16 Cheap Shampoos That Are Just as Good as Expensive Ones
I've spent most of my time as a beauty journalist working directly with hairdressers covering trends, news, and advice. And for the most part, I treat the hair advice I've received as gospel, and I drill home the importance of listening to pro hairdressers about at-home maintenance. But there is one point, in particular, where I veer from hairdressers' advice: cheap shampoo. I use it all the time.
Professional and salon-quality haircare and styling products are really important for healthy hair. I just needed to say that before we continue. For the most part, you'll find that they have fewer filler ingredients and synthetics that cheat the feeling of smooth hair and actually have a higher concentration of nourishing and protective ingredients. But when it comes to shampoos, this is a step in which you can't really add much to the quality of your hair; you can only take away. So if there is any place to save money on in your haircare routine, it's here. You just have to be aware of the ingredients in the bottle and how susceptible your hair is to being stripped of moisture.
If you already have pretty dry hair or you bleach it, you'll want to avoid shampoos with sodium laureth sulphate (SLS). This is the foaming agent in a lot of shampoos, and while many higher-end shampoos have developed clever alternatives, such as using coconut-derived foaming aids, most cheaper ones still opt for this. The same goes for people who color their hair, as SLS can lift the color too. But if you have natural, moisture-balanced hair or oily roots, SLS isn't damaging to your locks. Whatever shampoo you do opt for, just make sure you're treating your lengths and ends to hydrating masks and protecting your hair from any heat styling you're doing.
So without further ado, please find the best cheap shampoos that a beauty editor like me would actually stand behind.
The Best Cheap Shampoos
1. Garnier Ultimate Blends Almond Milk Weightless Moisture Shampoo
2. ORS Moisture Restore Creamy Aloe Shampoo
3. Monday Haircare Smooth Shampoo
4. Noughty Tough Cookie Shampoo
5. Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo
6. The Ordinary 4% Sulphate Cleanser for Body and Hair
7. OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo
8. John Frieda Vibrant Shine Shampoo
You'll be hard-pressed to find a high-street haircare brand that has as much of a focus on color as John Frieda does. While I think the claims of this shampoo illuminating hair from within is a bit of a stretch, it does cleanse color-treated hair without stripping color.
9. Matrix Total Results High Amplify Shampoo
I've found that a lot of professional hair-color houses have amazing shampoo and conditioner formulas, but they're all on the more expensive side of the market. Matrix is one of the most affordable and effective. This shampoo is specifically for finer hair types to cleanse, and when used with the conditioner and volumizing foam in the same range, it creates an aerated fullness.
10. Toni Guy Damage Repair Shampoo
This shampoo is a part of the Toni Guy fibre-strengthening system to help repair weaker hair. If you have hair that retains moisture well but use heat tools multiple times a week, this is a good pick. It contains SLS and silicones, but as long as you're using a clarifying shampoo as a refresher every so often, you won't notice silicone buildup.
11. Percy Reed All Lathered Up Cleansing Shampoo Bar
12. L'Oréal Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Shampoo
13. Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Wash Shampoo
14. Bleach London Reincarnation Shampoo
The Reincarnation mask from Bleach is one I recommend all the time for dry, bleached hair, and this new shampoo pairs so well with it. (There's also a conditioner if you want something lighter.) The lather is light but effective, and the formula contains microproteins to aid with repairing weakened strands.
15. Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Nourishing Shampoo
16. Maui Moisture Weightless Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo
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