Revealed: 2nd Annual Anti-Aging Awards Winners
Most of us only dream of banishing bad hair days, especially as we get older and strands go gray and lose their shine and fullness. But here at Good Housekeeping, we wondered if we could make that dream a reality...
Last fall, we set out to discover, scientifically, whether anything could deliver lasting color and revive limp locks; in short, we focused our second annual awards on finding anti-aging hair products that really work. We enlisted 579 women, ages 35 to 81, and gave them shampoos, treatments, haircolor, and more to test for one to four weeks, depending on product directions. They filled out reams of questionnaires with their picks, pans, and comments. Back at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, our Beauty Lab spent months shampooing, conditioning, treating, and coloring almost nine pounds of human hair swatches, and then evaluated the results using our state-of-the-art equipment. The good news: The hair products you use can make a limp and lackluster head of hair look thicker and shinier and help haircolor stay vibrant.
Best Shampoos and Conditioners:
The Contenders: Shampoos and conditioners created to increase volume, shine, softness, and smoothness, and to make hair more manageable - without fading color. Since the pairs are formulated to work together, that's how we tested them.
Testing Time: One week
Gold Winner: "I had strangers telling me my hair was gorgeous!" said one tester after using the Pureology Nanoworks Shampoo & Conditioner ($53 each, salons). The admittedly pricey pair earned its splurge-worthy status, taking first place in our biggest testing category. Testers repeatedly commented on its "rich, thick lather," especially notable because the shampoo doesn't contain the common sudsing agent sodium lauryl sulfate, which can cause hair and scalp dryness. The color-protecting formula made it popular among panelists with colored strands. "It made my hair smooth and kept the color vibrant," said one. Volunteers also noted that it improved softness and combability, and the latter was confirmed in the lab. Both the Pureology and second-place Biolage received perfect scores for wet combing on the Instron, demonstrating their prowess at detangling and protecting strands from further damage. Still hesitant about spending big bucks on shampoo? Consider that a bottle is designed to last for 80 shampoos (about three months), thanks to its concentrated formula.
Related: Best Anti-Aging Beauty Products
Best Deep Conditioners:
The Contenders: Masks, or deep conditioners, promising to remedy dryness, roughness, and dullness with an intense dose of conditioners along with rich, plant-based oils. Designed to be used once or twice a week, these are combed through hair, left on for anywhere from three to 15 minutes, and then rinsed out.
Testing Time: Two weeks
Gold Winner: Big-time bargain Age Beautiful Intense Strengthening Treatment ($10, Sally Beauty) received top marks in both lab and consumer testing, ousting the pricier competition. Panelists gave it the highest rating for boosting their hair's softness, shine, and strength. "It added moisture and vibrancy to my hair. What a compliment it is when those half your age ask for your beauty secrets," reported one 62-year-old tester. "It made my hair very soft and easy to manage," said another. Wet hair swatches conditioned with both Age Beautiful and runner-up Redken were especially easy to comb through (the Instron recorded minimal friction). Age Beautiful also outperformed other masks in the shine evaluation conducted by our lab experts.
Best Permanent Hair Color:
The Contenders: At-home haircolor formulated to completely cover gray for up to four weeks without making hair look or feel coarse or dry.
Testing Time: Four weeks
Gold Winner: A real deal, Revlon ColorSilk With UV Defense ($3.69, 40 shades, drugstores and Amazon) took top honors in lab performance, proving its mettle in the essential permanent haircolor measure, gray coverage, both immediately and at four weeks. Agreed a tester: "It covered my grays better and for a longer time than similar products I've tried." True to its name, it also scored high marks for fade resistance. The lab simulated a month's worth of UVA exposure and checked the color retention at each one-week mark. The color stayed vibrant, especially in the brown and blond shades. Consumers were especially pleased with the nonirritating, ammonia-free formula and scent. "Most brands will leave a strong 'just-colored' smell in the hair. This one didn't," said a volunteer.
Related: The Anti-Aging Diet
Best Instant Root Touchups:
The Contenders: Sticks, wands, sprays, combs, and marker-like pens designed to immediately color small areas of gray roots - for example, at the part or temples - and last until the next shampoo.
Testing Time: One week
Gold Winner:Irene Gari Cover Your Gray Professional ($7, three shades, Amazon) narrowly beat the competition in this extensive category, the only one for which our award is based solely on consumer testing. Panelists found Irene Gari covered gray the best and loved how well the shades matched their color. "It blended with my natural color beautifully and was very easy to apply," reported one. Our researchers noticed that it was especially popular with curly-haired testers; the lipstick-like stick was easy to maneuver and didn't get tangled in their hair. The caveat: Irene Gari comes only in medium brown, dark brown, and black shades. Redheads and blonds can try the runners-up.
Best Leave-in Treatments:
The Conteders: Hair serums, lotions, and creams intended to make hair look shinier, thicker, and fuller. They also promise increased softness, smoothness, and manageability.
Testing Time: One week
Gold Winner:L'anza Healing Strength Neem Plant Silk Serum ($26, salons and Amazon) grabbed first place in overall lab performance, winning the shine evaluation and earning our visual-rating panel's highest score for imparting sheen to hair swatches. That success was confirmed in the Samba instrumental test, performed at an outside lab (TRI in Princeton, NJ), which showed that the serum increased shine on untreated hair swatches by 250%. Testers agreed, giving it the highest shine score. "It made my hair shine instantly," said one. They also gave it top marks for making their hair feel soft. In the lab, it tied with runner-up Biolage in Instron combability tests, demonstrating that it also made hair less prone to snags and breaks. "My hair just seemed way more manageable. I had happier hair," one panelist commented.
Related: Take Five Years Off - Fast
Find out what other hair products did well in our tests, learn how we tested anti-aging hair products, and meet the anti-aging experts behind this massive undertaking.
And don't forget to share your anti-aging hair secrets in the comments!
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Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
