13 Best Shampoos for Dry Damaged Hair

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On a daily basis, our hair is exposed to a variety of elements that can lead to brittle, dried out strands. UV rays, hot tools, pollutants, chemical treatments and many other factors can all take a toll on our tresses.

But how exactly can you care for dry hair that is in need of a little extra TLC? While it requires a multi-faceted approach, one of the first (and most important) steps you can take is changing out your shampoo.

There’s no shortage of shampoos available on the market, but many aren’t created to meet the needs of dry, weakened strands. We analyzed a variety of different formulas, and have compiled the ultimate list of the 13 best shampoos for dry, damaged hair.

Ingredients to Look for in Shampoos for Dry Damaged Hair

Choosing a shampoo made with targeted ingredients is the key for improving the look and feel of dry, damaged hair. Healing ingredients that fortify the strands while repairing damage caused by hot tools, color treatments, and environmental aggressors are essential for making your hair as strong and resilient as possible. Some of the best ingredients include biotin, keratin and hydrolyzed proteins.

In order to optimally restore moisture levels, you’ll also need a shampoo made with ingredients that plump and improve moisture retention. Some of our favorite ingredients for restoring dry hair include shea butter, glycerin, plant oils (such as jojoba, olive, coconut and avocado oils) and honey.

There are also certain ingredients that we recommend avoiding if you have dry and damaged hair. We suggest looking for clean formulas – particularly those that are made without sulfates. Sulfates (which are commonly used in traditional shampoo formulas) can dry out already dehydrated and damaged strands, and can also irritate the scalp. There are plenty of alternatives that thoroughly cleanse the hair without negatively impacting strand or scalp health.

The Best Shampoos for Dry Damaged Hair

Ready to give your tresses the support they need? Here’s our list of the 13 best shampoos for dry, damaged hair.

1. Blu Atlas Shampoo

At the top of our list is this shampoo from Blu Atlas, a premium grooming company dedicated to crafting top-quality, clean formulas infused with highly effective ingredients. This shampoo restores and repairs damaged strands while replenishing moisture levels and supporting scalp health. Beyond the high-performance ingredients, the clean formula makes this shampoo stand out among the endless sea of options. The Blu Atlas Shampoo is vegan, cruelty-free, and doesn’t contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates or synthetic dyes. Additionally, 99% of the ingredients are derived from natural origins.

This shampoo is crafted with vegan biotin to fortify and defend the strands against damage. The biotin also replenishes hydration levels for soft, healthy hair. It’s joined by nutrient-dense jojoba protein, which further heals damage and strengthens the strands so they are less prone to split ends and breakage.

The Blu Atlas Shampoo is also infused with aloe barbadensis leaf juice, which nourishes the strands with vitamins and antioxidants while also moisturizing the hair and scalp. Anti-inflammatory saw palmetto extract also calms and hydrates the scalp while fighting against the effects of a hormone linked to hair loss.

The cleaning power of this sulfate-free formula comes from coconut-derived surfactants. These surfactants work into a lather that effectively clears away product buildup and debris. They’re also able to thoroughly wash the strands and scalp without stripping away moisture or causing any irritation.

2. Virtue Labs Recovery Shampoo

Virtue is known for creating high-performance hair care products, and the brand’s Recovery Shampoo is no exception. This shampoo is specifically made for hair that is dry and damaged, and is also safe to use on color-treated hair. It works to repair damage while boosting moisture levels for softer, stronger strands. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, and doesn’t contain sulfates, phthalates or parabens.

The Virtue Recovery Shampoo is made with the company’s proprietary Alpha Keratin 60ku, a protein that is identical to the keratin naturally found in hair. This protein repairs the hair’s cuticle and restores where keratin has been damaged or lost completely. This leads to stronger and more resilient strands that can withstand damaging elements’ exposure.

Additionally, this shampoo is formulated with grapefruit extract, an antioxidant-rich ingredient that defends the hair against damaging free radicals while boosting shine. It works alongside hydrolyzed quinoa to improve the hair’s ability to retain moisture and enhance shine and color, as well as baobab seed oil, an emollient that deeply moisturizes dry strands.

This Virtue shampoo also has an incredible fragrance that anyone can enjoy. The luxurious scent features notes of citrus and warm woods, which are joined by coconut and yuzu.

3. Kérastase Resistance Bain Force Architecte Strengthening Shampoo

Dry, damaged hair is no match for this Kérastase shampoo. The Resistance Bain Force Architecte Strengthening Shampoo is crafted with some of the best ingredients for restoring weakened hair, and rebuilding the hair fibers so that they are stronger and healthier than ever. It also replenishes moisture levels for smooth, shiny and frizz-free hair.

This shampoo is powered by a complex made up of a blend of proteins and amino acids (including serine, arginine and glutamic acid). The complex does its job to revive brittle and weakened hair fibers for more resilient strands. It works alongside ceramides that improve the strands’ elasticity. They also enhance shine and boost the hair’s ability to retain moisture.

The final key ingredient in this formula is resurrection plant sap. This ingredient deeply hydrates the strands while smoothing down the cuticles for a sleek, frizz-free look.

What’s especially great about this shampoo is that it is more concentrated than traditional shampoos you might find at the drugstore. While it’s on the pricier end, you won’t need to use quite as much product to lather up. This ultimately means it’ll last longer than you might initially anticipate, making it worth the higher price point.

4. Fekkai Super Strength+ Shampoo

This fast-acting shampoo from popular hair care brand Fekkai has been shown to make hair three times stronger and four times smoother. It also repairs 56% of split ends after just one use, and leads to 70% less hair breakage. In short, it’s the perfect solution for anyone looking to achieve and maintain seriously strong strands.

The Super Strength+ Shampoo is made with a bond cure technology that has been scientifically proven to effectively penetrate hair fibers to repair damaged ionic, hydrogen and disulfide bonds, which can be broken from aggressors like hot tools, chemical treatments and environmental stressors. This advanced technology is joined by vitamins B5 and E, which work in tandem to support scalp health, while creating a barrier around the strands that seals in moisture and repairs breakage.

The formula is also infused with a blend of moisturizing, nutrient-dense oils, including coconut, jojoba, baobab and rapeseed oils. In addition to boosting moisture levels, these oils smooth down frizz while healing split ends, improving elasticity and fortifying to prevent breakage.

This Fekkai shampoo – which is decadently scented with notes of almond, tonka bean and woods – is vegan and cruelty-free, and made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates. It’s also safe to use on color and keratin-treated hair.

5. Gisou Honey Infused Hair Wash

The Gisou Honey Infused Hair Wash is packed with powerful ingredients (92% of which are naturally derived) that deeply moisturize and nourish the hair. With regular use, it promotes hair that is smooth, soft and undeniably strong.

As you can tell by the name, this cruelty-free and sulfate-free shampoo is powered by honey. The honey used in the formula is sourced from the company’s Netherlands-based bee garden. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants that fortify and protect the hair against free radicals and other damaging aggressors.

Additionally, the formula features the company’s proprietary bee garden oil blend. This blend is loaded with fatty acids, and further nourishes the strands while sealing in moisture. It’s joined by argan oil, which also moisturizes while improving elasticity and supporting follicle health. Two final key ingredients worth highlighting are L-arginine (which is a rich source of amino acids and keratin) and hydrolyzed pea protein (which is also packed with amino acids). Together, these ingredients repair and heal the strands while minimizing hair loss and future breakage.

Beyond the great formula, we can’t get enough of the scent, which lingers on the hair throughout the day. This Gisou shampoo has a sweet, citrus-forward fragrance, featuring notes of apricot, mandarin, florals and, of course, honey.

6. Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo

This formula from Briogeo has everything you’d want in a shampoo made for dry and damaged hair. The shampoo takes inspiration from deep conditioning mask formulas, and works to enhance the strands without weighing them down. It’s packed with proven ingredients (95% of which are naturally derived) that reverse damage, promote more resilient strands, and infuse the hair with much-needed moisture. It also has a clean formula that’s vegan, cruelty-free and made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

The Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo is made with gentle surfactants that effectively remove dirt, build up and excess oil from the hair without stripping away its natural moisture. The ultra-hydrating formula contains shea butter, glycerin and coconut oil, which work in tandem to replenish moisture levels and prevent future moisture loss to counteract dryness. Panthenol also penetrates deep into the hair to strengthen, enhance elasticity and hydrate while creating a protective barrier around the strands.

This formula is also infused with biotin, which fortifies and protects the hair against damage while promoting softer, more moisturized strands. Fatty acid-packed rose hip oil further nourishes the hair and scalp while repairing damage. Algae extract – packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – gives the hair the nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy and helps defend against free radical damage.

7. Oribe Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo

Oribe is well-known as one of the top hair care brands on the market, with every formula they create living up to the company’s reputation. For anyone with dry, damaged hair in need of reviving, we highly recommend the brand’s Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo. This formula penetrates deep into the strands to revitalize it from the inside out, achieving stronger and more resilient strands that are more elastic and less prone to breakage. It has even been clinically shown to promote hair that is 2.9 times more elastic and 133% stronger after five uses.

A blend of plant-based protein, chia seed and bio-fermented bamboo leaf powers the Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo. This blend works deep in the strands, where it reinforces the hair cuticles and boosts overall hair strength to minimize the damaging effects of external aggressors. The blend works alongside the Oribe Signature Complex, which features watermelon, lychee and edelweiss. This complex protects against a variety of elements that can harm keratin and affect color, including oxidative stress and photoaging.

Additionally, this formula contains daisy and honeysuckle extracts, which fortify the hair, as well as green tea extract and plant polysaccharides to further defend the strands against environmental aggressors. A hyaluronic acid complex also deeply hydrates the strands and scalp to promote softer, smoother hair.

This shampoo is made without sulfates, and instead uses gentle surfactants to refresh the hair and remove debris. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, and doesn’t contain parabens or phthalates.

8. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Olaplex has earned a cult-like following over the past few years, and for a good reason. One of the company’s most popular products is the No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, which is designed specifically to repair weakened hair while fortifying it so that it is more resilient against future damage. Additionally, it leaves the hair shinier, softer, less frizzy and more manageable.

This Olaplex shampoo features the company’s bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate technology. It has been proven to make hair healthier and stronger by relinking broken bonds. This technology also ensures the hair is better equipped to defend itself against stressors that can lead to breakage, split ends and frizz. Additionally, the shampoo features panthenol, which boosts elasticity and hydrates the strands, as well as fatty acid-packed apricot kernel oil, which nourishes while deeply moisturizing. Argan oil further softens and moisturizes the strands while promoting smoother, frizz-free hair.

The formula is also made with a range of additional ingredients that further heal the strands, and improve overall hair and scalp health. This includes rosemary leaf extract, banana extract and sunflower seed oil.

Like many of our top recommendations, this Olaplex shampoo has a clean formula. It’s vegan and cruelty-free, and doesn’t contain sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

9. Maui Moisture Heal and Hydrate + Shea Butter Shampoo

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get high-quality shampoo. This Maui Moisture is made to give dry, damaged hair the support that it needs to stay healthy and moisturized – and it is offered at a budget-friendly price. It’s also safe for color-treated hair, and made without sulfates, parabens or synthetic dyes.

The very first ingredient in this creamy shampoo formula is aloe vera, the anti-inflammatory ingredient that soothes the scalp while moisturizing and nourishing the hair. It works alongside shea butter, a fatty acid-rich ingredient that quenches the hair with moisture while creating a protective barrier to prevent moisture loss. It also nourishes the strands with vitamins while smoothing down frizz and reducing the risk of split ends.

The tropical scented Heal and Hydrate + Shea Butter Shampoo is also made with coconut water, which further supports scalp health and comfort while hydrating the strands. Macadamia seed and coconut oils also work in tandem to deeply moisturize dry strands. They also nourish the hair with vitamins and minerals to improve overall hair strength and health, and work to soften, tame frizz and boost shine.

10. Living Proof Restore Shampoo

We’ve always been impressed by Living Proof products, which are thoughtfully designed with ingredients to help you achieve your best, healthiest hair yet. We highly recommend the company’s Restore Shampoo for those with damaged and dried out strands. This formula instantly gets to work to reverse damage and promote hair that is smoother, softer and stronger. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, and has a clean formula that is made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

This Living Proof shampoo – which has a pleasant and subtle citrus scent – is made with the company’s amino cleansing complex, which works into a rich lather to whisk away any dirt and debris without drying out the strands. It’s also crafted with a glutamic acid-based emollient, which reduces breakage and strengthens the strands to prevent future damage.

In addition to these ingredients, the shampoo contains marine algae polysaccharides that defend the hair against environmental damage. It also features phytantriol, which preserves hair color (making it a particularly great option for those with color-treated hair) while minimizing damage from hot tools and environmental aggressors.

11. Amika The Kure Bond Repair Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Another one of the best shampoos for dry, damaged hair is The Kure Bond Repair Shampoo from Amika. This powerful formula repairs and strengthens weakened, fragile strands. It has even been clinically shown to reduce breakage by 55%, and it makes hair two times stronger.

This vegan and cruelty-free shampoo is made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates. It contains mild surfactants that work into a creamy lather to effectively clear away debris and build up for super refreshed hair. The formula is powered by an advanced bond cure technology that heals the bonds most prone to breakage from daily stressors. This technology works alongside vegan proteins that further nourish with amino acids to promote more resilient strands.

In addition to these ingredients, the shampoo is made with mango seed and shea butters, both of which are packed with nutrients. These butters deeply moisturize the hair and create a protective seal on the strands for long-term moisturization benefits. Additionally, a range of oils packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids further improve moisture levels while fortifying the strands and follicles for hair that looks and feels incredible. This includes avocado, borage seed and sea buckthorn oils.

If you love hair care products with amazing scents, you won’t be disappointed by this shampoo. Amika is known for crafting enticing, rich fragrances, with this formula featuring notes of citrus, clover and vanilla.

12. Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Shampoo

A bond-repairing hair care product that we can confidently recommend to anyone with damaged tresses is this shampoo from Bumble and Bumble. As it heals current damage, it rebuilds bonds and strengthens the hair so that it is better able to withstand the effects of environmental damage. It also smooths down frizz while detangling and boosting shine. Additionally, the formula is cruelty-free and made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

The Bond-Building Repair Shampoo is made with the company’s honey bond-building complex, which creates new bonds to heal damage from hot tools, color treatments and chemical damage. This complex also promotes stronger, more elastic strands. The formula also contains wildflower honey, which works alongside the bond-building complex to improve elasticity. It also nourishes the hair with much-needed nutrients to prevent breakage and boost the health of fragile strands.

This Bumble and Bumble shampoo also deserves recognition for the incredible scent profile. The fragrance features warm, enticing and bright notes of blood orange, guava, kumquat, passionflower, orchid, jasmine, salted musk, vanilla bean and blonde woods. You’ll feel like you are on a tropical vacation every time you hop in the shower.

13. Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo

Anyone with hair that has been weakened and dried out by color treatments can benefit from adding this Pureology shampoo to their hair care routine. The Strength Cure Shampoo is specifically designed for color-treated hair, and works to replenish the strength and moisture it has lost in the process. The formula has even been shown to repair strand damage by up to 97%. It also helps maintain color vibrance so that you can extend the time between salon visits.

This vegan, cruelty-free and sulfate-free shampoo contains kind-to-hair surfactants to thoroughly yet gently clear away debris and impurities. It contains plant-based protein to heal current damage while improving the strands’ resiliency to minimize the risk of damage occurring in the first place. This protein is joined by olive and camelina seed oils, which nourish while boosting the hair’s moisture levels. Glycerin also works to ensure the hair stays as moisturized as possible, especially after going through the drying color treatment process.

This Pureology shampoo also contains an antioxidant called astaxanthin. This antioxidant defends the hair against harmful free radicals to prevent further damage, and at the same time works to heal brittle strands. It’s joined by vitamin E, which provides extra antioxidant benefits to keep the hair as healthy and protected as possible.

This is yet another shampoo that has an incredible scent. The fragrance takes inspiration from California fruit farms, and has fresh, sweet notes of raspberry, peach and water flowers.

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Additional Tips: Repairing Dry and Damaged Hair

Beyond using a targeted shampoo, there are a few additional steps you can take to repair and maintain hair health. Here’s a few tips and tricks:

• Avoid Overwashing: Even if you’re using a high-quality shampoo, you shouldn’t be washing your hair on a daily basis – especially if it is dry and damaged. Overwashing your hair will strip away its natural moisture and cause irritation in the scalp, further weakening and drying out the strands. Wash your hair no more than every two to three days (or less frequently if possible).
• Treat with a Hair Mask: A restorative, moisturizing hair mask can give your stressed out hair a little extra boost to achieve and maintain healthier strands. Look for formulas made with ingredients that repair damage and deeply moisturize the hair.
• Use Leave-In Conditioners and Oils: If you aren’t already, you’ll want to make sure you are using leave-in conditioners and/or hair oils in your routine. These products will ensure your hair is getting additional moisturization and nourishment throughout the day. Apply your product(s) of choice after washing, as well as on no-wash days to keep your hair soft and healthy.

• Limit Hot Tool Usage: Hot tools (such as a curling and flat irons) can harm the keratin in your hair, leaving your strands dry, weak and more prone to damage. With this in mind, it’s best to limit your usage of hot tools as much as possible. When you do use them, be sure to apply an ample amount of heat protectant all over the strands. You should also use the lowest temperature possible to get the style you want while still limiting the level of heat your hair is exposed to.

• Reduce Chlorine Exposure: Chlorine strips away moisture in the hair and scalp, leaving brittle, dry strands. If you spend a lot of time in the pool, try using targeted products that defend against chlorine damage. After swimming, you can also use a restorative hair mask to replenish moisture levels.

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