE
Following on from the success of their skincare offering, Skin + Me, Hair + Me took a proven methodology and expertly applied it to commonplace hair concerns, including thinning and hair loss. Led by two consultant dermatologists, your personalised Hair + Me treatment uses a combo of gentle, prescription active ingredients to maximise regrowth (in just three to six months) and bolster overall hair health.
WINNER: BEST ORGANIC BRAND
This range is made with hazelnuts grown on renowned hairstylist Adem Oygur’s family farm in Divaniturk, just east of Istanbul, and its organic credentials truly stand out in a saturated market. The brand’s formulas are 100% natural, cruelty-free, and sans parabens, sulfates and SLS/SLES. Its hero ingredient also shines: naturally rich in fibre, protein and around a third of your daily folate intake, this superfood also contain vitamins A, B, D and E.
WINNER: BEST SUSTAINABLE BRAND
Small Wonder managed to do what many though was impossible: removing water from haircare. For over 12 years, the brand's cosmetic chemists worked on dehydrating high performance nutrients, without degrading them. The result is actually sustainable haircare, which doesn't compromise on efficacy. But they didn't stop there: the next step was engineering a patented bottle to keep their protective antioxidants, nourishing oils and precision peptides sealed until activation.
WINNER: BEST NATURAL FORMULA
TROPIC has made waves in the industry thanks to its unwavering commitment to wholly natural, sustainable solutions to everyday beauty concerns. While the brand began in skincare and makeup, its haircare offering is just as considered. The sulfate-free formulas are designed to work in harmony with both scalp and strands, helping to support a healthy pH balance while gently cleansing and hydrating without harsh foaming agents or silicones; suitable for every hair type, from straight to kinky, coily and processed.
WINNER: BEST NATURAL INGREDIENT SHAMPOO
This refillable, concentrated formula activates in the shower to deliver softer hair—boosted with the brand's trademark SHINE37 complex, you can expect unparalleled shine too. Our judges deemed the formula to be ahead of its time, and praised its sustainability credentials as well as the fact that it's sulfate-free, paraben-free and colour-safe.
WINNER: BEST NATURAL INGREDIENT CONDITIONER
It's the same groundbreaking premise as the shampoo, but this conditioner is infused with a rich blend of marula and jojoba oil to fight frizz and strengthen strands from within.
WINNER: BEST HAIR SUPPLEMENT
Trichologist and judge Hannah Gaboardi called out Vida Glow's Hairology for its excellent ingredients. "This includes selenium, which is not in many multivitamins and is proven for hair growth," she said. "It's on the more expensive side, but it's worth the money for healthier hair."
WINNER: BEST LIQUID COLLAGEN
We all know the benefits that collagen has on the skin, but often neglect the wonders it can do for our strands too. The marine collagen that features here is known to improve hair health by strengthening follicles, and potentially reducing thinning through high bio-availability peptides and essential amino acids, which support keratin production.
WINNER: BEST HAIR SUN PROTECTION
Marie Claire UK's Beauty Director, Lottie Winter, has long been a fan of Rahua for its commitment to sustainability. This particular product has quickly become a new favourite thanks to its the addition of Morete oil, which provides excellent UV defence—particularly for colour-treated hair in need of added photo-protection.
WINNER: BEST MULTI-TASKER FOR TEXTURED HAIR
Hairstylist Neil Moodie said of CÉCRED's Hair & Scalp Balm: "This is perfect for textured and dry hair. I love how it bridges the gap between skincare for your scalp and styling for your hair."
WINNER: BEST GROOMING BALM/BEARD PRODUCT
These clever, bio-degradable capsules are jam-packed with essential fatty acids and antioxidants, including sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, bitter orange oil and aloe vera to tame, condition and restore natural shine in the hair and beard.
WINNER: BEST LASH CARE PRODUCT
Marie Claire UK's Beauty Contributor, Amelia Yeomans. declared Revitalash's offering as "The best lash growth serum on the market." And fellow judge, hairstylist, Samantha Cusick agreed: "The science is solid, the results are real, and when 90 per cent of the people who've used it say they'd recommend it, that's not a marketing statistic, that's a community speaking. For me, that's what separates a good product from a great one."
WINNER: BEST BROW CARE PRODUCT
UKBROW's nutrient rich-formula is fortified with not one, but three scientifically proven ingredients. This includes Vitamin B5, Green Tea extract and Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17—an amino acid peptide known for encouraging keratin growth and more resilient brows with use.
WINNER: BEST COLOUR CARE FOR REDHEADS
Designed with red, copper and auburn hair in mind, this leave-in mist contains natural henna to subtly enhance multi-tonal red pigments, as well as pea protein to strengthen and botanical extracts to hydrate and smooth.
WINNER: BEST TONING CONDITIONER
A true multitasker, this expertly formulated conditioner helps neutralise brassy tones while deeply conditioning and supporting overall scalp and hair health. With 100% natural ingredients, the formula includes organic seaweed, herbs and plant-based pigments, as well as rich plant oils and natural moisturisers to brighten hair, naturally.
WINNER: BEST TONING SHAMPOO
If you're experiencing brassy tones, this renowned shampoo needs to be on your radar. It contains a powerful blend of purple and blue pigments to instantly remove unwanted brassiness, and restoring hair to its salon-fresh brightness.
WINNER: BEST SHAMPOO FOR CURLY HAIR
With a unique blend of avocado oil and kukui nut oil, this sulfate-free, gentle foaming, shampoo gently cleanses curls without stripping the hair or scalp of its natural oils. The results? Beautifully bouncy, defined curls of every type.
WINNER: BEST HAIRCARE RANGE FOR KIDS
From the formulas enriched with nourishing organic coconut oil to the beautifully soft, sweet coconut scent, My Little Coco's kind-to-skin, dermatologically-tested products are a total joy to use on every hair type.
WINNER: BEST VOLUMISING SHAMPOO
Volume-building starts in the shower—namely, with this very shampoo. It refreshes the scalp while boosting fullness by removing product build-up and excess oils, while the brand's patented Sili-Clone HairTech leaves every strand smooth and visibly radiant.
WINNER: BEST NEW SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER
For those battling sensitive, inflamed scalps or trying to cleanse hair of excess product build-up, this gentle yet highly effective duo is perfect. It contains aloe vera to calm and witch hazel to balance the scalp and restore balance to the skin barrier. "My hair felt supremely clean yet silky to the touch after every wash," says Marie Claire UK Beauty Director Lottie Winter.
WINNER: BEST AT-HOME COLOUR
At-home hair colour has come a long way in the last couple of decades, and eSalon's custom colour set takes it even further. The completely personalised service calls upon expert colourists to review your profile, blend a custom shade, and deliver it to your door complete with pro-inspired tools and personalised instructions.
WINNER: BEST AT-HOME GLAZE
If your highlights have gone brassy, flat or just a little lost between appointments, this is the one to know. Designed to remove unwanted tones from your highlights, this hydrating gloss delivers semi-permanent pigments and rich hydration in one easy step, reviving colour, enhancing tone, and restoring moisture for softer, shinier hair that lasts for up to 10 washes.
WINNER: BEST COLOUR SHAMPOO
Schwarzkopf's Fibre Clinix Vibrancy Shampoo uses BONDXTEND Technology to actively rebuild inner hair bonds as it cleanses, locking in colour rather than stripping it. The result is up to 90% less colour fading after 30 washes, plus the kind of shine and smoothness that makes hair look freshly done, long after it is.
