The best shampoos for all types of hair, recommended by expert hair stylists: OLAPLEX, Kevin Murphy, Pureology and more

When it comes to maintaining, growing and styling your hair, one of the most important products you need is a good shampoo. But with so many different brands offering multiple different kinds of shampoos, which is the best shampoo for you?

From hydrating shampoos that promise to repair damaged or dry hair to products created to maintain colour and volumising formulas to give your hair a boost, we’ve covered all types of shampoos to suit all types of hair, with expert guidance to help us along the way.

The Recommended spoke to two top hair care experts to help us find the best shampoos to suit all types of hair, with their own recommendations on which shampoos they use when washing and styling their client’s hair.

Jump to the best shampoo:

• Best strengthening shampoo: Kerastase Resistance Bain Extentioniste Shampoo
• Best volumising shampoo: Kevin Murphy Plumping Wash Densifying Shampoo
• Best for regaining moisture: Pureology Hydrate Moisturising Shampoo
• Best anti-dandruff shampoo: Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo
• Best shampoo for unruly hair: Aveeno Hair Itchy Scalp Soothing & Anti Frizz Hair Shampoo
• Best thickening shampoo: OGX Volumising Biotin & Collagen Sulfate-Free Hair Shampoo
• Best vegan shampoo: Faith In Nature Natural Shea and Argan Shampoo
• Best budget shampoo: TRESemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo
• Best shampoo for coloured hair: OLAPLEX No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
• Best shampoo bar: Garnier Ultimate Blends Coconut Hydrating Shampoo Bar

Our haircare experts

Richard Ward and Laura Rugetti are two of the highest regarded names in the hair care and hairstyling industry, with decades of hairstyling experience between them, and unrivalled knowledge about which hair care products are the best to buy, including shampoos.

Richard Ward is an award-winning hairstylist who has styled the hair of top celebrities, including Elizabeth Hurley, Kim Cattrall and Poppy Delevingne, and even British Royalty, with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, among his clients.

Laura Rugetti is one of the biggest names in celebrity hair in the US, styling the locks of some of the biggest celebrity names, like Paris Hilton, Kelly Osbourne and Amelia Gray Hamlin, as well as some of the biggest names in reality TV, including Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn, The Hill’s Audrina Partridge and several cast members of the Real Housewives franchise.

We put three questions to both of them to understand precisely what you need to know when shopping for your new shampoo and got their expert recommendations of the best shampoos to buy and why.

What should you look for when buying shampoo?

“Depending on your hair type. Look for what’s best for you”, says Laura. The best shampoo will ultimately depend on your hair type, “if you need a volume shampoo for fine hair. Or a hydrating shampoo for dry hair.”

Richard agrees, “It really depends on their hair type, texture and density as well as addressing any concerns like heat damage or scalp sensitivity.”

“In general, you get what you pay for, so more expensive brands will be more concentrated and with better ingredients.”, he adds, warning that “cheaper brands will have a higher detergent content. Look for something SLS and Paraben free.”

What should you avoid when looking for shampoo?

When it comes to what you should avoid, Laura has one top tip, “avoid sulphates”. Sulphates are the additives that give shampoo formulas their thick lather and are designed to help strip the hair of oils and dirt.

However, when used too often, sulphates can strip away too much of the hair’s natural moisture, leaving it dry and unhealthy. They may also make the scalp dry and prone to irritation, so they’re best avoided when you’re looking for a shampoo that you’ll use regularly.

Similarly to sulphates, Richard warns against using strong anti-dandruff products. “Anti-dandruff shampoos are very strong and most clients don’t actually have dandruff, just dry scalp which needs moisture not harsh stripping ingredients which will only serve to exacerbate the problem.”

Which is the best shampoo?

“Kevin Murphy line of shampoos are my go-to!” says Laura, “they have a different shampoo for every type of hair. My favourite for volume is the plumping shampoo.”

“Kerastase is a great range which treats a variety of hair concerns and types”, says Richard, “Pureology and Shu Uemura are also our favourites.”

Find out more about these expert-recommended shampoos, and some of our own top picks, below.

The best shampoos

Best strengthening shampoo: Kerastase Resistance Bain Extentioniste Shampoo

Designed to hydrate the strengthen

The Resistance Bain Extentioniste Shampoo from Kerastase has been made with powerful amino acids and ceramides to improve elasticity from root to tip.

Recommended by our expert Richard Ward, this shampoo is a favourite of hair care experts thanks to its silky formula that helps to rebuild the hair’s internal structure to make it more resistant to breakage.

Best volumising shampoo: Kevin Murphy Plumping Wash Densifying Shampoo

Formulated for fine hair

With a strengthening blend of ginger root and nettle extract, this shampoo promised to volumise limp and thin hair, and comes recommended by our expert Laura Rugetti.

This shampoo has been created to nourish each hair follicle while stimulating circulation to help to promote hair growth and gently exfoliate. With consistent use, it promises to effectively prevent hair loss and thicken the hair.

Best for regaining moisture: Pureology Hydrate Moisturising Shampoo

Thirst-quenching formula

This shampoo has been created to cleanse the hair without stripping it, making it ideal for dry or damaged coloured hair, and it comes recommended by our hair expert Richard Ward.

Pureology’s formula has been made using natural ingredients like Jojoba, Green Tea, and Sage, resulting in a creamy, luxurious shampoo that helps to deeply hydrate normal to thick dry, colour-treated hair.

Best anti-dandruff shampoo: Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo

Calms itching and irritation

Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo is made using a coal tar formulation, which is proven to help soothe itching, calm redness and prevent flaking scalps.

While dandruff may be one of the most common haircare complaints, it can be a sign of more advanced scalp disorders such as seborrhoeic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis. This shampoo promises that through regular use, it can help control these problems while leaving hair shiny and manageable.

Best shampoo for unruly hair: Aveeno Hair Itchy Scalp Soothing & Anti Frizz Hair Shampoo

Smooth and control your hair

Made with almond oil and colloidal oats, known for their moisturising properties, this shampoo has been clinically proven to relieve an itchy, dry or flaky scalp while nourishing frizzy hair.

This shampoo has been made with both hair and scalp in mind and designed to calm and moistured dry scalps, reducing flakes without stripping hair of its natural oils, to leave it looking and feeling soft, shiny and healthy.

Best thickening shampoo: OGX Volumising Biotin & Collagen Sulfate-Free Hair Shampoo

Vitamin-enriched formula

This shampoo has been enriched with collagen and vitamin B7, and promised to give you thicker-looking hair with added volume.

With a pH-balanced formula, this shampoo has been created to give a salon quality, and provide gentle cleansing that will help give you stronger hair with more shine, less frizz and long-lasting smoothness.

Best vegan shampoo: Faith In Nature Natural Shea and Argan Shampoo

99% natural ingredients

Faith in Nature’s shampoo contains ethically traded shea butter and argan oil, to gently cleanse and deeply nourish your dry hair.

This shampoo is Vegan Society Approved, guaranteeing cruelty-free hair care, while its packaging is made using 100% recycled and recyclable materials, making it one of the most eco-friendly shampoos you can buy.

Best budget shampoo: TRESemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo

Cleanse and smooth hair

Made with silk proteins and Moroccan argan oil, this shampoo’s formula is designed to target dryness and lock in moisture where your hair needs it most.

Using professional-quality ingredients to formulate this shampoo, TRESemme promises it will leave you with polished, salon-soft hair that’s twice as smooth compared to non-conditioning hair shampoos.

Best shampoo for coloured hair: OLAPLEX No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Protects and repairs damaged hair

OLAPLEX’s products have been made specifically for colour-treated hair, and this shampoo has been designed to repair and maintain hair bonds on a molecular level.

This shampoo promised to repair and protect hair from everyday stresses, including damaged hair, split ends, and frizz, and leave hair easier to manage, shinier and healthier, and has been clinically proven to reduce breakage and strengthen all types of hair.

Best shampoo bar: Garnier Ultimate Blends Coconut Hydrating Shampoo Bar

Zero plastic waste

This solid shampoo bar is a great alternative to liquid shampoos in plastic bottles and has been designed to nourish and hydrate hair using natural ingredients.

Made using sustainably sourced ingredients, including Coconut Oil & Organic Aloe Vera, this shampoo bar has an extra foamy nourishing formula, and with zero plastic packaging, it’ll help reduce your impact on the environment.

Want to read more expert-recommended beauty round-ups? Check out our Beauty page for a full list of recommendations, including our guide to The best mascaras, recommended by celebrity make-up artists, and our expert guide to The best hair dryers.