Best for Everyday Use

RŌZ Foundation Shampoo

View on Credo BeautyView on Rozhair.comView on Goop.com

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Fresh, herbaceous | Size: 2.4, 10, 20.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Clean shampoo newbies, this is the formula for you. RŌZ Foundation Shampoo leans on coconut-based surfactants to generate a lather so satisfyingly rich that Byrdie’s former Editor Adi Giesey claims it outperforms sulfate-enhanced alternatives. While it’s super effective at cleansing, the pH-balancing formula is gentle enough for daily use. It leaves Adi’s hair noticeably softer, with a subtle shine and enhanced texture to boot. The scent is also a bonus—clean and fresh without the lingering intensity that can be off-putting to sensitive noses. 

Adi Giesey, former editor with type 1 hair: “The formula is hydrating but does not weigh strands down. After every use, it leaves your hair feeling fresh and shiny.”

Best Budget

Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo

$17 at Amazon$5 at TargetView on Haskbeauty.com

Hair Type: Dry, damaged | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus | Size: 12 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Associate Editor Emily Cieslak swears this affordable shampoo works better than fancy salon formulas that cost triple the amount. Its star ingredient, argan oil, moisturizes each strand without weighing it down. Despite being a sulfate-free formula, it lathers really well, leaving hair feeling clean, light, and healthy. The shampoo also did an impressive job of amplifying shine—no small feat on Cieslak’s bleach-lightened hair. 

Emily Cieslak, associate editor with hair type 1B: “It keeps my bleached hair hydrated and shiny without weighing it down or causing buildup in the long run.”

Best for Natural Hair

Alodia Nourish & Heal Organic Black Soap Wash

$16 at TargetView on Alodiahaircare.com

Hair Type: Natural, textured | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Sweet | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

While some endorse the “no-poo” method for cleansing natural hair, sulfate-free shampoo formulas like this one can work wonders. Made with 100% natural and organic ingredients, including African black soap to cleanse and coconut oil and shea butter to hydrate, it leaves hair clean but never stripped. Social Media Director Star Donaldson, a devotee of this shampoo for four years, loves the nozzle applicator, which delivers product directly to the scalp. The liquid consistency lathers up nicely and removes buildup in a single wash, creating a super-clean foundation for applying her favorite styling products. 

Star Donaldson, social media director with hair type 3C/4A: “You can distribute it evenly through curls and coils and get down to the scalp easily. It deeply cleanses the hair without making it feel stripped.”

Best Volumizing

Amika Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo

$29

$28 at Amazon$29 at Sephora$29 at Kohls.com

Hair Type: Fine, medium | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Vanilla, spicy sweet clover, and citrus | Size: 9.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Add Amika’s Big Hit shampoo to your shopping cart to infuse limp strands with touchable, bouncy volume. The easy-to-lather formula relies on caffeine to remove excess sebum and give fine hair extra oomph, making it appear noticeably thicker. Former Associate Editor Abby Dupes says the nourishing blend of sea buckthorn and glycerin helps hydrate her scalp while making strands soft and sleek—no frizz or static in sight. As a bonus, it even helps detangle her fine, wavy hair post-shower. 

Abby Dupes, former associate editor with 2B/C: “From the first wash, I noticed a big difference. Thanks to the shampoo’s star ingredient, caffeine, Big Hit delivers a noticeable lift from the mid-lengths down to the tips, leaving my hair feeling bouncy and full.”

Best for Fine Hair

Amika Normcore Signature Shampoo

$27

$25 at Amazon$40 at SephoraView on Walmart

Hair Type: Fine, medium | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Amber, tonka bean, and vanilla | Size: 9.2, 16.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Fine hair can be finicky, but Amika’s Normcore shampoo makes caring for delicate, fragile strands much simpler. One of our former writers, Amanda Rosenthal, said the sulfate-free formula is great at removing product buildup. Unlike other shampoos, which can leave fine hair feeling stripped and dry, this one imparts a silky softness, sealing split ends and reducing frizz (coconut acids are to thank for that). She also swears it helps reduce shedding, making hair appear fuller. 

Amanda Rosenthal, former writer with hair type 2B: “Since using it, I noticed less hair in my shower drain. It gives my hair a nourishing boost while still giving my scalp that nice clean feeling.”

Best Scent

Dae Signature Shampoo

$28

$27 at Amazon$68 at SephoraView on Daehair.com

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus, orange blossom, and vanilla | Size: 3, 10, 32 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The scent of your favorite shampoo is integral to that freshly washed feeling. If you’re a bit of a fragrance connoisseur, you’ll appreciate Dae’s Signature Shampoo. News Editor Bella Cacciatore says it reminds her of an orange Creamsicle, boasting top notes of orange blossom and vanilla. Yummy scent aside, she loves how nicely the creamy shampoo lathers, cleansing the roots while delivering weightless hydration to her strands courtesy of moringa seed oil and prickly pear seed oil. 

Bella Cacciatore, news editor with hair type 1C (not pictured): “It’s a great no-frills shampoo that makes my hair feel soft and clean and smells really, really good.”

Best for Blonde Hair

R+Co Bleu Blonded Brightening Shampoo

$49

$45 at AmazonView on Dermstore$49 at Bluemercury.com

Hair Type: Blonde, highlighted, bleached | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Not listed | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have blonde hair, you’ll likely already be familiar with the toning benefits of purple shampoos, which help counteract brassiness for a cooler blonde shade. This vivid formula gets its toning prowess from lilac stem cells and violet flowers, which Associate Editor Ali Webb says leaves her hair bright and shiny. It also includes vitamins E and B and shea butter to hydrate and nourish, and vegan keratin to help repair frazzled strands—a must for chemically lightened hair. 

Ali Webb, associate editor with hair type 1C/2A: “My hair looks brighter, toned, and more nourished after each use.”

Best Natural Shampoo Bar

J.R. Liggett’s All-Natural Shampoo Bar

$13

$13 at AmazonView on IHerbView on Jrliggett.com

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Essential oils | Size: 3.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If natural ingredients and sustainability are important to you, then switching to a shampoo bar is a great way to eliminate plastic packaging. J.R. Liggett has a variety of shampoo bars for different hair needs, but we fell in love with the moisturizing formula while testing. It effectively cleanses our hair and scalp and is easy to wash out from our tight curls. The nourishing formula hydrates our hair yet it wasn’t too heavy or greasy—our second-day hair still looks fresh. Yet what we really love is how the label contains easy to read ingredients—olive, coconut, and castor oil, plus essential oils for a subtle scent. One bar equals 24 ounces of liquid shampoo, making it an affordable pick as well.

Keyaira, tester with curly hair: “My favorite thing was that it rinsed totally clean. There are a ton of shampoos that require aggressive rinsing but this slipped right out of my curls.”

Best Clarifying

AG Care Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

$36 at Amazon$36 at UltaView on Ag.care

Hair Type: Oily, buildup | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Fresh apple | Size: 12 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

An outdated misconception about natural shampoo is that it doesn’t cleanse well, but this clarifying shampoo from AG Care beats those allegations. It uses organic apple cider vinegar to remove buildup, and it effectively manages our oily hair, leaving us with volume and shine. The 98% plant-based shampoo uses a blend of oils and extracts—like argan and rosemary—to hydrate and encourage hair growth. The vegan formula is a bit watery, but it still lathers well to clean every strand. We also love how the brand offers a liter refill to reduce packaging waste.

Christine, tester with fine, wavy hair (not shown): “It has cleansed both my hair and scalp really well. It feels very clean and clean for longer. It’s also given my hair a nice shine that is unusual for this time of year for me.

Best Organic

Rahua Classic Shampoo

$36

$35 at AmazonView on Rahua.comView on Thedetoxmarket.com

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Woodsy | Size: 9.3 or 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Containing a majority of organic and plant-derived ingredients, Rahua’s classic shampoo is the ideal choice for those who want a clean botanical experience. The star of the show is the brand’s signature Amazonian rahua oil, which is rich in omega-9s that help strengthen damaged hair and make hair color last. Palo santo helps purify the strands while infusing the formula with its luxurious woody scent. Despite being sulfate-free, this shampoo offers a medium lather and helps balance the scalp.