Hair Treatment of the Year

Open to independent professional brands offering treatments designed for use within salon services and actively available within the professional market. Treatments entered should demonstrate visible results and professional salon relevance during the eligibility period.

Open to independent professional brands offering treatments designed for use within salon services and actively available within the professional market. Treatments entered should demonstrate visible results and professional salon relevance during the eligibility period.

• A written submission outlining the treatment, its professional positioning and performance within salon service

• Evidence of results including before and after imagery, testimonials, professional feedback or performance data

• Supporting materials including campaigns, education, salon activity or product content relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and plans for continued growth, innovation or industry impact 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 salon industry. Judges will consider visible results, innovation, hair health, professional trust and the way the treatment supports real client concerns within the salon environment.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product testing and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals. Judges may assess performance, hair feel, visible transformation, ease of use and the overall treatment experience within real salon services.

To keep the process fair and independent, written entries and practical testing stages may be reviewed by different judges. Product testing requirements and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the products entered and the most suitable way to assess them professionally.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected products from their range for professional testing and evaluation. Requested product quantities, testing requirements and judging formats will be confirmed directly with shortlisted entrants once judging allocations have been finalised.

This category may be tested during one of our in-salon judging days with active stylists from our judging panel. Products may be assessed through professional salon use, visible results, treatment 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. Systems without active professional salon distribution or those without a multi product system 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 visible results, professional relevance and the overall treatment experience within the salon environment. Judges are looking for treatments professionals genuinely trust to improve hair condition, manageability, shine, hydration or overall hair health while delivering consistent salon results.

Before and after imagery, salon usage examples, treatment journeys, 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.