Best Shampoos For Every Hair Type

Best Shampoos For Every Hair Type

Sometimes it’s easy to discount the importance of your shampoo. You grab whatever’s on sale when you’re picking up milk, or you use the bottle that’s sitting in the shower or the mini in your hotel room. Or possibly, you’re overwhelmed by the array of choices—so many shampoos, but only one head of hair! So you may just go with what your girlfriend recommends, or choose the stuff your favorite model/actress says she loves.

But according to hair experts, your shampoo choice is a big deal. It’s like making the right makeup foundation choice—it can be all the difference between you looking tired and “off,” or glowy and sparkly. Plus it sets the stage for whatever comes next. Same with your hair. After shampooing, you probably go on to use conditioners and styling products, and when you do, know that everything works better if you’re starting with the best shampoo for your hair type.

It’s important to pick a shampoo that’s formulated for your hair type because ingredients matter. The best person to ask for a recommendation is your hair stylist, because he or she gets schooled all the time on the newest products, and they work with every type of hair all day long, so they see the results of all types of shampoo formulas. To kick things off, though, here is a rundown of suggested shampoos for every hair type, selected by the pros at Matrix.

You Have: Platinum or Silver Hair

Best choice: Naturally silver or ultra-lightened blonde hair beams when it’s icy and free of dull, yellowy color. So choose a purple shampoo that neutralizes brassy warmth and corrects yellow tones by infusing your hair with cool, violet tones. Use it once or twice a week to keep yucky warmth away.

Try this: Total Results Color Obsessed So Silver

You Have: Oily Hair

Best choice: Oil starts at the scalp, so choose a shampoo that gently removes excess oil from scalp and hair, and contains ingredients like mint leaf to leave you feeling cool and refreshed.

Try this: Biolage ScalpSync Cooling Mint Shampoo

You Have: Cool Brunette Hair

Best choice: Brunettes have so many highlighting options these days—from caramel to mocha to milk chocolate. But no matter how you like to lighten your brown locks, brassiness is a buzz-kill. You’ll be able to keep unwanted orange and red tones out of your hair with a blue shampoo that deposits a bit of a neutralizing blue hue. Bonus points if it also prevents breakage and adds nourishment to your hair.

Try this: Total Results Brass Off

You Have: Dull Hair

Best choice: Surface build-up can lead to hair that lacks shine. Like a skin exfoliator for hair, a shine-enhancing shampoo containing fine granules of sugar will buff and polish away impurities, leaving behind soft, shiny locks.

Try this: Biolage Sugar Shine Shampoo

You Have: Rainbow Hair

Best choice: Lilac today, red tomorrow and midnight blue is on the horizon. You never met a hair color you didn’t like…and weren’t willing to try! Frequently-colored strands like yours require very gentle treatment in order to keep your color du jour clear and vibrant for as long as possible. Look for products containing antioxidants, which fight the fading caused by exposure to light and air. Part two of any shampoo for colored hair should be the ability to shore up the porosity that causes colored hair to lose shine.

Try this: Total Results Color Obsessed Shampoo

You Have: Prone to Breakage, Weak Hair

Best choice: Shampoo containing bamboo, ceramides and fortifying compounds will help strengthen fragile strands, leading to vastly improved manageability and shine.

Try this: Biolage FiberStrong Shampoo

You Have: Bombshell Blonde Hair

Best choice: Look for a shampoo formula that not only softens and detangles your delicate blonde strands, but also one that fortifies it and maintains its brightness. Chamomile is an excellent ingredient for maintaining radiant, multi-dimensional blonde hair.

Try this: Total Results Hello Blondie Shampoo

You Have: Heavily Styled Hair

Best choice: Whether it’s occasionally or every day, you’re a fan of all kinds of great hair styling products to support your hairstyles. But sometimes things like mousses and hair sprays can build up, causing hair to look dull. That’s when it’s time to reach for a clarifying shampoo, which will do a deep cleanse of build-up and impurities without stripping away natural oils. Weekly clarifying shampoos are also great if you’re a swimmer, to avoid chlorine build-up and damage!

Try this: Biolage CLEANRESET Clarifying Shampoo

You Have: Wavy Hair

Best choice: Your natural texture makes it obvious that you should be rocking carefree, beachy waves whenever possible. Look for a shampoo containing polymers that will provide the foundation and support for lasting wavy hairstyles.

Try this: Total Results Rock It Texture Shampoo

You Have: Overworked/Damaged Hair

Best choice: If your hair is over-processed, over-styled or over-manipulated, it could be brittle, weak and fragile. A shampoo formulated with keratin and silk provides reinforcement for damaged strands, leaving hair shiny and healthy-looking with improved elasticity.

Try this: Biolage KeratinDose Shampoo

You Have: Dry Hair

Best choice: Poor thirsty you! Your hair craves moisture to keep it soft, supple and shiny. A hydrating shampoo containing glycerin is a perfect choice for lightweight, yet effective moisture replenishment.

Try this: Total Results Moisture Me Rich Shampoo

You Have: Curly Hair

Best choice: Curly hair is often in need of a big drink of moisture to control frizz and define your coils. Look for oils like jojoba in the shampoo formula—they provide equal amounts of needed nourishment and moisture.

Try this: Total Results Curl Please Shampoo

You Have: Very Curly Hair

Best choice: Try a low-foam; silicone-, sulfate- and paraben-free; two-in-one cleansing conditioner to prevent drying out your curls. A natural additive like pomegranate will help enhance curl definition and bounce. Use it as your go-to shampoo, or alternate it with a conventional shampoo for curly hair.

Try this: Biolage Cleansing Conditioner for Curly Hair

You Have: Fine Hair

Best choice: Choose a volumizing shampoo formula that plumps hair and measurably increases the diameter of each hair, without stripping slender, fine strands.

Try this: Biolage Volume Bloom Shampoo

You Have: Thick Hair

Best choice: Very thick hair is also usually very dry hair because the oils produced by your scalp can’t always do the job naturally on all of your volume. That leads to breakage, frizz and flyaways. Look for a shampoo that balances moisture with ingredients like aloe, shea or cupuacu butter and apricot kernel oil.

Try this: Biolage Ultra Hydra Source Shampoo

Best choice: Scalp sensitivities can lead to itching and irritation, and can be caused by additives and artificial ingredients. Look for shampoos with natural-origin ingredients—like goji berry and yucca—that are free of sulfates, silicones, parabens and artificial colorants. They will restore shine and refresh hair without irritating a sensitive scalp.

Try this: Biolage R.A.W. Recover Shampoo

You Have: Dandruff, Dry Scalp

Best choice: Gentle anti-bacterial and calming formulas with pyrithione zinc will control the appearance of visible flakes, eliminate dandruff and relieve scalp irritation.

Try this: Biolage ScalpSync Anti-Dandruff Shampoo