The Best Shampoo Won't Just Clean Your Hair, It'll Make It Better

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Not too long ago, the notion of skipping a shampoo every few showers represented nothing short of heresy. It was several years back, when Robert Pattinson was on the press junket promoting the fifteenth or so Twilight movie and admitted his hair-care regimen mostly involved just, like, not washing it ever, foregoing shampoo entirely for months on end. And let's not forget the tumult that ensued when Jake Gyllenhaal revealed that he showers only seldomly.

Men around the world legitimately lost their shit. Both brouhahas went mildly viral, covered by nearly everyone (including us), leaving a scandalized nation to come to terms with the fact that the best way to look like a celeb is to look grimy. You mean to tell me I, too, can't look like a brooding, sexy heartthrob simply by refusing to shampoo my hair? Them's the breaks, kid. We don't make the rules around here.

R–Patz and Gyllenhaal’s controversial—and, to be clear, still extreme—take on maintaining their manes isn’t completely devoid of logic. You can evoke a little bit of tousled, Chalamet-esque bedhead with hair that hasn't been so much as touched by a cleanser for a couple of days. By which we mean: You shouldn't be shampooing every day. At most, experts recommend shampooing a couple of times a week depending on how oily your hair is. This means when you do lather up, it's super important you choose a shampoo that's right for your 'do. The best of 'em not only work to cleanse your hair of dirt, sweat, and other grime, but will also help your locks maintain their luster down the line.

And as you might expect, not all shampoos are created equal. So to help you on your quest towards a coiffure worthy of a Hollywood type, we've rounded up some of the best shampoos to buy now, no matter your hair type. Clamoring throngs of adoring fans very much not included.

Nourishing Olive Fruit Oil Shampoo

Even though there are avocado and olive oils in this formula, it’s not heavy and doesn’t leave your hair feeling oily or greasy. Instead, it rinses clean and leaves both your hair and scalp feeling fresh and hydrated, not dry. We found in our testing that it’s great for most hair types, even fine hair, but really shines at nourishing dry or frizzy hair. We found that it’s nourishing enough that we were tempted to not even use conditioner afterward (but, for the record, we still did). The one downside is that if you have very thick or very oily hair, you may need a bit more cleaning power than this provides. However, for the average guy, this is a great, safe bet.

Hydrating Shampoo

When you’re looking for an all-around shampoo, you need a couple of things: a product that cleanses your hair and scalp effectively without leaving either feeling dry; a good, rich lather to aid in the cleansing process but also, you know, because it feels good; and a pleasing scent that you actually want to smell, but won’t leave you feeling perfumed for hours. This one checks all those boxes, which is why it’s one of our favorite options out there. It’s good for almost every hair type: moisturizing enough for dry hair, but cleanses powerfully enough to work well on oily hair and scalps. Plus, it’s all wrapped up in a 100 percent recyclable bottle.

Scotch Porter Hydrating Hair Wash for Men | Gentle Shampoo Promotes Softness, Shine & Scalp Health | Free of Parabens, Sulfates & Silicones | Vegan | 13oz

This shampoo is formulated to nourish and moisturize curly or textured hair, which can be especially prone to dryness. Ingredients like kale protein and white willow bark both strengthen and hydrate strands to reduce frizz and smooth them out, while also helping them retain moisture for longer. While it may be formulated for curly hair, we found that it works just as well on any hair texture that could use extra hydration. It’s on the thicker side, which is ideal for thick and textured hair, but rinses clean with no residue left behind. No matter what your hair texture, if you notice a lot of dryness and frizz, this is an ideal option.

Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree line is known for a few things, like its invigorating trademark tingle that it leaves on your scalp and the scalp-balancing, dandruff-controlling property of the tea tree oil itself. This shampoo has both of those things, but this version is also formulated to help pump up the volume on fine and thin hair. As we tested it, we became more and more impressed by this volumizing ability, which left our hair looking fuller and more voluminous after pretty much the first use. The fresh lemon and sage scent is also spa-like and refreshing, which had us looking forward to each shower.

The Shampoo

You may assume that shampoo is all about your hair, but it also needs to clean your scalp, which is why it’s recommended to massage it into your scalp with your fingers, not just smooth it over your strands. The problem is, if you have a dry, itchy or inflamed scalp, traditional shampoos will only make your situation work. This shampoo, however, is specifically formulated to balance and hydrate your scalp while also cleansing it. Not only does it contain skin-beneficial ingredients like hyaluronic acid and Vitamins B3 and B5 (yes, the same kind you find in your face products), but it’s also fragrance-free which is ideal for skin sensitivities and reducing itchiness. We found that after just a few uses, our scalps felt calmer, healthier and way less itchy.

Pure Clean Shampoo

Out of all of the drugstore shampoo we’ve tried, this one impressed us the most. It basically power washes your hair to remove any sign of dirt, oil or product buildup, but instead of leaving your hair feeling dry or crispy like many other similarly priced shampoos, this one leaves it feeling smooth, hydrated and healthy. That’s thanks to the aloe and Vitamin E in the formula, but also to the fact that it’s sulfate-free. If we had to blind-test this one, we would assume it cost at least five times the actual price.

Vetiver + Neroli Refreshing Shampoo

This shampoo is really all about moisturizing, which is important for textured and curly hair, because it tends to get frizzy and dry very easily (the hair’s natural moisturizing oils have a harder time reaching the tip of each strand). At the base of this rich, ultra-moisturizing shampoo is both shea butter and shea oil, which not only moisturizes dry hair but helps protect it and seal that moisture in. It’s rich and ultra-moisturizing, though we found in our testing that it really does work wonders on textured, thick and very dry hair, though it may be too heavy for other hair types.

Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo

It might sound crazy to some people to spend so much on a shampoo, but then you use it. Believe us, we’ve tried and tested hundreds of shampoos and this is one we keep coming back to over and over. Not only is this stuff known for the signature Oribe scent, but we’ve found very few other shampoos that can rival how this shampoo makes your hair look and feel after just a single use. Hair feels cleansed and soft, without a hint of residue or oil left behind, and it’s left with a healthy-looking natural shine—you know, the kind that rich people’s hair has. Not for nothing, but we’ve never met a hair professional who doesn’t love this shampoo, either.

Hydration Shampoo

Curly hair needs to be treated differently, which is why using a shampoo that is specifically formulated for your hair type is essential. This ultra-moisturizing shampoo is made for dry and frizz-prone curly hair and cleanses gently but effectively. There’s not a ton of lather, which is also by design—many shampoos that use traditional surfactants (cleansing elements) can strip hair of its natural oils leaving it dry. Not this shampoo! Our curly-haired testers were extremely impressed at how clean this left their hair but also how well it kept it from drying out throughout the day.

Waterless Shampoo Concentrate

We’re not going to get into all of the possible sustainability issues around shampoo and grooming products as a whole right now—we don’t have nearly enough space. But let’s just say that this innovative shampoo attempts to solve many of them and does it very well. It’s a concentrated paste that you activate with water from your shower into a rich, creamy lather (you only need a tiny amount to clean your whole head). The plant-based formula is rich in moisturizing glycerin and soothing aloe vera, both of which help to keep your hair healthy instead of leaving it feeling over-cleansed. And last, but certainly not least, the aluminum tube is not only fully recycled, but also fully recyclable.

Clinical Strength Dandruff Defense Sensitive Scalp Shampoo

Dandruff shampoos typically contain ingredients like selenium sulfide to help control dandruff, but the problem is that they can also be harsh on your hair and scalp and not exactly the most luxurious to use. Out of all the dandruff shampoos that we’ve tested, this one is by far the best for a few reasons. It contains the maximum amount of selenium sulfide you can get over the counter for powerful dandruff control, but it’s also way more gentle on the scalp than any others we’ve tried. The fragrance, while we wouldn’t say it’s incredibly luxurious, at least isn’t as clinical as many of the others you’ll find out there.

Thick Fix Shampoo

Many thickening shampoos superficially plump hair to make it look thicker in the short term (which, for the record, isn’t a bad thing), but this one actually goes a step further. Not only does it cleanse and de-grease hair well, which helps make hair look thicker and fuller anyway, but it also contains saw palmetto, which studies have shown has DHT-blocking capabilities (that’s the hormone that contributes to male pattern hair loss). That means that not only does this shampoo do exactly what a shampoo should do (clean) but goes even a step further into growth territory.

Pure Harmony Hairbath

Old-school natural shampoos tend to fall into two categories: overly-oily or way too harsh. This gentle shampoo strikes the exact right balance between the two. It’s a low-lather, gentle cleanse that won’t strip your hair, but even though the formula is rich in nourishing coconut and avocado oils, it never leaves an oily or greasy residue. It’s intended for fine or medium hair, but we found in our testing that it can be good for thicker hair, too, provided it’s not super oily.

What to Look for in a Shampoo

You may think that all shampoos are created equal, but you’d be very wrong. Using a shampoo that’s specifically formulated for your hair type is important because different hair types require different care and can benefit from different ingredients.

Fine Hair: Fine hair gets weighed down easily by heavy ingredients like oils, so look for cleansing formulas that are thinner and, while they don’t necessarily need to be oil-free, should have a minimal amount of oil. Ingredients like proteins can also help to both volumize and strengthen fine hair.

Oily Hair: To cut through oil, look for something that has a bit more cleansing power. You’ll often see these labeled “clarifying” and will often contain ingredients like tea tree oil and other astringents. Keep in mind that these can be drying, even on oily hair, so it’s recommended to always follow them with a lightweight conditioner.

Curly and Textured Hair: Curly and textured hair can get dry and frizzy easily, so these formulas are often heavy on the hydration. They tend to be thicker than other shampoos, and often don’t lather as much, which helps to curb any drying from the cleansing process. They’ll often have ingredients like cocoa and shea butters, plant-based oils, and other deeply moisturizing ingredients.

Dandruff: To treat dandruff, your best bet is a specific dandruff shampoo which will often contain ingredients like zinc pyrithione or selenium sulfide, both of which are clinically proven (and FDA-approved) to control dandruff. Sometimes you’ll also see ingredients like salicylic acid, which can help exfoliate away flakes.

Thinning Hair: While shampoos aren’t going to be your be-all-end-all hair-loss treatment, they can be helpful as part of a larger hair-loss treatment program. Many will contain ingredients that are shown to help block DHT (the hormone responsible for most hair loss) like saw palmetto, rosemary extract, and others. The key to these is that you need to let the shampoo sit on your scalp for a few minutes so the ingredients can penetrate before rinsing it off.

Why Trust Us

We’re not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to skincare you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting products that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved. Our grooming editor Garrett Munce, along with the rest of the style team, has spent years lathering, scrubbing, massaging and test driving hundreds (thousands!) of hair care products and we are confident that these are the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists) comes from these years of testing. We know that everyone’s hair is different, no two men are the same, and what works for you may not work for everyone else. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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