You take caring for your complexion to the next level by incorporating serums and oils into your daily skincare regimen. But when it comes to levelling up your haircare routine with a hair serum, odds are you may shrug it off as an unnecessary additional step.
The truth is, hair serums – which are part of the leave-in conditioner category – are the do-it-all heroes in the hairstyling department. These formulas are mainly intended to help frizzy hair stay smooth under humid conditions (like the Singapore climate).
If you’ve always wanted to learn more about hair serums but you’re not quite sure which one is the best hair serum for you, keep reading to find out what hair serums are all about, plus our top recommendations of hair serums to try in Singapore.
What exactly is a hair serum?
Photo source: Cottonbro/Pexels
Often made of silicones, hair serum is a styling product that’s designed to coat the hair’s surface to help impart added shine, smoothness, and hydration while offering humidity and pollution protection.
Recent technological advancements have of course enabled brands to create newer, better formulas so fret not, you always have the option to go silicone-free!
It’s easy to confuse hair serums with hair oils since both generally function to keep hair sleek and hydrated, but many hair serums now are created to address styling needs for different hair types (fine, medium or thick), help with hair damage or hair loss, or enhance texture (wavy, curly or straight).
Hair serums of the past also tend to get a bad rap for being too heavy and slick for fine, thin or oily hair types. However, you’ll no longer have this issue with most modern formulas as they’re all made to be lightweight and easy to apply.
Now, only some are intentionally made with more oils as these formulas are meant to be heavy-duty serums for thick, coarse or dry textures.
What’s more, hair serums can be used on wet or dry hair, and also act as both a pre-styling treatment and a finishing product, making it perfect for wash days, in-between washes, and on-the-go touch-ups.
Now that we’ve (hopefully) made the case for hair serums, check out our favourite hair serums ahead that you can easily get in Singapore to give your crowning glory the TLC it needs.
Anti-frizz hair serums
Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Keratin Infusing Smoothing Serum
This non-greasy serum is powered by keratin and African marula oil to offer frizz control for up to 48 hours so that you can sport sleek, salon-smooth tresses.
Best part? Your hair will look shiny and silky smooth but still has plenty of natural movement in it.
This retails for S$14.90. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Serum
Flyaways won’t stand a chance with this hair serum that uses a blend of silicones and silk protein to tame frizz, repel humidity, boost shine, and provide heat protection.
Another bonus? It’s perfectly safe for colour-treated and chemically-treated hair.
This retails for S$19.90. Check the links below for the latest promotions.
Sebastian Professional Taming Elixir for Frizzy Hair
This weightless frizz-tamer comes in a unique cream-serum form that corrals and smooths the hair, thanks to avocado oil in the formula.
Follow up with a blow-dryer for a smooth, natural finish or use a flat or curling iron on dry hair for a softly defined style.
This retails for S$45. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Aesop Tame Hair Serum
It’s time to say goodbye to flyaways and hello to complete control with this lightweight formula that calms frizz without any tackiness.
Oh, and did we mention that it’s scented with enticing notes of petitgrain, bergamot, and patchouli?
Prices range between S$40 and S$47. Check the links below to compare prices.
Hydrating hair serums
Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum
This overnight leave-in serum is the perfect addition to your nighttime routine as it works around the clock to moisturise hair with iris root extract and a Five Vitamin Blend for a soft, lightweight feel by morning.
This retails for S$103. Check the link below for the latest price.
Oribe Bright Blonde Essential Priming Serum
Bleached hair is more prone to frizz than others, but you can still flaunt all-day sleekness with this hair elixir that features a host of powerhouse ingredients to help enrich the colour of your locks and protect hair against thermal heat while restoring strength from root to tip.
This retails for S$64. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Miracle Hair Elixir Serum
Infused with coconut, papaya, mangosteen, and prickly pear, this hair serum hydrates and softens while repairing the hair fibre, so what you’ll get at the end is hair that feels light as air while looking silkier, stronger, and healthier.
This retails for S$53. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Hair serums that fix split ends
Virtue Labs Split End Serum High-tech formula
Enriching its patented star ingredient Alpha Keratin 60ku with pea protein and hydrolysed quinoa, this hair serum takes repair to a whole new level as your body is able to recognise it as its own and use the formula to repair, reinforce, and nourish every strand – leaving your locks looking smooth and healthy once more.
Prices start from S$58. Check the links below to compare prices.
Hair serums for shine
Innisfree Camellia Essential Hair Oil Serum
Using both fermented and fresh camellia oil sourced from Jeju, this formula offers a healthy shine to damaged hair without making it feel heavy.
This retails for S$12.91. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Percy & Reed Time To Shine Mirror Mirror Shine Serum
Want serious gloss and extra softness in your crowning glory? You can count on this hair serum which employs a combination of shine-enhancing argan oil and kalahari melon seed oil to nourish and moisturise any hair types.
This retails for S$45. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Working Serum
You no longer need to deal with poofy hair with this hair elixir that’s formulated to enhance shine and smoothness while leaving your locks wonderfully perfumed with the signature Kristin Ess scent.
This retails for S$27. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Sachajuan Shine Serum
Apart from adding shine and smoothness, this daily hair serum also contains conditioning ingredients to help heal damaged hair and retain its healthy texture for longer.
Prices start from S$37. Check the links below to compare prices.
Hair serums with heat protection
Mise-en-scène Perfect Serum Styling Serum New product!
Frequent users of heat-styling tools will appreciate this hair serum, which not only provides thermal protection, but also blocks off fine dust from settling on your hair. It helps improve common types of hair damage including lack of elasticity, roughness, split ends, and lack of moisture too.
Prices start from $15.90. Check the links below for the latest promotions.
Hair serums for thinning hair
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density
A concentrated formula designed to support hair health, this ultra-lightweight hair serum goes deep into hair follicles to help your crown appear thicker, denser, fuller, and healthier.
Prices start from S$25.50. Check the links below for the latest promotions.
Grow Gorgeous Original Hair Growth Serum
Ideal for fine, flat, and limp tresses, this concentrated serum promises to amp up the volume for a visibly thicker, fuller, and denser-looking mane with the help of caffeine, organic pea sprout extract, Chinese skullcap, and hyaluronic acid.
This retails for S$54. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
Multi-purpose hair serums
Christophe Robin Regenerating Serum with Prickly Pear Oil
Fortified with prickly pear seed oil, which is rich in antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and amino acids, this botanically-powered all-in-one elixir helps to strengthen, nourish, and protect your locks so that it can fend off environmental aggressors better.
It’s also designed to shield strands from the harmful effects of heat-styling, offering protection against artificial heat of up to 230°C.
Prices start from S$72. Check the links below to compare prices.
Abyssian Abyssinian Oil Hair Serum
This hair serum aims to be the one-stop natural beauty elixir for your hair thanks to its hero ingredient, Abyssinian oil, which is a sustainable ancient Mediterranean crop extract that comes with a unique fatty acid structure and high concentrations of phytosterols, antioxidants, as well as omega fatty acids.
This retails for S$53. Check the link below for the latest promotions.
