Best professional shampoo and conditioner for dry hair

Have you ever wondered why your hair is so dry? It could be a result of many things, from malnutrition to chemical damage. But even if you have yet to get to the root of the problem, moisturizing shampoos are a great way to start helping your hair recover from dryness. Celebrity hairstylist and Beachwaver founder Sarah Potempa suggests using shampoos with ingredients that provide added moisture (think: coconut oil, Abyssinian oil and shea butter). She also recommends staying clear of sulfates (detergents that strip hair of moisture) and petrolatum (an ingredient that’s known to suffocate the hair cuticle).

The No.4 Bonding Shampoo From Olaplex is a gentle daily cleanser that's designed to help moisturize ... [+] hair without weighing it down.

If you want to go the extra mile beyond shampoo to restore your strands, scroll down for some expert tips. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best shampoos for dry hair that’s severely in need of TLC.

• Best Shampoo For Dry Hair Overall: Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
• Best Shampoo For Dry, Color-Treated Hair: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
• Best Shampoo For Fine Dry Hair: Redken All Soft Shampoo
• Best Shampoo For Dry, Damaged Hair: Nexxus Keraphix Damage Healing Shampoo
• Best Shampoo For Dry, Curly Hair: Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing Shampoo
• Best Drugstore Shampoo For Dry Hair: Dove Nutritive Solutions Strengthening Shampoo for Damaged Hair Intensive Repair
• Best Strengthening Shampoo For Dry Hair: BosleyMD BosRevive Color Safe Nourishing Shampoo
• Best-Smelling Shampoo For Dry Hair: Love Beauty and Planet Hope and Hair Repair Sulfate-Free Shampoo
• Best Clean Shampoo For Dry Hair: Authentic Beauty Concept Replenish Cleanser
• Best Hydrating Shampoo For Dry Hair: Kérastase Nutritive Shampoo for Severely Dry Hair
• Best Splurge Shampoo For Dry Hair: Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore

Best Shampoo For Dry Hair Overall

MOST POPULAR

Sephora

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Olaplex is considered the gold standard damage repair and prevention. It’s beloved by celebrity stylists (Khloé Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen’s hair colorist is a spokesperson), and its 800 five-star reviews on Sephora further prove its popularity among shoppers. This incredibly moisturizing shampoo relinks broken disulfide bonds, which gives hair strength and structure within the hair shaft.

Best Shampoo For Dry, Color-Treated Hair

Sephora

Pureology Hydrate Shampoo

Color-treated hair is often in need of moisture, so it’s important to use a shampoo that delivers hydrating ingredients and also protects against color fade. Enter Pureology’s Hydrate Shampoo, a cult-favorite sulfate-free formula that uses ingredients like jojoba to moisturize and green tea to maintain scalp health.

Best Shampoo For Dry Fine Hair

ULTA Beauty

Redken All Soft Shampoo

Dry, damaged hair often needs moisture, but those with fine hair might be wary of a moisturizing shampoo weighing down hair in the process. Redken’s lightweight formula helps support hair structure and addresses moisture needs through ultra-hydrating argan oil.

Best Shampoo For Dry, Damaged Hair

Target

Nexxus Keraphix Damage Healing Shampoo

With over 7,000 five-star reviews, it’s hard to ignore Nexxus’ Keraphix Protein Damage Hair Repair Shampoo. The formula, made with black rice, is rich in glutamic acid, commonly lost when hair is damaged. Combined with keratin, it provides impressive strengthening and recovery benefits for the hair.

Best Shampoo For Dry, Curly Hair

ULTA Beauty

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Defrizzing Shampoo

You couldn’t pick a better product for combatting frizz (a sign of dry hair) than this innovative cleanser made with silk proteins that seal the hair cuticle and give way to more defined curls. And like all of Quidad’s stellar products, this cleanser was specially formulated for curly textures.

Best Drugstore Shampoo For Dry Hair

Target

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo

At less than $4, Dove’s strengthening shampoo offers value in more ways than one. The high-performing formula thoroughly cleanses while repairing the damaged surface of the hair, resulting in enhanced shine. It also dips into the hair to continuously strengthen it over time, so hair is ready to defend against aggressors.

Best Strengthening Shampoo For Dry Hair

Amazon

BosleyMD BosRevive Color Safe Nourishing Shampoo

This rejuvenating cleanser is spiked with ingredients that will help fortify your scalp and strands, including vitamin- and mineral-rich pumpkin seed extract, rosemary oil (to stimulate hair growth) and panthenol (to improve retention). Like all of Bosley’s products, this formula works especially well on thinning hair.

Best-Smelling Shampoo For Dry Hair

Target

Love Beauty and Planet Hope and Hair Repair Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Love Beauty and Planet’s coconut oil-infused shampoo deserves attention for multiple reasons. For starters, the packaging is made from 100% recycled materials. In terms of performance, the cleanser has amassed rave reviews for its refreshing ylang-ylang scent and softening, hydrating properties.

Best Clean Shampoo For Dry Hair

ULTA Beauty

Authentic Beauty Concept Replenish Cleanser

This vegan cleanser is free of healthy hair sabotaging ingredients, like sulfates, silicons and parabens, yet teeming with clean ingredients for nourishing and replenishing hair. The hero? Cationic guar not only improves the ease of combing but also gives hair a vibrant and shiny boost.

Best Hydrating Shampoo For Dry Hair

Sephora

Kérastase Nutritive Shampoo for Severely Dry Hair

Kérastase has an impressive selection for damaged hair needs. This particular shampoo is made specifically for dry, brittle hair. It utilizes benzoin resin to form a protective layer on hair that locks in moisture and reduces tangling. And the addition of xylose helps shield from the damaging effects of heat styling.

Best Splurge Shampoo For Dry Hair

Sephora

Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore

This luxurious shampoo has a silky, gorgeous texture and holds the brand’s signature sunny Côte d’Azur scent (it could have won any best-smelling shampoo category, too). It’s worth the splurge, though. It features a lineup of ingredients that penetrate the hair’s cuticle to strengthen and protect against future damage. Nourishing oils provide rich moisture that helps hair reach a healthier state without weighing it down.

Dry Hair FAQ

Why is my hair so dry?

Dry hair is a combination of how you treat your body (food intake, exercise), as well as poor haircare habits. “You want to ensure that you’re consuming healthy foods and drinking plenty of water, which will stimulate hair growth and strengthen hair follicles,” says Potempa. “Second, poor hair care habits can cause dry/damaged hair. For example, if you use steaming hot water in shower, the cuticle opens and exposes the cortex of the hair, causing exposure to elements that can dry out the hair. You want to ensure that you’re finishing with a cool rinse in the shower, as well as using a cool shot on the hair dryer to protect your hair. Additionally, the water in your house can make a difference. If you need to, add a filter to your shower to make sure the water is eliminated of harsh minerals or oil.”

What are the best ingredients for dry hair?

The best ingredients will add moisture to your hair. “Oils like argan, avocado, acai fruit, coconut, babassu kernel and jojoba are great for adding moisture to dry hair,” says BosleyMD certified trichologist Gretchen Friese.

“Your haircare products [also] need to be free from negative ingredients,” says Sarah. She recommends avoiding the following:

• Parabens (chemicals that irritate the scalp and disrupt hormone function)
• Phthalates (linked to hormone activity disruption)
• Sulfates (detergents that strip hair of moisture and cause breakage)
• Petrolatum (a hair cuticle-suffocating ingredient)
• Benzophenone (a possible carcinogen, endocrine disruptor and toxic to the environment)
• Formaldehyde (a known carcinogen and respiratory system irritant)

How can I hydrate my hair?

There are plenty of remedies for keeping your hair hydrated, including hydrating masks and shampoos. “I recommend using a hydrating mask once a week,” says Friese. “You can just leave it on without any heat for 10-15 minutes, or you can put a plastic bag over your head and heat it up with a blow dryer for 10 minutes and let cool for five. Then rinse out the mask and follow with a moisturizing conditioner.”

Even the way you style and blow dry your hair matters. “Make sure to use a blow dryer with a concentrator nozzle to smooth and close the cuticle by drying it parallel to the hair,” says Sarah. Be sure to finish with a lightweight cream to add moisture to the ends.

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