A few years ago I asked my hairstylist what drugstore shampoo I should buy, and she winced. Full facial flinch, like I’d asked her to cut my bangs with kitchen scissors. She recommended something that cost $42 and smelled like a spa in Big Sur, and I bought it, using up the bottle before going right back to whatever was on sale at CVS.
Many of us (most of us?) are not spending salon money on shampoo every six weeks and, fortunately, the drugstore aisle has gotten actually good, assuming you know what to pick up. A $9 bottle can out-perform a $40 one if the formula matches your hair, but the wrong formula can wreck your color if it doesn’t.
So we asked four celebrity hairstylists for the best drugstore shampoos they actually recommend to clients, plus the ones they walk past. Fair warning: they do not agree on absolutely everything. One stylist’s budget hero is another stylist’s hard pass, and the sulfate debate got surprisingly heated. All of it is below.
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Top Drugstore Shampoos Worth Buying, Stylists Explain
- Best Drugstore Shampoo Overall — NatureWell SunDaze Nourishing Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Fine or Thinning Hair — Dove Derma Scalp Density Boost Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Volume — Odele Volumizing Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair — L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Clarifying — L’Oréal Paris EverPure Clarify Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Curly or Textured Hair — Kinky-Curly Come Clean Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Dry or Damaged Hair — PURA D’OR Original Gold Label Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo
- Best Drugstore Shampoo for Frizz — Aluram High Shine Shampoo
- Best Under $15 — Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo
What Celebrity Stylists Look For in Drugstore Formulas
The first filter is specificity. T. Cooper, a celebrity hairstylist who works with stars like Cynthia Bailey and Tiffany Haddish (and is the founder of Major Face) wants a shampoo built for a particular hair type or scalp concern, and the catch-all bottles leave her cold.
“Hair is not a monolith, so I stay far away from the one-size-fits-all products,” she says. Beyond that, she wants it to clean well without leaving hair a tangled mess.
For damaged, dry or bleached hair, Rikke Gajda, a celebrity hairstylist who works with Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner, wants protein and amino acids plus panthenol and glycerin, which give hair a smoother feel. For fine or oily hair, she goes lightweight and skips the heavy oils and conditioning agents that flatten everything out. (Those are usually the ones labeled volume shampoos.)
Marco Pelusi, a celebrity colorist who owns Marco Pelusi Hair Studio in West Hollywood and has worked with Carol Alt and James Brolin, is watching pH. He wants gentle cleansing agents and ingredients that keep hair’s pH where it belongs, because letting it climb affects both hair health and how long your color lasts.
And luckily, pricier isn’t always better! “More expensive products don’t always mean better quality or better results,” says Clyde Haygood, a celebrity hairstylist and a PURA D’OR partner who has worked with Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. He steers clients toward natural ingredients, essential oils, botanicals and fruit extracts, which tend to run cheaper anyway.
9 Stylist-Recommend Drugstore Shampoos To Buy
Here are the budge options celebrity stylists love.
Best Overall: NatureWell SunDaze Nourishing Shampoo, $12
Target
Cooper’s top pick does the thing most shampoos pick one side of, which is clearing buildup while leaving hair hydrated. She credits the oil blend for landing in the middle rather than feeling too light or too heavy. Also, and she brings this up unprompted, it smells delicious.
Best for Fine or Thinning Hair: Dove Derma Scalp Density Boost Shampoo, $10
Amazon
Fine hair gets weighed down by almost everything, which is why Cooper likes this one. It cleans the scalp properly without leaving length feeling heavy.
If thinning is the bigger concern, Haygood likes PURA D’OR Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo, which he notes is clinically tested to help minimize breakage, with niacin, biotin and argan oil in the mix. Gajda’s pick for growth support is F.A.S.T. Shampoo, which has biotin and amino acids.
Best for Volume: Odele Volumizing Shampoo, $12
Amazon
Gajda reaches for this when fine hair needs bounce rather than moisture. It removes excess oil without stripping the scalp, and the payoff is fullness that doesn’t collapse by lunch.
Best for Color-Treated Hair: L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System, $20
Amazon
Color-treated hair needs a cleanser that doesn’t strip for no reason, and Cooper calls this a fan favorite for keeping color intact between salon visits.
Gajda’s alternative is Keracolor Color & Clenditioner, a semi-permanent cleansing conditioner she recommends to clients maintaining color at home. Shea butter and jojoba oil leave hair soft, and the shade range is wide.
Best Clarifying: L’Oréal Paris EverPure Clarify Shampoo, $10
Amazon
Gajda thinks everyone should own a clarifying shampoo and use it once or twice a month to clear product buildup and hard water residue. This one gets the gunk out without leaving hair stripped. “It’ll leave it shiny and soft and it’s a good reset/detox for the hair,” she says.
Best for Curly or Textured Hair: Kinky-Curly Come Clean Shampoo, $22
Amazon
This is Cooper’s hydrating pick. Curly and textured hair that needs buildup gone without the dryness that usually comes with it. If retaining length and moisture is your wash-day goal, start here.
Best for Dry or Damaged Hair: PURA D’OR Original Gold Label Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo, $30
Amazon
Haygood’s number one for clients dealing with dullness, dryness and breakage. The aloe-based biotin formula adds moisture immediately, and the blend includes pumpkin seed, black cumin seed oil and nettle.
(Pelusi’s budget answer for dry, damaged hair is Pantene Moisture Renewal, which he likes for the panthenol that adds shine.)
Best for Frizz: Aluram High Shine Shampoo, $22
amazon
Gajda’s frizz pick is built on coconut water for hydration plus pracaxi oil for shine. Frizz is usually a hydration problem wearing a costume, so a formula that addresses the moisture first tends to do more than any smoothing claim on the front of the bottle.
Best Under $15: Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo, $10
Amazon
Cooper calls this a solid budget option for regular cleansing that removes oil and leaves hair softer and easier to manage. Pelusi independently landed on the same line.
Gajda’s favorite is CLOUD Glow Shampoo, a lightweight cleanser with ginseng extract that she says is the best overall shampoo she can name at that price.
2 Overrated Types of Drugstore Shampoos Stylists Skip
1. Anything that promises a miracle
Gajda doesn’t skip brands so much as claims. She walks past anything advertising “no haircut needed” or a reversal of ten years of damage in one wash. Shampoos that claim to seal split ends can coat the hair temporarily, but as she puts it, that’s masking the issue rather than fixing it. The only real fix is, you guessed it, scissors.
2. The “for all hair types” bottle
Cooper’s biggest gripe is the universal formula, which she finds consistently underwhelming. If the label doesn’t name a hair type or a scalp concern, it probably wasn’t built for yours.
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Key Ingredients To Look For (and Avoid) on Shampoo Labels
Humectants top Cooper’s preferred list, specifically hyaluronic acid and glycerin, because they pull in moisture. She’s been happy to see hyaluronic acid migrate from skincare into hair care. For dry or damaged hair she wants nourishing oils like argan, almond and coconut, which help with manageability and breakage.
Pelusi is after strength. Collagen, keratin and natural proteins such as wheat protein, plus aromatherapy ingredients like rosemary, lavender, coconut and peppermint. He also likes aloe vera for the scalp.
Haygood’s scalp list overlaps, with tea tree, peppermint and rosemary for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, plus biotin and keratin for repair. Argan oil is his favorite across the board, since it moisturizes, detangles and adds shine.
Related: The One Hair Color Technique for Women Over 50 to Look Instantly Younger, Says Celebrity Colorist
On the avoid side, Cooper flags high concentrations of short-chain alcohols, which can be very drying. However, not all alcohols are the enemy, fatty alcohols like cetyl alcohol are a different thing entirely and are often there to condition.
Haygood avoids sulfates, parabens and silicones, and his sulfate analogy is one I won’t soon forget. They’re in detergents and household cleaners, so ask yourself whether that’s what you want on your hair.
Pelusi, respectfully, thinks sulfates have been demonized. Some are perfectly safe, and he singles out sodium laureth sulfate as a gentle cleansing agent known not to dull or strip color. Concentration is what actually matters, he says, since any detergent at too high a dose can start pulling color. He does avoid mineral oil, which he says can affect hair color.
Gajda lands in the same camp, calling the no-sulfates-no-silicones framing a little outdated. Sulfates emulsify buildup, which is the entire job of a shampoo, and silicones can coat and protect hair where it needs it. What she does avoid is heavy fragrance, especially for anyone with a sensitive scalp.
Which means the honest answer to the sulfate question is that it depends on your hair, your color and the formula. I know. I wanted a rule too.
Up Next:
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Sources:
- T. Cooper, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Major Face
- Clyde Haygood, celebrity hairstylist and PURA D’OR partner
- Marco Pelusi, celebrity hairstylist, colorist and owner of Marco Pelusi Hair Studio
- Rikke Gajda, celebrity hairstylist