11 Best Shampoos for Frizzy, Damaged and Dry Hair

Give your hair a big gulp of hydration with this Herbal Essences drugstore shampoo. Coupled with its matching conditioner, it won top honors in the GH Beauty Lab's moisturizing shampoos test for lathering and cleansing. Made with coconut extract and aloe, it boasted the highest level of conditioning in testing. "My dry hair was much more moisturized," a tester marveled. Take note that some online reviewers report the shampoo left a film on their hair after using.

This well-priced classic Pantene shampoo and matching conditioner are a great choice for dryness as it earned a perfect score for conditioning in GH Beauty Lab testing. It tied for the most conditioning formula in Beauty Lab tests, where we measure the friction forces generated during combing of treated wet hair swatches using a customized equipment. A tester shared, "My hair is silky and voluminous," and another said it did wonders for her long, thick hair. However, some online reviewers note that it feels like the product leaves a coating in their hair rather than truly hydrating it.

Salon-like, glossy hair awaits you once you lather up this Tresemmé shampoo. The hydrolyzed protein and activated coconut oil-infused formula helps give a smooth, silky finish to your strands. In Beauty Lab evaluations, this shampoo, along with its conditioner, earned top scores for making hair look less frizzy and damaged and for making hair look shiny.

Testers raved about the fresh, "rich" scent, with one noting that it smelled like "a fancy perfume." One also found that it "added some volume and softness" to hair, and that it "was very manageable" after use. However, some testers also noticed it weighed down their hair.

Even dry strands need a wash from a detoxifying shampoo every so often. If you want a clarifying formula that doesn't strip your dry hair, try this one from Ouai. Our Lab pros tried this at home and found that it washed away styling product buildup without making the scalp feel too dry.

Though many shampoos that claim to eliminate dirt, dandruff and product buildup leave GH Assistant Editor Annie O'Sullivan's hair feeling brittle and straw-like, "a small amount of this shampoo leaves my hair feeling super clean without leaving it dry," she says. This is on the pricier side, but she adds that a little goes a long way, so it lasts for quite some time.

Dueñas recommends this ultra-moisturizing formula for thirsty strands. Thanks to "an elevated amount of B5, it locks moisture into the hair and seals the cuticle, preventing more moisture loss," he explains. Though pricey, it's also packed with ingredients like prickly pear extract and glycerin for added hydration and balance. Reviewers also seem to enjoy the luxurious scent, which has notes of bergamot, fig, cedarwood and more.

Keep hair feeling smooth and less frizzy until the next wash. Winning a past Beauty Award for its nourishing formula, Redken's popular bonding shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment combo impressed beauty pros with its non-greasy formula that conditioned bleached, damaged hair. In fact, our review of the company's data revealed that 93% of consumers said that their hair felt moisturized after using the set. Though it works well on its own, you'll get best results investing in the full three-part system.

Tame coarse, unruly hair and tamp down frizz and flyaways with this Beauty Award winner. The shampoo and matching conditioner's sulfate-free nature and smoothing benefits thicker hair types. Though lightweight in texture, the duo leaves hair feeling "silky, smooth, shiny and easy to comb through," one tester says. Other testers with colored hair noticed its dramatic shine from the first use, reviving pigment in dyed hair. Some reviewers share that the bottle pump is finicky.

Full of protein and coconut oil, this 2023 Beauty Award winner is focused simply on repairing and nourishing hair, delivering strong smoothing and conditioning effects alongside its matching conditioner. A tester shared that their hair "was easier to style, and my blowout lasted," while two others noted it made their hair less frizzy.

In Beauty Lab assessment, the duo got perfect scores for making hair manageable, smooth and supple. Some online reviewers don't love the scent, noting that it leaves their hair smelling like dirt or grass.

The most conditioning of all the winners in the GH Beauty Lab’s color-protecting shampoo and conditioner test, Hair Food's sulfate-free duo hit the sweet spot for rich hydration and color-saving benefits. These came in on top in the Lab’s wet-combing test.

“After five weeks, my color still looks great — my hairdresser commented on it,” one user reported. "Dyeing my hair left it very dry, and I loved how moisturized it felt after just one use," another said. Rinse this shampoo thoroughly as it may leave some residue behind.

Garnier's honey-laced shampoo proves that you can get great natural formulas without the high price tag. A past Beauty Award winner, it's blended with honey and plant oils and is proven to nourish dehydrated, breakage-prone hair. Lab data showed that the shampoo and its matching conditioner significantly reduced breakage of very dry, damaged strands. Take note that this shampoo has sulfates in it.

When dry, itchy and flaky scalps call for a remedy, this Head & Shoulders shampoo answers. It uses pyrithione zinc, a key active ingredient that specifically treats dandruff. One GH beauty pro deploys it during winter months because it leaves hair feeling soft and smelling nice. The creamy formula keeps dandruff at bay without stripping the hair, but some users feel it leaves a residue even after rinsing.