The bottom line, regardless of texture or type, is that hair is extremely delicate. Even if you make your best efforts to stay away (or let’s be real, cut back), from using heat tools, chemical treatments, or color, there are so many ways we put our hair through the wringer that aren’t as obvious; from brushing too harshly or friction from a scratchy towel, to the literal air pollution outside and flat-out neglect from an unavoidably busy schedule.
Maybe you’re not able to pinpoint where frizz, split-ends, or breakage are coming from, but when dealing with those issues, the most important piece of the puzzle is just finding a solution. Thankfully, there are a lot of answers to the question, “How do I fix my damaged hair?” But one of the easiest, most affordable, and time-saving options is to find the right reparative shampoo for you.
Whether you have a healthy head of hair and are just taking preventative measures, or you’re looking to do some serious reversing — like trying to repair severely chemically damaged hair — there are hundreds of healing shampoos that will bring your hair back to life, and give it the strength it needs to stay that way.
What to Look for in a Shampoo for Damaged Hair
When shopping for a damage-reversing shampoo, pay close attention to the ingredients. Protein-rich formulas that contain fortifying ingredients like keratin, biotin, and vitamin B5 will help strengthen brittle strands from root to tip, which is important for preventing breakage and getting your hair back on a healthy path. Since damaged hair is often dry, you’ll want a shampoo that packs a moisturizing punch with hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil. These are also great for boosting shine and softness as well, which frizzy hair types will drink up.
Now that you know what should be in your shampoo, here are the ingredients that you’ll want to skip. Oftentimes, damaged hair can be the result of shampooing, conditioning, and styling with harsh chemicals and additives. So for the sake of your mane, don’t choose a formula that contains known damaging ingredients like sulfates, silicones, phthalates, or parabens. In fact, sulfate-free shampoos and color-treated hair go hand-in-hand because these pesky chemicals are known to strip away at your color.
This may seem like a lot to take in, but we’re here to make your life easier. We’ve pulled together some top-rated shampoos on the market today — from drugstore gems to professional picks — that promise to restore your hair to its former glory for a whole lot cheaper than visiting a salon.
Here are the 18 best shampoos for damaged hair.
- Best for Bleached Hair: Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- Best for Color-Treated Hair: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
- Best Shampoo and Conditioner Set: Verb Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner
- Best Professional Shampoo: Kérastase Nutritive Shampoo for Severely Dry Hair
- Best Drugstore Option: Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo
- Best for Split Ends: Redken All Soft Mega Shampoo
- Best Silicone-Free Option: Nexxus Keraphix for Damaged Hair Shampoo
- Best for Relaxed Hair: Carol’s Daughter Monoi Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Best for Fine Hair: Virtue Recovery Shampoo
- Best or Curly Hair: Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
- Best Sulfate-Free Option: Davines Dede Shampoo
- Best Keratin Option: Keranique Scalp Stimulating Shampoo
- Best for Hair Breakage and Loss: OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo
- Best for Thick Hair: R+Co Moisturizing B5 Shampoo
- Best for Weak, Damaged Hair: Living Proof Restore Shampoo
- Best Customized Option: Prose
- Best for Type 4 Curls: Pattern Hydration Shampoo
- Best for Dry, Itchy Scalps: Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Shampoo
- Best Volumizing Option: Sachajuan Moisturizing Shampoo
Best for Bleached Hair: Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
If you’ve ever even considered going blonde, you’ve heard of Olaplex. But if you haven’t, Olaplex is a multi-step system that works to both prevent breakage during the color process and piece together broken bonds in strands as a result of coloring, especially bleaching. This ultra-moisturizing maintenance shampoo — or step number four — repairs and protects hair from common woes like split ends or frizz that come in the aftermath of bleach. Bonus? It promises to strengthen all hair types and is color-safe so you don’t have to stop having all of that blonde fun if you don’t want to.
With over 21,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s not hard to see why this shampoo is a big deal. One shopper says that it transforms their hair from “dry and brittle” to “smooth and soft” with every wash, while another shares that it makes their hair feel like “silk” and that the formula does a great job at detangling: “My brush just falls through my wet hair… no tangles at all.”
Shop now: $28; amazon.com
Best for Color-Treated Hair: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
This 100 percent vegan shampoo gently cleanses and moisturizes color-treated hair without stripping or drying — a common hair woe for anyone who has had a dye job or two (or three). Free of sulfates, it features a highly concentrated formula infused with jojoba, green tea, and sage to strengthen, repair, and protect hair against breakage. Maybe most importantly for those with colored hair, it’ll protect the color vibrancy and keep hair soft, so you don’t have to worry so much about “straw-like” strands.
One Amazon reviewer notes that despite the price tag — and the hype — the results are truly worth it. “I figured if I’m spending time and money to color my hair, why not get a shampoo and conditioner to keep my color vibrant and my grays away,” notes the reviewer. “This is exactly what Pureology does! I have stubborn grays that show through after a few washes, but not with these hair products.”
Shop now: $30; amazon.com
Best Shampoo and Conditioner Set: Verb Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner
Popular for its cool-kid branding and packaging, Verb has made just as significant waves for its accessible price point (everything in the collection is $18 or less), and its serious quality. While ideal for damaged hair, the Ghost line of shampoo and conditioner works for all hair types — from curly and wavy to straight and fine — while addressing concerns of oiliness, frizz, color protection, and dryness. The shampoo itself is gentle, formulated with moisturizing moringa seed oil, sunflower seed extract for UV protection and protection against color-fading, and a hint of grapefruit and oatmeal that blend together to leave hair feeling light and smooth. Light enough for everyday use, the conditioner is the perfect companion, and is hydrating enough to revive even the driest, most worn-down strands.
According to Sephora shoppers, it’s great for oily, color-treated, fine and frizzy hair types alike, with some even saying that it gives their hair a salon-quality shine: “This product truly works for me. [It] reduced frizz and made my hair so shiny, it looks like I got a glaze done at the salon.”
Naturally, a shampoo this good is bound to sell out. If you’re looking to pick up the 12-ounce bottle of Verb’s Ghost Shampoo, you can buy it at Amazon for the same price.
Shop now: $18; sephora.com and $18; sephora.com
Best Professional Shampoo: Kérastase Nutritive Shampoo for Severely Dry Hair
When your hair needs salon quality attention, but you don’t have the time or money (or either), where do you turn? Salon shampoo. Thankfully, getting your hands on that professional product is just as easy as taking a digital drop by one of your favorite beauty retailers. This nourishing formula from Kérastase is no exception — packed with repairing and replenishing irisome complex and benjoin resin technologies. It works to balance and protect dry, brittle strands, to smooth and soften, and, when used on a regular basis, it’ll drastically improve day-to-day manageability and make tangles less frequent. And who doesn’t want all of that?
One Sephora shopper says that it made their dry hair “silky soft and healthy,” adding that it didn’t make their fine strands oily. Another shares that their “dry, bleached blonde hair [has] become more nourished, shiny and easier to comb after a few times of using this product.” Some recommend pairing it with the Nutritive Conditioner for Severely Dry Hair to really take your hair’s moisture and shine up a notch.
Shop now: $31; sephora.com
Best Drugstore Option: Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo
Will the idea of getting high-quality, results-driven beauty products for drugstore convenience and prices ever get old? No! And for damaged hair, there are few better options to reach for than this moisture renewal shampoo from Pantene's Pro-V line. It uses a potent blend of nutrients and antioxidants to keep hair strong against any damage — past, present and future — and replenishes visibly dry and lifeless hair from root to tip. One reviewer noted that while they’ve never written a product review before, they felt compelled to do so with this miracle shampoo.
One reviewer noted that while they’ve never written a product review before, they felt compelled to do so with this miracle shampoo. “I've struggled to find a shampoo that not only leaves my hair smelling good, but feeling good,” they shared. “This product has saved my hair, as it's now soft and feels clean.”
Shop now: $13 (pack of 2); amazon.com
Best for Split Ends: Redken All Soft Mega Shampoo
It’s all in the name with this option from Redken. The All Soft Mega Shampoo is formulated with a nourishing, unique punch of cactus extract to hydrate and add shine, aloe vera to strengthen and condition, and sacha inchi oil to help retain moisture, which leaves the hair feeling softer and more manageable. The formula also features Redken’s innovative Root Core Tip protein complex, a blend of three proteins designed to zone in on and treat damaged hair where it needs it most, zipping up split-ends for full, healthy strands. It’s a multi-benefit shampoo without a doubt, not only softening each individual strand and adding hydration to dry, coarse hair, but also stimulating the scalp and keeping frizz down to a minimum. What more could you want?
This shampoo has more than 1,500 five-star ratings on Amazon. Reviewers say that it helps smooth frizz on even the driest and curliest of strands. One notes that a little goes a long way with this product, adding that it “lasts forever” and “keeps your color.”
Shop now: $21; amazon.com
Best Silicone-Free Option: Nexxus Keraphix for Damaged Hair Shampoo
In this formula, Nexxus uses its own protein research called Proteomics — a healing system for severely damaged hair, packed with Keratin protein and black rice, that gently cleanses and penetrates each hair fiber to heal visible signs of lifelessness and dryness. Since it’s free of silicones, which are known to give hair an artificial sheen, the product won’t weigh down your tresses with damaging buildup that prevents you from absorbing nutrients and moisture. Instead, it will promote silky, shiny smoothness in a healthy way.
Reviewers love the smell and how affordable the bottle is for the quality, with one even noting that “the product is not cumbersome or difficult to use, and a lot less expensive than a Brazilian Blowout.” True story.
Shop now: $19; amazon.com
Best for Relaxed Hair: Carol’s Daughter Monoi Sulfate-free Shampoo
This coconut-derived shampoo is popular for a reason: It’s packed with all of the right anti-breakage heroes, like monoi oil and vitamin E, to satisfy the most delicate, fragile hair. On top of having zero sulfates, hibiscus extract works to detangle raveled tresses while coconut surfactant gives every strand a deep, deep cleanse. Together, these ingredients heal damaged hair by stopping protein loss, resulting in almost no hair breakage; and with its hydrating and soothing properties, it helps the hair become even stronger after repair. For anyone with relaxed hair — for whom brittle, breakage-prone hair is a major concern — this shampoo is a must-have.
According to its hundreds of five-star Ulta reviews, the formula leaves your hair clean without feeling stripped and keeps damage and frizz from returning. One reviewer says that it made their hair feel “really soft and helped me bring my curls back to life” after “years of heat damage.”
Shop now: $14 (originally $20); ulta.com
Best for Fine Hair: Virtue Recovery Shampoo
This gentle formula is full of restorative gems, including the first-of-its-kind Alpha Keratin 60ku, which binds directly to areas of damage and fills them in, working like a high-powered treatment product. Baobab seed oil acts as an emollient, while grapefruit extract, loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, helps revitalize the scalp and return hair to its full vibrancy and shine. On a day-to-day basis, it’ll gently dissolve build-up from routine cream, oil, and spray usage, while healing and strengthening the hair. Not to mention, the chic, colorful bottle is a no-brainer for aesthetically pleasing shelf content.
“Felt my damaged hair [get] smoother after just one shampoo,” one Amazon shopper says of this nourishing shampoo, which has a 4.4-star rating. Another reviewer writes that it “adds shine and volume to aging and thinning hair,” adding that it’s “expensive, but well worth it.”
Shop now: $38; amazon.com
Best for Curly Hair: Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
Notorious in the curl community, Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! line is a fan favorite for distressed hair, whether it’s suffering from excess frizz and dryness, or damage from color or breakage. This shampoo in particular is known to work wonders, formulated to merge the cleansing action of a traditional shampoo with the re-setting power of a hair mask — an ideal hybrid. Formulated with ultra-hydrating ingredients like algae extract and rose oil, this foamy shampoo brings the moisture while removing dirt, buildup, and oil from the hair without stripping color or weighing it down. Reviewers love that is 95 percent naturally derived, free of harsh ingredients (like sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens and artificial dyes), and has a subtle, calming scent.
Reviewers love that it’s 95 percent naturally derived, free of harsh ingredients (like sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens and artificial dyes), and has a subtle, calming scent. “A great clean shampoo free of so many harsh and bad ingredients,” one shopper writes. “[I] definitely will continue to use and see how it works alongside the conditioner. I have colored hair and I do not find that this strips my color. My hair feels clean yet still moisturized after I shampoo which I really appreciate.”
Shop now: $36; nordstrom.com or briogeo.com
Best Sulfate-Free Option: Davines Dede Shampoo
Known for its no-frills, organic batch formulas, this soft, light, and foamy gel shampoo from Davines is formulated for all hair types and designed to gently cleanse hair for a softer, lighter, and shinier look and feel. The entire brand range is free of sulfates, and this pick is no different, opting instead for unique ingredients like red celery extract sourced from Italy and mineral salts that work to keep hair balanced and clean.
Happy customers on Amazon note that the shampoo left their hair “healthy,” “bouncy,” and restored, with one reviewer appreciating how simple and natural, yet effective the product is, noting that it “leaves your hair in great shape, with amazing beauty and vitality.”
Shop now: $29; amazon.com
Best Keratin Option: Keranique Scalp Stimulating Shampoo
If you’re asking yourself: What is keratin and do I need it in my life? Allow us to fill you in. Keratin is a protein found naturally in hair strands that gives hair its structure — which is why it is so often associated with strengthening. It’s perfect for frail, thinning, and fine hair, especially in this scalp-stimulating option from Keranique. It works to gently remove dirt, excess oils, and pollutants from the hair and scalp, all while repairing damage and adding volume. More than just keratin, though, this formula includes ginseng root extract to further prevent breakage, an advanced amino acid keratin complex that restores each individual cuticle fiber, and refreshing peppermint oil that promotes scalp circulation, preventing hair loss.
One Amazon shopper vouches for its hair growth magic, saying: “I've always had thin hair. In my late 30s, I noticed that I could see my scalp. You can only imagine how I felt. I'm 47 now and wouldn't do without this wonderful shampoo.” Another chimes in, “My baby fine hair is so manageable and it's growing like crazy.”
Shop now: $17 (originally $20); amazon.com
Best for Hair Breakage and Loss: OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo
With over 2,000 five-star Ulta ratings, this nutrient-rich option from OGX isn’t only good on paper. Infused with ProVitamin B7 biotin and collagen, the powerful duo gives each strand its own power boost of volume. It’ll leave hair feeling thicker, fuller, and so much more healthy that you’ll immediately want to post before-and-after photos on Instagram. Regardless of your hair type, this shampoo will help bring your texture back to its fullest potential.
Many reviewers with thinning hair name this as a life-saving product that thickens their hair after only a few uses. Others love it for its deep cleansing abilities, with one reviewer citing it as a rare shampoo that can “thoroughly cleanse my hair without drying it out.”
Shop now: $6 (originally $8); ulta.com
Best for Thick Hair: R+Co Moisturizing B5 Shampoo
Thicker strands need a lot of moisture — and we mean a lot — on a daily basis. But when damage comes into the picture, that moisture level needs to be doubled. With this vitamin B5-enriched formula from R+Co, thick, coarse, and extremely dry hair is blanketed in an intense wave of hydration that penetrates deeply into the shaft. The glycerin gives it an extra kick of moisture, which helps prevent future dryness down the line. As if it couldn’t get any better, the shampoo uses prickly pear stem and nettle extracts to ensure that your scalp is balanced, nourished and, of course, hydrated. The duo also tames frizz and makes your hair stronger.
Reviewers say that its non-greasy formula boosts shine and softness while increasing their dry strands’ manageability. “Blow drying without straightening afterward was never an option for me…until now,” one curly-haired Amazon shopper writes. My hair is soft, manageable, and frizz-free with just a blow dryer.”
Shop now: $29; amazon.com
Best for Weak, Damaged Hair: Living Proof Restore Shampoo
This restorative shampoo from Living Proof basically acts like a protein shake for your strands. Its strengthening formula is powered by amino acids and other hair-healthy ingredients to reverse everything from dryness and frizz to breakage and split ends. But the damage-fighting goodness doesn’t end when you rinse it out; it’s specially designed to protect your strands by shielding it from future damage so you can enjoy cleaner, shinier and smoother hair for longer. Not to mention that it’s color-safe and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and silicones.
According to one Living Proof shopper who has tried their fair share of shampoos, this product stands out above the rest: “My hair is soft, smooth and shiny even if I do blow dry and straighten it. A little pricey, but seriously well worth the money.” Another reviewer adds, “After using this for the last month I can see an improvement in my hair. It looks healthy, slightly thicker and much easier to manage.”
Shop now: $29; livingproof.com
Best Customized Option: Prose
Prose invites everyone to create a customized shampoo formula based on their unique hair needs. The personalized hair care brand makes your hair profile with its consultation questionnaire, which compiles information about your hair care needs, goals, lifestyle and routine, and uses your responses to craft your customized shampoo. Prose also prioritizes using science-backed and good-for-you ingredients, so just sit back and let its in-house chemists do the work for you.
Reviewers love that Prose collects feedback to track your hair progress and make adjustments to the filter when needed. Plus, the brand offers additional products, like a scalp treatment and conditioner that one shopper found to really make a difference: “I'm in love with the Prose scalp treatment and shampoo. I've been trying to deal with my flaky scalp, oily and thin hair for too long with just about every drugstore and fancy salon product and nothing worked… The Prose products are working where so many have failed.”
Shop now: from $25, prose.com
Best for Type 4 Curls: Pattern Hydration Shampoo
Thanks to hydrating ingredients like aloe vera, honey, and coconut oil, this moisturizing shampoo from Pattern helps wash away dirt and build-up from your scalp while ensuring that your curls and coils get the hydration and nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong. Keeping this breakage-prone hair texture in mind, the formula also excludes damage-causing agents like sulfates so you can lather up without any hesitation.
Reviewers love the shampoo’s flowery-citrusy scent, which is courtesy of jasmine, bergamot and sandalwood, and say that it’s not messing around when it comes to moisture. One Ulta shopper writes, “I had extremely dry hair. My scalp was super dry and [my] hair was falling out a lot. I noticed the difference after one use. My hair [is] no longer falling out [and it's] very shiny, moisturized, and soft. Whether I curl it or blow dry it, I always get compliments. Cannot be without it.”
Shop now: $20; ulta.com
Best for Dry, Itchy Scalps: Adwoa Beauty Baomint Moisturizing Shampoo
This shampoo from Adwoa Beauty kicks scalp dryness and itchiness to the curb with its innovative formula, which mimics your scalp’s natural oils to prevent stripping. It also features a blend of aloe vera, wintergreen, spearmint, and peppermint to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells, reduce flakes and nourish your stressed-out scalp back to balance. Baobab oil is another all-star ingredient that helps improve your hair’s softness and elasticity so you can enjoy less frizz, breakage, and split ends over time as well.
Sephora shoppers raved over the shampoo’s cooling effect, sharing that it lasts long after their shower and improves their itchiness and dryness. One reviewer writes: “I have sisterlocks and love that my scalp does not get extremely itchy after using this shampoo. I do not have to immediately reach for my oil after washing. In fact, I did not oil my scalp until about 7 days later, completely out of the norm.”
Shop now: $22; sephora.com
Best Volumizing Option: Sachajuan Moisturizing Shampoo
Damaged strands will drink up the hydrating and nourishing goodness that is Sachajuan’s Moisturizing Shampoo. Designed with chemically-treated hair in mind, this shampoo bulks up your follicles using a hair-healthy dose of carrageenan extract, which does everything from boosting moisture and fortifying hair fibers to soothing the scalp and increasing shine. This restorative ingredient, plus the brand’s Ocean Silk Technology, leaves hair healthier, stronger, silky-smooth and, most importantly, volumized.
This shampoo currently has a five-star rating and reviewers love it because it gives their mane a salon-quality sleekness and caters to both the scalp and hair. One shopper says: “It leaves my hair soft, smooth, and well hydrated. With other products I feel like I have to make a trade-off between scalp or hair. This one is great for both.”
Shop now: $28; amazon.com
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