The Best Hair Creams to Keep Your Locks Looking Lustrous All Day Long

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Finding the perfect product for your type of hair can be kind of a daunting task. If this is going to be the thing that finally takes you from a haplessly intolerable boy with decent hair to a haplessly intolerable man with really good hair, there's a lot of pressure not to mess it up. When you've found the one true bad-hair-day remedy, nothing else really matters, does it?

If going weeks without a trip to your barber is starting to make you think you should've read a few more books while you were coasting along on the strength of your hair alone, don't you worry your pretty little head: We've rounded-up a few of the best hair creams around to keep your lettuce looking as luscious. If hair cream isn't already an essential element of your grooming regimen, it should be. Heavier than a mousse but lighter than a gel, hair cream can double as a no-frills conditioning treatment, or a styling product ideal for the shaggier look you're trying to make the most of (or for any medium or longer hairstyles, really).

Get with the program, guy. Treat yourself to a hair cream that'll restore your 'do to the glory of days bygone and bring back the good grooming that allowed you to avoid reading anything longer than a precisely worded text message your entire life, you beautiful bastard.

Forming Cream

If you're looking for a lower-price option to invest in, it's hard to beat American Crew's value proposition. The brand's forming cream provides a medium hold with medium shine and is perfect for any dude who wants to keep his thick hair staying that way.

Hydrating Styling Cream

Moroccanoil reigns supreme when it comes to hydrating products. If your hair is dry, brittle, or dull, apply a small amount of this to wet or dry hair to give it natural-looking shine.

Crème for Style

Oribe represents the gold standard for hair styling products, and this cream is no exception. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but if you're in the market for a product that'll last and keep you looking your best, it's actually kind of a steal.

Creme With Silk Groom

If you feel like you need extra conditioner throughout the day, Kiehl's hair cream offers just that. Apply it in the morning and it'll keep your hair feeling soft and hydrated.

Sage Styling Cream

Malin+Goetz is a great place to start if you've never used a cream before. It's easy to both apply and build with, so it works efficiently for any type of hair length, style, or texture.

Styling Cream

For a grip and a heat protectant in one, Fatboy Hair has you covered. This easy-to-use cream is perfect for using when you blow dry your hair, and it has a grip that'll last you all damn day long.

Nutritive Heat Protecting Styling Cream for Dry Hair

Replenish your hair's moisture and hydration with Kérastase's nourishing cream, designed to promote health back to your roots. With niacinamide—a powerful hydrating ingredient—in the formula, this helps even the most dry and damaged hair get rid of frizz and retain moisture.

No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme

Ask any hair-care fanatic what they think of Olaplex, and you'll be met with rave reviews. The brand's leave-in styling cream is a cult-favorite, with bond-building technology to repair your hair and protect it from damage. Plus, no matter your hair type, you'll love the anti-frizz function of this cream.

Cream Pomade

If you find that pomades or waxes are too thick, try one that's cut with cream. It makes it easier to apply, even though it has a stronger hold.

Grooming Creme

Lean into your natural texture by using a cream that'll help define it, without weighing your hair down. Apply to air- or blow-dried hair.

High Dive Creme

Everything R+Co smells fantastic, so this basically doubles as a hair fragrance. Use this on ends that need a little refreshing.

Sleek Finish Texture Cream

A styling cream is the perfect antidote to keep your hair from getting frizzy throughout the day. This one from Jack Black is lightweight and keeps flyaway hairs at bay all day long.

Scheme Cream

For an option that's right down the middle, Haz de Fuko's Scheme Cream is the perfect combination of medium hold and medium shine.

Pure-Formance Grooming Cream

Just a small amount of Aveda's hair cream—rich in spearmint, vetiver, lavender, citrus, and organic oils—will do the most in adding shine and volume to your follicles.

The Cream 230

No rinse, no problem. Sisley Paris's hair cream, infused with precious botanical oils and the brand's signature nourishing complex, is heat-activated. Just apply the formula to your dry head, and get ready for hydration to ensue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use a hair cream?

Hair cream might just be one of the easiest-to-use grooming products out there. Generally, it's as easy as applying a small dollop to the palm of your hands, warming it up a little bit by rubbing your hands together, and then applying it to your hair with your fingertips, combing it all the way through. Some, however, may require a comb or for your hair to be wet or damp, so double check the instructions just to be safe.

What is a hair cream best for?

For all your hair woes, from dryness to frizz to damage to dullness, a hair cream can help save the day. Some are formulated especially for certain hair types, but in general, a hair cream is great for smoothing and styling, adding some shine and dimension, enhancing curls, and eliminating frizz.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to hair creams, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting picks that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with styles that the rest of our colleagues here at Esquire endorse. We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these hair creams are the ones that are simply the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of trying different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be

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