WHEN your hair feels clean and looks good, you feel on top of the world and the first step in achieving that uplifted feeling is choosing a great shampoo for your hair type.
The best shampoos are those that not only clean your hair and scalp, but leave it feeling soft, hydrated and healthy. Depending on your hair type, you might prefer a shampoo for oily hair, split ends, or a dry scalp – scalp health being crucial when it comes to the health of your tresses.
Today however, you no longer have to rely on one-size-fits-all shampoos for normal, greasy or dry hair as there’s now a wealth of products available, nuanced to particular types of hair and their needs.
Ingredients too have come a long way, with natural additions, such as apple cider vinegar and specialised, functional components, including hyaluronic acid to hydrate, holding in moisture, and salicylic acid, which promotes scalp health, reducing sebum and helping get rid of dandruff, as well as gently removing product build-up that can occur over time.
Many shampoos are also sulphate-free, which means they’re gentler on your hair as they don’t strip away natural oils and are potentially less irritating to your scalp. Sulphates create lather and that detergent ends up in the water system, polluting the environment, so choosing sulphate-free products can also be one step towards reducing your impact on the planet.
We reviewed several different types of shampoo, including regular, two-in-one cleansers and shampoo bars. Our testers were all different ages and have different types of hair – such as fine, blonde, greasy, curly, coloured and dry.
Each shampoo was tested several times so the true effects of the product could be gauged over a number of washes.
We considered how well the shampoo cleansed the hair and scalp, how the hair felt after washing, how easy it was to comb through (or whether it was left with tangles) and how the hair looked and felt after using the product.
As the shampoos varied depending on their function, we also took into account factors such as glossiness, how hydrated hair felt after using the shampoo, did hair stay less greasy for longer, did it feel and look stronger, with less noticeable split ends and less frizz.
Read on for our tried and tested guide to the best shampoos available right now.
Pros: Minimises appearance of split ends, deeply conditioning, fragrance
Cons: Price
Rating: 4/5
You might recognise Redken from the hairdressers. Its Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo is crafted with ‘Salon Expert Concentration’.
Boasting a seven per cent bonding care complex, this shampoo works to reduce any colour fading, deeply conditioning your roots and minimising the appearance of split ends.
If any shampoo deserves to have ‘salon expert’ written on the front then it’s this one – from the first wash, we were immediately obsessed with it.
It genuinely made us feel as though we’d had our hair washed at the hairdressers, from the familiar smell (you’ll understand if you buy it), to the glossy bounce it gave our mane.
It might be expensive to splash out on the conditioner along with this shampoo – £25.70 at the time of writing to be precise – but if you only use it once a week or every two weeks, you’ll get enough impact out of it and it’ll last you for a while.
We’re calling it a self-care investment.
Not got coloured hair but want to give Redken a try? Read our full Redken shampoo reviews.
Size: 300ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: No, Star ingredients: Citric Acid and Bonding Care Complex to strengthen hair
Pros: hydrating and moisturising, lightweight
Cons: Doesn’t make hair very shiny
Rating: 4/5
All of Pureology’s haircare is 100 per cent vegan, which is enough of a reason to love its Hydrate Shampoo, even before trying it out.
Priced at over £20, the Pureology Hydrate Shampoo locks in your hair’s moisture, working well for dry hair that’s gone through the damage of being dyed.
We’re partial to a full head of highlights every three months, so Pureology’s Hydrate Shampoo was made for someone like us.
In terms of the thickness of the texture and the wash, it gives your hair, this one’s a winner for being better than bog-standard shampoos.
We can’t put our finger on the herbal/floral smell, but all you need to know is that it is good.
A fault with our hair is that it tends to get greasy quickly but we found that using this Pureology gem, our hair felt moisturised but not oily or greasy, even after a couple of days.
It’s lightweight and nourishing, not with dramatically shiny effects but it definitely has enough long-lasting hydration to win us over.
Size: 266ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Antifade complex, jojoba oil, green tea and sage
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Pros: luxury feel, softens hair, lightweight, strengthens hair
Cons: Price
Rating: 4.5/5
Now, you might recognise the brand OUAI for its best-selling Chill Pills, but its OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo is just as popular.
Combining hemp seed extract, chia seed oil, hydrolysed keratin and biotin, this luxe formula aims to strengthen your hair, giving you more volume.
At £28, it’s a little pricier than your average shampoo, so we expected great things from the get-go. And as soon as we felt the creamy gel texture, we knew we were in for a treat.
Smelling perfumed enough to enjoy, the Fine Hair Shampoo definitely feels luxurious when you apply it, giving you a deep cleanse that doesn’t weigh down your hair at all.
It feels free of any harsh chemicals, leaving your hair soft and stronger from the first wash, without giving you too intense a clean.
We definitely recommend pairing this with the Fine Hair Conditioner for salon-fresh results – forking out £56 for your hair wash might seem excessive, but you get what you pay for.
Size: 300ml, Vegan: No, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Hydrolysed keratin, biotin, hemp seed extract and chia seed oil
Pros: Cleans scalp and hair thoroughly, leaves hair feeling fresh, stops hair getting weighed down by greasy products, good for people with allergies and eczema
Cons: Price, not as silky smooth as conditioner at first, your hair has to get used to it
Rating: 4/5
Hairstory aims to rewrite the shampoo rules with its New Wash Original. It is sulphate-free and uses essential oils that clean your hair and scalp, while keratin leaves your hair soft. It’s like a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, but on a different level, with no detergents.
Hairstory aims to leave your hair looking healthy and you not needing to wash it as often – so saving you money and time. Apply it using a scalp brush for a deep clean.
Packaging is minimal, in a sachet rather than a bottle, and it’s quite expensive, but there’s no need for a separate conditioner.
We found our hair felt very soft after using this, especially after we’d used it a few times, and the fragrance is amazing. But even after one wash, we could see what all the fuss was about.
Our hair felt really clean and hydrated. Our only complaint is that we tried out the 8oz pack which will probably be gone in a few weeks, so we’ll definitely go for the bigger size in future.
Read our full Hairstory review.
Size: 8 fl oz (236ml), Vegan: No, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Jojoba, evening primrose and peppermint oils, glycerin and keratin
Pros: great for frizzy hair, moisturising, strengthens, lovely fragrance, hair feels really clean
Cons: Price, takes a few uses before you see the anti-frizz and strengthening results
Rating: 4/5
Loved by the Kardashians and just about every celebrity hair stylist, Olaplex has a reputation to live up to with its No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo.
The clue’s in the name as this best-selling favourite aims to repair, strengthen and revitalise damaged hair by deeply moisturising it.
In short, we had high expectations. The thick-textured, sweet-scented formula smells great and feels as though you are giving your hair an intense yet soft wash when you use it.
Upon the first use, we were happy with how clean our hair felt, but that’s where our praises halted as I was expecting salon-fresh, shiny results but our frizzy hair looked not much different to how it does after other, much cheaper shampoos.
Although our tresses definitely stayed looking freshly washed for longer than usual, we decided to keep going to see if the impact would be more dramatic if we continued to use it.
After three washes, we started to recognise that my hair definitely felt stronger, finding that the best results came when we used it following the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector.
It’s a powerful shampoo though, so if you’re prone to scalp conditions then we’d recommend only using it three to four times a month as it gives quite a harsh, deep clean when used too frequently.
Want to know more about the whole Olaplex range? Check out our Olaplex review here.
Size: 250ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol diamleate (strengthens and nourishes hair)
Pros: Hydrating, hair felts soft after using, lovely fragrance, price
Cons: Doesn’t help with greasy hair
Rating: 3.5/5
Famous for its natural skincare products, Aveeno has launched haircare now too that also aims to soothe your skin, but this time we’re talking about your scalp.
The Rose Water & Chamomile Blend shampoo is specifically made for dry and frizzy hair, using a pH-balanced formula to relieve an itchy scalp whilst leaving your hair weightless and moisturised.
This one smells delicious with powerful hints of rose water that leave your hair smelling great for over a day after you wash it.
After one wash, our frizzy hair felt immediately softer yet still had volume, as though it really had been gently moisturised.
Our hair is prone to getting greasy after one day and this didn’t directly help with that aspect, but in terms of using this as a day-to-day hydrating shampoo, we were definitely won over.
Size: 354ml, Vegan: No, Cruelty-free: No, Star ingredients: Colloidal oats
Pros: strengthening, lovely fragrance, hair is smooth and silky after using
Cons: Price
Rating: 4.5/5
Looking just as good on the shelf as it does on your hair, the Oribe Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo is for those who enjoy the finer things in life.
At £47, it’s definitely on the expensive end of the spectrum but it sure feels luxurious as part of your hair-care routine.
The floral scent is a blend of honeysuckle and daisy extracts, working with chia seed, plant-based protein and bio-fermented bamboo leaf to strengthen the bonds in your hair.
Beyond the beautiful smell, it gives your hair and the pretty bottle, we actually loved the results of this shampoo from the first use.
Our hair is naturally really brittle and frizzy as it’s half-curly, and this worked wonders on giving us a smooth, silky feel from the moment we used it.
We’re surprised more people don’t know about Oribe because it really gives you straight-out-the-salon hair.
Size: 250ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Oribe Signature Complex (watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower)
Pros: Berry fragrance, rinses off well, price, good everyday shampoo
Cons: Not very moisturising
Rating: 4/5
At a bargain price of under £6, Aussie’s SOS Deep Repair shampoo promises to “bring hair back from the depths of despair”.
Infused with Australian super fruits, the Kiss of Life shampoo says that it will repair damaged hair, whether that’s from colouring, heat or just general life.
First off, we have to compliment the gorgeous berry scent – who doesn’t love it when their hair smells good enough to eat?
It gives you a good hair wash, rinsing off well and leaving your locks feeling refreshed, but as we’ve got dry, curly hair, we weren’t blown away by the impact it had.
In terms of the pricing and effects, we’d buy it again though as an easy, go-to shampoo that gets the job done without leaving your hair greasy at all.
If you do not need dramatic repair then this is the ideal purchase for you, from the yummy scent to the more-than-satisfactory wash it gives your mane.
Size: 290ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Australian superfruits
Pros: Softens hair, good size bottle, hair was shiny after using, lovely fragrance, price
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
Known for its hair growth vitamins, Hairburst For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo comes in a duo pack with the matching shampoo for less than £21.
Not only does Hairburst’s shampoo help you achieve stronger hair, but it also strives to help it grow longer with added shine. What more could you want?
The bottles are smaller in real life than they look online, but they’re still 350ml which is quite a bit bigger than the size of your classic cheaper haircare.
You can smell the hints of avocado and coconut as you cleanse your hair in the shower, leaving it smelling wonderful post-wash too.
Out of all the shampoos, we were most pleasantly surprised by this duo as our hair was left looking noticeably shinier and softer to the touch after using it just once.
People might prefer more mature-looking products, but we definitely recommend Hairburst’s For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo & Conditioner Duo for getting fast results.
Size: 350ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Hydrolysed wheat protein, amino acids, panthenol
Pros: great results from the start, adds volume, deeply cleansing,
Cons: Pricey
Rating: 4.5/5
Living Proof is guilt-free haircare in every way – it’s cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free and silicone-free.
Full Shampoo is one of the brand’s best-sellers and takes your hair from limp to full and lovely, giving you volume through every strand, thanks to its signature Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA) formula.
This shampoo is not cheap so we had high hopes for its performance and we were not disappointed.
Our hair felt deeply cleansed, and light and had more volume, from the first use and we could leave it longer between washes.
The shampoo smells good, but it’s not too heavily scented, which is a good thing.
All in all, we can see why this one’s a cult favourite.
Size: 236ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA) formula
Pros: Moisturising and hydrating, hair looks shiny after using, softens hair
Cons: Price
Rating: 4/5
Coco & Eve’s Super Hydrating Shampoo provides you with a “Bali-inspired haircare routine”.
Both cruelty-free and vegan, it’s a welcome addition for enjoying ethical hair washes, striving to leave your hair feeling strong, shiny and you guessed it, deeply hydrated.
Having used this for two weeks now, we can safely confirm that it definitely wins on the moisturising front.
Our hair not only feels softer after committing to this, but it also stays looking shinier for longer which is a massive plus for someone with wavy, frizzy tresses.
Of course, the bottle looks pretty on display in your bathroom too.
Is it more hydrating than others on the market? We would say so, although for £22 it’s a little on the pricey side.
We would recommend trying this with a cheaper conditioner if you can’t afford to splash out on the full set, although we’re definitely singing Coco & Eve’s praises.
Size: 258ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Pineapple fruit enzymes, hyaluronic acid, avocado, coconut and fermented oil complex
Pros: Hydrating, beautiful fragrance, highlights looked fresh, hair looked shiny
Cons: Price
Rating: 4.5/5
The vibrant purple shade and gorgeous melon scent of this shampoo combine to provide a great hair experience.
Our highlights were brightened and looked really fresh, but importantly our hair also felt moisturised and afterwards was shiny and soft.
You can see a difference from the first use, but we liked the results we got when we kept the shampoo on our hair for around five minutes, massaging it in well before rinsing.
We love that Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde Shampoo is also vegan and cruelty-free.
Review by Jennifer Barton
Size: 300ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Violet tinted colour enhancing formula and conditioners
Pros: Strengthens hair, freshens and brightens highlights, moisturising, hair felt silky after using
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
Fudge Professional’s Everyday Clean Blonde Damage Rewind Violet-Toning Shampoo is great for strengthening hair as well as freshening up highlights.
It incorporates OPTI-PLEX technology, which left our hair in good condition, with the heightened blonde notes apparent from first use.
This is ideal if your hair is brittle or dry from over-colouring – results are less immediately dramatic than with some other purple shampoos, but we liked the results it gave.
As well as brightening up our blonde, our hair looked cleaner for longer and was left feeling silky, so it’s top marks for quality.
Size: 250ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: OPTI-PLEX technology
Review by Jennifer Barton
Pros: lovely fragrance, hair looked smoother, price
Cons: Very purple
Rating: 4.5/5
This is less expensive than many shampoos for blond hair and it works well on grey and bleached hair too.
It is very purple and we were a little concerned about how it would look on our hair, but we needn’t have worried as we didn’t end up purple (nor did our bathroom). We like the results we got with this.
The berry fragrance is lovely and it stays on your hair for around 24 hours after using. Our hair felt smoother and cleaner and the colour looked generally lifted.
This is a great shampoo for the price, it reduces yellow and brassy tones and is just as good as more expensive products.
Review by Jennifer Barton
Size: 300ml, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Ultra-violet pigments to get rid of yellow tones
Pros: Nourishing, deep cleaning, lifts colour, great fragrance
Cons: Expensive, takes a few uses to notice results
Rating: 4/5
Although this duo of shampoo and conditioner is expensive, it could at the same time be considered a good deal for professional salon products.
Some purple shampoos, while toning down brassiness, don’t really clean your hair and it feels greasy after a couple of days. This shampoo doesn’t do that, rather it really cleanses your hair and keeps it feeling fresh for longer.
It also smells fab, like a refreshing aftershave.
We noticed our colour lifted after using this shampoo four times and it also helped condition our over-dyed hair.
Review by Jennifer Barton
Size: 300ml, Vegan: No, Cruelty-free: No, Star ingredients: Triple acid protein complex and pure violet pigment
Pros: Fragrance, rich lather
Cons: Expensive, small bar
Rating: 4/5
The bar lathered up quickly and gave a rich foam. It tingled on the scalp, but it didn’t sting – unlike some mint products I’ve used in the past.
My favourite bit about using this shampoo though was the fragrance – it smelled good enough to eat and it was incredibly uplifting.
Mint is good for dry skin and I have a dry scalp so this formulation, which is designed to soothe itchy, flaky scalps, is ideal.
In addition to mint and eucalyptus, this shampoo bar also contains macadamia and avocado seed oils to help strengthen your hair and celery seed extract, for its soothing anti-itch and anti-flake properties.
Also available in Citrus & Ginger and Scent-Free versions.
Review by Lisa Burn
Size: 50g, Vegan: Yes, Cruelty-free: Yes, Star ingredients: Macadamia oil, eucalyptus, celery seed extract, argan, avacado and coconut oils
Pros: Leaves hair feeling immediately soft, hydrating, lathers, backed up with science
Cons: Not enough product, price
Rating: 4/5
Redken products have a balanced pH of between 3 and 4, which helps hair look smoother and stronger.
This shampoo contains avocado and olive oils for hydration, as well as silk amino acids to replace lost protein and helping strengthen hair. It has a subtle fragrance, not dissimilar to that of shampoo in a hair salon.
We tested the 300ml size and were really pleased with the result – though the shampoo didn’t last long before the bottle was empty.
Once on the hair, it lathered easily and rinsed out well, with no residue left behind. Even after one use, tresses felt softer and hydrated, an effect which lasted for several days.
Read our full Redken All Soft Shampoo review.
Review by Olivia Perl
Size: 300ml, Vegan: No, Cruelty-free: No, Star ingredients: Argan oil, moisture complex
Shampoo is widely available in supermarkets, pharmacies and online in the UK. As with other family toiletries, such as toothpaste and shower gel, you can pick up a bottle while you do your weekly shop – most large stores stock a wide variety of shampoos to suit a range of hair types and concerns.
For more niche brands, specialist products, and organic or vegan shampoos, you may need to look at individual websites or beauty sites, such as Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty or Sephora. Amazon also offers a huge range of shampoos.
Using search terms for your hair type, condition and preferences (for example dry, frizzy, sulphate-free and vegan) will also bring up websites for lots of products and brands, which you can then research to find your ideal shampoo.
It’s also worth noting that some professional shampoos are only available to buy from hair salons.
Here is a list of the best places to buy shampoo:
Shampoos cost less than a pound upwards, so there’s something to suit every budget. However if you want a shampoo with extra ingredients to control frizz, add shine, boost hair colour and more, then you will pay extra.
The cheapest shampoo in our tried and tested round-up is Aussie Shampoo SOS Deep Repair at £5.99 and the most expensive is Oribe Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo at £47, so the price range is large.
Perhaps it’s best to view specialist haircare products in the same way as skin care products – many of us are happy to spend more for a good moisturiser as it’s an investment in our skin, so our hair deserves the same treatment.
When shopping for shampoo, consider what you are trying to achieve.
If you want something that will hydrate your hair, then you’re going to want to go for moisturising formulas. Whereas oilier scalps might need a shampoo that isn’t going to leave their hair looking greasy.
It’s especially important to be more selective when you have more specific needs, such as curly or coloured hair.
Curly hair needs more loving as it’s naturally quite dry, and if you have dyed your hair, you need to ensure you’re using colour-treatment shampoos.
Co-founder of organic beauty brand Odylique, Abi Weeds says that using sulphate-free shampoos can help tackle greasy hair. She explained, “Sulphates are harsh detergents that work to cut through grease but at the same time, strip the hair and scalp. The scalp responds to this by producing excess sebum (oil), creating a vicious circle of grease. Switch to a natural, organic hair shampoo with ingredients like biodynamic nettle, which has proven scalp benefits. You’ll possibly find you need to wash your hair less frequently too.”
Learning about your hair type is straightforward. If your hair has circular follicles then it is curly, otherwise, it’s straight or wavy.
The thickness can also be felt with your hands, it’s quite easy to notice whether you have naturally fine hair which needs a shampoo that gives the illusion of thickness and helps maintain growth.
If your hair gets greasy easily then you probably have an oily scalp, which can be treated with certain shampoos too, in the same way that dandruff can be reduced with speciality products.
