The 23 Best Shampoos for Every Type of Hair

Pros: Adds softness and shine; ideal for people with locks according to reviews; treats dry, flaky scalps; has a nice floral scent
Cons: Might be too harsh for dry hair types
Size: 3, 10, or 32 ounces
Key Ingredients: Chelating agents, apple-cider vinegar, hydrolyzed keratin

When shopping writer and editor Hanna Flanagan has gone three or four days without washing her hair, this is the shampoo she reaches for. It’s formulated with apple-cider vinegar to help buff away dirt, oil, and product buildup. She says it’s a great shampoo to use after applying a thick hair mask or wearing your hair in a slicked-back bun. It also contains keratin to help strengthen the hair.

Pros: Moisturizing and helps repair hair
Cons: May weigh down finer hair
Size: 3.3 or 8.5 ounces
Key Ingredients: Olaplex’s patented bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate technology

Damaged, brittle strands aren’t a concern anymore now that Olaplex has entered the chat. Made with patented bond-builder technology that actually relinks the broken hydrogen-sulfur bonds causing hair damage, this product brings real results and works on all hair types no matter the texture. It restores the pain your hair has felt from heat to bleaching to chemical treatments.

Pros: Tames frizz; leaves hair hydrated, shiny, and revived 
Cons: Bottle is only 10 oz., those with longer or thicker hair may run through it quicker
Size: 10 ounces
Key Ingredients: Japanese moringa-oil extract, Japanese red micro-algae extract

McCarthy and Sherry both recommend the brand Shu Uemura, so you know it’s worth a try. This specific formula cleanses and moisturizes just the right amount, according to Sherry. She says it’s great for fine hair, thanks to its lightweight nature, but it also works for those with average to thick strands. It contains moringa and red-algae extract for a boost of hydration and protection from outside pollutants. The 4.5-star rating (out of five) on Sephora’s site means our beauty-loving peers can’t get enough of it either.

Pros: Formulated with silk proteins to add softness and help prevent breakage, can be left on like a mask for extra toning power
Cons: Some reviewers say it’s not clarifying enough for their liking
Size: 8.5 ounces
Key Ingredients: Purple pigments, silk proteins

If you lighten your hair, this product should be a staple in your at-home routine. “It’s one of the few blonde shampoos I’ve found that effectively neutralizes brassy and yellow tones without drying out my hair,” Flanagan says. Another benefit? The violet formula won’t stain your shower like other deep-purple-colored shampoos.

Pros: Great smell; leaves hair soft; lathers with a small amount of product
Cons: Not the best for colored hair
Size: 8.5 ounces
Key Ingredients: Plant-based proteins, niacinamide

If touching your hair throughout the day reminds you of straw rather than silk, you may need something that does a little more than cleanse. While thinking all your shower thoughts, this nutritive shampoo infuses each strand of hair with glucose proteins and nourishing lipids so you get that soft, slo-mo commercial hair-flip shine even before you move on to conditioner.

Pros: Smells amazing; doesn’t weigh your hair down
Cons: Expensive; jar container can be inconvenient in the shower
Size: 3 or 12 ounces
Key Ingredients: Wheat and soy proteins, vitamin B5, eleven amino acids, shea butter, protective silk

The value proposition for using this very expensive shampoo, as Jean Godfrey-June once said, is to ask yourself, “Well, do I need to look especially good today?” If the answer is yes, consider this shampoo, which has the texture and feel of very rich honey and gives you simply much “better” hair. It’s been a secret favorite of beauty editors and rich ladies for years.

Pros: Good for all hair types and textures, prevents color-fading, clean and sulfate-free formula
Cons: Some reviewers say it’s a bit drying
Size: 2.5 or 8.4 ounces
Key Ingredients: Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, sodium cocoyl glycinate

This product that helps prevent color fading makes my hair feel incredibly soft without leaving residue or causing it to look greasy in between washes. Flanagan loves that she can brush through her damaged, color-treated locks with ease after using this shampoo, which is rare, considering she usually has to apply a leave-in treatment or anti-frizz spray to get the same results.

Pros: Affordable; makes hair shiny and smooth 
Cons: Some said it made their hair feel waxy
Size: 12, 17.9, or 23.6 ounces
Key Ingredients: Moisturizing lipids, histidine

This is a classic drugstore shampoo with a score of 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon and Target. The product brags that you can go 72 hours between hair washes and your hair will still be moisturized and shiny.

Pros: Helps regrow hair; strengthens damaged hair; sulfate-free
Cons: Some said it felt drying
Size: 3.2 or 13 ounces
Key Ingredients: Jamaican black castor oil, shea butter, peppermint oil

This nourishing shampoo is the perfect companion on long and winding natural hair journeys, which can be filled with damage from heat styling, perms, dyeing, and so on. It combines the power of things you hear about in home remedies, like omega-rich Jamaican black castor oil and repairing shea butter, conveniently mixed with a touch of peppermint to get your scalp invigorated for all that new hair growth that’s down the road.

Pros: Leaves hair shiny and smooth 
Cons: Expensive
Size: 6.7 or 16.7 ounces
Key Ingredients: Vitamin B6, vitamin E, macadamia oil, moringa oil

The shea oil in this creamy, pearlized shampoo formula hydrates and fights frizz, while the macadamia oil nourishes hair. Bonus: The citrusy, woodsy fragrance just oozes fanciness.

Pros: Targets the most stubborn flakes; works quickly 
Cons: Some with thicker, curly hair say it’s hard to get the product to their scalp
Size: 7 or 14 ounces
Key Ingredients: Ketoconazole

This is a great option if you have really serious dandruff but don’t want to get a prescription quite yet. It contains the same active ingredient — ketoconazole — found in many doctor-prescribed dandruff shampoos but in a smaller dose. It has a big fan base on Reddit.

Pros: Unscented for those sensitive to fragrance
Cons: Some said their hair doesn’t feel as clean as it could be
Size: 1.6 or 8.4 ounces
Key Ingredients: Macadamia nut oil

Shampoos that say they’re “hydrating” can be heavy and weigh down especially finer hair. This light formula is super-mild, hydrates in a weightless way, and helps add shine to hair due to the inclusion of macadamia nut oil.

Pros: Best value; great smell; paraben- and silicone-free 
Cons: Some said it made their hair feel waxy
Size: 28 ounces
Key Ingredients: Coconut water and aloe vera extract

When your hair simply requires a hearty cleansing and you don’t have any specific issues you want to address, this is a very pleasant choice for under $10. The fragrance is beachy but not in a way that will make you feel like you’re washing your hair with a piña colada.

Pros: Great smell; cleanses scalp thoroughly but still easy to rinse out
Cons: Some said it felt drying
Size: 10 or 32 ounces
Key Ingredients: Marshmallow root extract, shea butter, avocado oil

For thicker hair, wash day can be a drag, but this shampoo is formulated to deeply moisturize and fight frizz and repair damage. The marshmallow-root extract in this formula provides proteins that soften and moisturize thick hair, while the shea butter helps to lock it all in. And it’s topped off with a signature fresh Ouai scent with notes of Italian lemon, orange, peony, iris, and lily.

Pros: Has a convenient twist cap, made without silicones, works on all hair types
Cons: Some reviewers say it left their hair looking and feeling greasy
Size: 8.4 ounces
Key Ingredients: Pure rosemary oil, ceramides, plant proteins

This strengthening shampoo contains pure rosemary oil to minimize hair thinning, as well as plant proteins and ceramides to help protect hair from breakage. “It refreshes my scalp and always leaves my hair feeling nice and clean, but never dry,” Flanagan says. “Although I don’t struggle with hair loss too much myself, several reviewers say their hair loss has subsided since using this product.”

Pros: Cleansing, smells good
Cons: Some say the product has no slip so curls do not feel soft; inconvenient packaging
Size: 8.4 ounces
Key Ingredients: Argan oil, aloe vera juice, lemon tea tree oil

Sans sulfates, this cleanser helps to gently wash away buildup. It smells like a fruity cereal and “is moisturizing and doesn’t dry out my scalp,” says Chinea Rodriguez, a shopping writer at the Cut.

Pros: Great smell; clean ingredients, clarifies and moisturizes
Cons: Tub container can be inconvenient in the shower
Size: 8 ounces
Key Ingredients: Bolivian mountain salt, papaya enzymes, prickly pear extracts

Ceremonia is rooted in Latinx heritage, and because the scalp is one of the most absorbent parts of the body, the brand makes sure its formulas are all packed with natural ingredients. Primarily sourced from Latin America, the ingredients in this scrub shampoo include Bolivian mountain salt for physical exfoliation, papaya enzymes to aid in removing product buildup, and prickly pear extracts to moisturize and smooth frizz. And obviously this makes the product smell amazing. Customers love it at Sephora, giving it a 4.8 out of 5 stars.