10 Best shampoos 2024 in the US

Shampoo is almost an essential—washing the hair removes dead skin and bacteria from the scalp. That stimulates the scalp to grow new cells, which in turn will make your hair more healthy. Experts recommend washing the hair with shampoo twice a week. If you use shampoo together with conditioner, shampoo shouldn't dry the hair. But there are a lot of varieties of shampoos, and many are specialized for particular uses. Here is a guide to some of the best shampoos on the market.  

• By hair type: Whether your hair is straight, frizzy or curly determines what shampoo you should use.

  • Fine hair: Fine hair should be treated with a shampoo that adds volume: hair-thickening shampoos or “volumizing products” have silicon and polymers that coat the hair to make it more fat. They also strengthen and reinforce hair.

  • Normal/Medium Hair: Shampoos with wheat protein and Vitamins A, C, and E preserve healthy hair.

  • Curly/Wavy Hair: Curly hair will need more moisture than straight hair, because the oils from the scalp don't reach through all the curls. Shampoo for curly hair should contain glycerin and natural oils, like olive oil or jojoba oil. Avoid silicone-based products, which tends to lock out moisture.

  • Thick hair: There are shampoos recommended for smoothing the hair, containing things like avocado oil and soy protein, that maintain the proper amount of moisture.

• By hair texture:

  • Dry hair: If your hair is dry, you want something that adds oil and moisture: for example, shampoos that contain coconut, avocado, grapeseed or Argan oil. Don't wash the hair so often, to give the scalp a chance to produce more oils, to promote balance between the scalp and the hair. Conditioner should be used to build up and enhance the hair.

  • Oily hair: If your hair is oily, it's an indication that the scalp is really too dry, and is trying to balance it out (that's why oily hair can also suffer from dandruff). You want something that will remove some of that excess oil from the hair, and balance out the scalp. Tea tree oil is successful in doing this.

• Anti-dandruff shampoo: There are many causes for dandruff, so there will be a variety of treatments for it. Dandruff is dry flakes of dead skin from the scalp, which the scalp sheds naturally. If it's caused by a fungus or yeast, then the shampoo should have a fungicide. Other ingredients in shampoos, such as tar, keep the flakes of dead skin from building up. Natural ingredients that are touted to treat dandruff are: aloe vera and, tea tree oil for reducing the itchiness of dry scalp, and lemongrass, which can kill fungus. Also, blow-drying the hair with hot dry air can also increase dandruff (as well as dry weather).

• Color-treated hair: If you have applied hair color, there are special color-protecting shampoos that are mild enough that they don't wash out the color. You will need shampoo that doesn't have sulfates, to protect hair color or highlighted hair.

• Swimmer's shampoo: Blondes that swim in chlorinated pools experience a greenish tinge from the copper in the pool. There are shampoos that bind to the copper in the hair to remove that greenish color. There are also clarifying shampoos, that remove hard water deposits, chlorine and other impurities.

• Against hair loss: There are shampoos that stimulate hair growth by stimulating the scalp and hair follicles.

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Curly hair that is frizzy: To calm down frizzy hair, it's recommended to comb hair only when it is wet. Combing it when it's dry will increase frizziness and cause breakage. Dry shampoo is also suggested to add fullness.

• When to use 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner: If your hair has been damaged by chemical treatments, or the heat from a hair dryer or curling iron, use a conditioner every day, and employ a gentle shampoo only when your hair is significantly oily. The “2-in-1” combination of shampoo with conditioner is best for people with normal hair, that's not too oily or dry.

• Paraben-free/Sulfate-free: If you look at a shampoo's ingredients, sometimes you'll see a long chemical name with the word “paraben” in it. There is a concern that these compounds mimic estrogen, and could have a role in cancer formation. So natural products will advertise being “paraben-free”. Sulfates are added to shampoos to cause it to lather—but they can cause excess dryness, irritation, and color loss.

• Severe dandruff: If the store brand dandruff shampoos don't solve your dandruff problem, or if your scalp is swollen and red, or you are experiencing unusual hair loss, it might be necessary to get a prescription hair treatment.

• “UV protection”: Ultraviolet rays can damage hair by weakening the hair's outer layer. Prolonged sun exposure will make the hair look dry, brittle, frizzy, and with split ends. Shampoos that claim to be able to block usually don't have enough of the sunscreen (“benzophenone-4”) to be effective (especially since you wash out the shampoo anyway). Sunscreen products that are in a spray form, or a leave-in conditioner (that you apply and leave in the hair), will prove to be more effective.

Pura d'Or—is a brand name of Vital's Cosmetics International, Inc. They were started in 2011 in Orange County, California. They pride themselves on making shampoos, conditioners, and hair and skin treatments from organic ingredients.

Pure Body Naturals—was founded by Jonathan Stevens and have their headquarters in Houston, Texas. They make premium organic and all natural beauty products: skin creams, essential oils, hair treatments, and beauty and makeup tools.

ArtNaturals-- is an organic health care company located in Los Angeles, California. They have hair treatments and oils, as well as bath, body, and skin care products.

Paul Mitchell—is a hair products company that was started by Paul Mitchell and John Paul DeJoria in 1980 (Paul's son Angus started heading the company upon John's death in 1989.) They provide luxury hair care at an affordable price, including shampoos, hair color and treatments, and styling tools.

Clairol-- is a personal care product division of Procter & Gamble. They were established by Lawrence and Joan Gelb in 1931. They have been making home hair-coloring kits since 1956, and soon became the leading American company in the field of hair color.