Which Kérastase Range Is Right for My Hair? An NZ Salon Guide

If you've ever stood in front of a wall of Kérastase and felt your eyes glaze over, you're in good company. There are a lot of ranges, the names are all in French, and the packaging looks fairly similar until you know what you're reading. The honest answer to "which Kérastase range is right for my hair" is that it depends entirely on what your hair is actually doing right now, not on what looks the prettiest on the shelf.

We use Kérastase on clients in the salon every week, so this is the same conversation we'd have with you at the basin. We'll go through each range, who it's genuinely for, and a couple of real usage tips so you don't waste money on the wrong thing. By the end you should know exactly which one to reach for.

First, work out your main hair concern

Kérastase organises everything around a concern rather than a hair "type", which is actually quite a sensible way to shop once you get your head around it. Most people have one dominant issue and maybe a secondary one. Pick the loudest problem first.

Ask yourself which of these sounds most like your hair day to day: is it dry and thirsty, damaged from colour or heat, fine and flat, frizzy and hard to manage, coloured (especially blonde), curly, or is the real story happening at your scalp? Once you've named it, the range almost picks itself. Everything below is shoppable, and you can browse the full Kérastase collection if you'd rather see it all in one place.

Dry, dehydrated hair → Nutritive

Kérastase Nutritive is the one we reach for most when hair feels rough, straw-like or just thirsty, especially through a dry Central Otago winter or after a summer of sun and lake swims. It puts moisture back without weighing hair down, and there are different richness levels within the range so fine dry hair and thick dry hair both get looked after. If your ends drink up conditioner and still feel parched, start here. Pair the mask with the matching shampoo for a noticeable difference in about two washes. You'll find it among our dry and dehydrated picks.

Damaged or over-processed hair → Résistance and Première

If your hair is breaking, full of split ends, or has been through a lot of bleach and heat, you're in repair territory. Kérastase Résistance is the classic strengthening range for weakened, damaged lengths, and the Extentioniste line within it is genuinely good if you're trying to grow length without snapping it off.

Kérastase Première is the newer bond-repair range, and it's become a quiet favourite of ours for clients with serious breakage. The pre-shampoo concentrate is the hero of that range and it's worth the extra step on wash day. If you're rebuilding badly damaged hair, both of these sit nicely in our damaged and broken edit.

Fine or thinning hair → Densifique and Genesis

Two different problems often get lumped together here, so it's worth separating them. Kérastase Densifique is about density and is the one to look at if your hair feels like there's simply less of it than there used to be. Kérastase Genesis is built around hair fall from breakage and weakened roots, with a lovely lightweight feel that won't flatten fine hair.

For most of our clients with fine, flat hair who want a bit more body, Genesis is the easy win and it doesn't leave any residue. Browse both in our fine and volume collection.

Coloured and blonde hair → Chroma Absolu and Blond Absolu

Colour-treated hair has its own needs, and using the right range here protects the money you spent in the chair. Kérastase Chroma Absolu is for coloured hair generally and helps keep your tone true and your shine up between appointments. It's a sensible default for anyone with colour, browsable in our colour-treated range.

If you're blonde, lightened or have highlights, Kérastase Blond Absolu is the one. The Cicextreme mask and the purple Bain Lumière are the two products we recommend most to blondes, and the purple shampoo is genuinely good at keeping brassiness at bay without going dull or violet if you don't overdo it. Use it once or twice a week rather than every wash. All our blonde-specific picks live in blonde and highlighted.

Curly and wavy hair → Curl Manifesto

Kérastase Curl Manifesto is the dedicated curl range and it's one of the more impressive launches Kérastase has done in recent years. It covers everything from loose waves to tight coils, and the leave-in cream and the refresh spray are the two products curly clients tend to repurchase. If your curls are dry and undefined, this range hydrates and gives you shape without the crunch. See it in our curly and wavy collection.

Frizzy, unmanageable hair → Discipline

For hair that frizzes the moment there's any humidity and is hard to smooth, the Discipline range is built to tame and control without flattening movement. It's a good one for thick, coarse or unruly hair that fights the brush. You'll find smoothing options gathered in our frizzy and unmanageable edit.

Scalp concerns → Spécifique and Symbiose

Sometimes the real issue is the scalp, not the lengths. Kérastase Spécifique handles oily roots, sensitivity and general scalp balance, while Kérastase Symbiose is the targeted range for flaking and dandruff-prone scalps. If your roots get greasy fast or you're battling flakes, start with the scalp before you blame your conditioner. Both sit in our scalp care collection.

Shine, oils and the finishing touches

A few ranges aren't about a hair type at all, they're about a result. Elixir Ultime is the famous oil range and the original Elixir Ultime oil is a brilliant all-rounder for shine and softness on almost any hair. Gloss Absolu is a newer line built specifically for glass-like shine, and Chronologiste is the luxury, do-it-all ritual range if you want one indulgent treatment that covers a bit of everything. Browse the oils in our hair oils collection.

Still not sure? A quick rule of thumb

If you only remember one thing, let it be this: match the range to your loudest problem, get the shampoo and the mask or conditioner from the same range so they work together, then add an oil or a leave-in for shine if you want it. You don't need five products from five different ranges. Two or three that actually suit your hair will outperform a bathroom full of mismatched bottles every time.

And if your concern doesn't sit neatly in one box, that's completely normal. Plenty of our clients are, say, blonde and dry, or fine and colour-treated. In that case lead with the more pressing issue and borrow one targeted product from the other range. If you'd like a second opinion before you buy, message the salon and one of our colourists will point you in the right direction.

Everything here is genuine, in-date Kérastase. We're an authorised stockist, which means you're getting the same products we trust in the salon, not grey-market stock of unknown age. Alongside Kérastase we also carry L'Oréal Professionnel, Pureology and Redken if you want to compare across brands.

Shop Kérastase at Crew

Ready to choose? Browse the full Kérastase range at Crew Stylists, with free shipping anywhere in New Zealand on orders over $99. It's the same salon-quality haircare our colourists use on clients every day, delivered to your door.

Frequently asked questions

Which Kérastase range is best for blonde hair in NZ?

Kérastase Blond Absolu is the range made for blonde, lightened and highlighted hair. The purple Bain Lumière shampoo keeps brassiness down and the Cicextreme mask repairs and brightens. Use the purple shampoo once or twice a week rather than every wash so you don't dull your tone.

What's the difference between Kérastase Résistance and Première?

Both repair damaged hair. Résistance strengthens weakened, breaking lengths and is great for growing length without snapping. Première is a newer bond-repair range built for serious breakage, and its pre-shampoo concentrate is the standout step. For heavy damage you can even use them together.

Can I mix products from two different Kérastase ranges?

Yes, and lots of people need to. If you're blonde and dry, or fine and colour-treated, lead with your most pressing concern for your shampoo and mask, then borrow one targeted product from the other range. You don't need a full set from each one.

Is the Kérastase from Crew genuine and in-date?

Yes. Crew Stylists is an authorised stockist, so every product is genuine, in-date Kérastase, the same stock our colourists use on clients. Free shipping is included on NZ orders over $99.