Best shampoo and conditioner for severely damaged hair

At one point or another, most of us have dealt with the pain of damaged or brittle hair, leaving us desperately searching for the best shampoo for dry hair or the best homemade hydrating solutions to take care of the problem. Styling frizzy, dull, or damaged hair makes it all the more difficult and, most likely, heat damage comes from the hair styling tools we’re using. Luckily, it takes a simple change such as using a nourishing shampoo that specifically target dry hair to adequately hydrate your parched mane. 

Before you run to buy the first hair care product you see that says “repair,” however, you should be aware of the ingredients to look out for (and those to avoid) so you can make the shampoo purchase that your hair really needs.

What to look for in a shampoo for dry hair

“For dry hair, it’s great to use a shampoo that contains natural oils and plant extracts. In the colder months, humectants really help too,” Devin Toth hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City tells SELF. As for the ingredients you should avoid, Toth said you’ll want to steer clear of products that contain sulfates and parabens. This is because sulfates can strip your hair of its natural oils while parabens might irritate your scalp and cause further dryness and breakage. Celebrity hairstylist Dominick Pucciarello echoed Toth’s call for natural oils and plant extracts and tells us he recommends products that include coconut oil, shea butter, honey, and jojoba oil.

How did your hair get so dry in the first place?

Damage to your hair can come in many forms and sometimes it’s completely unavoidable. Toth explains to SELF that “chemical damage from color-treated hair, heat damage from styling tools, environmental damage such as chlorine, the sun, and hard water, or just simply being aged,” are all causes enough to leave your locks high and dry. “If you have long hair, your ends would have been exposed to the environment for years. Beyond these reasons, some people just have naturally dry hair the same way some people have naturally dry skin,” he adds.

How to tell your new shampoo is working

Achieving healthy hair comes down to a science, for all hair types. Dry strands stem from a dry scalp. “Like a good face wash, a high-quality shampoo won’t leave your scalp and hair squeaky clean. Squeaky clean means stripped of natural oils,” Toth notes. “You know your shampoo is working if your hair becomes softer, shinier, and easier to manage.” Another way you can test out how effective your shampoo is is by blow-drying your hair straight, which should result in bouncy silklike hair without split ends, says Pucciarello, who also suggests getting a trim every 6–8 weeks.

“Even with a great shampoo, if you shampoo your hair too often your mane will become dull and dried out,” Toth warns. “Sometimes your hair simply becomes used to a specific shampoo and you need to switch them up even if you have a really high-quality one.”

Below, we’ve listed the best shampoos for dry hair from Ulta, Sephora, Amazon, Target, and more. Lather your hair with these products and watch it work its magic.

All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you highlight your hair at home or get it dyed at the salon, blow-dry it regularly, love to create waves and curls with hot rollers or a curling iron, or even just detangle or brush it too aggressively, your hair is probably damaged as hell. And unless you're planning to chop all your hair off and start fresh, your only hope of getting your hair healthy and strong again is with the right products—starting with a damage-repairing shampoo. So to help you find the right one for your hair type and texture, I've rounded up the 17 best shampoos for damaged hair that'll take your frayed, straw-like hair and give it epic softness and shine. Here's a sneak peek at all the options:

Our top picks for the best shampoos for damaged hair of 2022:

• 1

  

  Best Overall Shampoo for Damaged Hair

  Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

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• 2

  

  Best Clarifying Shampoo for Damaged Hair

  K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo

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• 3

  

  Best Shampoo for Damaged, Thinning Hair

  Virtue Flourish Shampoo for Thinning Hair

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• 4

  

  Best Gentle Shampoo for Damaged Hair

  Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hydrating Shampoo

  Read More

• 5

  

  Best Hydrating Shampoo for Damaged Hair

  Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo

  Read More

Keep scrolling for the full list of the best shampoos for damaged hair, plus the most important things to keep in mind when shopping for a new shampoo.

1

Best Overall Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

2

Best Clarifying Shampoo for Damaged Hair

K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo

3

Best Shampoo for Damaged, Thinning Hair

Virtue Flourish Shampoo for Thinning Hair

4

Best Gentle Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hydrating Shampoo

5

Best Hydrating Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo

6

Best Shampoo for Damaged, Color-Treated Hair

Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo

7

Best Dandruff Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Head & Shoulders Supreme Nourish & Smooth Shampoo

8

Best Organic Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo

9

Best Shampoo for Damaged, Frizz-Prone Hair

Gisou Honey Infused Hair Wash

10

Best Shampoo for Damaged Type 4 Curls

Pattern Hydration Shampoo

11

Best Shampoo for Damaged Hair That's Thick

R+Co Atlantis Moisturizing B5 Shampoo

12

Best Shampoo for Damaged Blonde Hair

Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo

13

Best Shampoo for Damaged, Natural Hair

Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Shampoo

14

Best Drugstore Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Honey & Vitamin B Shampoo

15

Best Shampoo for Damaged Waves and Curls

Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating Shampoo

16

Best All-Natural Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Rahua Hydration Shampoo

17

Best Shampoo for Damaged Fine Hair

Verb Ghost Shampoo

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What is the best shampoo for damaged hair?

The best shampoos for damaged hair contain ingredients like keratin, biotin, amino acids, and peptides to help repair broken hair bonds and mend breakage (though, sorry, nothing can magically fix split ends except for a trim). And because dry, brittle hair is more susceptible to breakage, a good shampoo for damaged hair should also contain hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin along with moisturizing oils and butters, like jojoba oil, argan oil, and shea butter.

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How to choose a shampoo for damaged hair:

Skip the sulfates.

Sulfates (you'll see them as sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate on an ingredient list) are a type of harsh surfactant that can strip your hair of its natural oils, which leads to dryness and breakage. Their also notorious for dulling your hair and causing premature color fading, so avoid them in your shampoo when you can.

Keep your hair type in mind.

Damage can happen to all hair types and textures, from fine and straight to thick and coily, so be sure to choose a shampoo that's labeled as "strengthening" or "repairing" and also suited for your hair type. As a rule, creamy, moisturizing shampoos will be better for thicker hair types or natural hair and clear, lightweight shampoos will be better for finer, thinner hair textures.

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Why trust Cosmopolitan?

Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with nine years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from the best best detanglers to the best blue shampoos for brunettes. She’s an authority in all hair categories but is an expert when it comes to shampoos for damaged hair. She regularly tests and analyzes shampoos for damaged hair for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top stylists and trichologists to assess new formulas and brands.

Lauren Balsamo Deputy Beauty Director Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports.

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