The Complete Guide to Matrix Hair Products

If you have spent any time browsing professional haircare, you have almost certainly come across Matrix. It is one of the most widely stocked professional hair brands in the world, trusted by salon colourists and stylists for decades, and genuinely one of our favourite brands to stock here at Revive Hair Artists. But with such a wide range covering haircare, colour, styling and treatments, it can be hard to know where to start.

This guide covers everything we stock from Matrix, broken down by range, so you can find exactly the right products for your hair type and concerns.

What is Matrix hair care?

Matrix was founded in 1980 and built its reputation in the professional salon industry on one core idea: salon-quality results that are genuinely accessible. Unlike some professional brands that price themselves out of reach for everyday use, Matrix has always focused on delivering professional-grade formulas at a price point that makes them practical for home use too.

The brand is part of the L'Oreal Professional Products Division and is one of the most widely used professional haircare brands in salons across the UK and beyond. Their range covers everything from everyday shampoo and conditioner through to professional permanent colour, styling products and specialist treatments. We stock the full Matrix range here at Revive Hair Artists, available with free UK delivery.

Matrix Total Results: the complete haircare range

The Matrix Total Results range is the brand's flagship professional haircare line and the one most people think of first when they think of Matrix. What sets Total Results apart from a lot of other haircare ranges is that it is not built around one formula. Every product in the range is designed for a specific hair type or concern, so rather than buying a generic shampoo that tries to do a bit of everything, you buy a shampoo and conditioner built specifically for what your hair actually needs.

Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek: for frizzy and unruly hair

The Mega Sleek range is designed for thick, frizzy, coarse or unruly hair that is hard to manage. It uses shea butter as its key ingredient to smooth the hair cuticle and reduce frizz without weighing the hair down or leaving it feeling greasy. The Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo is one of our best sellers in the Total Results range. Use it with the matching Mega Sleek Conditioner for the best results, and if your hair is particularly difficult to control, follow up with the Mega Sleek Butter Me Down leave-in treatment before styling.

Matrix Total Results High Amplify: for fine and flat hair

The High Amplify range is the Total Results answer for fine or flat hair that needs volume and body. It uses a protein-rich formula to strengthen and thicken each strand, which gives the hair more body and makes it easier to style with lift and movement. The shampoo cleanses gently without stripping, and the conditioner and styling products in the range are all designed to be lightweight so they do not drag fine hair flat again after washing.

If your hair is fine and you want volume that actually lasts, the High Amplify range is the one to try. The High Amplify Wonder Boost Root Lifter is particularly good if you want lift at the roots that holds through the day.

Matrix Total Results So Silver: for blonde, grey and white hair

The Matrix Total Results So Silver Shampoo is genuinely one of our best selling products full stop, and if you have blonde, grey or white hair you will understand why. Blonde and grey hair naturally picks up warm, yellow and brassy tones over time, whether from hard water, sun exposure or just the natural oxidation of colour. A good purple or silver shampoo neutralises those tones and keeps the hair looking fresh and bright, and the So Silver Shampoo does this brilliantly.

It works on natural grey and white hair, bleached blonde, platinum and any colour that is pulling warm. Use it once or twice a week in place of your regular shampoo for best results, or more frequently if your hair is particularly brassy.

Matrix Total Results Instacure: for damaged and breaking hair

The Matrix Total Results Instacure range is specifically designed for hair that is prone to breaking or snapping. It uses a porous protein filler technology that fills the gaps and weak points in the hair shaft to strengthen it from the inside, which reduces breakage significantly with regular use. The Instacure shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment work brilliantly together, and the leave-in is one of our go-to daily treatments for anyone with over-processed or very fragile hair.

Matrix Food For Soft: for dry hair that needs serious moisture

The Matrix Food For Soft range sits slightly apart from the Total Results line and is built entirely around deep hydration for dry hair. It uses avocado oil and hyaluronic acid as its core ingredients, which between them hydrate the hair from inside the shaft outwards and help it retain that moisture throughout the day.

If your hair is dry, rough, brittle or just never feels properly soft no matter what you use, this range is worth trying. The Matrix Food For Soft Hydrating Shampoo and Food For Soft Detangling Conditioner are a great starting point, and if you want to go further the Food For Soft Rich Hydrating Treatment Mask is brilliant as a weekly deep treatment for hair that is really struggling for moisture. We also stock the Matrix Food For Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil Serum which works as both a pre-wash treatment and a finishing product to seal in moisture after styling.

Matrix Glow Mania: for colour-treated hair that has lost its shine

The Matrix Glow Mania range is designed for hair that is colour-treated and has lost its shine and vibrancy. Colour-treated hair tends to become more porous over time, which means it loses moisture and shine faster than uncoloured hair. Glow Mania addresses this with a colour-protecting formula that gently cleanses without stripping, seals the cuticle, and adds a visible glossy finish that makes colour look fresher and more luminous.

The Glow Mania Color Protecting Conditioner is brilliant paired with the shampoo, and the Glow Mania Glow Sealing Leave-In Conditioner adds an extra layer of protection and shine for hair that needs a bit more. Both are available in 300ml and 1 litre sizes.

Matrix Total Results A Curl Can Dream: our personal favourite

This is genuinely one of our favourite ranges in the entire Matrix collection, and one I use myself. The A Curl Can Dream range is designed for curly hair and delivers brilliant curl definition, hydration and hold without leaving hair feeling crunchy, stiff or greasy. That last point matters more than you might think — a lot of curl products over-load the hair with product and leave it feeling coated and heavy, but A Curl Can Dream manages to define and hold without any of that.

One of the things I use it for here at the salon is on male hair systems, where I need to create a natural-looking curl without the hair looking or feeling artificial. The A Curl Can Dream range gives you a beautiful, soft, natural curl result that moves exactly like real hair should. The fragrance is lovely too, which is always a bonus when you are working close to a client.

The range includes the A Curl Can Dream Scrunch N' Go Defining Spray for fast curl definition, the A Curl Can Dream Rich Mask for deep conditioning between washes, and the curl oil and moisturising cream for daily hydration and definition. If your hair is naturally curly or wavy and you are not getting the definition and softness you want from your current products, this range is absolutely worth trying.

Matrix SoColor: professional permanent hair colour

Matrix SoColor is one of the most trusted professional permanent colour ranges in the industry and is the colour system of choice for thousands of salons across the UK. It is known for a few things in particular: brilliant grey coverage, a very wide shade range, consistent results from shade to shade, and the pre-bonded formula that helps protect the hair during the colour process.

The SoColor Extra Coverage range is specifically designed for resistant grey hair and delivers up to 100% grey coverage where standard colour might struggle. We stock a wide range of SoColor shades including the SoColor Extra Coverage 505G and many others across the shade range. All SoColor shades come in 90ml tubes and are used with a Matrix cream developer.

Matrix Tonal Control gel toner

The Matrix Tonal Control Pre-Bonded Gel Toners are a brilliant tool for refreshing and adjusting tone between full colour services. They are applied to freshly shampooed hair and work to shift the tone without committing to a full permanent colour. The pre-bonded formula means they are gentle on the hair, and they come in a range of shades covering warm, cool, ash and natural tones. If your colour is looking a bit faded or the tone has shifted since your last appointment, a Tonal Control toner can bring it back without a full colour service.

Matrix lighteners: High Riser and Light Master

We also stock two Matrix powder lighteners for professional bleaching and highlighting work. The Matrix Light Master Pre-Bonded Powder Lightener is a controlled lightener designed for up to 8 levels of lift with minimal damage, using a pre-bonded formula to help protect the hair during the lightening process. The Matrix High Riser Pre-Bonded Powder Lightener is the more powerful option for maximum lift applications. Browse the full Matrix hair colour range to see everything we stock including developers.

Matrix cream developers

We stock Matrix cream oxidant developers in 10 Vol (3%), 20 Vol (6%) and 40 Vol (12%) strengths, all in 1 litre sizes. The cream consistency mixes cleanly with Matrix SoColor and gives even, predictable development. As a general guide, 10 Vol is used for depositing colour with minimal lift, 20 Vol for standard permanent colour with 1 to 2 levels of lift, and 40 Vol for maximum lift applications. If you are unsure which developer to use with your chosen colour, 20 Vol is the standard choice for most SoColor applications.

Matrix styling products

The Matrix styling range is one of the most comprehensive professional styling collections available and covers everything from wax and texture through to volume, hold and curl definition. The Matrix Builder Wax Spray is one of our most popular styling products and is brilliant for adding texture and definition to shorter styles with a natural, flexible finish. The Matrix Vavoom Triple Freeze Hairspray is the one to reach for when you need a style to hold all day without feeling stiff or sticky, and the Vavoom Freezing Spray Extra Full Volume adds incredible hold while lifting and boosting volume at the same time.

Which Matrix shampoo and conditioner is right for me?

This is the question we get asked most about Matrix, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on your hair type and what it needs. Here is a quick guide to help you choose:

• Thick, frizzy or unruly hair: Total Results Mega Sleek
• Fine or flat hair that needs volume: Total Results High Amplify
• Blonde, grey or white hair: Total Results So Silver
• Damaged or breaking hair: Total Results Instacure
• Dry hair that needs deep moisture: Food For Soft
• Colour-treated hair that has lost its shine: Glow Mania
• Curly or wavy hair: A Curl Can Dream

If you are still not sure, feel free to get in touch with us at Revive Hair Artists and we will point you in the right direction based on your hair type. You can also browse the full Matrix hair products range to see everything we stock.

Free UK delivery on all orders from Revive Hair Artists in Codsall.