Beauty: Superhero products to save bad hair days

Dry? Dull? Frizzy? Flat? Thinning? Heat-damaged? Whatever your hair emergency, there’s a superhero product ready to come to the rescue. Alice Ryan reports

Revlon AirFlow Control Dryer, £34.99, Tesco and Amazon Don’t be fooled by its cute and compact appearance: this new dryer does it all. Powered by a whopping 2000 watts, it dries in super-quick time and, thanks to the rotating concentrator (which directs airflow straight down the hair shaft) and ceramic tourmaline tech (emitting negative ions to fight frizz), it smoothes and soothes as it goes.

Percy & Reed Royal Blossom Wonder Balm Hair Primer, £25, sephora.co.ukCelebrating its 10th anniversary with the launch of a limited-edition scent - floral Royal Blossom, a collab with Historic Royal Palaces - this lightweight leave-in primer protects from heat, enhances styling performance and shields against humidity for up to 72 hours. Simply apply a small blob to towel-dried locks to bring out the best in all hair types, textures and lengths.

The Smooth Company Smooth Stick, £15, thesmoothcompany.com Amassing more than 100 million views on TikTok and a celebrity fan base - including Maya Jama and Millie Bobby Brown - in little over two years, the Smooth Stick tames floof and flyaways in the swish (quite literally) of a wand. Thanks to the enriched serum formula (biotin, aloe vera, Vitamin E) and nifty zigzag applicator (like a mascara wand, but for hair), it polishes partings and neatens updos effortlessly. Plus it’s strong-holding, long-lasting and invisible.

FUL Intense Moisture Hair Mask, £32, and Wide Tooth Comb, £9.50, Boots and fullondon.com If your hair is dry and/or damaged, this duo is a godsend. A pH-balanced formula powered by shea butter and organic coconut oil, the mask delivers an unrivalled moisture hit. Work it through towelled hair with this wide-tooth comb - which, made from antistatic materials, is also designed to treat hair with care - leave it for 10 minutes, rinse, dry and locks are guaranteed to be luscious - soft, silky, shiny.

Green People Protein Boost Shampoo and Conditioner, £19 each, greenpeople.co.uk A market leader in natural and organic beauty, Green People’s new haircare collection puts quinoa protein front and centre: containing all nine essential amino acids, it’s proven to improve colour uptake, limit colour fade and increase shine by an impressive 50%. This shampoo and conditioner duo promises not only to cleanse and hydrate, as you’d expect, but also to reduce breakage and boost resilience. Hair is healthier looking and feeling from first wash.

STRAAND Exfoliating Scalp Brush, £14, uk.straandscalpcare.com A highlight of any trip to the hairdresser, who doesn’t love a scalp massage? This handheld scalp brush, made from firm-yet-flexible eco silicone, allows you to massage your own head with manifold benefits: it stimulates hair follicles and blood circulation, exfoliates skin and removes product build-up, and also works conditioners and masks into every strand. I’ve found using a scalp brush great for encouraging hair growth.

Josh Wood Colour Blending Brush, £19, joshwoodcolour.com It was Trinny Woodall who introduced me to this wondrous product: sharing her quick-fix hair routine online, she used it to touch up roots with fast and fabulous effects. Good for filling in thin patches - perimenopausal women, hands in the air - as well as colouring in greys, you simply pump pigment from the base into the brush, apply it where needed, blow-dry and the (remarkably natural-looking) results last for up to three washes.

Noughty The Hot Pink One Ultimate Microfibre Hair Towel, £13.99, lovenoughty.co.uk What’s the difference between a microfibre towel and any old towel? Converted some years ago, by a hair wrap I was gifted for a birthday, I can vouch for the fact microfibre will dry your locks both more swiftly and smoothly. Here’s the science part: by reducing friction, microfibre minimises static and breakage, plus it’s super-absorbent. This newly released Hot Pink One from eco-conscious haircare brand Noughty is a prime example, being cute and compact as well as super-effective.