The Best Men’s Shampoo for Healthy Hair

Throughout our lives, we’ve been told to be wary of harsh, chemical-filled grooming products. Naturally, that’s doubly true for store-bought hair care formulas, which can take your mane from healthy to horrible after just a few washes. Luckily, there are more than a handful of brands out there that have made it their goal to create something better; something more feasible for men who want to keep their hair healthy and honed, without having to worry about all of the synthetic ingredients, damaging dyes, and flake-inducing chemicals.

Since much of the professional grooming industry has taken steps toward a more sustainable (and natural) future, it makes sense that hair care products would follow suit. Below, we’ve aggregated a number of the genre’s most recommended and highly sought-after shampoo examples. Throughout this list, we’ll touch base on products that have deviated from the common standard, adopted unique production principles, or innovated upon the genre’s traditional formula — resulting in a disruption of the staples that have held dominion in recent decades. So flip on the shower and prep for the wash of a lifetime; we’re about to dive headfirst into our guide on the best shampoos for men.

Ingredients to look for

The best ingredients for a quality shampoo are naturally-derived and don’t irritate your scalp. Below are some key examples that you should look out for when picking a shampoo.

Aloe: This naturally soothes your scalp while providing moisture and keeping your hair from breaking.

Shea Butter: Shea butter is another natural moisturizer that’s also an anti-inflammatory (like Aloe), and it can combat frizzy hair as well.

Glycerin: The ultimate moisturizer; Glycerin keeps both your skin and hair moisturized and strengthens your hair follicles.

Natural Oils: Fatty oils derived from natural sources like coconut, jojoba, and avocado are anti-inflammatory and give your hair and scalp the nutrients it needs, and (you probably guessed it) moisturizes it too. Tea tree oil is good for combatting oily hair and soothing an itchy scalp.

Vitamins: Vitamin B helps with hair growth, and vitamin E is a natural antioxidant that keeps your scalp healthy and maintains healthy hair.

Ingredients to Avoid

Synthetic materials in your hair will lead to damage in the long run, so it’s best to avoid them where you can. In a perfect world, every shampoo would be both effective and natural, but particular hair types/situations call for certain synthetics/chemicals sometimes, so it’s a trade-off.

Parabens: These will disrupt your hormones, can irritate your scalp, and sometimes leads to hair loss.

Sulfates: These can strip away too much moisture sometimes.

Silicones: Can make your hair weaker and more dry.

hair types

While shampoo, in its simplest form, is for cleaning your hair, it’s best to use one that’s made for your hair type whenever you can to make sure it’s healthy and looks its best. Keep in mind that everyone’s head is different, so some options may work better even if they aren’t designed for your hair type.

Straight: This hair type can get oily/greasy, so something with tea tree oil will help.

Curly: Curly strands make it harder for the natural oils in your scalp to cover all your hair, so a shampoo that’s labeled as “moisturizing” or “conditioning” is ideal (you definitely want something with glycerin, at least).

Dry: Dry hair isn’t fun, but luckily most shampoos will have some hydrating ingredients like aloe, glycerin, or natural oils to help out. Look for anything that boasts “hydrating” or “moisturizing” properties.

Oily: If your hair is prone to getting greasy or oily, a shampoo with tea tree oil is effective (even apple cider vinegar can help), but make sure to add some conditioner afterward so it doesn’t get too dry.

Colored: Along with purple shampoo that reduces brassy hair, options that have repairing ingredients (like natural oils) are helpful for colored hair that may have been damaged.

is it ok to use shampoo daily?

There’s a lot of deliberation about this among experts and online enthusiasts, and the consensus is that shampooing every day is generally not good for the long-term health of your hair, as it strips the natural oils away. The sweet spot is around every other day or every two days, depending on your hair type and how oily/dirty it gets. However, if your hair is very fine, if your scalp is oily, or if you get dirty every day (whether it be from work or exercise), then it’s best to shampoo at least every other day (with a gentle shampoo that doesn’t have as many chemicals as traditional options).

Harry’s Anti-Dandruff 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner

Best Anti-Dandruff Shampoo: Harry’s saw the men’s grooming landscape, and saw that simple, effective, and no-nonsense products were hard to come by. Now, they’re creating just that, and if you struggle with dandruff, this purpose-built shampoo from the brand can get you sorted out. Natural moisturizers like aloe and glycerin soothe your scalp, and pyrithione zinc provides anti-bacterial and antifungal properties to get rid of that pesky dandruff and keep you clean. Harry’s also guarantees that you’ll see results in nearly a week.

Bevel Shampoo

Best Shampoo for Sensitive Skin: The black-owned label Bevel is a bit of an industry darling at the moment, and for good reason, as each product is designed to have men looking their best, without harmful ingredients, and with soothing properties for sensitive skin. This shampoo from the brand is made with naturally moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and glycerin, to keep your hair hydrated and healthy, and its anti-tangle formula can tame coarse and curly hair while preventing it from breaking.

American Crew Daily Cleaning Shampoo

Best Moisturizing Shampoo: Not only does American Crew bring you everything you’ll need to keep your hair, skin, and features on point, but they’ve also got an entire line of shower and bath variants, all of which are tailor-made to bring your hygiene to new heights. One of Crew’s most popular products is its Daily Shampoo, which utilizes a hearty mix of sage leaf and chamomile extracts to reduce bacteria buildup, protect your hair from harmful sunlight fade, and keep it shiny throughout the day. There’s even a moisturizing effect, courtesy of the shampoo’s rosemary, thyme, and wheat protein mixture.

Huron Shampoo

Best Strengthening Shampoo: Huron has been making award-winning grooming products since starting in just 2018, thanks to simple and effective formulas that never irritate. So you can trust that the label’s shampoo (winner of Esquire’s 2021 Grooming Awards) has you covered. It’s made with a blend of natural oils and vitamins (E and B5) which keep your hair and scalp moisturized, while also providing a deep clean that refreshes. You get a rich lather and a refreshing menthol and citrus scent that’ll have you smelling as clean as you look.

Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

Best Shampoo for Volume: Tea Tree is known for its versatile line of hair care products, and we’d be lying if we said that they weren’t one of the most trusted names in grooming. The brand’s Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo is one of its most lauded products and features a formula of thickening agents, panthenol (to strengthen your strands and prevent breakage), and a recognizable lemon scent, to keep you fresh as you take on the day’s activities. Dive a bit deeper into the shampoo’s ingredient list, and you’ll find that it’s also imbued with tingly peppermint, sage, bergamot, and tea tree oil, helping to battle split ends.

Hims Thick Fix

Best Thickening Shampoo: When it comes to accessible and easy-to-use men’s health products, Hims has been ahead of the game since starting in 2017. The brand’s range of options has been rapidly expanding, and its Thick Fix shampoo is yet another addition to the lineup that’s sure to ail some of your man struggles (particularly thinning hair). The formula includes saw palmetto, which blocks DHT (a hair loss hormone) and gets rid of excess sebum, allowing newer and healthier hair to grow.

Brickell Daily Strengthening Shampoo

Best Shampoo for Itchy Scalp: Brickell is known for using natural ingredients, and when it comes to the brand’s Daily Strengthening Shampoo, there’s hardly any room for debate. To start, it stimulates your scalp with an effective mixture of peppermint and tea tree oils, fighting against dandruff, and promoting an immersive scent that’ll stick around long after you step out of the shower. While it’s being lathered into your hair, the shampoo’s key ingredients — like aloe vera, pro-vitamin B-5, vitamin E, and silk amino acids — do their part to provide a natural (and organic) remedy that will strengthen, moisturize, and reduce split ends.

Malin + Goetz Peppermint Shampoo

Best Minty Shampoo: There’s a reason it’s the brand’s best-selling shampoo variant, including (but not limited to) the fact that it effectively purifies and cleanses your hair from the root onward, while still prompting adequate scalp health. To create the perfect balance between hydrating and nourishing properties, it calls upon amino acid-based cleansers to isolate and remove dirt, oil, and product build-up, without stripping your hair of the vital oils that keep it shiny and voluminous.

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Best Repairing Shampoo: If you’re in need of some repair, Olaplex has been leading the game in effective care products that truly help, and they’re often the first choice for those in the know. The No.4 Bond Maintenace Shampoo is made with a pH-balanced formula that contains natural oils and hydrating ingredients like glycerin, to repair damaged hair and prevent any other damage from happening. It’ll leave your hair looking shinier, healthier, softer, and less prone to breakage.

Baxter of California Daily Fortifying Shampoo

Best Everyday Shampoo: Baxter of California’s Daily Fortifying Shampoo is one of the genre’s most trusted products and for good reason. It introduces a nutrient-enriched formula that’s part of the company’s multi-part strengthening system, utilizing wheat protein, vitamin E, and coconut extract to deliver essential nutrients to your scalp and hair. If you’re looking for something that seals in moisture and promotes a more hydrated mane, the company’s daily fortifying shampoo is a surefire pickup, as it emphasizes essential oils and nutrients that are vital for natural hair growth, without stripping away all of the good aspects of your scalp’s ecosystem.

The Best Moisturizer for Men Right Now

Now that your hair is clean and moisturized, it’s time to make sure your face is too. Our best moisturizers guide can take care of that.