The 15 Best Shampoos for Curly Hair, Tested & Reviewed
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Wash day never looked so good.
InStyle / Kristin Kempa
With curly hair, there’s no telling when we’ll have curls that behave. They’re either bouncy and full of life or full of frizz and shapeless. Although curly hair can be glorious, taking care of it requires trial and error, which can add up to a pretty penny over time.
“Using a good hair cleanser is essential, as your shampoo sets the tone for your entire wash day,” says Maeva Heim, founder of Bread Beauty Supply. “Although it’s not generally the product that people spend a lot of time thinking about, your shampoo really is one of the most important steps in your routine.” Knowing what our curls crave and how to care for them can feel like one of the world’s great mysteries, particularly if you’re blessed with tight ringlets. “The tighter the curl, the drier it becomes,” says celebrity stylist Larry Sims.
We spent 558 hours testing 31 shampoos specifically developed to nourish and protect curly hair, evaluating our hair after using each one to see how clean our curls looked, how moisturized they felt, and the definition they sported. At the end of our six-week testing period, we compared before and after photos of our curly hair and how healthy it appeared, and then we curated this list filled with our favorite, top-scoring shampoos for curly hair that we still use today.
Best Overall: Virtue Curl Shampoo
What We Love: We liked how it gently, and noticeably removed excess oils and buildup while maintaining our natural curl pattern.
What We Don't Love: It’s a bit pricey compared to others.
Curly hair has a mind of its own, and may look completely different from one day to the next, but we found that the hydrating Virtue Curl Shampoo helped to maintain our curls definition and volume like no other. In fact, the product provided results in just seconds after letting the shampoo sit in our hair, which felt cleansed and free of any residue, flakes, or dandruff once rinsing it out.
We were happy with the definition of our curls while using this shampoo, and we could tell our hair felt more protected when using heating tools. We thought our locks looked full, vibrant, and healthy after each use. It works best for tight curls and coils that tend to experience more dryness as it is formulated with nourishing ingredients such as jojoba oil, which helps to moisturize and enhance curl formation and definition.
It felt very gentle on our scalps and didn’t seem to strip our hair of any natural oils, but we felt like it didn’t clean deep enough for thicker and tighter curls.
Best for: Coils, thick textures｜Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, ceratonia siliqua, rice protein, sunflower seed oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Fruity｜Size: 8 oz
Best Budget Shampoo for Curly Hair: L'Oréal Paris Evercurl HydraCharge Shampoo
What We Love: Our curls remained defined days after shampooing.
What We Don't Love: It may be too lightweight for thicker curls.
Simply put, the iconic drugstore brand, L’Oreal Paris can do no wrong, and the proof is in the brand’s EverCurl Sulfate Free Shampoo for Curly Hair. We found that while it is a simple product, it did not lack in nourishing our curly hair. It instantly improved the appearance and feel of our hair, and we couldn’t get enough of it.
Washing our hair with this sulfate-free shampoo felt like a luxury. The gentle formula provided our curls with the right amount of volume and definition without weighing them down. We even noticed that our hair felt more manageable and didn’t get as knotty or tangled as normal. The product also helped with breakage we experienced at the ends of our hair, which was pleasantly welcomed!
The fruity and refreshing scent may be our favorite part about trying this shampoo out. It was super subtle, but lingered post-wash in the best way possible. It helped us feel just as cleansed and reborn as our curls. We definitely enjoyed knowing that this shampoo was lightweight and made without sulfates, however, it may not be a strong enough formula for those who have thick, curly hair that require a bit of a thicker product for a better cleanse.
Best for: Fine, tight curls｜Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, glycerin, grape seed oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Mango and coconut｜Size: 8.5 oz
Best Clarifying Shampoo for Curly Hair: Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Shampoo
What We Love: It is super lightweight and adds moisture to curls without weighing them down.
What We Don't Love: It doesn’t do much to combat frizziness.
When it comes to getting rid of build up from gels and other styling products, Awoda Beauty’s Moisturizing Shampoo will efficiently clarify and cleanse our scalps and curls. Sure, it’s pretty lightweight, but it packs a punch when it comes to working through curls with ease, adding moisture to each strand of hair without weighing them down. Case in point: the shampoo really gets the job done when it comes to cleansing our curls without overstripping.
We didn’t mind the shampoo’s minty scent, in fact, it left our scalps feeling super refreshed and clean. It didn’t give that burning or tingly feeling many mint hair products leave behind, the scent did linger post-rinse—but it wasn’t overpowering. Where the shampoo lacks was with its frizz-fighting abilities. It definitely added some softness to our hair, but it may not be moisturizing enough for many curl types.
With that being said, while we thought our hair felt clean after each wash, and even noticed some repaired damage, our curls didn’t look more enhanced or feel more nourished than before using the shampoo.
Best for: Coils｜Key Ingredients: Aloe leaf juice, baobab oil, wintergreen oil, spearmint oil, peppermint oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Mint｜Size: 14 oz
Best Shampoo for Dry Curly Hair: Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo
What We Love: It immediately added moisture to our curls and helped them look smoother while diminishing frizz.
What We Don't Love: Since the formula is pretty thick, a little goes a long way, so it’s easy to apply too much product to your hair.
Hyaluronic acid isn’t only a skincare hero, it’s also a secret weapon to quenching your dry hair—which is why we’ll always reach for Amika’s Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo when our curls are in need of hydration. After just one use, we could immediately notice a difference in how moisturized our hair felt, even after drying it with no product. Amika has also mastered how to combat frizz with this shampoo, and it smoothed our curls like no other.
We can’t forget to mention the lovely subtle floral scent that lingered on our hair throughout the day—it’s seriously so good. But our favorite part about the shampoo was how much it enhanced the look of our curls more and more after each use. The formula is a bit thicker than others, so we found that a nickel-sized amount worked best (then again, how much you use depends on your curl type). Despite how easy it can be to accidentally use too much product, it lathered extremely well and rinsed out easily, leaving behind zero residue.
Best for: Coils｜Key Ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, bio-fermented coconut water｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Warm vanilla, fresh citrus, spicy sweet clover｜Size: 9.2 oz
Best Shampoo for Curly Hair and Itchy Scalp: Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
What We Love: It helped our curls maintain their shape and definition longer than before.
What We Don't Love: We didn’t notice immediate differences in our hair after the first wash, and it took a few washes to see minimal changes.
Let’s face it—finding the best shampoo for curly thick hair and an itchy scalp can consist of a lot of trial and error, but this Super Moisture Shampoo from Briogeo will remove build up and provide you with the sweet, sweet relief you’re eager for. We’ve had our fair share of days where our scalp simply won’t stop itching, and this shampoo instantly soothed any irritation we were feeling. Seriously, washing our hair with this shampoo was equivalent to the feeling of the perfect hair wash at the salon.
So, why is this the best option for curly hair and sensitive scalps? Well, because it’s formulated with conditioning and repairing ingredients such as algae extract and B vitamins, which we have to thank for adding instant hydration to our curls and deeply nourishing them. Sometimes shampoo seems to get lost within our curls and takes so long to rinse all the product out, but not this one. This shampoo rinses out like a dream: fast, easy, and sans residue.
This shampoo is perfect for all hair types and textures, but is the best for curly hair and dry scalps because while it eliminates the annoying itchiness you’re feeling, it helped our curls keep their shape and made good hair days more consistent than ever. However, despite how nourishing the shampoo was, it didn’t make our hair as smooth as we expected.
Best for: Waves, tight curls｜Key Ingredients: Biotin, algae extract, rose oil, shea butter｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Floral｜Size: 16 oz
Best Shampoo for Curly Thick Hair: Bumble & bumble Curl Moisturizing Shampoo
What We Love: After the first wash, our curls looked more defined and bouncy than they did before.
What We Don't Love: We didn’t feel like the shampoo added much hydration to our hair.
The Curl Moisturizing Shampoo from Bumble and bumble can work through thick curly hair like no one's business. Sometimes it seems like products literally get lost within the curls, creating buildup and simply not cleaning our hair. But this shampoo lathered easily and was super easy to wash out. We could tell it really cleansed each strand, leaving our hair feeling clean, but not that unpleasant squeaky clean feeling as it didn't strip away our natural oils.
After we first washed our hair with the shampoo, our curls instantly looked more defined and created a luscious, bouncy curl we absolutely loved. Oh, and we can’t forget to mention its incredible coconut scent that transported us to an island each time we got a whiff of it.
While this shampoo can work through even the thickest of curls, its formula is super gentle. Enhanced with a hair-loving blend of oils—avocado, coconut, and jojoba—along with cocoa and shea butters, we expected to see more hydration, but perhaps it’s not strong enough to properly give thicker curls long lasting moisture.
Best for: Thick textured curls｜Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Floral｜Size: 8.5 oz
Best Shampoo for Fine Curly Hair: Curlsmith Frizz Control Cleanser
What We Love: The shampoo gave our hair a silky and smooth feeling that lasted even after it dried.
What We Don’t Love: It didn’t lather very well, and we felt like we had to use a lot of product during each hair washing session.
As it turns out, it’s not exactly impossible to manage frizz—we tried Curlsmith’s Frizz Control Cleanser and realized that it’s the perfect solution to keeping frizz at bay for fine curly hair.
We instantly fell in love with how smooth and silky the shampoo made our hair feel and look, even after it was completely dried. It helped our hair look shiny, healthy, and best of all: full of volume. The yummy mango and papaya scent was equivalent to what we imagine a tropical paradise smells like. It was very pleasant, but didn’t linger and wasn’t overpowering.
The formula was gentle on our scalps, and didn’t cause any irritation or lingering residue. The shampoo is made with naturally derived ingredients, such as black currant seed oil, coconut butter, and argan oil, which help replenish the hair’s natural moisture levels, leaving it feeling soft and bouncy—never stripped.
We believe that Curlsmith mastered complementing our curls without defining them too much, which may be ideal for those with shorter hair who don’t want their curls to scrunch up too much. While it was a very gentle cleanser, it was hard to lather throughout our hair.
Best for: Tight coils｜Key Ingredients: Black currant seed oil, coconut butter, argan oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Mango and papaya｜Size: 12 oz
Best Shampoo for Curly and Frizzy Hair: Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo
What We Love: The shampoo helped our curls feel easier to manage and free of tangled knots.
What We Don’t Love: The formula felt very stiff and slightly weighed our hair down.
Using the Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo on your curls is basically starting your journey to bringing your natural curl texture back to life—sans frizz and flyaways. Sometimes curly hair can have a mind of its own, and we loved how efficient this shampoo was at eliminating most of our frizz, and our flyaways quickly became an issue of the past.
After each use, we couldn't help but admire how shiny our hair looked. The shampoo is made with sea kelp, jojoba oil, and an antioxidant-rich blend that noticeably boosted hydration and added essential moisture and shine that our curls deserve. We felt like our hair’s natural oils were left intact yet cleansed and free of all the gunk that other shampoos simply can’t get rid of.
While it’s formulated with a bunch of nourishing ingredients, and without a doubt enhanced the health of our hair (breakage who??), the shampoo was a little more harsh than others and weighed our curls down just the slightest bit.
Best for: Thick, coarse hair textures｜Key Ingredients: Sea kelp, jojoba oil｜Sulfate-Free: No｜Scent: Fruity｜Size: 10.1 oz
Best Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Curly Hair: Kinky-Curly Come Clean Shampoo
What We Love: It cleansed our entire head, from scalp to ends, with each wash.
What We Don't Love: We didn’t notice an increase in moisture while using the shampoo.
If there’s one thing we know about having curly hair, it’s that our curls thrive off of their natural oils—and we found that the sulfate-free Come Clean Shampoo from Kinky Curly gave us softer and shinier hair without stripping our hair from these oils.
We immediately declared this the best natural shampoo for curly hair once we saw how it hydrated our hair while helping it feel clean—something so many other clean shampoos have tried to accomplish, but came up short. Every inch of our hair (including our scalps) felt nourished and cleansed, and the shampoo diminished flakiness from our dry scalps when they were feeling dry and itchy. We even noticed that it cleared out all the gunk and excess products in between wash days.
It’s important to find a shampoo like this one from Kinky-Curly as we found it’s gentle enough to use every day if needed, and it’s made with ingredients such as organic sea kelp, marigold flower, organic mandarin orange fruit, and organic white willow bark. There’s no denying it's the best natural shampoo for curly hair available.
While some curl types will love how refreshed and moisturized their hair looks and feels after using this shampoo, it may not be moisturizing enough for those who have thicker curly hair.
Best for: Waves, loose curls｜Key Ingredients: Organic sea kelp, marigold flower, organic mandarin orange fruit, organic white willow bark｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Mandarin orange｜Size: 8 oz
Best Shampoo for Curly Coarse Hair: Not Your Mother's Naturals Tahitian Gardenia & Mango Butter Curl Definition Shampoo
What We Love: The formula was gentle and lathered easily into curls.
What We Don’t Love: Those with thicker hair may not notice much of a difference with definition.
While the name of this curl-loving Not Your Mother’s Naturals shampoo is pretty lengthy, so is its list of reasons why it’s the best shampoo for curly coarse hair. We loved how delicate the formula of this Tahitian Gardenia and Mango Butter Curl Definition Shampoo felt as we lathered it into our hair. It provided such a refreshing feeling that our shower session felt like we were at a luxurious spa, receiving the nourishing hair wash imaginable.
The shampoo felt magical each time we washed our hair with it, but it took some time to see any changes throughout our curls. Our baby hairs were the first to show off the shampoo’s magic, and they began looking more bouncy and coiled than they usually do, which was super promising!
Our experience with this shampoo was pretty solid. We noticed how soft our curls felt and how shiny they appeared after implementing it into our curly haircare routine. It gave our curls a good boost of definition and bounciness, something that doesn’t always occur, especially with longer and thicker hair.
We think those with coarse hair will enjoy how much the shampoo enhances their curls, giving it so much life and shape, but those who have long layers and thicker pieces throughout may not see as much change with definition.
Best for: Coils, coarse textures｜Key Ingredients: Mango seed butter, gardenia taitensis flower extract｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Fruity｜Size: 15.2 oz
Best Shampoo for Wavy Hair + Curl Definition: OGX Quenching + Coconut Curls Shampoo
What We Love: The shampoo provided definition to our wavy hair without weighing it down.
What We Don’t Love: We found the scent to be off-putting.
Using a shampoo that is full of moisturizing benefits on fine wavy hair can be pretty daunting since it can easily get weighed down, but that’s not the case with the Quenching + Coconut Curl-Defining Shampoo from Ogx. This shampoo debunked any belief we had about any sort of hydrating and heavier products not working well with 2B, 2C, or even 3A hair. Its thicker consistency provided moisture without weighing down our strands, and gave us defined and manageable wavy hair up to four days post-wash.
There’s nothing better than a shampoo that smells incredible as you’re lathering and rinsing in the shower, but we found the coconut honey scent not as pleasant as others we’ve tried. But the refreshed feeling that overcame us each time after we washed our hair made up for it.
Despite how thick the formula is, we found that we could lather a generous amount of the gelatinous shampoo onto our hair without feeling like we overused it. In return, we did have to spend a little more time rinsing it out, but the rich product made our hair feel luscious and far from over-moisturized.
Since the texture is extremely creamy and dense, we found that it may be too strong for those with finer hair and could possibly leave a greasy residue.
Best for: Waves, loose curls｜Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, sweet honey, citrus oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Coconut｜Size: 13 oz
Best Protein Shampoo for Curly Hair: Oribe Shampoo for Moisture & Control
What We Love: The long-lasting shiny gloss we saw after using the shampoo is by far our favorite aspect.
What We Don't Love: It can make hair feel and look oily.
Those who are looking for luxe-looking products that work just as well as they look: meet your perfect match, the luxuriously rich Shampoo for Moisture and Control from Oribe. Or as we call it, one of the best protein shampoos we’ve ever used that not only strengthened our curls for a boost in bounciness, but has a major gloss factor.
To start, it would be remiss if we didn’t touch on the shampoo’s delicious scent, Oribe’s signature Côte d’Azur, which has notes of bergamot, white butterfly jasmine, and sandalwood. Even without the fragrance, we’d still love this protein-rich shampoo that works to strengthen, repair, and intensely hydrate and moisturize curls.
While there’s a never-ending list of great things to say about this shampoo, we do have to admit it took some trial and error to really get the feel for the product. At first we applied too much towards our scalp, which resulted in super oily hair just a day or two post-wash. But we pivoted and found that using it sparingly on our scalps while focusing from the middle of our hair down to the ends resulted in smoother and shiner hair without the presence of excess oil.
Although this shampoo helped our hair look shiner and feel overall so much healthier, we discovered that it doesn’t really enhance the definition of our curls.
Best for: Thick curly hair textures｜Key Ingredients: Amber extract, watermelon, lychee, edelweiss flower, sunflower seed oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Woody floral｜Size: 8.5 oz
Best Shampoo for Damaged Curly Hair: Pattern Hydration Shampoo
What We Love: We could visibly see our damaged hair repairing as we continued to wash our hair with it.
What We Don't Love: The scent isn’t too inviting.
When Pattern By Tracee Ellis Ross emerged onto the scene, we just knew we’d love trying out each product, but we had no clue how much we’d love using their Hydration Shampoo on our damaged curls. So many shampoos out there promise to repair damaged curly hair but fall up short. Case in point: We had high expectations with this hydrating shampoo which were exceeded in nourishing our curls and maintaining frizz.
Sometimes the front of our scalp feels dry and itchy, but we noticed after using this shampoo, it diminished immensely. It also cleansed our hair thoroughly without stripping any of our natural oils, adding plenty of moisture to our curls.
If you love the entire hair washing experience, including the aroma, you won’t be wowed with the scent of the Hydration Shampoo.
Best for: Thick, tight curls｜Key Ingredients: Shea butter, aloe vera leaf juice, coconut oil, honey｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Jasmine, bergamot, sweet sandalwood｜Size: 9.8 oz
Best Shampoo + Conditioner for Curly Hair: Rizos Curls Hydrating Shampoo
What We Love: It deeply moisturized our curls and our scalps when they were feeling dry and in need of some hydration.
What We Don't Love: We didn’t notice much of a difference to our curls until the third wash.
The two-in-one shampoo and conditioner from Rizos was the perfect hydrating product we didn’t know our curls needed. We loved having this product on hand when we were in a pinch, but couldn’t imagine leaving the house without washing our hair.
The hydrating shampoo felt very gentle on our curls, and we felt that it was able to add noticeable moisture to our scalp as well. Formulated with shea butter and moringa oil, we thought it did an amazing job at creating the prettiest shine and soft-to-touch curls each time we used it. We also loved how detangled our curls were—no knots, no problems.
While we really enjoyed how our curls felt when cleansing with this shampoo and conditioner product, we didn’t notice much of a difference in our texture, moisture, or definition until the third wash.
Best for: Coils｜Key Ingredients: Shea butter, moringa oil｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Citrus｜Size: 10 oz
Best Shampoo Bar for Curly Hair: superzero Deep Moisture and Anti Frizz Shampoo Bar for Curly, Coily & Extremely Frizzy Hair
What We Love: The shampoo was super gentle but provided deep hydration instantly.
What We Don't Love: We don’t think thicker hair types will have success using this shampoo bar.
The shampoo bar from Superzero was a surprisingly satisfying way to cleanse our curly hair without overstripping or causing irritation to our scalps. The concept of the bar is pretty cool, but we can’t deny that we weren’t a little hesitant to try it out. We found the experience of washing our hair with this shampoo to be very pleasant.
The product lathered extremely well throughout our curls, and the residue from our waxy hair products proved to be no match for this bar. We even went a few days longer than normal without a hair wash, and there was zero product leftover after cleansing our curls with it.
Our scalps felt thoroughly cleansed and refreshed, and our curls felt very light and not weighed down. However, we think the shampoo made our curls a little too light, resulting in more frizz than we expected to see. We also didn’t see much of a difference when it came to enhancing the definition of our curls, and its formula may be too light for various curl types.
Best for: Tight curls｜Key Ingredients: Creatine, shea butter, hemisqualane, triolein｜Sulfate-Free: Yes｜Scent: Lavender｜Size: 2.15 oz
What to Keep in Mind
Your Curl Type: Celebrity stylist and founder of The Second Floor Salon in NYC, Rogério Cavalcante, says caring for curly hair “involves a thoughtful approach to combat its natural dryness and accentuate the curls.” Curl types range from type 1 (mostly straight hair with some bend) to type 4 (tight ringlets), and usually, hair doesn’t fall neatly into one category; it’s common to find that your hair is curlier in some spots and looser in others. Each curl type comes with different needs, so for the sake of your curls, it’s important to use a shampoo that caters to what your hair is lacking. If your tight coily curls are damaged and in need of some repairing, you may want to try out a hydrating shampoo with shea butter and avocado oil. If you have thicker curls and experience a lot of build up, a shampoo that will gently cleanse your roots while adding moisture may work best for you.
Your Scalp Condition: “In general, curly hair tends to be drier,” says Cavalcante so it’s important to ensure your scalp is receiving as much moisture as your curls. If you notice that your scalp tends to get itchy, or you experience dandruff or flaking, you’re lacking natural oils from your hair—which curly hair needs to stay healthy. It would be beneficial for you to use a shampoo that replenishes your natural oils and doesn't strip them away.
Sulfate-Free Formulas: Cavalcante recommends sudsing up with a sulfate-free shampoo filled with moisturizing ingredients. “Begin by choosing a sulfate-free shampoo, as sulfates can deplete your hair of its natural oils, hindering the formation of curls,” he says. He also thinks you should avoid shampoos formulated with harsh chemicals that can strip natural oils from your hair.
Moisturizing Ingredients: Make sure you’re prioritizing moisture when it comes to picking up a new shampoo. Cavalcante suggests “using high-quality products” and to consider products that “halt breakage and revitalize your hair fiber.” Such products may include coconut oil, argan oil, honey, and jojoba oil. “Keeping your curls hydrated will minimize frizz and allow your curls to remain intact and bouncy,” says Tiffanie Richards, master colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York City.
Your Questions, Answered
How do I bring out my natural curls?
“Curls naturally tend to be on the dry side, so we want to replenish their hydration as much as we can,” says Richards. She recommends sticking with creamy styling products with the words moisturizing or hydrating in the name and staying far away from stripping alcohol-based formulas. “Volumizing products tend to lead with alcohol-based ingredients, which can cause dryness in the hair.”
“Try to avoid excessive heat styling, as it can damage your hair and disrupt your natural curl patterns,” says Cavalcante. “Air dry instead or use a diffuser attachment with your hair dryer to enhance your curls.”
How often should curly hair be washed?
“Curly hair doesn’t need to be washed as frequently as straight hair,” says Cavalcante. “Washing curly hair two to three times a week, or even less, often can help maintain natural oils and prevent excessive dryness.”
Why Shop With Us
Sydney Wingfield is a beauty writer and has over five years of experience in the industry. She has curly hair (3b) and has tried her fair share of shampoos and other hair products formulated to nourish curly hair. For this piece, she interviewed curly hair expert and entrepreneur Maeva Heim, along with celebrity stylists Larry Sims, Rogério Cavalcante, and Tiffanie Richards, who explained how to choose the best shampoo for your curl type.
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