The Best Shampoos for Clean, Healthy Hair

As we said above, it's nearly impossible to prescribe a shampoo that works universally — for all types of hair, whether it's coarse, curly, colored or barely clinging on. Oars + Alps' Hydrating Shampoo is a solid suggestion, though, because it's free from everything that could damage your hair — sulfates, for example — and infused with natural extracts like kelp and algae. It's nourishing, hydrating (as the name implies) and finished with a fresh scent.

The SH2 Shampoo by Patricks promises a deep clean. Sure, you could use this option every day, but this is best reserved for those that shampoo sparingly — say two or three times a week. It works hard to remove stubborn build-up from products, dirt or even excess oil, all without damaging the hair itself. The SH2 is by far the most luxe shampoo on this list, and, as such, the price reflects that — but it's worth it.

Everything we said about our best overall shampoo, the one above by Oars + Alps, applies here: It's very hard to give you a shampoo recommendation without knowing exactly what type of hair you have and what you've recently done to it — whether you use pomades, just got it cut or dyed it. But Huron's lathers nicely, hydrates and soothes scalp issues, all for under $20 dollars. Plus, it's free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones and aluminum.

If you have thin or fine hair, then you may want to give it the illusion of fullness. Sometimes, just a simple shampoo can do the trick, since it dries out the hair. However, that’s bad for your hair’s health at the same time, and those fine strands are fragile. Living Proof’s volumizing shampoo gives you all of the volume without the parching — like a dry shampoo spray, only healthier.

This “silver” shampoo is actually purple, as are all of the ones targeted at toning whites, grays, and silvers. Those hairs are at risk of turning brassy in the sun or through product use, whether the hair is natural or dyed. Sachajuan’s purple pigment shampoo tones the color to keep your hair bright and as desired, while also nourishing it and preventing thinning or breakage.

Firsthand's Hydrating Shampoo feels ultra-gentle. It doesn't foam like other soaps, meaning there are less suds, but your hair benefits from its soft approach. Rather than stripping the hair and scalp of its natural oils, Firsthand leaves them intact and actually helps restore them — while cleaning, of course. Plus, it smells quite nice, like bergamot and vetiver, courtesy of an essential oils blend. And the bottle's made from 98-percent recycled materials.

Whether your hair is dry or damaged by dyes and styling products, Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo, with added coconut oil, will soften it. The acids cleanse but keep natural moisture intact, while coconut oil softens the hair's look and feel, which ultimately adds volume, too.

We've broken our own golden rule. Shampoos and conditioners technically shouldn't be dosed simultaneously, meaning 2-in-1s aren't the best for your hair. But Harry's does a good job of mixing milder iterations of both for a dual action shampoo that does the job of both a cleanser and a conditioner. TLDR: this one cleans but it also hydrates.

Guys with thinning hair should do a full-court press on hair loss. In addition to considering medicines like finasteride and minoxidil (both of which Hims offers), they should also deploy shampoos like this one from the brand, which use saw palmetto to fight DHT, the hormone byproduct that suffocates hair follicles and leads to hair loss.

Got dandruff? I get it. Nearly 50-percent of the population does. Don't be ashamed; do something about it. Try Jupiter's Balancing Dandruff Shampoo. It won't stick out in your shower like Head and Shoulders does, and it does the same job — although better, I'd argue. It's effective yet gentle, and it costs roughly the same.

If most shampoos kill your curls, try Bevel's Sulfate-Free Shampoo, which is specifically formulated for textured hair. You'll have a hard time finding a better option for natural styles, especially since the brand is Black-owned and -founded.

The formula is all-natural, soft and delivers a slight shine.

"Clean" is king in the beauty industry. The adjective is everywhere, but what does it really mean? It's essentially the absence of a number of purportedly harmful ingredients: parabens, sulfates, phthalates, dyes, aluminum, silicone, synthetic fragrances and so on and so forth.

Jack Henry's Cleanse+ Shampoo is free from all of these and relies on a botanical base to clean deep down to the scalp.

Beardbrand's all-purpose Utility Wash works as a face, body and beard wash and a hair shampoo. The no-fuss formula is relatively universal, albeit less specialized than, say, Jupiter's Dandruff Shampoo. It's a baseline option for folks with manageable manes.

Your first order from Uni comes with a reusable pump (and bottle sleeve), which you keep for when your next bottle comes. The bottles are recyclable, too, and the formula within them proves clean, skin-friendly and vitamin-rich.

OUAI is slowly expanding into specialized shampoos, with its anti-dandruff option and this powerful Detox option, which controls oil levels and boosts your hair's natural shine with an all-natural apple cider vinegar-based formula.

Are you a constant styler? The type that puts pomade or clay into your do every single day? You don't have to stop, but in order to continue forward without doing serious damage you need to enlist a clarifying shampoo — the kind that can clear the hair strands themselves and the scalp of buildup from these products. Forte Series' version does just that without doing any damage itself — which some shampoos can.

Bald heads need washing, too! And your standard-fare cleanser and bar-soap aren’t typically up to the task. Instead, keep a scalp shampoo in the shower—something that targets dandruff or oil toning. Neutrogena’s T/Gel medicated shampoo is exactly that. It prevents dandruff, itching, and flaking and ensures that your polished dome stays smooth as ever.

Maapilim relies on all-natural ingredients for its hair, face and body products. Its shampoo, a blend of Argan, Tea Tree, Kava and other oils, can be used daily and comes with a pleasant scent, courtesy of verbena, spearmint and vetiver.

When your hair thins, unlike hair loss, it means the gradual loss of volume and texture. Jack Black's Thickening Shampoo can counteract this issue with its unique, volume-boosting formula. Proteins, extracts and acids join forces to not only cleanse but also nurture the hair and its follicles.

Like fragrances, your shampoo should shift with the seasons. It's only natural, you know: what your hair looks and feels like in the winter is, at least for me, drastically different than how it looks and feels in the dead of winter. Why? Well, we wear hats to keep warm, use products to keep our hair from diffusing in the wind and so on and so forth. Fellow's Winter Wash uses vitamins and extracts to invigorate the scalp and hair, cleanse it and also hydrate it.

Malibu C's Swimmers Wellness shampoo, as the name implies, caters specifically to the aquatics-inclined individual. This iteration addresses both chlorine and copper, and uses antioxidants to restore damage done by them.