Kristin Ess Haircare is a female-founded luxury haircare brand that delivers salon-quality products at affordable mass-market prices. Celebrity hairstylist Kristin Ess — known for working with Lauren Conrad, Selena Gomez, and Sydney Sweeney — launched the line exclusively at Target before expanding to Ulta and Amazon.
The brand offers cleansers, conditioners, styling products, tools, glosses, and the new Kristin Ess+ peptide repair line. All formulas use proprietary Zip-Up Technology to strengthen hair and smooth split ends. Products are sulfate-free, cruelty-free, and vegan. Most reviewers report improved shine, softness, and manageability. Some users report scalp irritation, strong fragrance, and hair feeling weighed down with certain products.
Kristin Ess+ earned an 88/100 from PureWow editors after four weeks of testing, and the brand stocks 63+ products at Ulta Beauty. At under $25 per product, it competes directly with Olaplex and K18 at a fraction of the cost.
What Is Kristin Ess Haircare?
Kristin Ess Haircare is the only mass haircare brand founded by a female celebrity hairstylist, offering salon-quality formulas for all hair types at affordable drugstore price points. The brand started with a simple goal: give everyone access to professional-grade haircare without the salon price tag.
Here’s the thing: the brand wasn’t just made by a stylist for marketing purposes. Kristin Ess built her reputation over 20 years in the salon chair before creating the line. Her clients include Selena Gomez, Sydney Sweeney, Quinta Brunson, Gabrielle Union, and Lauren Conrad. That’s real-world proof the formulas come from someone who has tested results on A-list hair.
The brand is manufactured by Maesa LLC and is one of the fastest-growing haircare lines in the mass market. It launched exclusively at Target before expanding to Ulta Beauty in early 2021. Today, Ulta stocks over 63 Kristin Ess products across shampoos, conditioners, treatments, tools, and accessories.
Brand Credentials:
- Only mass haircare brand founded by a female celebrity hairstylist
- Sulfate-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and color-safe across all formulas
- Proprietary Zip-Up Technology in every product
- Award winner: New Beauty Best Overnight Hair Mask
- Featured in Elle, People, Byrdie, and CEW
Who Is Kristin Ess?
Kristin Ess is a celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur who co-founded The Beauty Department — a widely followed hair and makeup tutorial site — alongside Lauren Conrad, building a loyal audience before launching her own haircare line.
Her salon career spans over 20 years. The celebrity client list includes Lauren Conrad, Lucy Hale, Selena Gomez, Sydney Sweeney, Quinta Brunson, and Gabrielle Union. She launched her eponymous haircare range as an exclusive Target collection that quickly became one of the retailer’s fastest-selling beauty brands.
What Is Zip-Up Technology?
Zip-Up Technology is Kristin Ess Hair’s proprietary strengthening complex that smooths the appearance of split ends, targets weak areas of the hair shaft, and helps protect hair from environmental stressors and color fade.
The technology is present in every product across the brand’s range. Think of it this way: it doesn’t just coat the outside of the strand — it works to improve the cuticle’s appearance from root to tip. One Reddit user described the conditioner’s Zip-Up Technology as performing better than Kerastase Ciment Thermique for keeping dry ends smooth and straight longer.
What Products Does Kristin Ess Haircare Offer?
Kristin Ess Haircare offers a full range spanning shampoo, conditioner, co-wash, dry shampoo, styling creams, sprays, mousses, hair gloss, tools, accessories, and the new Kristin Ess+ peptide repair line — with 63+ products available at Ulta Beauty alone.
The color-coded packaging system makes the range easy to navigate: pink for cleansing and conditioning, white for restoration, gray for wet styling, and black for dry styling and finishing. This system was deliberately designed to remove guesswork at the shelf.
Products are buildable and designed to layer with each other or integrate into existing routines. Formulas are lightweight by design so hair doesn’t get weighed down — a specific concern for users with fine, flat, or oily-at-root hair types.
Full Product Collections:
| Collection | Hair Concern | Notable Products |
|---|---|---|
| Signature | All hair types | Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave-In Primer |
| Softening | Dry, dull hair | Softening Mask, Blow Dry Foam, Styling Oil |
| Tone | Blondes and brunettes | Toning Shampoo/Conditioner |
| Curl | Curly hair | Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo and Conditioner |
| Restore | Damaged hair | Reconstructive Moisture Mask |
| Fragrance Free | Sensitive users | Daily Cleansing Shampoo, Shine Conditioner |
| Kristin Ess+ | Bleach, color, UV damage | Peptide Restore and Peptide Protect lines |
What Collections Does Kristin Ess Hair Have?
Kristin Ess Hair organizes its product range into distinct collections: Signature, Softening, Tone, Curl, Restore, Wet Styling, Dry Styling, Scalp, Mineral Detox, Fragrance Free, Hair Gloss, and Hair Perfume — each targeting a specific hair need or lifestyle use.
The Scalp collection launched after the core range to address a commonly neglected aspect of hair health. The Exfoliating Scalp Scrub removes flakes, product buildup, excess sebum, and hard water deposits. The scent profile shifts for this collection — coconut-forward rather than the original brand’s floral pear fragrance.
The Hair Gloss collection offers at-home color glossing in shades including Crystal Quartz (colorless), Honey Latte, Cherry Cola, Smoky Topaz, and Winter Wheat. Note: the glosses are toners, not permanent color. The glosses do not cover grey hair.
What Is the Kristin Ess+ Line?
Kristin Ess+ is the brand’s next-generation repair and protection line, launched in February 2025, combining bond-building technology and biomimetic peptide technology into one clinically tested formula — directly competing with Olaplex and K18 at under $25 per product.
The line includes two regimens: Peptide Restore (for bond repair and damage from heat, bleach, color, chemical, and UV exposure) and Peptide Protect (for color protection). The hero technology is Bondmimetic2 Molecular Complex, which supports hair strength and measurably improves moisture, shine, manageability, and protection against future damage.
Four PureWow editors with different hair types tested Kristin Ess+ for four weeks. Three out of four reported glossier, less dry hair. The Overnight Bond Repair Mask was a universal favorite. The line received an 88/100 PureWow score. The leave-in conditioners were the only products rated hit-or-miss across hair types.
What Are the Ingredients in Kristin Ess Shampoo?
The Kristin Ess Signature Shampoo contains avocado oil and castor oil as its featured ingredients, alongside a blend of marine extracts (Hypnea Musciformis, Sargassum Filipendula, Gelidiella Acerosa), sunflower seed oil, mango seed butter, chamomile flower extract, panthenol, and glycerin.
The surfactant base uses Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine — both milder than SLS — to cleanse without stripping natural oils. The formula also includes Polyquaternium-10 and Polyquaternium-11 for conditioning and detangling without buildup.
Every Kristin Ess product is formulated without sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. All products are vegan and cruelty-free. The brand uses sustainable packaging. The fragrance — a distinctive floral pear — is present in most core collection products, with a separate Fragrance Free range for sensitive users.
Is Kristin Ess Sulfate-Free and Color-Safe?
Yes. Kristin Ess Haircare is 100% sulfate-free across all formulas, making the entire range color-safe and suitable for chemically treated hair without stripping color or drying out the scalp.
The sulfate-free formula uses gentler surfactants that cleanse without the squeaky-clean feeling associated with traditional SLS shampoos. One reviewer noted: ‘Rather than ending up with dry and rough hair, you’re left with gently cleansed hair that feels soft and hydrated.’ For users with oily roots and dry ends, this balance is particularly effective.
What Do Kristin Ess Haircare Reviews Say?
Kristin Ess Haircare reviews are largely positive, with the Signature Shampoo and Conditioner bundle rated 4.5 out of 5 stars across 1,520 Amazon reviews, ranking in the top 100 beauty products and top 75 shampoo and conditioner sets on the platform.
Amazon Rating Snapshot (Signature Bundle — 1,520 reviews):
| Stars | Estimated Share |
|---|---|
| 5 stars | ~70% |
| 4 stars | ~15% |
| 3 stars | ~7% |
| 2 stars | ~4% |
| 1 star | ~4% |
Editorial coverage has been strong. New Beauty named the Overnight Mask as its Best Overnight Hair Mask. Elle included the brand in its texturizing spray roundup. People, Byrdie, and CEW have all featured Kristin Ess products. PureWow gave Kristin Ess+ an 88/100 after a four-week multi-editor test.
Reddit and community reviews offer a mixed picture. Most users praise specific hero products — the blow dry mist, micellar shampoo, and curl conditioner stand out. The shampoo and conditioner divide users sharply: some call them the best they’ve ever used, others found them weighed down their hair or triggered scalp reactions.
What Are the Positive Kristin Ess Experiences?
Positive Kristin Ess users consistently praise the brand for glossy, soft results; a signature floral pear scent that lasts on hair; and product formulas that do what they claim without breaking the bank.
The blow dry mist and weightless leave-in conditioner spray are the most repeatedly praised products. Multiple reviewers say they can’t style their hair without the blow dry mist. The Signature Shampoo earns praise for lathering richly while leaving hair moisturized — a combination hard to find in sulfate-free formulas.
The Kristin Ess+ shampoo and conditioner impressed PureWow editors with an unexpected volume boost. One editor with fine, flat hair noted: ‘My hair already looks like I’ve done a spritz of texture spray.’ Three out of four editors noticed glossier, less dry hair after four weeks. The Overnight Bond Repair Mask received unanimous praise across all hair types tested.
What Are the Common Kristin Ess Complaints?
The most common Kristin Ess complaints focus on strong fragrance, hair feeling weighed down or static-y after use, and scalp dryness or irritation — particularly from the Clarifying Shampoo and core Signature range.
Reported Complaints:
- Fragrance too strong — described as overpowering in the steam of the shower
- Hair feeling weighed down and static-y even after multiple trials
- Scalp dryness and itching the day after use
- Shampoo feels runny and does not lather on first use
- Hair color gloss does not cover grey — it is a toner, not permanent color
- Restructuring mask jar difficult to open and use with wet hands
One Reddit user described dryness and brittleness after using the core range, while loving the blow dry mist. Another found the Clarifying Shampoo made their scalp so dry they thought they had dandruff. The fragrance receives the highest volume of negative feedback — several users with fragrance sensitivities switched to the Fragrance Free collection after reactions to the core range.
Does Kristin Ess Haircare Actually Work?
Yes. Kristin Ess Haircare delivers on its core promise of salon-quality results at mass-market prices, with active ingredients — avocado oil, castor oil, panthenol, marine extracts, and Zip-Up Technology — that directly support hair strength, moisture, and shine.
In fact, the brand’s formula investment is real. Formulas are not empty claims. The Signature Shampoo uses Hypnea Musciformis and Sargassum Filipendula — marine-derived strengthening actives — alongside avocado oil and mango seed butter. These are ingredients common in premium salon brands, not typical drugstore fillers.
The brand has won multiple industry awards and earned placement in four major beauty publications. PureWow’s four-editor panel found that three out of four testers saw visible gloss and moisture improvement after four weeks of Kristin Ess+ use — with the Overnight Bond Repair Mask earning universal praise across straight, wavy, and curly hair types.
Does Kristin Ess Improve Shine and Softness?
Yes. Kristin Ess Signature Conditioner weightlessly softens and smooths the hair’s outer cuticle, reaching the parts that natural scalp oils can’t, and leaves hair looking smooth, moisturized, and shiny without adding weight.
PureWow editors found the Kristin Ess+ shampoo and conditioner ‘pretty rich, bordering on decadent’ — with an almost creamy lather — while noting neither product weighed down fine or thin hair. The Soft Shine Beach Wave Spray also received praise for leaving hair ‘soft rather than crunchy,’ a common complaint with salt spray alternatives.
Can Kristin Ess Cause Dry or Brittle Hair?
A subset of users report that the Kristin Ess Signature and Clarifying Shampoos left their hair dry, brittle, and straw-like after use — with scalp itchiness noted the day after washing. These complaints appear across Amazon, Reddit, and independent blog reviews.
Pay attention to this: the brand’s strong fragrance is flagged by multiple reviewers as a potential trigger for scalp sensitivity. For users with fragrance allergies or reactive scalps, the Fragrance Free collection offers the same Zip-Up Technology without the pear floral scent profile. The micellar shampoo in the Fragrance Free line receives specific praise for cleaning fine hair thoroughly without dryness.
How Does Kristin Ess Compare to Olaplex and K18?
Kristin Ess+ directly competes with Olaplex and K18 by combining bond-building technology and biomimetic peptide technology into one formula, at under $25 per product — compared to Olaplex No.3 at $30 and K18 Leave-In Mask at $75.
Olaplex specializes in disulfide bond repair. K18 uses biomimetic peptides to target the hair’s polypeptide chain. Kristin Ess+ claims to address both mechanisms simultaneously through its Bondmimetic2 Molecular Complex. The clinical testing behind this claim covers increased hair strength and measurable improvement in moisture, shine, and manageability.
Kristin Ess+ vs. Competitors:
| Brand | Technology | Price Range | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristin Ess+ | Bond-building + biomimetic peptides | Under $25 | Target, Ulta, Amazon |
| Olaplex | Disulfide bond repair | $28-$38 | Sephora, salon, Amazon |
| K18 | Biomimetic peptide (polypeptide chain) | $29-$75 | Sephora, salon, Amazon |
PureWow concluded that Kristin Ess+ is ‘a great, affordable alternative to K18 and Olaplex.’ Every product in the Kristin Ess+ line is under $25 and can be purchased individually — so users are not locked into buying a set that may contain products that don’t work for their hair type.
Is Kristin Ess+ a Good Alternative to Olaplex?
Yes. For most hair types, Kristin Ess+ delivers comparable bond repair and moisture improvement results at under $25 per product — roughly half the cost of entry-level Olaplex and a fraction of the cost of K18.
The bottom line: PureWow’s 88/100 score after four weeks of real-world testing across four different hair types is a strong signal. The line worked best for straight to moderately wavy hair types. Curlier hair types saw some benefits but more variation in results. The Overnight Bond Mask was the one product that impressed every editor, regardless of hair type.
What Are the Side Effects of Kristin Ess?
Kristin Ess side effects reported by users include scalp dryness, itching the day after washing, hair feeling weighed down, static build-up, and fragrance sensitivity — primarily from the core Signature range and Clarifying Shampoo.
The Clarifying Shampoo receives the highest rate of dryness complaints. One reviewer described their scalp as so dry post-use they initially thought they had dandruff. This is consistent with clarifying formulas generally — they are designed to deep-cleanse and may strip moisture if used too frequently on dry scalp types.
For most users, the side effect risk is low. The brand uses gentle sulfate-free surfactants, and the Fragrance Free collection removes the primary allergen trigger. Users with fine, straight hair consistently report the best results with the lowest rate of adverse effects.
Who Should Avoid Kristin Ess Products?
Users with fragrance allergies or highly reactive scalps should start with the Kristin Ess Fragrance Free collection — the Daily Cleansing Shampoo and Shine Enhancing Conditioner — rather than the core Signature range, which contains a strong floral pear parfum.
Users looking for permanent hair color should not use Kristin Ess Hair Gloss. The glosses are toners that enhance shine and tone — they will not cover grey hair. Selecting the wrong product for this use case leads to disappointment and wasted spend.
How Much Does Kristin Ess Haircare Cost?
Kristin Ess Haircare products are priced under $25 across the entire range, with core shampoos and conditioners at approximately $10 to $14 per bottle and styling products ranging from $8 to $20. Kristin Ess+ specialty products are also all under $25.
UK pricing positions the brand at the affordable end of the premium mass market. The Signature Shampoo retails for approximately £8.00 for 296ml (10oz). This places it between standard drugstore pricing and salon brand pricing — a deliberate positioning that reflects the brand’s target of salon-quality results for mass-market shoppers.
Ulta Beauty offers Replenish and Save subscription pricing with 5% off the first order and 5% on every recurring order with free shipping. Ulta Rewards members also earn points on purchases and may access additional member savings of up to 20% during promotions.
Is Kristin Ess Worth the Price?
Yes. Kristin Ess Haircare delivers salon-grade active ingredients — avocado oil, castor oil, marine extracts, panthenol, and bond-building peptides (in Kristin Ess+) — at under $25 per product, matching or beating the ingredient quality of brands costing two to four times more.
The good news? The brand is sold individually — no sets required. Users can buy a single $10 shampoo to test it before committing to the full routine. That low risk of entry, combined with the brand’s award history and PureWow’s 88/100 score for Kristin Ess+, makes the investment straightforward for most hair types.
Where Can You Buy Kristin Ess Hair Products?
Kristin Ess Haircare is available at Target, Ulta Beauty, and Amazon in the US, with over 63 products stocked at Ulta and a growing range on Amazon that includes exclusive items not carried in Target stores.
The brand launched exclusively at Target but has since expanded significantly. The Ulta listing includes select exclusive products including certain tools that are not available at Target. Titanium tools and clips, for example, are not stocked at all major retailers — checking the brand’s own site confirms full product availability.
Where to Buy Kristin Ess:
- Target (US) — original exclusive retailer, core shampoo and conditioner range
- Ulta Beauty (US) — 63+ products, Replenish and Save subscription available
- Amazon (US) — Signature Bundle, select specialty products, Prime shipping
- KristinEssHair.com — direct-to-consumer, full range including new arrivals
- UK retailers — Boots (select products) at approximately £8 per 296ml
Is Kristin Ess Available at Ulta and Target?
Yes. Kristin Ess Haircare launched exclusively at Target before expanding to Ulta Beauty in early 2021, with Ulta now stocking over 63 Kristin Ess products including core and specialty items not always available at Target.
Ulta Rewards members gain additional value from the Ulta listing. Purchases earn points in the Ultamate Rewards program, and periodic members-only discounts of up to 20% apply. The Replenish and Save subscription at Ulta adds a further 5% saving on recurring orders — a meaningful discount for regular users of the Signature Shampoo and Conditioner.
Is Kristin Ess Haircare Worth It?
For most hair types, yes. Kristin Ess Haircare delivers salon-quality ingredients, proven Zip-Up Technology, and award-winning formulas at under $25 — with Kristin Ess+ now offering a clinically tested bond repair system that rivals Olaplex and K18 at a fraction of the price.
For users with fragrance sensitivities or reactive scalps, the core Signature range’s strong floral pear scent may be a barrier. The Fragrance Free collection addresses this directly. The Clarifying Shampoo should be used sparingly — once every few weeks rather than as a daily wash — to avoid scalp dryness complaints reported by some users.
The brand’s credibility is real: female-founded, celebrity-stylist-created, multi-award-winning, and PureWow-tested. With individual product pricing under $25 and wide availability at Target, Ulta, and Amazon, the cost of trying one product is low. For most buyers, the risk-to-reward ratio is strongly in the brand’s favor.
Pros:
- Salon-quality ingredients (avocado oil, marine extracts, bond-building peptides) at under $25
- Proprietary Zip-Up Technology in every product
- Sulfate-free, color-safe, vegan, and cruelty-free across all formulas
- Kristin Ess+ competes with Olaplex and K18 at a fraction of the price
- Wide availability at Target, Ulta, and Amazon
Cons:
- Strong floral pear fragrance may not suit sensitive scalp users
- Clarifying Shampoo can cause scalp dryness if used too frequently
- Hair gloss is a toner — does not cover grey hair
- Some users report hair feeling weighed down or static-y
Should You Try Kristin Ess?
Kristin Ess Haircare is best suited to users with straight, wavy, or normal hair who want affordable salon-quality results, and to users with damaged, bleached, or color-treated hair who want bond repair at under $25 through Kristin Ess+.
Start with a single product: the Signature Shampoo at Target for approximately $10, or the Fragrance Free Shampoo if scent sensitivity is a concern. Test for two weeks before committing to the full routine. Users with curly or highly textured hair should try the Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo and Conditioner specifically — these receive the highest praise in the curl community compared to the core Signature range.