Dyson Quietly Launched Haircare — Here Are Our Honest Thoughts

Dyson has become so well-known as a beauty power player that it’s easy to forget that the brand had relatively humble origins in the vacuum cleaner space. That all changed in 2016, when the Dyson Supersonic launched, and hair tools haven’t been the same since. Eight years (and three more devices later), Dyson is taking another big step in its beauty journey with an inaugural range of styling products.

The Dyson Chitosan range (named after the hero ingredient, chitosan, a molecule derived from oyster mushrooms) features four variations of a pre-styling hair cream (tailored to different hair types and textures) and a post-styling serum to offer lightweight hold and shine. To its credit, Dyson has long marketed its tools for all types of hair, and I for one was impressed to see that ethos translate into its product formulations. The options to choose from are as follows: Two texture ranges (Straight to Wavy, or Curly to Coily), and within that, two different levels of hydration (Light or Rich Conditioning).

After our team determined which formula suited them best (if you’re not sure, Dyson has a handy quiz to help you find your match), the testing period began. Below, read along as five Refinery29 writers put Dyson’s new products through the paces.

Hair type/texture: Thick, wavy — with the odd ringlet and curl. 

Product: Pre-Style Cream Straight To Wavy Rich Conditioning and Post-Style Serum 

"My one gripe when using the Dyson Airwrap — actually, most heated styling tools — is that my hair never looks as good an hour later compared to when I first styled it. I have naturally wavy hair (with the odd ringlet underneath) and it springs up as soon as I step outside. What I need is a styling product that acts like memory foam and holds each carefully blow-dried wave and flick in place. Hairspray doesn’t do it for me, but I think I’ve found that elusive product in Dyson’s Pre-Style Cream. It’s featherlight. All I do is rake three pumps through damp hair, rough dry with a blow dryer and get to work using either the Airwrap barrels or the round brush (the latter of which I find much easier). As you can see, it looks like I’ve had a professional blowdry. In fact, since using it, a few people have assumed I’d made a quick pitstop to the salon before meeting them. My hair stays voluminous and keeps its shape for much longer. It really is like magic.

I’m also obsessed with the Post-Style Serum, which I’ve found myself reaching for over brands like Olaplex and Kérastase. It flattens frizz and flyaways and revives second-day hair like an oil — all without the greasy finish. This is my hair a few hours after using both products. All I’ve done is run my fingers through it to zhush it up a bit more. The products are seriously impressive — and well worth the higher price tag." — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director

Hair type/texture: Very thick, fine, wavy

Product: Pre-Style Straight to Wavy Light Conditioning & Post-Style Serum

"I use only three hair products regularly — shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil — and don’t use much to set my hair, save for a bit of light hairspray. I hate the feeling of product in my hair, and a lot of cream-based products I use weigh my hair down instantly. When I style my hair, I usually prep with a heat protectant spray, but sometimes forget (I’m human!) and I’m not super loyal to any one brand or product. I liked that Dyson’s Chitosan pre-styler came in four unique formulations based on your hair type and texture — products are not one size fits all! I picked the Straight to Wavy Light Conditioning version, which was lightweight and hydrating. The bottle suggested one to two pumps to start, but since I have very thick, medium-length hair, I used four. It absorbed pretty quickly as I finger-combed it into my mid-lengths and ends.

I recently tested the new Shark FlexFusion styler (which spoiler alert, I loved), but also love my Dyson Airwrap. When I use the latter, I like to rough dry my freshly washed strands before going in with the smoothing brush. Compared to other prep products I’ve tried, I noticed that my hair felt soft and hydrated even as I applied heat to my hair. My hair is very prone to frizz and flyaways (especially if I don’t apply hair oil after washing), but my hair felt smooth and soft after I finished styling. I sealed everything with a small dab of Dyson’s Post-Style Serum, which added soft hold and shine without weighing down my bouncy blowout. Most notable of all, the combo of both products resulted in significantly less frizz than usual. My hair looked and felt so healthy — and as I hinted above, I don’t like most hair products either due to heavy textures, strong scents, or the fact that they don’t live up to the claims. Dyson’s Chitosan range passed with flying colors, but I only wish they were less expensive! That said, since you don’t need to use a lot, I do expect both to last me a long time before having to repurchase." — Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer

Hair type/texture: Curly, fine with natural volume

Product: Pre-Style Curly to Coily Light Conditioning

"My hair is naturally curly, but since cutting it into a bob, I've been using heat tools to style my hair, some of which are from Dyson. So I was super excited to put the brand's new Chitosan Pre-Styling Hair Cream and Post-Styling Hair Serum to the test. After washing and conditioning my hair, I applied a few pumps of the Curly to Coily Light Conditioning Hair Cream to my palm and worked it through my wet strands, following with a detangling brush to ensure my hair was evenly coated. After I was done blow drying and flat ironing my hair, I followed up with a pump of the Curly to Coily Light Conditioning Hair Serum and finger combed that through my strands. My hair was left soft, shiny, and bouncy. Both products provided adequate moisture without weighing my hair down. I loved my results. 

While my flat iron curls loosened up a bit by the end of the week, my style has stayed in relatively good shape without having to do any touch-ups with my Dyson AirWrap. Overall, I think this duo got the job done and gave me good results. The only downside is that I wish they also offered some sort of heat protection, considering it was made to be used with hot tools." — Kayla Greaves, Freelance Writer

Hair type/texture: fine postpartum hair

Product: Pre-Style Straight to Wavy Light Conditioning & Post-Style Serum

"It’s been a long, long time since I’ve done a proper blowout. I recently moved, plus I’m a new mom and I hadn’t had the chance to treat my hair right — no shower filter, hard water buildup, you name it. I finally installed a filter and did a hard water cleanse, and I was ready to see if Dyson’s Pre-Style Cream and Post-Style Serum could help me get back to that smooth, styled look.

On top of that, my hair is almost 8 months postpartum, and it’s been feeling really dead and dull. I was honestly worried these products would make my fine, thin hair clumpy, especially after all the hard water damage. But to my surprise, my hair has never been softer! I have a lot of fine hair, and even though I thought the creams might weigh it down, my blowout turned out bouncy and smooth without a hint of clumpiness. It gave my hair life and bounce again, which I hadn’t seen in so long.

The Post-Style Serum was a game-changer, too. Normally, serums leave my hair super oily, but this one just glided on and gave me shine without any residue. I also love the packaging; it’s super innovative and makes it easy to get every drop of product out, which is something I appreciate.

Overall, I’m seriously impressed with Dyson’s entire line. I think I’m officially a Dyson girlie now!" — Alexa Rhodes, Video Producer

Hair type/texture: Thick, wavy, coarse South Asian hair

Product: Pre-Style Straight to Wavy Light Conditioning & Post-Style Serum

"It’s no secret that I’m a die-hard Dyson fan, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I was actually a bit skeptical when the team told me that they were releasing styling products. The truth is this: I’m fatigued. I have new launches thrown at me every single day, and I already have my styling faves (John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Serum, I’m looking at you). I absolutely did not feel like I needed another brand in the mix, and I certainly didn’t expect to fall in love with the new products like I did.

Firstly, the packaging is pretty divine. It’s not posh and sculptural for the sake of it like I find a lot of high-end brands are. Rather, it’s purposeful, sleek, easy to use and easy to refill. The pump mechanism means you never dispense too much product, which is a flaw of mine (I’ve been known to go too far and then have to wash my hair all over again right away), but it is a little hard to scoop the product out if you have long nails. The products themselves don’t smell too strong, which can be a pro or a con depending on your preferences. I am a sucker for a scented hair product but I don’t mind the subtlety here. The texture is where these formulas really shine; they’re like air. They’re so lightweight that I fully didn’t believe they’d do anything, but my selfie speaks for itself. I’m shocked at the shine on my heavily bleached, coarse, pink hair. I use these products before and after styling, and the Post-Style Serum works really well to revive day-old, slept-in hair." — Humeara Mohamed, Contributing Writer