P.S. This honey-like formula is also great for post-perm upkeep. Jay Park gave it a shoutout in his Allure 10-minute beauty routine video for its hydrating, frizz-taming properties.
Key ingredients: hydrolyzed silk, argan oil, sea buckthorn oil, false daisy extract, and moringa oil | Who it’s for: everyone | Fragrance-free: no
Best Serum: Mise En Scene Perfect Serum
Why it’s worth it: The K-beauty industry moves fast, but even it has yet to move on from this classic Korean hair-care product launched in 2012. The Mise En Scene Perfect Serum has built a following over the past 12 years for its intensely nourishing blend of oils (argan, olive, coconut, apricot, marula, jojoba, and camellia) that somehow never makes hair feel greasy. Instead, it helps smooth frizz, lock in moisture, and protect hair from heat styling with a weightless feel.
Tester feedback: “My ends are seriously parched and borderline lifeless, but you wouldn’t know it because the Mise En Scene Perfect Serum instantly rejuvenated them without any oily or stiff residue,” Abelman says. “I also love how it gives my hair a dreamy powdery floral scent.”
Key ingredients: argan, apricot, camellia, coconut, jojoba, marula, and olive oils | Who it’s for: those with dry, damaged hair or anyone who often heat styles their hair | Fragrance-free: no
Best Serum for Curly Hair: Curlyshyll Moisture Glow Hair Essence
Why it’s worth it: The Korean hair-care brand Curlyshyll is beloved by Mujin Choi. However, its products, namely the Nutrition Support Daily Shampoo and Treatment, can be hard to find in the U.S. Luckily, Denise Kim’s favorite formula, the Moisture Glow Hair Essence, is readily available stateside. It acts like a moisture ampoule for dehydrated curls, bringing them major hydration relief while giving them a beautiful shine, she says. “A little bit goes a long way to moisturize hair without weighing it down,” she adds.
Key ingredients: rose extract, Edelweiss stem cell extract, propolis extract, tea tree leaf oil, and rosemary oil | Who it’s for: those with dry, damaged, or dyed hair | Fragrance-free: no
Best Hair Oil: La’dor Perfumed Hair Oil
Why it’s worth it: Add this to your ends, so when the wind blows, everyone will catch a delicious whiff of this fragrance-forward hair oil. Minju “Minnie” Kim, a K-beauty industry insider who has worked with the likes of Cosrx, Medicube, and Skin1004, swears by La’dor’s Perfumed Hair Oil and its medley of botanical oils to moisturize her sleek bob without stickiness, tamp down frizz, and even enhance the color of her latest dye job (rich auburn brown at the moment). The Korean hair oil comes in three different scent selections: Hinoki (woodsy), La Pitta (citrus), and Osmanthus (musky floral), but the latter is Kim’s favorite.