Whether you’re looking to target thinning hair or replenish a dry scalp, to find the best shampoo for your hair, you need to start at the root. First off, a good shampoo should cleanse the hair and scalp of oil and dirt build-up, be easy to rinse out, and leave your locks feeling soft and silky so that they’re easy to style and manage. But sometimes your hair might need that something extra.
Amazon Prime Day is happening 8-9 October, meaning that for just 24 hours, you can buy the best shampoos with a discount in the retailer’s sitewide price slashes. Below, we’ve rounded up the best shampoos on offer in the sales. Don’t forget to sign up for Prime in order to unlock all the Prime Day beauty deals.
Pantene
Molecular Bond Repair Gift Set
Redken
All Soft Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Set
Living Proof
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
Why Rosemary Oil Makes Hair Grow Faster And Thicker (And All The Best Products To Use)
By Tracy Achonwa
What to look for when buying shampoo
“Choosing the right shampoo for your hair type is very important to get the best results from your shampoo,” says trichologist, Hannah Gaboardi. “For hair which is excessively dry and dull-looking, for example, you may need to choose the shampoo that offers moisturising and conditioning properties; whereas if your hair gets greasy quickly you should avoid silicone-based shampoos. For flaky scalps or dandruff, look for shampoos with ingredients like pyrithione zinc and salicylic acid. And for fine hair, one should opt for a shampoo with thickening agents.”
But with so many options out there, and new releases dropping every week, it can be difficult to navigate – which is why we’ve selected some of our tried-and-tested favourites.
How we chose the best shampoos
From gentle curl cleansing formulas to keratin-boosting power blends, every shampoo in our round up comes vetted by Vogue beauty editors. We’ve tried every formula and assessed how well each works to rid hair of grease and grime, as well as how they actually live up to their specific claims. Whether clarifying, colour-protecting or hydrating, only the best shampoos made our edit.
Scroll on for Vogue-approved finds sure to leave your tresses refreshed, whatever your hair type.
The best shampoos at a glance
Best scalp scrubs
Curlsmith Wash & Scrub Detox Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
With microfine beads that exfoliate the scalp without being a pain to rinse away, there’s much to love about Curlsmith’s scrub. There’s the vegan formula – including apple cider vinegar and nettle leaf – which gently clarifies congested skin; the high-slip lather with a satisfying foam that thoroughly cleans your strands. And best of all? Its refreshing aroma that scents your hair with lingering melon notes. Completely free from sulfates and silicones, it’s also enriched with probiotics to promote a healthy, balanced scalp. A shampoo-scrub hybrid which should be the wash of choice for anyone with fragile tresses.
To dissolve dead skin and grime right from your roots, this scrub employs an expert blend of actives. Among them: salicylic acid from purple willow bark, the gentle grit of micro cellulose fibres, and a tea tree and peppermint infusion that leaves your scalp feeling totally refreshed. Perfect for keeping flaky scalp conditions under control, it’s rich in anti-inflammatories and antifungals – see niacinamide and rosemary oil – for optimal scalp health. “The nozzle tip of this scrub makes it very easy to saturate your roots, even if you’re working with a head full of tangle-prone coils. The fine formula, which leaves zero annoying particles behind is bested only by the bottle itself – one that elevates your bathroom interiors with a stone finish akin to a sculptural work of art. For any sceptics not sold on Beyonce’s namesake brand: yes, it’s worth the hype.” – Tracy Achonwa, contributing writer.
Best shampoo for coloured hair
Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Formulated for colour-treated hair, Pureology Hydrate Shampoo uses a blend of sage, green tea and jojoba to target dry, dehydrated locks, locking in and revitalising colour. Meanwhile, the brand’s patented Antifade Complex® contains a UV filter designed to protect the hair from external aggressors that can accelerate fading.
Aveda Colour Conserve Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Boost colour-treated hair and prevent from fading with Aveda’s plant-fused Colour Conserve Shampoo. This 100 per cent organic formula is designed to replenish dry, damaged hair and protect it from the harmful effects of environmental aggressors leaving hair soft and silky.
Best shampoo for curls and coils
The Steam Bar Scalp Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Great for all hair types – but especially those with an afro that curls, kinks or coils – this shampoo treats the scalp as soil by both removing impurities and feeding it with the nutrients for optimal hair growth. Perfect for hair types whose natural oils struggle to travel the length of the hair shaft, it’s a scalp-targeting wash that does not strip tresses of moisture as it clarifies. In fact, aside from citric acid to thoroughly descale the scalp, it’s made wholly of strengthening and conditioning ingredients including protein, vitamin E, and baobab. Expect detangled hair while you lather up and a scalp that feels totally refreshed.
Davines Love Curl Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
The real draw of Davine’s Love Curl shampoo is not in its heavenly, widely hailed scent, but in its power to both detangle and define your curls in just one wash. “A 10 pence sized-pump of this shampoo transforms into the most luxurious, all-encompassing lather, which is no small feat for those with a dense crop of curls.” says Tracy Achonwa, contributing beauty writer. “Not only does a little go a long way to refresh your hair, but the hydrating foam slides over each strand for effortless detangling. I keep this in my arsenal for lazy wash days when I don’t want to lift a finger – it’s so good I find I can even skip conditioner and get a comb through with ease.”
Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Specially formulated for curls and textured hair, Charlotte Mensah’s Maneketti Oil Shampoo is designed to nourish dry and damaged hair. Infused with nut and ximenia oils, the organic formula strengthens as it cleanses, leaving hair soft and manageable.
Pattern Beauty Cleansing Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
If you could trust anyone to teach you the secrets to a thriving afro, Tracee Ellis Ross (and her mother, Diana) would be top of the list. Designed for type 3 and type 4 hair, the star’s shampoo is tailored to the needs of thick, naturally coiled hair, addressing dryness and the tendency for tangling and breakage with a nourishing, strengthening formula. We love the inclusion of aloe vera and vitamin B5, which gave a juicy, healthy look to our tester’s curl pattern after just one use.
Best shampoo for dandruff
La Roche Posay Kerium Anti-Dandruff Gel
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Dermatologist favourite La Roche Posay applies its skincare-first philosophy to treat a troubled scalp. Designed for optimal tolerance on even the most sensitive and irritated skin, this gel shampoo targets flakes (and the fungal growths that often accompany them) with gently micro-exfoliating LipoHydroxy Acid and anti-fungal Piroctone Olamine. Lather up and let it sit a while before you rinse, for relief from the discomfort of dandruff and a deep clean of oily tresses. We particularly love the clean scent and scalp clarity this shampoo provides, dissolving buildup to give our hair that refreshed feeling when we tried it.
Redken Scalp Relief Dandruff Control Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Not to be confused with dry scalp, dandruff is the result of increased oil production and yeast overgrowth on the scalp. To combat this, Redken’s Scalp Relief Dandruff Control Shampoo uses a wet/dry formula powered by pyrithione zinc, lavender extract and glycerin, to cleanse and clarify the hair and relieve the scalp for good. Apply first to dry hair, massage into the scalp, and leave in for five minutes, before washing away with water.
Best shampoo for thinning hair
Augustinus Bader The Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Using the brand’s signature TFC8 technology (a complex of natural amino acids and vitamins), Augustinus Bader’s miracle-working shampoo nourishes and hydrates the hair from the first use. Furthermore, thanks to a keratin-boosting, follicle-stimulating blend of watercress and maca root, over time it promotes stronger, thicker hair that’s less prone to breakage and shedding.
Philip Kingsley Density Thickening Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Free from drying sulphates, Philip Kingsley’s Density Thickening Shampoo is formulated with hyper-branched polymers and hydrolysed pea peptides to both increase volume and boost strand thickness, strengthening your hair from within the cortex. Meanwhile, added BHAs gently exfoliate to promote a healthy environment for hair growth.
Best shampoo for oily hair
HelloKlean Hard Water Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Hard water is the enemy of a thorough cleanse, and if you reside anywhere near the capital, your taps are likely full of it. Those calcium deposits that line your tubs and tiles also scupper the lathering potential of your cleanser, and if you’ve got an oily scalp, the last thing you need is an inefficient rinse. Enter Hello Klean’s hard water shampoo, which lifts soap-scum minerals from the scalp and hair shaft, using a blend of activated charcoal, oat proteins and lactic acid. Sulphate and silicone-free, it gently rids the hair of build-up for refreshed strands that are silky soft to the touch.
Oribe Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
The hero ingredient in Oribe’s luxe oil-controlling cleanser is green marine algae, which balances the scalp’s microbiome and reduces excess sebum production. A chic-looking bottle on any bathroom shelf, it’s more than just a pretty face – when we put it to the test we found it left our locks sans grease but with a lustrous shine. It’s no mean feat for a category of shampoos that can often leave hair feeling stripped, but Oribe masters the balance of a deep and gentle cleanse with a skincare-loaded lather. Its edelweiss flower, watermelon and lychee extracts support your scalp with antioxidant protection.
Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Say goodbye to greasy hair with Bumble and Bumble’s Sunday Shampoo. A powerful blend of ginseng, rosemary and sage works to support the scalp, and this weekly cleansing formula works to remove build-up, excess oil and product residue, providing optimal conditions for healthy hair growth and overall fuller-looking locks.
Best shampoo for dry hair
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Ultimate Reset Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Powered by Japanese-sourced rice extract, which is rich in vitamins B and E and many nourishing minerals, Shu Uemura’s Art of Hair Ultimate Reset Shampoo helps protect hair from damaging and drying aggressors and cleanses hair thoroughly without stripping it of its natural oils.
Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo With Aloe Vera
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Restore hair to its former glory with Christophe Robin’s Hydrating Shampoo with Aloe Vera. Blending vitamins with ultra-hydrating aloe vera, this lightweight shampoo gently cleanses the scalp of dirt and product build-up, without stripping away any essential oils or damaging the hair’s protective barrier. Hair is left looking and feeling totally replenished.
Best shampoo for hair growth
Mielle Rosemary Mint Blend Strengthening Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Mielle’s rosemary-infused range comes with a multitude of customer testimonials, all hailing its uncanny ability to regrow thinning hair, and fast. A quick scan of Tiktok for the brand’s rosemary oil will show you all you need to know, and its shampoo is formulated with the same biotin blend responsible for so many impressive results. With added peppermint, which stimulates circulation at the scalp to revitalise faltering follicles, this shampoo offers a nourishing cleanse that promotes healthy hair growth. Trust us when we tell you you’ll want to add the accompanying oil to your cart – this duo works wonders on thinning edges and slow-growing hair in a matter of mere weeks.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti Hair Fall Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Struggling with shed hair and perpetual split ends? Dr. Barbara Sturm’s shampoo is a veritable saving grace. In a science-driven formula, it uses camellia and larch extract to strengthen the hair follicle, plus vitamin B5 to repair unravelling hair shafts and reduce further breakage. The result is a nourishing cleanser that fortifies weakened hair, supplemented with cationic hyaluronic acid to keep strands hydrated and healthy. Used on wet hair and left to work for a couple of minutes, it gets our vote for making hair more resilient over time.
Best shampoo for a dry scalp
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Give your scalp some TLC with Ouai’s Detox Shampoo. Using apple cider vinegar, this nourishing formula helps to lower the pH levels of the scalp, alleviating dryness with its soothing properties. Meanwhile, a blend of rose, bergamot, lychee and musk replenishes hair, leaving tresses silky soft and smelling incredible.
Oribe Serene Scalp Balancing Shampoo
Why it’s Vogue approved:
Get you a shampoo that does both. Made with sugarcane extract, watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower, Oribe’s multi-tasking formula works to soothe and hydrate the scalp, protecting it from oxidative and environmental stress, while salicylic acid gently exfoliates, relieving the scalp from itchiness, dryness and redness. Hair is left feeling soft and shiny.
