18 Best Shampoos for Dry Hair, According to Experts

Give your hair a big gulp of hydration with this Herbal Essences drugstore shampoo. Coupled with its matching conditioner, it won top honors in the GH Beauty Lab's moisturizing shampoos test lathering and cleansing. Made with coconut extract and aloe, it boasted the highest level of conditioning in testing. “My dry hair was much more moisturized,” a tester marveled. Take note that some online reviewers report the shampoo left a film on their hair after using.

If its olive and argan oil ingredients weren't enough of a calling, Garnier’s combo led the way in nourishment and cleansing during GH Beauty Lab tests. The shampoo plus its matching conditioner tied for second in the Lab's combing test for conditioning, yet more than 90% of users said it didn’t weigh hair down. Testers overwhelmingly noted it left hair more “manageable,” “super soft” and “bouncy." Almost all scored it perfect for its “fresh” scent. Note that this may not be the best for color-treated hair as it does have sulfates.

Skincare ingredient hyaluronic acid is famed for its hydrating capabilities, and it is infused into these L'Oréal Paris formulas perfect for dry and dehydrated strands. The Beauty Award winning-duo “works wonders," a tester exclaimed. "Strands feel super soft, bouncy and look shiny." In Lab evaluation, the pair earned top marks for fully cleansing strands and making hair look less damaged, along with ranking highest for their lasting "sophisticated" scent. Take note that these are best for the driest and most dehydrated of hair, as some reviewers feel they leave a greasy feeling.

Keep hair feeling smooth and less frizzy until the next wash. Winning a 2022 Beauty Award for its nourishing formula, Redken's bonding shampoo-conditioner duo impressed beauty pros with its non-greasy formula that conditioned bleached, damaged hair. In fact, our review of the company's data revealed that 93% of consumers said that their hair felt moisturized after using the pair with its leave-in treatment. Though it works well on its own, you'll get best results investing in the full three-part system.

For straight or fine hair, Biolage curl specialist and celebrity stylist Cynthia Alvarez says, "avoid anything heavy that could weigh down your hair and instead look for a lightweight or mild formula." So if you have dry and thin hair, this Kérastase formula (and its matching conditioner) is your best bet for nourishment that won't deflate strands. GH Beauty Lab tests backed this up as it held the highest score for not weighing hair down while providing light conditioning. Testers noted how smooth their hair was after application. "Where can I buy this by the case?" one raved. "Where has this been all my life?" Though it's pricey, this shampoo is on sale as it's currently a last chance item being replaced by a reformulation, so stock up while you can.

Tame coarse, unruly hair and tamper down frizz and flyaways with another 2022 Beauty Award winner. The shampoo and matching conditioner's sulfate-free nature and smoothing benefits thicker hair types. Though lightweight in texture, the duo leaves hair feeling “silky, smooth, shiny and easy to comb through," says one tester. Other testers with colored hair noticed its dramatic shine from the first use, reviving pigment in dyed hair. Some reviewers share that the bottle pump is finicky.

Infuse your next shower and rinse with OGX's floral scented shampoo and conditioner that our testers called "addicting." Its fresh, clean scent lingers on hair all day. In our recent best shampoo for colored hair study, the pair scored second best for its conditioning, shine, scent, rinse and color retention. Though some noted its oval-shaped bottle made the thick, gel-like consistency difficult to dispense, other testers say the shampoo lathered well and rinsed out clearly. In fact, one said it left hair easy to comb through without needing a leave-in conditioner.

Full of protein and coconut oil, this 2023 GH Beauty Award winner is focused simply on repairing and nourishing hair, delivering strong smoothing and conditioning effects alongside its matching conditioner. A tester shared that their hair "was easier to style, and my blowout lasted," while two others noted it made their hair less frizzy. In Beauty Lab assessment, the duo got perfect scores for making hair manageable, smooth and supple. Some online reviewers don't love the scent, noting that it leaves their hair smelling like dirt or grass.

Garnier's honey-laced shampoo proves that you can get great natural formulas without the high price tag. A 2021 Beauty Award winner, it's blended with honey and plant oils and is proven to nourish dehydrated, breakage-prone hair. Lab data showed that the shampoo and its matching conditioner significantly reduced breakage of very dry, damaged strands. Take note that this shampoo has sulfates in it, despite being ultra hydrating.

No shampoo can stop hair fall or hair loss. But, it can help hair appear thicker and more volumized, which distracts from any hair loss or thinning strands. If bigger hair is what you're looking for, this Kérastase formula is going to be your new best friend. In Beauty Lab testing, it earned top scores for adding volume and body to hair, making hair feel thicker and making hair feel soft and conditioned, so you won't have to worry about your locks drying out. "It left my hair full of body and was nice and thick without weighing my hair down," a tester raved. "All day it had that just washed look, fluffy and full." However, many testers shared that they didn't like that the bottle cap has to be screwed off.

The most conditioning of all the winners in the GH Beauty Lab’s color-protecting shampoo and conditioner test, Hair Food’s sulfate-free duo hit the sweet spot for rich hydration and color-saving benefits. These came in on top in the Lab’s wet-combing test. “After five weeks, my color still looks great — my hairdresser commented on it,” one user reported. “Dyeing my hair left it very dry, and I loved how moisturized it felt after just one use,” another said. Rinse this shampoo thoroughly as it may leave some residue behind.

This shampoo and twinning conditioner from SheaMoisture contains coconut oil to nourish parched curls, plus hibiscus flower extract to improve hair elasticity (hello, bounce!) while minimizing breakage. Plus, the brand claims it's sulfate- and silicone-free. We haven't tested it in the Lab, but reviewers swear by it: "This shampoo looks and smells incredible and washes out of my hair in a way that makes it feel amazing," says one. Some reviewers, however, feel it doesn't lather very well, which is commonly a side effect of a sulfate-free shampoo.

The coconut scent of this Suave formula and accompanying conditioner was seriously noticeable (and described as "divine"), but the GH Beauty Lab was particularly impressed with its suds — great for deep-cleaning the scalp. "I liked that it lathered easily, rinsed well and didn't weigh down my hair," a tester shared. It may not leave very coarse hair feeling super soft.

The number one word among GH Beauty Lab testers about this Joico formula was "clean," which is exactly what you should say about your hair after a good shampoo and matching conditioner. Not only that, but it was easy to work into the hair and rinsed out just as efficiently. "Believe me when I say my hair was dry, extremely coarse dry hair," a reviewer shares. "After only using it a week, my hair feels and looks much more alive, shiny and keeps the moisture longer."

This luxurious Oribe shampoo and paired conditioner packs in nourishing skincare ingredients like shea butter, amino acids, vitamin C, caffeine and anti-inflammatory niacinamide, plus a laundry list of botanical oils and extracts, from argan oil to green tea. "It has noticeable silkening effects on even severely damaged hair with tattered ends — plus the fragrance leaves strands scented like a rich, high-end perfume," GH's beauty editor says.

Even dry strands need a wash from a detoxifying shampoo every so often. If you want a clarifying formula that doesn't strip your dry hair, try this one from Ouai. Our Lab pros tried this at home and found that it washed away styling product buildup without making the scalp feel too dry. Though many shampoos that claim to eliminate dirt, dandruff and product buildup leave GH Assistant Editor Annie O'Sullivan's hair feeling brittle and straw-like, "a small amount of this shampoo leaves my hair feeling super clean without leaving it dry," she says. This is on the pricier side, but she adds that a little goes a long way, so it lasts for quite some time.

When itchy, flaky scalps call for a remedy, this Head & Shoulders shampoo answers. It uses pyrithione zinc, a key active ingredient that specifically treats dandruff. One GH beauty pro deploys it during winter months because it leaves hair feeling soft and smelling nice. The creamy formula keeps oily scalps at bay without stripping the hair, but some users feel it leaves a residue even after rinsing.

This classic Pantene shampoo and matching conditioner are a great choice for dry natural hair as it earned a perfect score for conditioning in GH Beauty Lab testing, key for textured strands that require a higher level of hydration. It tied for the most conditioning formula in Beauty Lab tests, where we measure the friction forces generated during combing of treated wet hair swatches using a customized equipment. A tester shared, "My hair is silky and voluminous," and another said it did wonders for her long, thick hair. However, some online reviewers note that it feels like the product leaves a coating in their hair rather than truly hydrating it.