15 Best Shampoos for Damaged Hair in 2023 to Strengthen and Moisturize, Tested & Reviewed

There's a reason why every colorist and hairstylist loves this shampoo from Olaplex for super-damaged hair: It uses a patented molecule to rebuild broken hair bonds (an inevitable side effect of bleaching and chemical treatments) to give you stronger hair that retains more moisture. It's the closest thing to a second chance for your hair.

• Key ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate* (*patented formula that may help make hair stronger and reduce moisture loss.)
• Size: 3.3 oz., 8.5 oz.
  

THE REVIEW: "This shampoo is worth every penny," notes one tester. "After I use it my hair is literally luminous for days. It's one of the few products that truly improves the quality of your hair."

It's no secret that coloring your hair—whether you DIY it with box dye at home or get it done at the salon—can lead to major breakage and dullness. Enter this strengthening and damage-repairing shampoo that's designed specifically for color-treated, very dry hair. The gentle, sulfate-free formula protects your color while amping up your hair health, thanks to the gentle cleansers and hydrating humectants (hi, panthenol and glycerin).

• Key ingredients: Panthenol, glycerin, essential oils, marula oil
• Size: 1.7 oz., 9 oz., 33.8 oz.

THE REVIEW: "I have tried every high-end shampoo and conditioner and I have to say THIS IS IT," writes one tester. "The ingredients are great and it smells really good. As someone that used to have dry, over-processed hair, this shampoo changed everything for me."

This ultra-gentle but super-duper moisturizing shampoo for curly hair uses mild surfactants to help clean and reduce buildup on your hair and scalp, as well as hydrating aloe vera and moisturizing baobab seed oil to keep your hair from feeling dried-out and looking dull. Also, Cosmo beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson with 4b/4c curls gave this formula a 2023 Holy Grail Award, noting it keeps her “curls clean, moisturized, and happy.”

• Key ingredients: Aloe vera, baobab seed oil
• Size: 10 oz.

THE REVIEW: According to one reviewer, this is the “best shampoo I’ve ever used in my life. It feels clean, but like I used a conditioner because I can run my fingers though it. Love it!”

Typical moisturizing shampoos for dry hair are filled with heavy ingredients that leave fine hair looking greasy and flat (womp womp). But this shampoo for fine hair uses only the lightest of oils, like moringa seed and sunflower seed, to make hair look shinier and feel softer without weighing it down.

• Key ingredients: Moringa seed oil, sunflower seed oil
• Size: 2.3 oz., 12 oz., 32 oz.

THE REVIEW: "I have ultra fine hair and this is one of the only shampoos I've tried that doesn’t weigh it down," according to one tester, adding that "it cleans gently and the smell is delicate and fresh."

Idk about you, but my damaged hair is extremely prone to frizz and flyaways. To help smooth everything out, I've been washing with this honey-infused shampoo from Gisou. Not only is it great for repairing damage (looking at you, split ends), but it also adds back moisture and increases your hair's elasticity to make it feel soft and look healthier overall.

• Key ingredients: Argan oil, honey
• Size: 2.5 oz., 11.1 oz.

THE REVIEW: "I'm a fan of all Gisou products, including this shampoo," notes one reviewer, adding that "the scent is absolutely delicious—subtly sweet and fresh."

Damaged hair is synonymous with dry hair, which is why this mild shampoo from Fable & Mane is loaded with a combo of hydrating, moisturizing, and repairing ingredients, like aloe vera, coconut oil, and gotu kola—which is known for its ability to support healthy keratin in the hair.

• Key ingredients: Gotu kola, aloe vera, coconut oil
• Size: 8.5 oz.

THE REVIEW: "This shampoo is SO good for thick dry hair!!" notes one tester. "I live in the desert so I need all the hydration I can get for my hair. It smells like a tropical getaway and is so luxurious too—I highly recommend it!"

The combo of coconut water and squalane in this ultra-hydrating shampoo is basically like a big glass of water for your dry, thirsty hair. The formula also features polyglutamic acid which retains a significant amount of moisture, and *may* be even more hydrating than its sister ingredient, hyaluronic acid.

• Key ingredients: Coconut water, squalane, polyglutamic acid
• Size: 9.3 oz., 33.8 oz.
  

THE REVIEW: "This product has helped my hair tremendously!" notes one reviewer. "I've colored my hair for years so I have some damage, but this shampoo has provided my hair with much-needed moisture and shine."

If you've ever bleached your hair, you know that going blonde comes with some seriously damaging side effects. The best fix: this purple-tinted shampoo that gently cleanses, deeply hydrates with hyaluronic acid, and brightens up your color by neutralizing unwanted brassiness.

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
• Size: 8.5 oz.

THE REVIEW: "This is my favorite product from Oribe," one tester writes. "It really gets the orange tones out of my blonde hair and makes my hair feel super soft and silky. It's pricey but def worth it IMO."

First, this all-natural shampoo is free-from sulfates (aka color-stripping surfactants that fade your dye job). Second, it contains a ton of good-for-your-hair ingredients, like protective antioxidants, strengthening quinoa protein, hydrating aloe vera, and moisturizing rahua oil. Not to mention, this is a clean beauty brand that works with indigenous tribes in the rainforest to harness its star ingredient, rahua oil—pretty cool amiright?

• Key ingredients: Rahua oil, quinoa protein, aloe vera
• Size: 9.3 oz.

THE REVIEW: "This is one of the best non-toxic shampoos I've tried," notes one reviewer. "My hair is naturally frizzy and prone to breakage but switching to this shampoo has made such a big difference."

NGL, I was hesitant to use this clarifying shampoo on my dry, color-treated hair, but I'm so glad I did. Not only does it remove product buildup and excess oil from my scalp, it really makes my hair feel stronger too. It's infused with K18's patented peptide molecule to repair broken bonds and protect your hair's outer cuticle—and for better efficacy, the formula also contains activated charcoal, salicylic acid, and a polymer to prevent the hair from being stripped. For best results, use it before the K18 Leave-In Mask.

• Key ingredients: K18 peptide, activated charcoal, salicylic acid
• Size: 8.5 oz.

THE REVIEW: "A new staple in my routine!!" reads one review. "This shampoo makes my hair softer, more manageable, bouncier, and overall healthier looking. I also love how it minimizes frizz-free—a must for me as I live in a hot climate."

Need a shampoo for thinning hair or hair loss? Try this one by Virtue. It delicately cleanses your hair and scalp while wrapping each strand in a "moisture shield" to make it look thicker and feel healthier too. Also great: The formula contains signal peptides to create an optimal environment for hair growth, keratin proteins to increase your hair's elasticity too, and sodium hyaluronate which plumps your hair strands and makes them look fuller.

• Key ingredients: Keratin proteins, sodium hyaluronate, peptides
• Size: 8 oz.

THE REVIEW: "This is my holy grail shampoo," reads one review. "I tried many shampoos for thinning hair due to going through menopause, but none work as well as this one."

Annoyingly, most dandruff shampoos leave your hair feeling brittle and straw-like, which makes sense because they work to literally *destroy* the excess fungi on your scalp. But this one from Head & Shoulders does the opposite. It has pyrithione zinc to effectively get rid of flakes on your scalp, but it also has moisturizing jojoba and argan oils to smooth damaged hair.

• Key ingredients: Pyrithione zinc, jojoba oil, argan oil
• Size: 11.8 oz.
  

THE REVIEW: "This is the only dandruff shampoo I've tried that doesn't make my hair feel like straw," writes one tester, adding that "it really helped get my flakes under control and my hair felt healthier too."

Wanna make your hair super shiny and strong? This shampoo from Mielle will be your BFF. It's made with gentle cleansers and a bunch of organic, plant-derived ingredients (like coconut oil and chamomile flower) to moisturize and soften your hair. Need another excuse to buy this bb? It also includes rosemary oil which was proven in a study to be similar in efficacy to minoxidil (i.e., the active ingredient in Rogaine clinically proven to promote hair growth) and even more effective than it in reducing scalp itching and irritation. *Drops mic, adds to cart*

• Key ingredients: Biotin, coconut oil, chamomile flower, rosemary oil
• Size: 12 oz.

THE REVIEW: "I love that this shampoo really makes my hair feel clean but does not leave it feeling dry and tangled like other ones I've tried," one reviewer writes. "My scalp feels nice and clean after I use it and my hair really looks super shiny too."

Got dry, damaged hair that's also super thick? Wash with this moisturizing shampoo from R+Co and I promise you'll be impressed with its soft, silky results. It uses vitamin B5, prickly pear extract, and vegetable proteins to up your hair's moisture levels so it looks smooth and therefore healthy.

• Key ingredients: Vitamin B5, prickly pear extract, vegetable proteins
• Size: 8.5 oz., 33.8 oz.

THE REVIEW: "I’m a fan for life," reads one tester's review. "My hair was dry, damaged, and breaking off and this shampoo really helped moisturize it. I use it with the matching conditioner and my hair has never looked better."

Shout out to all the people who have chemically treated their hair (i.e., keratin treatments, relaxers, etc.), you're going to want to incorporate a strengthening shampoo like this one from Briogeo into your wash day routine. Keratin amino acids help strengthen your hair, and avocado oil and shea butter then work to hit it with some moisture, resulting in smooth, healthier-looking hair,

• Key ingredients: Keratin amino acids, shea butter, avocado oil
• Size: 8 oz.

THE REVIEW: "This is an amazing shampoo," writes one tester. "Not only does it make my hair feel nice and fresh, but I've also noticed a major difference in how bouncy and smooth my curls are too."