This well-loved multi-tasking hair product claims to do a *lot*—as cynical beauty editors we put it to the test

Multi-use products are brilliant for the time-poor and the travellers. We can’t get enough of these products that promise to do more. The SPF moisturiser that protects the skin from harmful UV rays, as well as improving hydration levels. The tinted balm that works just as well on the lips as it does on the apples of the cheeks. And the hair cream that claims to nourish, tame, condition, define curls, smooth frizz, prime, add texture, boost shine, that can also be used as a mask? Yes, please, we’ll take a metric tonne of it.

But can a product really do all of these things? Solve so many of our haircare worries and concerns? We’re used to hair serums that seal the cuticle, whilst also offering up heat protection and blow-dry sprays that boost shine, but a pot of cream that says it can do nine things? There aren’t many of those.

Which is why for the next instalment of Hair Heroes, we decided to put Hershesons Almost Everything Cream to the test.

THE PRODUCT

As we said above, this nourishing cream does a lot. In fact, the brand says that “It’s not a hairspray. And it’s not shampoo, either. But our super smart Almost Everything Cream is pretty much everything else.” It can be used on wet or dry hair to aid in all manner of styling. Its formula, as you can imagine from such a high-achieving product, contains some pretty hardworking ingredients selected to work together to ensure that they can tick every box of its extensive to-do list.

Luke Hersheson, co-founder and creative director of Hershesons, explains that he developed it “to address the frustration of hair products that often overpromise and underdeliver. There was a need for a versatile, effective solution, which is why I created this multi-functional cream to streamline hair care routines and deliver tangible results. I use it on everyone from Victoria Beckham to Dua Lipa and Kiera Knightley.”

There are two sizes to shop: 30ml and 200ml. The brand also offers a subscription model, which can keep you topped up every 4, 6, 8 or 10 weeks.

THE CLAIMS

The brand says that the Almost Everything Cream does three things: helps with styling, conditions and hydrates. In doing these three things, it’s able to claim to do all of the below:

• Tame flyaways
• Smooth frizz
• Add texture
• Nourish hair
• Enhance shine
• Prime
• Define curls
• Add volume
• Act as a hair mask

Let’s see if the Marie Claire team agrees…

THE RESULTS

When a product says it can do so much, it requires a robust testing group. One with different hair types, textures, needs and desires. We tested the Almost Everything Cream on four heads of hair, these are the results…

I’m going to be completely honest, I am not coming into this experiment blind. I have used AEC (as it’s so affectionately known) for years. It's an essential product in my haircare regime, and I love it. I love the scent—a divine, clean fragrance, with slight citrussy notes that doesn’t have masses of staying power in your hair, but it’s lovely while it lasts. I love how soft it makes my hair—honestly, strokeable soft. And I love how it makes my hair look.

I like to use it on dry hair, after blow-drying, to tame my split ends and revive my lengths. It defines my waves and leaves them looking ultra-glossy. I also use it on day-old hair, as a reviver. When I want to stretch out the days before my next hair wash, I will brush my hair through with a bristle brush, then blast my roots with dry shampoo. This typically makes me look like I’ve just had a bath with a toaster. But when I work AEC through my ends, it separates and redefines my natural wave pattern.

However, I probably haven’t put it through its paces enough. I know how I use it, but in the name of beauty journalism, I started playing around with it in different ways. I normally apply hair oil to towel-dried hair before blow-drying, but I replaced it with AEC. I worked it between my hands and then through the lengths. Whilst it felt like it was hydrating my ends, I didn’t feel like it was adding the right amount of nourishment that I so often need as I colour my hair (at Hershesons, FYI) every six weeks.

I also did something that I would never normally do: I worked this cream into my crown. As someone with dry ends and greasy roots, I never put any product on the hair above my eyeline. However, I wanted to see if it delivered on its volume promises. As my hair is long, it’s weighty, and so I struggle with lift and texture at the root. AEC isn’t super rich, nor is it lightweight either; in fact, it’s somewhere in between. Thankfully, it didn't make my hair look any oilier or weigh it down further. Whilst I don't think it could ever really compete with the dry texture mists and volume sprays I normally rely on, it did add movement.

All in all, my opinions of this product haven't changed; I am just as impressed as I was at the start of testing. Yes, it can be used in so many ways; what's key is finding what works for your hair.

Let’s quickly chat about packaging. If you have long hair, and a lot of it, like me, then the smaller 30ml pot isn’t going to last you long. I tend to use just over a 50p-sized blob, sometimes more if I’ve recently had my hair bleached. However, it will be good in your washbag when you go away. I prefer the larger pump tube, which comes in 200ml.

This has long been one of my own hair heroes and will continue to be for years to come.

I’m not someone who has ever “styled” their hair with products. I will blow dry, straighten and curl it, but I will rarely use any products to get that “tousled”, “beachy”, or super smooth look. That’s not to say I have perfect hair, far from it—I have long, wavy strands that are prone to frizz and flyaways… Plus, I’m lazy. But I was swayed when two of my colleagues, with excellent hair, mind, said that they swore by Hershesons’ Almost Everything Cream, for well, everything.

It’s worth mentioning that I’m incredibly sceptical when it comes to multitasking products, as I often find that I need dedicated products for each component of my routine (I am a beauty editor, after all). But I was hooked after using the Almost Everything Cream just once. Not only did it tame frizz and flyaways, but the thick styling cream also revived my four-day-old hair: it separated and defined my waves and allowed me to tease my curtain bangs back into place. The result was hair that looked like it had been freshly styled.

Initially, I was a little concerned that the formula, which is a white paste, might show up on my dark hair, but it seemed to disappear immediately. On that note, you do need to use quite a bit of product if you have long, thick hair, but the smaller pot, which comes in 30ml, is perfect for travel, and I will be taking it with me on my upcoming Italian vacation. It’s a good hair day in a little blue pot.

Coily and curly girls know all too well that when it comes to our hair, no two days are the same. After years of straightening every day, I finally decided to embrace my natural hair texture. I know have my curl routine down to a fine art: a hydrating shampoo, a (deep) conditioner, then the scrunch method, followed by a curl cream and gel for extra hold. So, I was keen to see if this would slot into my routine and what it would do for my curls.

I’ll be honest, my first thought when trying this was that it wasn’t going to work for my hair type, especially considering "everything” (that it attests to doing) is a pretty big claim. But amongst other things, it also claims to be a curl definer, frizz fighter and tamer. While I wasn’t sure you could pry my usual products from my grip, this slick, little blue pot intrigued me.

Typically, I heap products onto my hair, but I adjusted my ratios, considering the pot is pretty small. I first applied this product on my wet hair instead of my usual curl cream, dispersing it through the ends and then scrunching it to coat my curls. Once my hair had dried, I was very happy to see how shiny it was, and it added to my curls' definition.

Do I think this is the ultimate curl definer? Maybe not. But it does a darn good job of eliminating frizz and adding shine. If I want to prolong my wash cycle, I use a little swipe of this on my edges to slick my hair back or if I need to inject a little life back into my otherwise limp curls. For my hair type, which is prone to dryness, this has become a hero for the ends. It gives just the right amount of oil/moisture, and it’s become a handbag essential.

My hair is extremely tricky to manage, so anything low maintenance that can enhance its natural texture is music to my ears. I applied the cream to clean, damp hair and scrunched it into my ends before leaving it to air dry. Consistency-wise, it’s definitely thicker than other curl creams I have used (most similar to a hair mask), which felt extra hydrating on my hair when applying.

Once fully dried, my waves had more definition than they would without any product at all, but less than with more heavy-duty curl-enhancing products like a mousse or a gel. The result was a loose, beachy wave that has a lovely, relaxed feel. For me, this is the ideal product to use for holiday hair when I want to give my natural texture a helping hand, but don’t want to spend any time styling it when I know I’ll be jumping back in the pool the next day.

I can tell that the cream boosted shine and made my bleached ends look and feel much less brittle, which is exactly what I need on holiday.

Because my hair is wavy rather than coily, I stuck with a modest amount of product so as not to weigh my hair down; about a 5p coin-sized amount did the trick. This means that a little can go a long way, and the small pot is also ideal for taking in a carry-on.

THE VERDICT

Just because a product can do eight things doesn’t mean that it has to do all nine things for every person. The Almost Everything Cream can be used in so many different ways to suit the needs of almost every individual. And that’s really where the magic of this multi-use product truly lies.