Best shampoo for every hair type, from dry to curly, natural and fine
We’ve tried and tested shampoos to discover the best shampoo for dry, curly, natural and fine hair to suit all budgets
JUMP TO SECTION
Click the links below to jump to the relevant section:
Recommending the best shampoo is a tricky one.
It depends on a whole host of variables – your hair type, how hard your water is, your budget, and your concerns.
There’s even a rising movement among experts who advise against using shampoo.
Instead, they’re urging people to skip straight to conditioner.
This is because they claim ingredients found in many shampoos, which do the job they’re designed to do – remove dirt and grease – can also strip the hair of natural oils.
In reality, however, it depends on what type of shampoo you’re using, how often you wash it, how you wash your hair, plus a whole host of other variables.
Below we’ve explained how to choose shampoo as well as what ingredients to avoid before we dive into our list of the best shampoo for every hair type and budget.
You can jump to each section using the links in the box to the left.
FURTHER READING: How to hair oil | How to protect your hair from pollution | Do you have combination hair?
Best shampoo
- Editor’s Pick: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
- Bargain Buy: OGX Biotin & Collagen pH Balanced Shampoo
- Luxury Buy: Hairstory New Wash
- Best shampoo bar: Lush Naked Shampoo Bars
- Best shampoo scrub: Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Sea Salt Scrub
- Best shampoo for dry hair and frizz: Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidéliste
- Best volumising shampoo: L’Oreal Paris EverStrong Thickening Shampoo
- Best shampoo for colour-treated hair: Color Wow Color Security Shampoo
- Best shampoo for blonde hair: Olaplex No4.P
- Best cheap shampoo toner: John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew
- Best shampoo for curls: Only Curls Cleanser
- Best for natural hair: KeraCare Hydrating and Detangling Shampoo
- Best shampoo for men: Gnarly Joe – £17 .99
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best conditioner | Best curly hair products | Best hair dryer | Best hair dye | Best hair removal cream | Best hair mask | Best products for curly hair | Best products for straight hair | Best purple shampoo | Best hairbrush| Best dry shampoo | Best straighteners | Best hair dryer | Best cordless straightener | Best hair waver
1. Editor’s Pick: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
£21 | Buy now
Not only is the Pureology Hydrate shampoo free from sulphates, but its main ingredients are also jojoba oil, green tea, and sage.
Jojoba oil works to hydrate and moisturiser the hair; green tea helps promote a healthy scalp, and sage stimulates hair follicles to prevent hair loss, and encourage more hair growth.
We love how soft and smooth this shampoo leaves our hair, and it helps our colour last noticeably longer.
We’re so enamoured of this shampoo that we’d go as far to say it’s better than some of the more expensive salon-first brands we’ve tried.
2. Bargain Buy: Aussie Miracle Moist
£4.15 | Buy now from Boots
One of the most acclaimed shampoos on the market is Aussie’s Miracle Moist Shampoo.
If you have dry or damaged hair, or a sensitive scalp, this is the one to go for.
That Australian macadamia nut oil will sort out your thirsty tresses.
It’s also less than a fiver – it’s almost too good to be true!
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=727231&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Faussie-miracle-moist-shampoo-300ml-10025601″ text=”Buy now from Boots”]
3. Best luxury shampoo: Hairstory New Wash
From £44 | Buy now from Hairstory
This wonder ingredient removes excess oil, dirt and styling products gently but effectively. This means you get all the benefits of cleaner hair without having to sacrifice natural oils or damage your hair’s protective barrier.
Hairstory New Wash is also cruelty-free, and because it can replace your shampoo and conditioner in one, it can – in theory – save you money.
The main benefit, according to Hairstory is “the softest, shiniest, healthiest hair” you’ve ever had since you were a child, which also means you can go days without washing it, it’s frizz-free and fade-resistant. It comes in three formulas, designed to suit all hair lengths and types.
- New Wash: All hair types
- New Wash (Deep): Best suited for hair that is fine and gets greasy quickly
- New Wash (Rich): A richer formula best suited to thick, curly, coarse, and natural/afro hair
You can read more about how much we rate this shampoo in our Hairstory New Wash review.
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://fave.co/3m1KSBU” text=”Buy now from Hairstory”]
4. Lush Naked Shampoo Bars
£8 | Buy now from Lush
Don’t be put off by how they look, shampoo bars resemble a bar of soap and come in different formulations designed to cater to all hair needs from volumising to moisturising.
It takes a bit of time to get used to the new way of applying, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel so good about cutting down that plastic packaging.
As with all Lush products, these shampoo bars smell amazing and one bar will last you for weeks.
This is largely because you’re less likely to use too much since you have to foam up the bar rather than just squeeze a bottle. The prices differ from bar to bar but are roughly £8 per piece.
FURTHER READING: The shampoo ingredients you MUST avoid
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://uk.lush.com/hair-care/shampoo” text=”Buy now from Lush”]
4. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Salt Scrub
£42 | Buy now
Save 15% with the code 15OFFXCR
Shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, and dead skin cells are among the many things that can get in the way of your hair follicles and prevent new, strong hair from pushing its way through.
This debris can also be the main cause of greasy, oily hair, even if you’ve just washed it. Or it can lead to a dry scalp, depending on how your skin is normally.
If you’re looking to boost hair growth, the Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Salt Scrub does exactly as it promises – it cleanses and purifies your scalp of all this debris.
It’s effectively an exfoliator for your scalp and it feels amazing. It doesn’t lather a great deal, considering it’s a shampoo, but don’t be tricked into thinking that this means it’s not working.
We also love how this smells, and a little goes a very long way so you don’t have to worry about it running out quickly.
FURTHER READING: How to get rid of greasy hair and stop it from coming back
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=17967&awinaffid=727231&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.christopherobin.com%2Fcleansing-purifying-scrub-with-sea-salt-250ml%2F12635437.html” text=”Buy now from Christophe Robin” ]
5. Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidéliste
£23 | Buy now
Hairdressers and hair colourists swear by it and if you’ve ever wondered how to recreate that salon feeling of healthy hair, this is it.
The Discipline Bain Fluidealiste Shampoo is enriched with a morpho-keratin complex, amino-acids, wheat protein, and ceramide-R designed to fight frizzy hair.
All these ingredients combined are especially beneficial to thick hair, especially coarse hair, leaving it smooth and free-flowing.
It also gives the appearance of thicker hair and helps brittle hair feel fuller.
Obviously, such high-quality ingredients don’t come cheap but they’re worth it, and you can often buy them in bundles to soften the blow.
6. KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo
Laura Mercier
Its lightweight formula cleanses hair, but it also relaxes and conditions your locks to make them look healthier.
This is thanks to its concentrated formula of natural botanical extracts that repair damaged areas along the hair shaft leaving you with fresh hair.
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://fave.co/31qrghp” text=”Buy now from Lookfantastic”]
7. Color Wow Color Security Shampoo
£19.50 | Buy now
This Color Wow Security Shampoo is specifically formulated for colour-treated hair to not only hydrate it from damage but to keep the colour looking bright and fresh.
Unsurprisingly, Color Wow says it works best when followed by Color Wow conditioner, but we found it worked fine with any conditioner we paired it with.
It’s a lightweight shampoo that uses what Color Wow calls a “Japanese amino-fortified complex” to help prevent dullness.
8. Olaplex No.4
£28 | Buy now
Purple shampoos are used to colour correct in case your locks start to look a bit dull and the Olaplex No.4 does this by neutralising brassy, orange, and yellow tones as it cleanses.
We love this shampoo’s amazing brightening power, and it makes an instant impact.
So much so, we don’t advise you to leave it on for longer than the advised time otherwise it can leave your hair looking silver. Unless that’s the look you’re going for, of course!
The downside is that it’s quite pricey so a cheaper alternative is John Frieda’s Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Shampoo. It has similar brightening power as the Olaplex version, and it smells great.
You don’t get the same bond-building benefits you do with Olaplex, but at £6 that’s to be expected.
If you’re looking for the best purple shampoo generally, we’ve also got a whole host of other recommendations here.
FURTHER READING: What is hair toner? | K18 vs Olaplex: Is Olaplex No. 3 or the K18 hair mask better for repairing your hair?
9. Only Curls cleanser
£16 | Buy now from Only Curls
Step up, Only Curls.
Packed with a blend of avocado and kukui oil, this shampoo deeply moisturises strands and helps to subtly define your natural texture.
The sulfate-free formula cleans without stripping your hair of its natural oils. It will moisturise your hair and scalp while helping it to detangle and reduce frizz. Curl perfection.
And if you’re looking for more of the best shampoo for curly hair as well as other curly hair products, check out our guide: Curly hair products 101: The must-have products for curly hair types to fight the frizz and tame their tousles.
FURTHER READING: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://onlycurls.com/products/all-curl-cleanser-300ml” text=”Buy now from Boots”]
10. Best shampoo for men: Gnarly Joe
£17.99 | Buy now
Gnarly Joe’s 100% natural shampoo took our Editor’s Pick because, in addition to being a great sulphate-free shampoo, it’s vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
It contains shea butter that is packed with nutrients, including Vitamins A and E, which add moisture to your hair.
Then there are fatty acids that help to reduce frizz and boost shine. Argan oil has lots of fatty oleic and linoleic acids that help moisturise your hair and scalp, and coconut oil has been used for centuries to soften, nourish and hydrate hair.
Plus it helps to give your hair a lasting smell after washing it out.
You can read more about the best men’s shampoo over on MBman.
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://amzn.to/3oDX5yk” text=”Buy now from Amazon”]
What shampoo should I use?
Whether you wash your hair at home or go to the salon, you probably spend quite a bit of time washing your hair which means choosing the best shampoo for your hair type is a must.
Step 1 – Find your hair type
Your hair type comes down to its texture, which refers to its natural shape, as well as how porous it is. We’ve explained more about hair types and how to know which type you have here. To determine what porosity it is, you can take our hair porosity test.
Step 2 – Find your hair structure
Your hair’s structure refers to how it’s “built” – fine, medium, or thick. because oils and grease will weigh down their style. People with curly and natural hair need more moisture from their shampoos and conditioners to avoid their locks drying out.
Step 3 – Check shampoo ingredients
- If your hair type is dry, look for words like hydrating, softening, moisturising and conditioning.
- If your hair is thin and flat, look for thickening, volumising, clarifying and lightweight.
- If you’ve got colour-treated hair, no matter what type it is, look for words such as colour-safe, anti-fade, colour protection, and colour security. The best shampoo for this hair type will help your hair type and protect its colour.
What ingredients to avoid in shampoo
While shampoo has become much easier to use over the years, some shampoos contain harsh chemicals that can cause damage.
There are several types of shampoos on the market that contain ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS strips away natural oils from your scalp. Others contain parabens.
You should always read the label before buying a new bottle of shampoo. Look for words like natural, organic, paraben-free, and “no SLS”. If you want to try something new, check out our top picks for the best shampoo brands.
How much shampoo to use
What’s more, shampoo isn’t actually designed to clean your hair. It’s designed to clean your scalp and remove dirt from your roots.
This means if you lather to the ends, it may cause them to dry out. Similarly, you should avoid massaging conditioner into the scalp because it can cause an increase in oil and should instead concentrate conditioner on the ends. You can read more about this in our science of shampoo and conditioner article. It’s a minefield!
With all of this in mind, below we’ve listed what we consider to be the best shampoos to suit all hair types and budgets.
READ NEXT: Best conditioner for all hair types
♥︎ Don’t miss out! Sign up for the mamabella newsletter today ♥︎
MORE LIKE THIS
- Best conditioner for all hair types
- The shampoo ingredients you MUST avoid
- K18 vs Olaplex: Is Olaplex No. 3 or the K18 hair mask better for repairing your hair?
- Best leave-in conditioner: Our fave hair treatments that are part-conditioner, part-mask, and all-round hair saviour
- What is hair toner and what does it actually do?
- How to cut your own hair
- L’Oreal Elvive Wonder Water review: Does the 8-second Wonder Water *really* transform damaged hair?
- How to manage hair loss and make hair grow faster: Expert tips, advice and what NOT to do
- What’s really in your foundation?
- The science of moisturiser
[simple-author-box]
