Extensions Care Brand of the Year

Open to independent professional brands offering products specifically designed for extension maintenance and care within salon and homecare environments. Products entered must demonstrate professional relevance, performance and suitability for extension aftercare during the eligibility period.

Open to independent professional brands offering products specifically designed for extension maintenance and care within salon and homecare environments. Products entered must demonstrate professional relevance, performance and suitability for extension aftercare during the eligibility period.

• A written submission outlining the product range, professional positioning and approach to extension care.

• Evidence of professional usage, salon adoption, stylist engagement or client feedback.

• Supporting materials including campaigns, education, treatments or product activity relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and plans for continued growth, innovation or product development may also be included.

• All activity must relate to the period 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026.

How This Category Will Be Judged

Entries will first be reviewed based on the written submission, supporting evidence and overall professional relevance within the extensions industry. Judges will consider product performance, hair protection, innovation, client results and the way the range supports long-term extension maintenance both in salon and at home.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product testing and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals. Judges may assess product performance, ease of use, hair feel, compatibility with extensions and overall suitability within real salon and aftercare routines.

To keep the process fair and independent, written entries and practical testing stages may be reviewed by different judges.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected products from their range for professional testing and evaluation. Product requirements, quantities and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the range entered and the most suitable way to assess the products professionally.

This category may be tested during one of our in-salon judging days with active extension specialists from our judging panel. Products may be assessed through professional salon use, extension aftercare performance and overall client experience within real working salon environments. Products submitted for judging will not be returned unless agreed otherwise in writing.

This category is not open to conglomerate-owned or publicly listed companies. Venture-backed brands are permitted, provided the brand operates independently within the professional market. Products without active professional salon relevance or suitability for extension maintenance will not be considered.

To protect the integrity of the awards, all judges are required to declare any professional, commercial or personal relationships with entrants prior to scoring. Any judge with a declared conflict of interest will not be permitted to review, discuss or score the relevant entry or category.

Entry Recommendations

Strong entries should clearly demonstrate how the range supports the long-term maintenance, condition and overall performance of hair extensions. Judges are looking for products professionals genuinely trust to help clients protect their investment while maintaining healthy, manageable and long-lasting extensions.

Supporting imagery, salon usage examples, before and after results, educational content, testimonials and evidence of professional industry support are strongly encouraged.

Entry Deadline

Final entry deadline for this category is 6 September 2026.

Shortlisted entrants may be contacted directly regarding additional judging stages, product submission requirements or further supporting information where applicable.