Good Hair Days Only: These Are the Best Shampoos From Olaplex, Redken, and More (2024)

TL;DR

Our Top Picks

Hair Type:All |Sulfate-Free:Yes |Scent:Original |Size:8 oz |Cruelty-Free:Yes

There’s truly nothing that this all-star sudser, and Byrdie team favorite, can’t do. It helps moisturize both hair and scalp (thanks to ingredients such as babassu seed oil andglycerin) and imparts volume and shine, all while smoothing, softening, and strengthening your hair. In short, it leaves your hair looking commercial-ready after every wash. We loved that this shampoo lathers well and makes their hair feel squeaky clean but not stripped. We also noted that we looked like we’d just left the salon after washing. Our hair looked as if we had just left the salon.

Hair Type:All textures and hair types |Size:10 oz |Scent: Floral |Sulfate-Free:No|Cruelty-Free:Yes

Our top budget choice is this Deep Clean Clarifying shampoo from Kristin Ess. Its selling point is its proprietary strengthening complex that helps to clean the hair and scalp, reduce oil, and smooth damaged strands. During testing, we really loved how lightweight it made our hair and scalp feel–like we could feel the dirt and buildup had been noticeably removed. These results were most noticeable after the third wash, and we enjoyed the extended day we got between washes after using it. Its light, floral fragrance is also very addictive.

Hair Type:Color-treated, damaged |Sulfate-Free:Yes |Scent:Original |Size:3.3, 8.5 oz |Cruelty-Free:Yes

This is a staple within the Byrdie beauty team thanks to its deeply reparative prowess. Like its in-salon treatment counterpart, it contains ingredients that work to repair broken protein bonds in your hair. Translation? Hair becomes softer, smoother, and generally looks and feels better. Another plus: The formula issulfate-free, so it shouldn't strip much-needed moisture. In fact, when testing it in our lab we found that it’s one of the only sulfate-free shampoos that lathers super well. It also left our hair feeling thoroughly cleansed without that squeaky feeling that some shampoos leave behind and without any lingeringspots of oiliness.

Hair Type:Wavy, curly, coily |Sulfate-Free:Yes |Scent:Tea tree |Size:10.1 oz |Cruelty-Free:Yes

Curly hair undoubtedlyrequires a little extra TLCand calls for carefully chosen products, shampoo included. This is a great pick that’s specially formulated to help retain moisture in curly, kinky, coiled, and natural hair with shea butter. It’s also sulfate-, alcohol-, and paraben-free, and even contains tea tree oil to help address scalp issues.

Hair Type: Curly, kinky, coily | Sulfate-Free: No | Scent: Floral | Size: 7.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This option is especially good for those with curly, kinky, or coily hair who need an extra deep clean. It’s intended for type 3 and 4 curls, helping to remove even the most stubborn product residue from the scalp and hair without stripping the natural moisture that’s oh-so-important for curly hair. It also contains panthenol for strengthening purposes.

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: None | Size: 8.6 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The wrong shampoo can cause all kinds of skin issues, from breakouts to weird rashes—that’s why this pick is so excellent. The dermatologist-designed shampoo is noncomedogenic (so it shouldn't clog pores) and is formulated without a long list of possible skin irritants. But don’t worry, it still does a superb job as a shampoo. Filed under: Why didn’t we think of that?

Hair Type: Wavy, curly, coily | Sulfate-Free: Yes |Scent: Fruity | Size: 8.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Bread describes this creamy hair cleanser as a co-wash meets shampoo, meaning it's able to clean while deeply hydrating the hair. It has many hair-nourishing ingredients, such as argan oil and aloe vera, as well as hydrating oils like coconut, avocado, and lavender oils. We also love that it can help with frizz and a flaky scalp.

Hair Type:All textures and hair types |Size:12 oz |Scent: Apple |Sulfate-Free:Yes|Cruelty-Free:Yes

If you suffer from oily roots and feel like you need to wash your hair every day, this sulfate-free apple cider vinegar shampoo can help. It scored highly in our test as it noticeably reduced oil in our hair and left the scalp feeling super clean. We particularly loved the way it lathered well and reduced oily roots while adding both volume and shine with 98% plant-based ingredients including argan oil, nourishing superfoods, and apple cider vinegar. It’s available to buy as a 12-ounce bottle or as a larger liter size for refills. Yes, it’s on the more expensive side, but the results make it worth it.

Hair Type:All textures and hair types |Size:8.5, 33.8oz |Scent: Fresh |Sulfate-Free:No|Cruelty-Free:No

If you hate having to wash your hair every morning, then Redken’s Clarifying Detox Shampoo can help to extend your good hair days. We’ve awarded it our Best Neutralizing shampoo as it helped to reduce oil in our hair during testing, and our scalp felt super clean after using. This is down to its cleansing complex that helps to remove impurities and buildup like dry shampoo and pollution from the scalp. It’s a more expensive option, but as you’ll need to wash your hair less after introducing it to your routine, it’s worth the extra dollars.

Hair Type:All textures and hair types especially waves and curls |Size:230 mL|Scent:Spicy-sweet |Sulfate-Free:No|Cruelty-Free:Yes

The first thing we noticed about this shampoo is its addictive fragrance that’s spicy and a little sweet. It starts as a clay but lathers surprisingly well once it’s mixed with water allowing you to cover your head easily. Multani Mitti earth clay absorbs excess oil and dirt, and Jamun Indian berries exfoliate the scalp. Finally, hibiscus flowers strengthen the hair follicles to reduce and prevent hair shedding. After using this shampoo our hair and curls felt noticeably softer and silkier, and it took longer for our roots to get oily in between washes. Our dandruff improved, too! Win-win.

Hair Type:All textures and hair types |Size:10 oz |Scent:Melrose Place scent |Sulfate-Free:Yes|Cruelty-Free:Yes

This light, clarifying shampoo is one of our favorite ways to splurge on our hair. It contains clarifying apple cider vinegar and chelating agents to remove hard-water deposits and added keratin to strengthen the hair strands. We put it to the test and loved how soft and healthy it left our hair feeling. It was also very effective at reducing oil and frizz, so we could extend the time between washes. It’s not an everyday shampoo, however, and is intended for once a week but it makes a nice complement to another shampoo.

Hair Type:Suitable for all hair types/textures (straight wavy, curly, coiled, and tightly coiled) |Size:100, 250 mL |Scent: Unscented |Sulfate-Free:Yes|Cruelty-Free:Yes

We tested this fragrance-free shampoo from Nécessaire and gave it high marks for its gel-like consistency, great lather, and ability to reduce scalp irritation. (Ours was noticeably improved after using). What’s more, our hair felt amazing with improved softness and silkiness. It’s packed full of some great ingredients including moisturizing hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ApiScalp to remove product buildup and reduce thinning (ideal for postpartum moms). Finally, it’s also suitable for color-treated hair and, during testing, we noticed that it enhanced the tone of our hair beautifully.

Hair Type:Fine, Medium |Size:8 oz or 24 oz |Scent: Clean |Sulfate-Free:Yes|Cruelty-Free:Yes

When you have fine hair, it can be a hard to find a shampoo that boost volume while also keeping your hair soft and supple. That's why we like Living Proof's full shampoo. Instead of using sulfates, it uses a proprietary amino cleansing complex and peptides to gently clean while strengthening and increasing volume. Plus, it uses phytantriol to preserve hair color and prevent damage from heat tools. What's not to love?

Hair Type:Damaged, color-treated |Size:8 oz |Scent: Floral |Sulfate-Free:Yes|Cruelty-Free:Yes

Coloring your hair strips it of moisture and protein, and this shampoo adds both of those back. Featuring amino acids and karmatin—a vegan alternative to keratin—the shampoo helps strengthen and rebuild the bonds that were broken during chemical treatments. Yet this shampoo also packs in the moisture with ingredients like glycerin, aloe, ceramides, and different oils. We also love the screw-bottom which makes application easier and mess-free. It does have a floral scent that lingers, which some find too strong.

Hair Type:Straight, wavy and curly hair types |Size:8.5 oz|Scent:Sparkling Cassis, Watery Cyclamen, and Mint leaf |Sulfate-Free:No|Cruelty-Free:Yes

We marked this shampoo highly as our hair felt like it had been given a total detox after just one use. If you live in a city or have just been on holiday and your hair feels loaded with product, sunscreen, and dry shampoo, it gives the hair and scalp a really deep clean thanks to its key ingredient, sodiumlaurethsulfate. This also helps it create a rich lather. We also loved its mint and cassis fragrance that really wakes you up first thing in the morning. Be sure to follow up with a good conditioner as it can leave your hair more prone to tangles.

FAQ

• Can I use conditioner without shampoo?

  Some people prefer to use conditioner without shampoo, at least some of the time. This may work for some, especially if you find shampooing too frequently leaves your hair dry. Some people use an apple cider vinegar or baking soda rinse before conditioning. However, never using shampoo might leave you with too much oil and product buildup in your hair.