Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Style > Beauty

These Are the 5 Hair Products You Actually Need

When it comes to hair care, there is so much more than just shampoo and conditioner to worry about. With so many oils, creams, serums and mousses on the market, it’s overwhelming to decide what you actually need for daily use.

To help, we’ve rounded up a few beloved essentials that will keep your hair on fleek without the fuss.

Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner


We Recommend – Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner ($7.49 each)

To make sure your hair is as healthy as it can be, start off with a strong foundation: a quality shampoo and conditioner. When you pick sulfate-free formulas, your hair will be less prone to breakage and your scalp is less likely to be irritated due to how harsh sulfates can be to your scalp.

Deep Conditioner


We Recommend: Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner ($2.99)

About once a week, swap out your traditional conditioner for a deep conditioning treatment in order to give your hair the TLC it needs. Whenever your hair is looking dry and dull, a special treatment such as this formula will give your hair the shiny and silky look you crave.

Dry Shampoo


We Recommend: Batiste Dry Shampoo ($7.99)

For the days when you don’t want to wash your hair but still need it to look presentable (we’ve all been there), a quick spritz of dry shampoo is all you’ll need. In order to gain the maximum benefit, we suggest spraying your favorite dry shampoo onto your roots before you go to bed so that the formula can work as you toss and turn in your sleep.

An “Air Dry” Hair Styler

We Recommend: Bumble and bumble “Don’t Blow It” (H)air Styler ($30)

A hair styler designed to make sure your hair looks good when you decide to let it air dry is a collegiette essential. You can use it every time you decide to let your hair dry naturally, which is perfect for when you’re rushing to a morning lecture after a quick shower and still want your hair to look flawless by the afternoon.

To enhance the body and define your texture, work a water-soluble formula into your hair from mid-length to the ends. It will prevent frizz and flyaways, but will still leave your hair soft and with defined waves.

Hair Oil


We Recommend: Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Moroccan Oil Treatment ($4.99)

A bottle of hair oil is one of the best investments you will make when it comes to healthy and shiny hair, and the best part is that there are so many affordable brands and formulas to choose from. There are several different types of oils you can use in your hair—argan, coconut, olive and macadamia are just a few you may have heard about—so choose one that you like and use it often.

Once you’ve picked out your favorite oil, feel free to use it in a variety of different ways. You can apply it to your hair after you shower when you want to air dry your hair or before heat styling, or even to your hair once it’s dry to tame frizz and moisturize your ends.

What are your hair product essentials, collegiettes?

Jen is a 2016 graduate of Messiah College, where she majored in journalism and minored in gender studies. She's a proud Bostonian who is obsessed with tattoos, puppies, magazines and Sephora. She's been reading Her Campus since high school and was thrilled to join the HC team as a National Contributing Writer in September 2013. She became an HC Beauty Blogger in February 2014 and continued to write on-trend beauty posts until July 2016. A few highlights from her time writing for HC included attending and writing about two BeautyCon events and Cosmopolitan's Fun Fearless Life in 2015. You can follow her on Twitter @JenFlanagan14 and on Instagram @jenlea14.