The Best Ever Shampoos: An Extremely Detailed. Guide

Roberta Schroeder
·13 min read
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The Ultimate ELLE Guide To The Best ShampoosRosdiana Ciaravolo

The best shampoo? That depends on, well, quite a few factors actually. As with many things in beauty, shampoo is a subjective topic, and whatever works best for your friend may not do the same magical things for your own mane.

The good news is, we’ve done all of the legwork to help you narrow down the shampoos actually worth their salt, whatever is it you're in the market for. A volumising formula for fine hair? We know just the thing. Something to deep clean after a week of dry shampoo? That too. Whether you’re wondering which shampoos are suitable for curls, or want to know if those shampoos for hard water really work, we’ve got you. Here, see absolutely everything you need to know about the fine art of the hair wash: including the bottles that belong in your bathroom.

Best shampoos: the ELLE top five

Meet The Experts

Why does your shampoo matter?

You should think of your shampoo as more than a simple cleanser: a good one will benefit you in terms of your hair condition and your styling success. You essentially want something that’ll strip oil and grease without stripping that essential moisture, while prepping your strands for whatever you’re planning on doing to them after, be it a simple air dry, a gravity-defying blow-out, or a sleek straightening session. Go too hard on the cleansing aspect and you’ll be left with squeaky clean but depressingly dry lengths, but go too gentle and you’ll likely be left with roots that still feel greasy.

As stylist Darren Fowler explains, ‘shampoo is formulated to cleanse your scalp and hair by removing dirt, excess oils, and product build-up. This helps maintain a healthy scalp environment and keeps your hair looking clean and fresh.’

What’s more, using a good shampoo is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy scalp microbiome. ‘The scalp microbiome consists of beneficial microorganisms that protect against harmful bacteria and fungi. Regular shampooing with the right products helps maintain this balance by removing excess oil, dirt, and build-up without disrupting the beneficial microbes. A balanced scalp microbiome can prevent issues like dandruff, inflammation and hair loss, ensuring a healthier foundation for hair growth,’ Fowler adds.

How to find your perfect shampoo

With so many shampoos on offer today, and plenty that claim to deliver a whole spectrum of benefits, it can be overwhelming to whittle down the one that’s right for you. Hairstylist Leah Hill suggests staying laser-focused on your one primary hair concern. ‘Perhaps it’s damage from colouring, chemical treatments or heat styling, or maybe your hair feels dry and dehydrated, and needs moisture,' she explains. ‘If you have textured hair you should consider the above, but also look out for formulas that have a good amount of slip to them so they can help with detangling.’ Generally speaking, you’ll find shampoos with a pearly or milky finish, rather than a clear gel, are better suited here.

How often should you shampoo your hair?

The age-old question: how often do you really need to lather up? As legendary hair stylist Sam McKnight explains, there’s really no need to overthink it, nor is there one rule for everyone. ‘It’s really simple: you should cleanse your hair when you sense it needs it. When roots have a build-up of sebum, products or sweat, it’s time to cleanse.’

There are many different factors that’ll influence how quickly your hair starts to feel dirty, meaning there’s no golden rule to unite us all. Fowler dives into the key factors to consider here:

  • Hair type: ‘Oily hair may require daily washing, while dry hair can be washed less frequently, around every three-to-four days.’

  • Scalp condition: ‘Oily scalps need more frequent cleansing, whereas dry scalps benefit from less frequent washing to maintain the natural oils.’

  • Lifestyle: ‘Those with active lifestyles or exposure to pollutants might need to wash their hair more often.’

Is sulphate-free shampoo really better?

Much has been made about the use of sulphates in shampoo, with many declaring them beauty’s biggest villain, and others wondering what all the fuss is about. Simply put, sulphates is the collective term for a family of foaming agents, which can be made from sulphuric acid, but also from things such as the fatty acids found in coconut oil.

‘I feel there are a lot of misconceptions with sulphates,’ says Hill. ‘The word sulphate is used as a scientific word to describe a foaming agent, which helps to create a foam in shampoo. The foam is what helps remove build up and dirt from the hair. Some sulphates are man-made, while others are made from natural ingredients, which can feel completely fine on the hair.’

As Fowler adds, it’s important to scour the back of that bottle to ascertain exactly which foaming agents your shampoo contains, as some sulphates are more problematic than others: in fact, there’s two in particular to be aware of. ‘Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are common cleansing agents that produce a rich lather and remove dirt and oil effectively. However, they can also strip natural oils and cause dryness and irritation, particularly in sensitive or colour-treated hair.’

However, there’s no need to remove all the sulphates from your hair routine immediately - in fact, keeping some involved can lead to real benefits. Here, Fowler breaks down the sulphates there’s no need to shy away from:

  • Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate A gentler sulphate derived from coconut oil, found in some high-quality shampoos, which cleanses without causing dryness.

  • Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate: Another mild surfactant that offers effective cleaning.

How we test the best shampoos

We might not be cosmetic chemists, but the ELLE UK beauty team know their way around a decent hair wash, and we've all lathered up countless times in the name of serious research. We also all have varying hair textures and tones, meaning we can wax lyrical about everything from the best shampoo to keeping blonde hair bright and clean, to the one that'll cleanse curls without causing a halo of frizz. Everything you see name-checked below has made it out from the beauty cupboard and into the bathroom of a beauty team member: this we can guarantee.

The Very Best Shampoo For Every Single Hair Need

Best shampoo for coloured hair

A good shampoo for coloured hair is a fine art: you want to remove heavy metals and pollutants that can dull your tone, but it’s also important not to strip your expensive salon colour. ‘Look for a shampoo that prolongs the vibrancy of your colour,’ advises McKnight. ‘Deep hues fade quickly and blondes can turn brassy, so shampoos that give the gift of longer-lasting rich colour are ideal. Many will be free from parabens and those harsher sulphates.’

Best shampoo for bleached hair

The bleaching process really challenges the integrity of your hair, which is why those with icy blonde tones will know that stretchy, chewing-gum style texture that develops after major colour work all too well. The solution here is a bond-building shampoo. There’s likely one you’re already familiar with: when Olaplex first launched 10 years ago, it revolutionised the in-salon colouring process, allowing stylists to take hair brighter and lighter without the associated damage. Now, the brand makes a brilliant at-home shampoo for bleached hair, and has since been joined by a number of competitors. K18’s product line works in a similar way to re-join the disulphide bonds that are broken by bleaching processes,, while Botanical Repair is Aveda’s all-natural offering, with plant-derived ingredients that penetrate the hair fibre to restore from within.

Best shampoo for curly hair

There’s a lot of advice out there when it comes to shampooing curly hair, but as Hill explains, the best shampoo for your texture is simply the one you like the most. ‘Different curl patterns do no not need different shampoos: however, depending on the surface texture of your hair may depend on whether you prefer a shampoo with more or less slip.’

Curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair, due to its higher porosity. This means moisture is even more important, so stay away from harsh, stripping shampoos (anything that claims to ‘detox’, ‘volumise’ or ‘deep clean’ is likely not for you).

If you’re completely at a loss as to where to start, there are some brilliant brands out there that cater specifically to curly hair: try Briogeo, Shea Moisture or Only Curls for something you can be sure was made with you in mind.

Best shampoo for textured hair

As Hill explains, there are many misconceptions around taking good care of textured hair. ‘One is that you shouldn’t wash your hair often,’ she says. ‘To promote healthy growth you should wash your hair at least every one-to-two weeks,’ she confirms. ‘Another misconception of washing textured hair is that you should use a textured-hair specific shampoo – this isn’t the case! As long as your shampoo has a good slip, it’s likely fine for your hair. Natural ingredients always help and a lightweight consistency is ideal.’

Best shampoo for damaged hair

If you’re surgically attached to your straighteners, or committed to the icy-blonde bit, it’s likely your hair is showing some signs of damage, be it fraying ends or a hairline that can’y quite catch up to the rest of your lengths. ‘A good shampoo for damaged hair should contain ingredients that hydrate, repair, and protect,’ says Fowler.

If your damage is caused by a chemical process, consider a bond-repair product like the ones mentioned above. And if it's simply dry beyond belief? Focus on getting that moisture in, shampooing only when necessary and going big on the deep treatments.

Best shampoo for itchy scalps

Anabel Kingsley, Consultant Trichologist and Brand President at Philip Kingsley, knows everything there is to know about shampoos for itchy scalps. If you’re dandruff-prone, she recommends using a daily shampoo that contains an anti-microbial active, such as Piroctone Olamine. ‘This ingredient specifically targets the yeast responsible for dandruff, and rebalances your scalp’s microflora,’ she explains.

Best shampoo for fine hair

‘A volumising and thickening shampoo is normally the go-to for fine or thin hair,’ says McKnight. ‘However, volumising cleansers can often feel quite drying in the long term,’ so don’t reach for one every single morning. The trick here is all in the balance: it may be worth having both a thickening shampoo and a regular, lightweight formula in your bathroom, so you can switch between the two, keeping your scalp super-clean without drying out your lengths.

Best shampoo for greasy hair

Clarifying shampoos are your heavy-duty scalp and strand cleanser, usually containing a high concentration of surfactants in order to deliver a really deep clean. Hill recommends using a clarifying shampoo at least every one-to-two weeks. ‘Doing so will help to remove all product build-up, dirt, oils and impurities from your hair. This is needed to provide a healthy environment for the hair and scalp. All hair types will benefit from a clarifying shampoo: specially those that use a lot a product,’ she says.

McKnight agrees, adding that ‘clarifying shampoos are a great solution for hair that has a build-up of products and needs a quick and easy detox. The norm is to use one around once a week, but be mindful they can strip your hair colour faster.’

Best shampoo for hard water

Hard water can wreak havoc on your hair: if you live in London, the South or East of England, you likely know the feeling well. ‘The presence of heavy metals such as iron, copper, zinc, and lead in your water interact with free radicals, which then attack collagen fibres on the skin and in the hair,' explains Karlee Oz, founder of Hello Klean. 'Once absorbed into the hair fibres, heavy metals such as copper form free radicals and expose the hair fibre to damage. Iron can tint light-coloured hair orange and dark hair reddish, while oxidised copper (chlorine + copper) can discolour light hair, producing a green tint.’

The other tell-tale signs you might be suffering with a hard-water issue are: dry and brittle hair, build-up that doesn’t seem to wash out, colour fading, and a dry and flaky scalp.

‘Outside of the hair, you might also notice soap doesn’t lather sufficiently, clothes feeling rough to the touch, and stains in the showers, and exacerbation of the symptoms of eczema and psoriasis on the skin and scalp,’ adds Karlee.

A specialist shampoo is going to be your saviour here. Hello Klean’s entire line was formulated to do just that, and the brand’s star chelating shampoo contains ingredients that bind with those unwanted minerals and metals, sweeping them away with the water.

As Karlee explains, a hard-water shampoo is not to be confused with a clarifying shampoo. ‘By contrast, clarifying or detox shampoos are more stripping, as they target styling products They're designed to be used one a week or fortnight, as overuse can strip the hair and leave it dry, brittle and prone to colour fading. Our Hard Water Shampoo lathers into a gentle foam suitable for every day use.'

Best shampoo for hair loss

First things first: if you're struggling with persistent hair loss, your first port of call should be your GP, not the aisles of Boots. Marketing hyperbole is rife in the hair-loss shampoo category, and no formula can magically regrow thinning hair on its own.

That said, a good shampoo for hair loss can be a supporting act in your hair-growth strategy, creating the optimal environment on your scalp for your follicles to do their best work. The below five options do not promise the world, but rather a gentle, biome-balancing cleanse that won't exasperate existing conditions.

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