Revealed: The Best Shampoo For *Every* Hair Type
Shampoo is the foundation of a good hair care routine. More than 'just' a cleanser, it preps your hair for the conditioners, masks and styling products that follow, while delivering major benefits too. That's why it's so important to find the perfect formula to suit your individual hair type. But, how do you figure out which shampoo is best? Our complete guide is here to help.
Find your perfect shampoo with our full run-down of Wella Professionals shampoos for every hair concern. From treating damage to boosting moisture to balancing an oily scalp, get ready to lather up with these must-try formulas...
The Best Shampoo For Dry, Damaged Hair
When you're dealing with damaged, dry hair, the most nourishing ingredients are needed. That's why ULTIMATE REPAIR harnesses a skincare-inspired blend of AHA and Omega-9. These restorative hero ingredients are usually found in the most concentrated face masks and serums, and in ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo they help to replenish strands from the inside out. The rich, creamy shampoo is also color-safe, cleansing gently and effectively with the most luxurious lather. In fact, it’s so hard-working, it can remove all the small impurities that harm your hair – from metals to dirt and pollution – while rebuilding your hair bonds. What’s more, it's suitable for all hair types, meaning anyone with straight hair, wavy hair, curly hair or coily hair can indulge in this gentle yet effective cleanse.
It's important to be delicate with fragile locks, so massage it – don't scrub – through the scalp and lengths of hair, then follow up with the ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner to boost the effects. Finally, the ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue is key to truly repairing and preventing dry, brittle hair. Mist it through clean, damp strands and let it absorb to repair hair damage in 90 seconds*, giving you 99% less breakage**.
The Best Shampoo For Color-Treated Hair
If maintaining color vibrancy is at the top of your hair care agenda, reach for a shampoo formula that focuses on fighting against shade fade. Shine lovers will enjoy lathering up with INVIGO Color Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo, which teams energizing Lime Caviar with potent antioxidants to keep locks lustrous from one wash to the next. The optimized low pH formula helps to close the cuticle post-coloring, so dye molecules are locked in, while Metal Purifier protects against harmful metals in the water. Plus, you have two shampoo types to choose between: one for fine to medium hair and one for coarse hair. So, no matter what hair texture you're working with, you can enhance your dream color.
Want extra nourishment? Then turn to ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo, which also harnesses Metal Purifier and antioxidants to give you color protection, vibrant shine and stronger hair*** in one. The rich lather makes it perfect for delicately cleansing damaged colored hair, and because it's kind to skin, it's also gentle enough for dry scalps. Team with ColorMotion+ Moisturizing Color Reflection Conditioner for added hydration that helps color-treated hair glow with health.
The Best Shampoo For Split Ends
Stronger hair is the goal when you're dealing with split ends, so choose a shampoo that bolsters the hair cuticle to make locks more resilient in the face of wear and tear. Fusion Intense Repair Shampoo is your go-to, with conditioning ingredients and silk amino acids that dial up moisture levels and fortify fragile strands. It also features Fusion Silksteel Technology, inspired by the strength of spider silk, to repair the fiber, leaving you less vulnerable to breakage and, in turn, frizzy hair.
Combine the shampoo with the Fusion Intense Repair Conditioner and, for a weekly treat, the Fusion Intense Repair Hair Mask. Hair is left smoother, stronger and less prone to split ends.
The Best Shampoo For Oily Hair
An oily scalp leads to oily hair, so purify the roots and follicles with a clarifying combination of a scalp mask and a rebalancing, sulfate-free shampoo. Our favorite ritual for that ultra-clean feel features Elements Purifying Pre-Shampoo Clay, followed by Elements Renewing Shampoo to keep greasy hair days at bay. The mask is a weekly or bi-weekly treat, while the shampoo can be used for every hair wash day to leave hair beautifully balanced.
So, how do they work together? Use the pre-shampoo treatment first, applying it section by section to the roots of dry hair and letting it absorb for up to five minutes. The kaolin clay will soak up excess sebum to purify the scalp. Then, add water to emulsify, massage the clay in and rinse thoroughly. Follow with the Elements Renewing Shampoo for an effective cleanse that never strips hair strands of vital moisture.
The Best Shampoo For Wavy Hair
If you want to show off the beautiful texture of wavy hair, you need a shampoo that's hydrating enough to boost definition yet light enough to avoid weighing lengths down. That's where NutriCurls Micellar Shampoo comes in. Specially formulated to reach the hair goals of those with wavy locks, it gently sweeps away impurities by trapping them with molecules called micelles. This means strands are deeply cleansed but there's zero stripping – great for retaining moisture balance. Tresses are left wonderfully weightless and perfectly prepped for styling.
The Best Shampoo For Curly Hair
Our favorite shampoo for curly hair types isn't really a shampoo at all. It's NutriCurls Cleansing Conditioner, a co-wash that veils textured hair in moisture while delivering a thorough yet gentle cleanse. There's no stripping with this wash; it respects hair and scalp oil levels as it purifies the hair shaft, with a boost of jojoba oil and panthenol to give you additional moisture. Massage the low-foam cleanser into wet hair, let it absorb for a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly. No follow-up conditioner is needed. This curly and coily hair savior cleanses and cares for strands in one step.
The Best Shampoo For Fine Hair
While you can't increase the thickness of finer hair, you can give it a lift, with amped-up body lending to the illusion of mega volume. So, wash fine, flat hair with INVIGO Volume Boost Bodifying Shampoo, an invigorating formula infused with cotton extract for softness and stability. The trick for lifting locks is to use lightweight formulas all through the hair routine, so the conditioner you follow up with is key. We recommend the INVIGO Volume Boost Crystal Mask. It's a translucent treatment that leaves hair full, light and ultra-manageable; ready for a root-lifting blow dry with INVIGO Volume Boost Leave-In Spray and your favorite round brush.
The Best Shampoo For Thicker Hair
Almost any shampoo is suitable for those blessed with thicker, coarser hair, but because there's so much of it, the scalp might not produce enough oil to keep each individual strand hydrated. Cue tangles and dryness. That's why we recommend INVIGO Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Shampoo to get the balance of moisture just right. Its blend of vitamin-rich goji berry and peptides leaves hair full of shine and vitality, with a boost of hydration so light, thick hair won't feel weighed down. To tackle knots and make that mane more manageable, pair it with INVIGO Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Conditioner, taking care to apply it to the mid-lengths and ends only. Thick hair will be left smooth, bouncy and easier to style.
The Best Shampoo For Cool Blonde Hair
A purple shampoo is a must in every blonde hair care routine. Thanks to the rules of color theory, that injection of violet tones helps to counteract yellow tinges if light locks are shifting too warm. But when you're correcting color, it's important to put your faith in salon-approved formulas. It takes professional-grade hair products to maintain the brightest blondes, and INVIGO Blonde Recharge Cool Blonde Shampoo has it covered. Designed to refresh highlights, balayage and all-over color – natural or not – it eliminates brassiness while leaving hair smooth and soft to the touch.
The Best Shampoo For Hair That Lacks Shine
When dealing with dullness, oil-rich hair formulas are a must. They drench lackluster locks in moisture and nourishment, so hair gleams and glistens whenever the light catches it. See it for yourself with Oil Reflections Luminous Reveal Shampoo, brimming with a decadent blend of light yet luscious precious oils for a smooth, reflective surface. While bestowing hair with a deep cleanse it leaves locks up to three times smoother****. Lather up, then massage Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil through mid-lengths for unrivaled radiance.
The Best Dry Shampoo For In-Between Hair Wash Days
We can't talk about shampoo without mentioning dry shampoo. On some days there's just no time to wash your hair, so you'll need the perfect plan B. A suits-all-hair-types solution is EIMI Dry Me, which soaks up excess sebum using tapioca for the freshest roots and scalp. Shake and spray to instantly revive hair before you dash out the door. Bonus: it also helps to boost volume and gives strands a grippy texture for styling when you mist it through the lengths.
Now you've found the perfect shampoo, it's time to team it up with a treatment. Discover hair masking must-haves for every hair type.
* When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
*** When using Structure+ Mask vs. no treatment.
**** With Oil Reflections shampoo, mask and oil vs. non-conditioning shampoo.
