I have always had extremely dry hair. In fact, for years, no matter how many masks I applied or how often I would get it trimmed, my hair’s natural texture would remain slightly frazzled and always parched. Every time I visited a new hair salon, the stylist would basically always comment on how dry my hair was and I’d be upsold an intensive hair treatment immediately. Yes, despite writing about hair trends, new colours, and emerging hairstyles for my job, I just didn’t know how to get my hair into a more permanently hydrated state. That was, until, I started focusing on the basics—the shampoos and conditioners that I was using.
Much like looking after your skin with the right cleanser, paying attention to the first steps of your haircare routine—namely your shampoos and conditioners—can be something of a game changer when looking after dry hair. For too long, I’d been focusing on the hair treatments and styling products as a way of restoring moisture and neglecting the formulas I was using to actually cleanse and condition my strands.
The test as to whether you’ve been using the right products on wash day? “Check the moisture retention of your hair strands by gently pulling a single strand of wet hair to see if it springs back,” advises Venner James, celebrity hair stylist and Amika’s UK Education Ambassador. If it does then your hair is likely to be well-hydrated, if it doesn’t then your hair is likely to be dry or have low porosity—meaning that moisture isn’t as easily absorbed. “Once your hair is dry, the texture is then also likely to be brittle and dull in appearance,” says James.
Luckily, though, there are some things that you can look out for in your shampoos and conditioners to combat this dryness. Nourishing ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil or argan oil are brilliant natural moisturisers for dry hair. And things to avoid? “Parabens and sulphates are two ingredients that can actually strip the hair of its natural oils, resulting in dry and brittle hair,” explains James.
These days I tend to opt for a gentle shampoo that’s kind to both my strands and my scalp, and an intensely moisturising conditioner to pack that nourishing goodness into my hair. The results have been incredible and my hair is so much softer and more manageable since making these switches. Ahead, I’m sharing 12 of the best shampoos and conditioners for dry hair that I can’t stop recommending.
The best shampoos for dry hair
1. Philip Kingsley Re-Moisturizing Smoothing Shampoo
Formulated specifically with coarse, wavy and frizzy hair in mind, this shampoo really helps to restore moisture to dry hair without weighing it down. It’s rich, yes, but doesn’t feel at all heavy and does a brilliant job of cleansing hair all the way from your scalp to the very ends. The key ingredients are hydrolysed elastin and an anti-static conditioning agent called guar which work together to restore elasticity to brittle strands while leaving hair looking silkier and smoother.
2. L'Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss Shampoo
One of the biggest issues with having dry hair is that dull, flat, frazzled appearance that comes alongside the dehydration. This new launch from L'Oréal Paris manages to tackle that without relying on harsh ingredients or heavy butters to restore shine. Instead, it uses glycolic acid—an AHA that’s typically used within skincare—to penetrate the hair shaft and inject it with conditioning agents before sealing the hair cuticles with a gloss complex. My hair looks so shiny and sleek since using this, and anyone with porous or dull hair would really get on well with it.
3. Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo
This moisture-boosting shampoo from Amika uses a whole host of hardworking ingredients to really infuse dry hair with nourishment. There’s hyaluronic acid and squalane to really rehydrate parched strands alongside polyglutamic acid and bio-fermented coconut water to help reduce breakage and strengthen the hair. And alongside all of those hi-tech ingredients, the formula itself is impressively long-lasting—leaving hair feeling soft, strong and well-moisturised for up to 3 days between washes.
4. Living Proof Restore Shampoo
Free from silicones, sulphates and parabens, Living Proof has always been one of my favourite hair brands for everything from washing to styling. However, I’ve recently switched from their No Frizz line to their Restore range and my hair is thanking me for it. Infused with the brand’s patented ‘healthy hair molecule’ also known as OFPMA, this shampoo deeply cleans hair without leaving it feeling stripped. In fact, it moisturises, boosts shine and leaves my hair feeling really nourished and repaired.
5. Aveda Nutri Plenish Deep Moisture Shampoo
This shampoo is the equivalent of a big glass of water for dry hair. Not only does it leave your hair and scalp feeling super soft and clean, but the intensely moisturising formulation makes use of mango butter, coconut oil and pomegranate seed oil to soften and smooth the most frazzled of strands. The rich fatty acids penetrate the hair shaft to really restore moisture levels. And, even better, a whole host of delicious essences like ginger, cardamom and cocoa mean that your hair is left smelling incredible after washing.
6. Hair Proud Revive Repair Shampoo
If your dry hair is a result of heat-styling or colour processing then this reparative shampoo can’t come more recommended. It is absolutely packed with carefully considered ingredients that wouldn’t look out of place in a serum—there’s niacinamide to repair and improve hair health, hydrolyzed wheat protein to condition, and a vitamin and protein complex to reduce breakage and care for the scalp. Its lightweight yet gets the job done and both hair and scalp will feel conditioned and cared for. Highly impressive considering the affordable price point.
The best conditioners for dry hair
1. Virtue Recovery Conditioner
I have been using this conditioner for years and can truly attest to what an incredible conditioner it is if you have dry hair. In fact, its versatility is what makes it so brilliant—if your hair is feeling only slightly dry then just leave it on for a minute, but if it’s brittle and breaking then leave it on for 3 or 4 minutes to really boost hydration. It uses hydrolysed quinoa, baobab seed oil and creamy coconut to really infuse strands with softness and it’s a great option if your dry hair is also prone to knots and tangles.
2. Garnier Ultimate Blends Cocoa Butter Conditioner for Dry, Curly Hair
This affordable conditioner is one of the best for dry hair in that it ticks all of the boxes when it comes to seriously moisturising ingredients. There’s sunflower, jojoba and coconut oils alongside a rich helping of cocoa butter—making it a great option for curly or Afro hair types who might need an extra dose of intense hydration. The texture is almost mask-like and means that it really coats every single strand of dry hair to leave it softened and replenished.
3. Oribe Moisture Control Intense Conditioner
Yes, it’s expensive, but Oribe is one of my favourite hair lines for a truly luxurious at-home hair care experience—and their Moisture Control line is remarkable for dry hair. This deeply conditioning formulation uses shea butter, olive oil, illipe butter and hydrolysed vegetable protein to smooth damaged cuticles and split ends and nourish dehydrated strands. Your hair will be left so sleek and silky-smooth and it’s particularly brilliant if you have hair that’s prone to frizz or flyaways post-washing.
4. Kérastase Nutritive Lait Vital Conditioner
We often think of dry hair being an issue that thicker and coarser hair types struggle with, however this lightweight conditioner from Kérastase has been specially formulated with fine to medium hair types in mind. It focuses on restoring the hair’s natural moisture barrier without weighing it down, therefore there’s lots of light-yet-hydrating ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin to really improve hair health. Finer strands will be strengthened and less prone to breakage, and you’ll be able to glide your fingers through your hair thanks to how conditioner and detangled it is after use.
5. Bed Head By TIGI Recovery Moisturising Conditioner
Bed Head By TIGI is one of those salon brands that used to get a lot of love and has slowly slipped off the radar for many. However, I think that a lot of their products are really efficacious and are surprisingly affordable too. This conditioner for dry hair really softens, smooths and hydrates and you can really feel the difference once you’ve rinsed it out. Plus, it smells so, so good.
6. L'Oréal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Conditioner
This high street conditioner for dry hair has been coined a bit of a dupe for Olaplex, and while the ingredients list doesn’t quite match up it does do an incredible job at caring for damaged, dry hair with split ends. It uses citric acid to nourish hair from roots to tips and to coat every single strand with sleek, glossy nourishment. I feel like it really delivers on longevity too—whenever I condition with this my hair looks smooth and moisturised for days afterwards.
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