WE'VE reviewed the best shampoos around so you'll get a chance to shake your glossy mane in slow-mo like those grinning models in haircare adverts.
You know you've found one of the best shampoos when they give your hair a deep cleanse without stripping it of its natural oils, leaving your hair strong, shiny and never greasy.
Of course, everyone is unique so we all have different needs when it comes to shopping shampoo. There are colour-protectors, anti-frizz saviours, volume-boosters and so much more.
If your hair is dry, you're technically only supposed to shampoo twice a week, whereas more oily hair can require a hair wash on a daily basis (if you can be bothered, that is).
Usually, you can tell by looking at your hair when it needs a wash. We're not saying don't shampoo when your hair's dripping with sweat from a workout just because you washed it the day before.
Anyway, shampoo has been a necessity ever since it was invented in the 1930s. In 2021, we decided it's time to test out the best shampoos around, so your hair can be its best self.
1. Olaplex No 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- No 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, £26 from CultBeauty – buy here
Loved by the Kardashians and just about every celebrity hair stylist, Olaplex has a reputation to live up to with their No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo.
The clue's in the name as this best-selling favourite aims to repair, strengthen and all-round revitalise damaged hair through deeply moisturising it.
In short, we had high expectations. The thick-textured, sweet-scented formula smells great, and feels as though you are giving your hair an intense yet soft wash when you use it.
Upon the first use, we were happy with how clean our hair felt but that's where our praises halted as we were expecting salon-fresh, shiny results but our frizzy hair looked not much different to how it does after other, much cheaper shampoos.
Although our tresses definitely stayed looking freshly washed for longer than usual, we decided to keep going to see if the impact would be more dramatic if we continued to use it.
After three washes, we started to recognise that our hair definitely felt stronger, finding that the best results came when we used it following the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector.
It's a powerful shampoo though, so if you're prone to scalp conditions then we recommend only using it three to four times a month as it gives quite a harsh, deep clean when used too frequently.
2. Aussie Shampoo SOS Deep Repair For Damaged Hair
- Aussie Shampoo SOS Deep Repair For Damaged Hair, £3.99 from Boots – buy here
At a bargain price of under £4, Aussie's SOS Deep Rapair For Damaged Hair shampoo promises to "bring hair back from the depths of despair".
Infused with Australian super fruits, the Kiss of Life shampoo says that it will repair damaged hair, whether that's from colouring, heat or just general life.
First off, we have to compliment the gorgeous berry scent – who doesn't love when their hair smells good enough to eat?
It gives you a good hair wash, rinsing off well and leaving your locks feeling refreshed, but as someone with dry, curly hair, we weren't blown away by the impact it had.
In terms of the pricing and effects, we'd definitely buy it again though as an easy, go-to shampoo that gets the job done without leaving your hair greasy at all.
If you are only in need of less dramatic repair then this is the ideal purchase for you, from the yummy scent, to the more-than satisfactory wash it gives your mane.
3. OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo
- OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo, £22 from LookFantastic – buy here
Now, you might recognise brand OUAI for their best-selling Chill Pills, but their OUAI Fine Hair Shampoo is just as popular.
Combining hemp seed extract, chia seed oil, hydrolysed keratin and biotin, this luxe formula aims to strengthen your hair, giving you more volume.
At £22, it's a little pricier than your average so we expected great things from the get go. And as soon as we felt the creamy gel texture, we knew we were in for a treat.
Smelling perfumed enough to enjoy, the Fine Hair Shampoo definitely feels luxurious when you apply it, giving you a deep cleanse that doesn't weigh down your hair at all.
It feels free of any harsh chemicals, leaving your hair soft and stronger from the first wash, without giving you too intense a clean.
We definitely recommend pairing this with the Fine Hair Conditioner for salon-fresh results – forking out £44 for your hair wash might seem excessive, but you definitely get what you pay for.
4. Hairburst For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo & Conditioner Duo
- Hairburst For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo & Conditioner Duo, £24.95 from BeautyBay – buy here
Known for their hair growth vitamins, Hairburst's For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo comes in a duo pack with the matching shampoo for less than £25.
Not only does Hairburst's shampoo apparently help you achieve stronger hair, it strives to also help it grow longer with added shine. What more could you want?
The bottles are actually smaller in real life than they look online, but they're still 350ml which is quite a bit bigger than the size of your classic cheaper haircare.
You can really smell the hints of avocado and coconut as you cleanse your hair in the shower, leaving it smelling wonderful post-wash too.
Out of all the shampoos, we were most pleasantly surprised by this duo as our hair was left looking noticeably shinier and soft-to-touch after using it just once.
People might prefer more mature-looking products but we definitely recommend Hairburst's For Longer Stronger Hair Shampoo & Conditioner Duo for getting fast results.
5. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
- Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, £15.75 from LookFantastic – buy here
All of Pureology's haircare is 100 per cent vegan, which is enough to love their Hydrate Shampoo before even trying it out.
Priced just below £16, the Pureology Hydrate Shampoo locks in your hairs moisture, working well for dry hair that's gone through the damage of being dyed.
We're partial to a full head of highlights every three months (when lockdown permits), so Pureology's Hydrate Shampoo was literally made for someone like us.
In terms of the thickness of the texture and the wash it gives your hair, this one's a winner for being better than bog-standard shampoos. We can't put our finger on the herbal/floral smell, but all you need to know is that it is good.
A fault with our hair is that it tends to get greasy quickly but we found that using this Pureology gem, our hair felt moisturised but not oily or greasy, even after a couple of days.
It's lightweight and nourishing, not with dramatically shiny effects but definitely enough long-lasting hydration to win us over.
6. Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo
- Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo, £18.30 from LookFantastic – buy here
You might recognise Redken from the hairdressers. Their Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo is crafted with "Salon Expert Concentration".
Boasting a 7 per cent bonding care complex, this shampoo works to reduce any colour fading, deeply conditioning your roots and minimising the appearance of split ends.
If any shampoo deserves to have 'salon expert' written on the front then it's this one – from the first wash, we were immediately obsessed with it.
It genuinely made us feel as though we'd had our hair washed at the hairdressers, from the familiar smell (you'll understand if you buy it), to the glossy bounce it gave our mane.
It might be expensive to splash out on the conditioner along with this shampoo – £36.60 to be precise – but if you only use it once a week or every two weeks, you'll get enough impact out of it and it'll last you for a while.
We're calling it a self-care investment.
7. Aveeno Gentle Moisture+ Rose Water & Chamomile Blend Shampoo
- Aveeno Gentle Moisture+ Rose Water & Chamomile Blend Shampoo, £5.99 from Boots – buy here
Famous for their natural skincare products, Aveeno have launched haircare now too that also aims to soothe your skin, but this time we're talking about your scalp.
The Rose Water & Chamomile Blend shampoo is specifically made for dry hair, using a pH-balanced formula to relieve an itchy scalp whilst leaving your hair weightless and moisturised.
This one smells delicious with powerful hints of rose water that leave your hair smelling great for over a day after you wash it.
After one wash, our frizzy hair felt immediately softer yet still had volume, as though it really had been gently moisturised.
Our hair is prone to getting greasy after one day and this didn't directly help with that aspect, but in terms of using this as a day-to-day hydrating shampoo, we were definitely won over.
8. Living Proof Full Shampoo
- Living Proof Full Shampoo, £23 from LookFantastic – buy here
Cruelty-free, paraben-free and silicone-free, Living Proof provides guilt-free haircare in every way, and their Full Shampoo is one of the brand's best-sellers.
Using their signature Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA) formula, this gem apparently takes your hair from limper-than-limp to full and lovely, giving you volume from root to tip.
As it's a little pricer than your average shampoo, we were expecting immediate results and fortunately, that's exactly what we got.
Immediately, from the first use, we noticed that our hair felt deeply cleansed, lighter than ever and slightly more voluminous – our favourite part was how long we could leave it before having to wash it again.
The texture gives your hair that squeaky clean feel that needs to be followed with conditioner, and it's scented enough to smell good but not enough that your hair is heavily perfumed afterwards.
All in all, we can see why this one's a cult favourite.
9. Hairstory New Wash Original
- New Wash Original, £44 from Hair Story – buy here
Hair Story are here to debunk everything you thought you knew about shampoos with their New Wash Original, the shampoo and conditioner alternative.
It's £44, but you're basically getting two in one as this is all you need for your hair wash, combining ingredients of natural cleansing oils and keratin, entirely free of the detergents found in classic products.
As Hair Story say ordinary shampoos and conditioners strip your hair of its protective oil barrier and consequently your hair gets more greasy, we were really excited to try this as a replacement because we usually end up having to wash our hair after one day because of grease.
Our main concern was not being able to use conditioner, but the texture is soft as ever and when you apply it using a scalp brush (theirs is £11), you can really get to your scalp for a deep clean that also feels great.
Let's just say, even after one wash we could see what all their fuss was about. Our hair felt immediately lighter, soft and the floral scent lasted on our hair for ages after washing which was a lovely bonus.
There's no denying that this acts as both a shampoo and conditioner because your hair feels clean and moisturised, but our only fault is that we tried out the 8OZ pack which will probably be gone in a few weeks, so we'd definitely go for one of the bigger sizes next time.
We really can't wait to see the long-term results of not using harsh shampoo and conditioner.
10. Sanex Nourishing&Gentle Anti Dandruff Shampoo
- Sanex Nourishing&Gentle Anti Dandruff Shampoo 250ML, £1.49 from Savers – buy here
The Sanex Nourishing&Gentle Anti Dandruff Shampoo is a bargain buy at less than £1.50.
Using an antibacterial agent to help rid your scalp of dandruff and restore its natural balance, it's a gentle wash that's suitable for all hair types.
This practical shampoo doesn't have any scent, but we weren't really expecting it to as a more medical-focused buy.
Our review? We're shocked at how cheap it is.
It is amazing if you're prone to having a dry scalp or dandruff, giving you great results from the get-go.
Followed by one of our favourite conditioners, we were so happy with how healthy and dandruff-free our hair felt after using this.
Want more of our honest opinions? Check out our review of the best hand creams to buy now.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best shampoos? We've also reviewed the GHD Platinum + Straighteners.
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