13 Best Scalp Serums of 2025, According to Doctors and Hair Stylists

The best scalp serums are the unsung heroes of a good hair day. A point that board-certified nurse practitioner and aesthetics expert Vanessa Coppola drives home is that how you care for your scalp directly affects the health and appearance of your hair.

“Most people focus on their strands but forget that healthy hair starts at the root,” she previously told Vogue. “A healthy scalp environment supports stronger, thicker hair, improves circulation, and even enhances how well your other hair-care products work.”

Vogue’s Favorite Scalp Serums

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Aveda Invati Ultra Advanced Revitalizing Scalp Serum

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By incorporating a quality scalp serum into your hair-care routine, you can enhance hydration, balance oil production, and deliver essential nutrients directly to the hair follicles. This investment in scalp health not only improves the look and feel of your hair but also contributes to its long-term vitality, which experts in both dermatology and hair styling can all agree on. Below, shop our 13 favorite formulas that a suit a range of concerns, from oiliness to hair loss.

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Best With Peptides: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

• Why We Love It: Peptides are all the rage in skincare, known for their ability to encourage collagen and elastin production. Apply that same theory to topical hair products, and this powerhouse ingredient can also support fuller-looking strands. “The Ordinary’s multi-peptide serum hydrates and nourishes the scalp, making it especially good for someone who experiences dryness,” pro hair stylist and colorist Jennifer Korab tells Vogue. In addition to proprietary peptides, the formula also includes caffeine to stimulate scalp circulation and reduce hair shedding.
• Key Ingredients: Caffeine, peptides, green tea extract
• Best for: All hair types, especially fine hair
• Size: 60 ml

Best Naturally-Derived: Aveda Invati Ultra Advanced Revitalizing Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Powered by a blend of Ayurvedic botanicals and high-performance actives, it’s easy to see why this scalp oil is one of Aveda’s bestsellers. “This plant-powered approach [to fuller hair] includes turmeric and ginseng, which support scalp circulation and reduce inflammation,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Noah Gratch previously told Vogue. “While it may not make hair grow in a clinical sense, it could improve overall scalp health and reduce hair breakage.” With continued use, the lightweight, non-greasy formula helps invigorate roots, improve blood flow, and minimize shedding.
• Key Ingredients: Turmeric, ginseng, amla
• Best for: Fragile or thinning hair
• Size: 150 ml

Best for Hair Loss: Nutrafol Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Much like its beloved hair growth supplement—one of the many hair care products and supplements Vogue editors swear by—Nutrafol’s topical serum takes an Ayurvedic approach to reducing hair thinning. “This growth-supporting formula is lightweight, quick-absorbing, and helps support a healthy scalp microbiome, which is essential for healthy hair growth,” says Korab. “It’s formulated with breakthrough ingredients like ashwagandha, pea sprout extract, and maca—all of which support overall hair health.” This non-greasy serum also uses exosomes (small vesicles packed with protein, lipids, and plant RNA) to encourage cellular renewal at the scalp and defend against stress.
• Key Ingredients: Ashwagandha, exosomes, Irish moss peptides, pea sprout extract
• Best for: All hair types, dry scalp
• Size: 50 ml

Best Drugstore: L’Oréal Paris Oil Erasing Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Infused with salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid, L’Oréal’s Oil Erasing Scalp Serum offers a salon‑grade cleanse that leaves the scalp feeling purified and refreshed for up to 72 hours—all while hydrating your lengths, never stripping them. Powered with salicylic and hyaluronic acids, the lightweight, water‑thin texture absorbs instantly without residue, making it ideal for those who want fresh, balanced roots without heaviness.
• Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, salvia, glycerin-rich components
• Best For: Oily or congested scalps who want their roots to stay fresh longer
• Size: 3.45 fl. oz

Best with Rosemary Oil: Nécessaire Rosemary Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Nécessaire’s newest launch, another leave-in serum, targets hair regrowth through a combination of botanical and potent chemical extracts. The herbaceous serum relies on a base of 70% rosemary-derived water, oil, and extract. Ceramides and 5% capixyl are the finishing touches for boosting overall hair anchorage at the follicle.
• Key Ingredients: Rosemary oil, rosemary water, rosemary extract, ceramides, 5% capixyl
• Best For: Promoting hair growth, reducing shedding, and overall scalp health
• Size: 1 fl oz.

Best for Brittle Hair: Augustinus Bader The Scalp Treatment

• Why We Love It: Augustinus Bader’s luxury skincare also extends to prestige scalp care. This formula boasts the brand’s TFC8 technology with maca root, hazel leaf, watercress, and Indian cress—blended into one revitalizing cocktail that optimizes the scalp’s cellular environment. When the product first launched in 2021, Augustinus Bader emphasized to Vogue the need for healthy environments for the scalp and this treatment promotes exactly that. Simply massage this lightweight formula into the scalp to reinvigorate follicles, prevent damage, and retain moisture.
• Key Ingredients: TFC8, L-Arginine, multi-mineral active complex
• Best For: Thinning hair, adding shine, damaged hair, split ends, or breakage
• Size: 30 ml

Best for Oily Roots: Act+Acre 4% Niacinamide Oily Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Another superhero skincare ingredient? Niacinamide, known for its skin-clearing and brightening properties, along with its ability to balance oil production at your roots. “Niacinamide is a skin-barrier superstar, and this lightweight serum brings that same balance to the scalp,” board-certified nurse practitioner Vanessa Coppola previously told Vogue. “It’s the perfect pick for people with oily roots because it regulates oil production without over-drying, which is key to maintaining scalp health.” With regular use, this serum can stretch the time until your next hair wash, which is especially helpful during the warmer months when hair can be more prone to oiliness. If you want to double down on the brand’s line of scalp-care products, the brand’s cold-processed stem cell serum is another best seller.
• Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, fermented green tea extract, ​​bio-fermented astragalus
• Best For: Oily hair, scalp buildup
• Size: 2.2 fl oz.

Best Custom: Prose Custom Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Like all Prose products, this serum completely takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect formula for your hair concerns. Based on a quick quiz you complete online, the brand creates a customized intensive scalp serum with a blend of hydrating ingredients and purifying chemical exfoliants that are perfectly catered to your skin’s needs. What’s included in yours? You’ll have to click “add to cart” to find out, and discover your own uniquely blended salve.
• Key Ingredients: Ingredients vary per customized formula. Prose picks from hundreds of clean ingredients, all sustainably sourced. Fragrance- and silicone-free options are also available.
• Best For: All hair types and scalp concerns
• Size: 8.5 fl oz.

Best for a Scalp Detox: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal and Tea Tree Treatment

• Why We Love It: In need of a scalp detox? Briogeo’s scalp serum delivers a cooling sensation while lifting impurities that weigh hair down. The formula leans on binchotan charcoal for a deep clean, plus tea tree and peppermint oils for a refreshing tingling effect. “Charcoal is a powerful detoxifier—it pulls out impurities and buildup, while the soothing agents calm irritation,” Coppola previously told Vogue, recommending this pick for anyone who needs a reset after overloading on styling products and dry shampoo.
• Key Ingredients: Binchotan charcoal, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, witch hazel extract
• Best For: Dry, flaky, or congested scalps
• Size: 1 fl oz.

Best for Daily Use: Odele Rejuvenating Scalp Serum

• Why We Love It: Vogue’s senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden reaches for this scalp serum as a daily refresh—even packing it in her overnight bag for weekend getaways. “I’ve been so wowed by this formula from Odele,” Murden previously said of this lightweight formula that comes “packed to the brim with scalp-balancing, hair growth-boosting actives.” She adds that she’s even experienced less split ends since she started using it a few times per week.
• Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, rosemary, caffeine
• Best For: All hair types looking to keep their scalp refreshed, without weighing down their lengths or disturbing their style
• Size: 2 fl oz.

Best for Itchy Scalps: Oribe Serene Scalp Soothing Leave-On Treatment

• Why We Love It: Sometimes scalp buildup requires a little comfort—and Oribe’s luxe leave-on treatment does just that. “Oribe Serene Scalp Soothing Leave-On Treatment is fantastic for calming irritation and adding lightweight hydration,” pro hairstylist and extensions expert Jewell Hingorani tells Vogue. It delivers a cooling sensation thanks to peppermint extract, which soothes while salicylic acid gently exfoliates loose flakes and soothes irritation. Let it linger post-workout, after styling, or anytime the insatiable urge to try your scalp strikes.
• Key Ingredients: Watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss extract blend, salicylic acid, peppermint oil, caffeine, niacinamide, panthenol
• Best For: Dry, itchy, or flake-prone scalps in need of soothing
• Size: 1.7 fl oz.

Best for Dandruff: Jupiter Restoring Serum

• Why We Love It: Flaky scalps, be gone! Dandruff often requires a bit more TLC to stop an unsightly snowstorm of flakes from collecting on your shoulder. Hingroani considers this pick an excellent choice for rebalancing, thanks to the formula’s star ingredient—zinc, known for its anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, that’s always up for the task of fighting flakes. Plus, the non-greasy finish makes it safe for daily use on dry hair, keeping your scalp clear from the hairline to the crown.
• Key Ingredients: Zinc pyrithione, niacinamide, green tea extract, aloe vera
• Best For: Dandruff, itchiness, oily or sensitive scalps
• Size: 2 fl oz.

Best Soothing: Aavrani Scalp Rescue Serum

• Why We Love It: Think of this serum as a soothing spa session in a tube—designed to calm, balance, and detox your scalp without any veil of heaviness. Aavrani’s Scalp Rescue Serum leverages 1.8% salicylic acid to gently dissolve flakes and buildup, while colloidal oatmeal and neem (an Ayurvedic herb with antimicrobial properties) deliver instant soothing and relief. Within minutes, even irritated scalps feel noticeably healthier. Lightweight and fast-absorbing, it’s the kind of leave‑in formula that resets your scalp’s equilibrium without disrupting second- or third-day hair.
• Key Ingredients: 1.8% salicylic acid, neem extract, colloidal oatmeal, peppermint, patchouli
• Best For: Dandruff-prone, flaky, or irritation-sensitive scalps
• Size: 2 fl. oz

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