There are a small list of brands and products that pretty much every single beauty editor I know keeps in their overflowing beauty stashes because they’re that good. One of those brands is L’Oréal Paris Elvive. The high street range creates some of the best affordable hair care with quality that matches up to high-end products—and there are so many products to choose from. Incidentally Senior Beauty Editor, Katie Thomas’s favourite range is Hyaluron Plump, which she says hydrates whilst simultaneously brightening her blonde like one of the best purple shampoos. Executive Beauty Editor, Shannon Lawlor, loves the Hydra Pure Shampoo as it’s the first one she’s ever used that tackles both dry ends and greasy roots.
Because there is so much to choose from, it can get a little confusing to know what to try first, or what to add to your routine. In total there are over 10 different Elvive ranges, so to help you on your next shopping trip, I’ve broken down five of the best and spotlighted the best products from each.
Best L’Oréal Paris Elvive ranges and products to shop
1. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss
2024 has been the year of hair gloss and earlier this year L’Oréal Paris dropped its own range to help you achieve this look for a lot less. Glycolic Gloss uses, you guessed it, glycolic acid to add strength and shine to the hair.
Using an acid like glycolic isn’t particularly new to the industry, other brands have done it previously with similar ingredients, however, this collection from L’Oréal is one of the best to have done it at a much more affordable price tag.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss Shampoo
Don’t judge this shampoo by its delicate pink colour, it’s far more punchy than it looks. Glycolic acid is an excellent ingredient for deep cleaning the scalp, exfoliating away dead skin and helping control sebum production. This results in a fresher scalp (the softness is impressive) and shinier ends. I like to switch this formula up with another hydrating shampooing to make sure I’m not overdoing it on the glycolic—just like you would in your skincare routine.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss Leave-In Serum
If you have damaged hair then your lacklustre locks will appreciate this addition to your routine. It helps repair bonds in the hair caused by things like bleach, colouring, heat and chemical styling. It also delivers a lovely, glossy sheen. Use just one pump and work into the palms of the hands before lightly running through mid-lengths and ends. Less it more here otherwise you run the risk of things looking slightly greasy. If you don’t have damaged or dry hair though then keep scrolling for something better suited to your hair type.
2. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths
It’s a close call but I think Dream Lengths is my favourite range out of them all. It’s one of the few products that lives up to its name. I swear by it for keeping my lengths looking healthier for longer ahead of my next salon trip. It’s not a replacement for getting your hair cut regularly but it absolutely keeps your ends looking better for longer and prevents hair looking frazzled.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths XXL Fibre Mask
Weekly nourishing hair masks are a really easy way to keep your hair in great condition. Designed specifically for long hair, this thick hydrating mask makes strands feel immediately softer and healthier. It’s also brilliant value for money – you only need a small amount, because it has a rich consistency, so the 400ml tub will last you ages. Please note: the instructions say that the restoring fibres are “activated by clapping”, which quite frankly is completely bizarre and unnecessary. You don’t need to clap to apply this mask, all that does is make a mess of it. Don’t judge a brilliant mask by its confusing marketing.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer
A heat protector spray is essential in any haircare routine—no excuses. This is particularly important if you’re trying to grow out your hair, which I’d assume you are if you’re using the Dream Lengths range. This formula can protect up to 230°C heat, helps to limit frizz and claims to keep hair straight and sleek for three days. While I won’t promise on the latter, I’m always happy with the results after using this, which I’m not putting down to coincidence.
3. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Bond Repair
Bond repair hair products are all about fixing those broken hair strands from chemical and bleach damage. This isn’t a range you need to use if you consider your hair to be relatively healthy (for example, virgin hair (not dyed) without any chemical damage) so stick to hydrating products (more on that below) if you’re not dealing with severely damaged hair. Now we’ve cleared that up, if you are in the ‘my hair needs serious TLC’ camp then this is a fantastic range that visibly improves damages hair—at a fraction of the cost of others on the market.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Leave-In Serum
This leave-in serum is a serious competitor for other, far more expensive products on the market. It contains 20% citric acid, which helps to repair broken hair bonds and over time gives the appearance of healthier hair. Unlike other brands, this one actually gives a lovely shine to the hair thanks to its serum formula. If you don’t feel like you need a bonding product every single time you wash, you can use it a few times a week to get the benefits whilst still using hydrating products, too.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment
I know, I know, the idea of a pre-shampoo treatment seems odd (and perhaps laborious) but it’s well worth adding to your routine if you’re committed to repairing damaged hair. To use, apply to the hair five minutes before shampooing and conditioning as normal and that’s it. It seems like a useless step but the results are impressive. I think this is particularly brilliant for bleached blonde hair making it look and feel healthier, smoother and shinier.
4. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrating products like these are fantastic no matter your hair type. They’re all-round brilliant products to use whether you want something reliable and hardworking to use regularly, or to use in between more targeted treatments. This range helps keep my hair clean and hydrated and there’s not much more I could ask for on a day-to-day basis.
L’Oréal Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic Acid 8 Second Wonder Water
Aside from its fantastic shampoo and conditioner, this Wonder Water is an excellent addition to your routine when you feel like it needs a little oomph. It gives your lengths a hydration boost (and a speedy one at that) and leaves hair looking and feeling smoother. You use it before conditioner (though sometimes I forget and use it after and it still works a treat), coating the hair in its water formula and letting it work for just eight seconds before rinsing out. Because it has a water consistency, it can take a little getting used to (and it’s very tempting to use more than you need) but trust the process, it gives the silkiest result.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic 2% Hair Serum
Many of us don’t realise that our hair needs a little more help in the dry ends department. That’s where a hair serum like this one comes in to save the day. It’s lightweight, non-greasy (which is incredibly important for a leave-in product) and leaves hair feeling moisturised. Its works on all manner of hair types too – its hydrating properties help give a sleek, smooth finish, as well as define curls.
5. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect
Colour your hair? You absolutely need some Colour Protect heroes in your routine. This helps preserve and even extend the life of your colour while it deeply cleanses so that you get a healthy scalp without compromising the colour you (or your colourist) no doubt worked hard to achieve.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo
If you colour your hair in any capacity (whether that be in the salon or a trusty box dye at home), don’t underestimate the power of a brilliant colour protect shampoo. I have used the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect range for years and consider it a staple. It helps maintain my colour (reducing any premature fading) and cleanses well without leaving my scalp feeling stripped and dry.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Conditioner
The conditioner is equally fantastic at preserving the life of my colour. It has a rich texture that feels almost like a mask, making it easy to brush through mid-lengths and ends with a wide tooth comb in the shower and leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft and tangle-free. Plus, it smells wonderful, which lasts throughout the day.