The best drugstore shampoos for every hair type, according to experts
Dermatologists and hair experts recommended these drugstore shampoos that won’t break the bank.
Saltair Recover & Restore Damage Repair Shampoo
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$11.99
While shopping for drugstore shampoos, think about the following factors to determine which is best for you:
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All of the drugstore shampoos below come recommended by experts and NBC Select staff.
This hydrating, sulfate-free drugstore shampoo comes recommended by Dr. Hadley King, a New York-based, board-certified dermatologist, and Taylor Rose, a certified trichologist. Its formula has shea butter, manuka honey and mafura oil to hydrate and moisturize the hair, says King. It also has African rock fig, an ingredient rich in antioxidants to help protect from damage from free radicals, says King.
Acure makes some of our favorite drugstore shampoos including this option, which comes recommended by Rose. This shampoo has apple cider vinegar, which removes excess sebum and makes it great for those with oily hair and scalps that tends to look greasy, according to King.
If your hair is dry and brittle, moisturizing ingredients like a hyaluronic acid (which is also a skin care staple) may help hydrate your hair, says King, who recommends this Dove shampoo. When pairing it with Dove’s Hydration Spa Conditioner, the set leaves her hair feeling soft and moisturized without weighing it down, she says. Rather than using a harsh sulfate, its formula includes cocamidopropyl betaine which is a more gentle alternative.
If your hair is dry and coarse, Francesca Maria Alfonso, a celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist, recommends this Garnier option. “It’s smoothing, it has coconut oil and it’s paraben-free,” she says. Though this option is formulated with sulfates (a more harsh but effective cleanser) Alfonso thinks it’s still a winner if you’re on a budget. Plus, if you have a sensitive scalp or sensitive skin, using a paraben-free shampoo is a really good course for you, since parabens can irritate your scalp, she says.
Whether you’re prone to dandruff or not, this shampoo is a great addition to your shower routine. It uses zinc pyrithione to heal dryness, itching, irritation and more, according to the brand. It has a 4.8-star rating from over 12,000 reviews on Amazon.
This shampoo comes recommended by Rose because it works for a wide group of individuals and its ingredient list includes sulfate alternatives like cocamidopropyl betaine. It also has soothing ingredients like chamomile to add shine to the hair and relieve scalp discomfort, as well as panthenol and glycerin (moisturizing ingredients) to prevent the shampoo from stripping the hair, according to the brand.
This Odele shampoo, which is suitable for those with fine hair, comes recommended by Rose because it adds volume to their hair and helps it to look and feel thicker over time, according to the brand. It’s also sulfate-free and uses the gentler cocamidopropyl betaine to cleanse, Rose says.
This is one of former NBC Select production coordinator Kelsey Fredricks’ go-to shampoos (she alternates between this option and the brand’s Renewing+ Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo) when she doesn’t feel like splurging). She loves the coconut scent and says that it cleanses and nourishes her hair well, which is especially important for her curly hair. “My curls don’t feel dry when I use this and it’s been a common feature in my hair care routine since I was a teenager,” she says.
When NBC Select SEO editor Nikki Brown needs a deep cleanse after taking down her braids, she turns to this clarifying shampoo from 4U by Tia. The shampoo uses apple cider vinegar and Hemi15, which is a silicone alternative, to retain moisture and improve curl definition while clarifying and balancing your scalp’s pH level, according to the brand. It has a warm, vanilla and floral scent and is safe for use on color-treated, chemically-treated and relaxed hair.
After years of bleaching her hair and constantly using hot tools without a heat protectant, NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez has undergone a hair recovery journey using repairing products like this shampoo for her damaged hair. “I use two pumps of this shampoo and it creates such a luxurious lather in my hair that even after rinsing out this creamy foam, my hair always feels clean but also less dry, brittle and dull,” says Alvarez. “It’s been a staple for me and I never feel bad when I run out of it because it doesn’t hurt my budget when shopping like other shampoo options I own and love.”
If you struggle with dandruff or flakes, look for shampoos like this Dove option, which has pyrithione zinc. Pyrithione zinc has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, and it helps with inflammation and itch, says King. This drugstore shampoo has a mild formula that balances pH levels, meaning that it can decrease yeast on the skin without causing irritation, she says. (Yeast can cause stubborn dandruff or flaky patches.)
After being sent this shampoo alternative by Raw Sugar for testing, Brown, who says she’s usually really bad at taking care of her scalp when she has braids, found this to be an easy solution to cleansing her scalp. She loves the shampoo’s clean scent and nozzle applicator, which she says is easy to navigate around her braids and apply the shampoo directly to her scalp. “It also relieves any itchiness and hardly has a lather, so rinsing it off never feels daunting,” she says.
It’s worth noting that there is a difference between affordable drugstore shampoos and more expensive options, according to the experts we spoke to. “Drugstore shampoos typically have more ‘filler’ ingredients like sulfates, excess water and chemicals,” says Rose. Salon-quality products, on the other hand, tend to have more vitamins and minerals that are actually beneficial to the hair, she says. In fact, most of the hair stylists we spoke to do not use, and therefore are not familiar with many drugstore shampoos.
Still, not everyone can or is willing to pay for higher-end shampoo. Moreover, with shampoos, like any hair product on the market, there really is no “one size fits all” option, says Rose. The best thing you can do is understand your hair type and look at the first five ingredients listed on the bottle, which “on average make up 97% of a product’s volume,” says trichologist and founder of Advanced Trichology, William Gaunitz.
In general though, here are a few rules to keep in mind:
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I am a former editor for NBC Select. For this story, I spoke to board-certified dermatologists and professional hairstylists about the best drugstore shampoos, including product recommendations and advice on how to shop for your own.
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