John Frieda's Frizz Ease Serum might just be the most recognizable beauty product on the planet. OK, that might be a tad hyperbolic, but the OG silicone serum — which has been fighting the good fight against frizz for 25 years — is still very much a consumer favorite. (Case in point: It's won 12 Readers' Choice Awards since 2003 and two Best of Beauty Awards, and two Best of Beauty Hall of Fame Awards.) The formula hasn't changed one bit in all that time because, as the saying goes, if it ain't letting your hair frizz, don't fix it.
The serum instantly turns even fried hair glossy and smooth “by forming a light, humidity-proof sheath around each strand that holds the cuticle flat, so it can't raise up and look fuzzy or dull,” says Joseph Cincotta, a cosmetic chemist who has worked at John Frieda in the past. Since it has the potential to leave hair looking lank and dirty if misused, applying it to soaking-wet hair is key.
I've been using Frizz Ease for the last 15 years, ever since I stole it from my mother as a teenager. (Thanks, Mom!) The brand says it's for medium to coarse hair, which it is, but to be quite honest I've found it works on my fine, frizzy hair as long as I use the right amount. (These days, because my hair is so damaged, I squirt about a quarter-size amount into my palm and have never found it weighs down my hair, but most people with fine hair will find a pea-size amount should suffice.)
While most people use it primarily on the ends of their hair, I apply it all over, even close to my roots. My mom always told me not to — otherwise the top of my hair would get flat — but since I'm a bit of a rebel (and again, I can't emphasize enough just how badly wrecked my hair is at the moment because of bleach and hot tools), I never listened and that's still how I use it today. I blow-dry my hair straight once the serum is in, but many people I know let their hair air-dry after using it as well.