Finding the Best Drugstore Shampoo: A Buyer’s Guide
The ideal drugstore shampoo varies from person to person, but all hair needs the same thing: a good cleanser for build-up and a healthy balance of moisture and protein. As a result, understanding your hair type will help you learn exactly what your hair is missing. Fine, smooth hair tends to have a leg-up in the moisture department but needs a squeaky-clean cleanse at the roots. In contrast, coarse, curly hair needs intense hydration to counteract natural dryness. Lastly, bleached hair requires a protein-rich shampoo to strengthen damaged hair bonds.
We also recommend owning more than one type of shampoo, since the needs of your scalp and strands can change every day. If you love styling your hair with leave-in conditioners, creams, gels, mousse or hairspray, a clarifying shampoo is a must-have. And if you’re highly active and sweat every day, a gentle clarifier for frequent washes is best. At the very least, owning an everyday shampoo and a clarifying shampoo will give you the most options on each wash day. Check out the important factors you ought to consider before buying drugstore shampoos below.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Drugstore Shampoo
In order to buy the right shampoo for you, consider the following factors.
Hair Type
Is your hair straight, wavy, curly or coily? And are the strands soft and fine or coarse and dense? Knowing the answers to these questions will help narrow down your choices in the toiletry aisle. For instance, straight hair usually needs equal parts protein and moisture to give you healthy strands, while wavy and curly hair types need more moisture. Soft, fine strands require stronger clarifiers to remove oil and buildup, and coarse strands need hydrating shampoos to prevent dryness and breakage.
Scalp Type
We often forget that the scalp is skin — and we shouldn’t treat it as an extension of our hair. For instance: Clarifying and everyday shampoos are great for normal to oily scalps because they remove oil without causing irritation. Hydrating shampoos are better for dry scalps because they prevent flaking skin.
If you have serborrheic dermatitis or dandruff, we recommend talking to a dermatologist about the right products to use and which ingredients you should avoid. You may need to go through a little trial and error to get it right.
Irritating Ingredients
Certain ingredients can cause inflammation, scaling, and dandruff — so it’s important to read the label on the shampoo bottle before you apply. In general, we recommend avoiding the following ingredients if you have sensitive skin or your pores clog easily: parabens, sulfates, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, polyethylene glycol, mineral oil and fragrance.
Hydrating Ingredients
Worried that your strands don’t get enough moisture? Pay attention to these key hydrators in the ingredient list that will nourish your hair: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, coconut oil, argan oil, avocado oil and almond oil.
If you’re using a moisturizing shampoo that still leaves your hair feeling dry, the product may have too much protein or cleansers that are too strong. Try avoiding ingredients like rice protein, hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed collagen and sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate to see if your hair’s moisture level improves.
Clarifying Ingredients
If you need to strip your hair of product build-up and oils, look for shampoos that contain the following ingredients: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate and apple cider vinegar.
However, you will need a shampoo with sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate if you use conditioners and leave-in conditioners that contain silicones — lauryl and laureth sulfates can remove silicone build-up, while other clarifiers cannot.
What Are the Different Types of Drugstore Shampoos?
There are three main types of shampoos that can help you create healthy hair: hydrating, clarifying and strengthening.
Hydrating
Hydrating shampoos contain plenty of moisturizers and little to no protein. If you have low-porosity hair that struggles to absorb water, a hydrating shampoo will preserve moisture in your hair while cleansing your scalp. Moisturizing shampoos are also great for anyone to have on hand in the winter, when cold, dry air zaps hair of its moisture.
Clarifying
Clarifying shampoos contain strong clarifiers (like sodium lauryl sulfate or apple cider vinegar) to help strip the hair of product residue, natural scalp oils and sebum — that tacky, oily substance your body produces to keep your skin moisturized. It’s a way of starting fresh, and you may need to clarify your hair if it stops responding to your styling products or feels oily and full of product.
Strengthening
Strengthening shampoos contain protein such as hydrolyzed keratin, collagen or rice protein to help repair damaged strands. You may need these ingredients if you have damaged strands from sun exposure, chlorine or hair dyes and lighteners, which can leave hair frizzy and prone to breakage.
Bear in mind that moisturizing ingredients are also important for damaged locks, and you may cause protein overload if every hair product in your routine contains protein. Signs of protein overload include straw-like, crunchy strands that feel dry to the touch. (If this is you, take it as a sign to dial it back on protein!)
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tr%2FMmp6aspmjsm%2BvzqZmrKCfpXq4tdOhZK6rX6eyt7XEsKpompWowW6w0a6erKyfp7Juv8eapKmnn6h8