The best shampoo for curly hair - cleanse, hydrate, and fortify your curls

Our expert guide to the best shampoo for curly hair, coils, and kinks

Shampoo for curly hair featuring adowa beauty, boucleme and living proof
(Image credit: Future)

Choosing the best shampoo for curly hair, be that loose curls, kinks or coils, can make all the difference to the strength and even length of your hair. And because studies have shown that curly hair is more prone to frizz, dryness, tangling and breakage than straight tresses, it’s important to get your cleansing choice right. 

Shampoo is your first line of defense against the product, sweat, and dirt build-up that can lead to scalp issues like redness, itchiness, dryness, and flaking—making cleansing a non-negotiable part of your haircare routine. Getting haircare right can give you the manageability to create easy hairstyles, no matter what your curl type.
All hair types have different needs, so whether you're looking for the best shampoo for fine hair or a shampoo that can handle the most unruly of curls, we've tested all these products to ensure they provide curls with much-needed moisture and tamed frizz.

Luckily, we've got you covered. Whether you have waves, curls or coils, this is your complete guide to the best shampoo for curly hair and all the best ways to take care of your beautiful natural texture. Next up? The best hair dryers for curly hair to complete your look. 

How to pick the best shampoo for curly hair

There are countless considerations to make when picking the best shampoo for curly hair, from budget to ingredients to how it smells, but these are your two key factors, according to the experts:

  • Sulfates vs sulfate free: Traditional shampoo formulas contain sulfates, a surfactant that enables formulas to give a deep cleanse and that sudsy lather that we’ve come to associate with a good clean, and can help strip away any mineral deposits that come as an effect of hard water on hair. However, sulfates can strip the scalp of those oils we make for a reason—to keep hair healthy and hydrated. “It’s best to use a shampoo that doesn’t contain the likes of sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium laureth sulfate," says trichologist Ricardo Vila Nova. "Instead, look for alternatives like coconut, that still remove dirt and excess oil, but don’t totally strip the scalp and leave naturally-dry curly hair even more parched.” Wondering how often should you wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoo? It's all down to how your hair feels, but between 1-3 times a week suits most curl types.
  • Consider curl type: Curly hair is classified as type 3 or 4 with subcategories to help you further define your specific curl, kinks, or coils. “Type 3 curls are akin to springs that come in fine, medium, and thick varieties—they can be straightened with the best hair straighteners, and can boast major shine—but are prone to frizz and tangling," explains Elena Lavagni owner of Neville Hair & Beauty. "This makes hydrating, reparative, and curl-defining shampoos a good shout." At-home keratin treatment type shampoos can also be a great option for this curl type. "Type 4 coils shrink massively once dry, and these curls are either tightly coiled or have a compact zigzag pattern. This type is also generally parched in nature and tends to be coarser so sulfate-free shampoo is a must, as is a formula that’s full of nourishing oils that help soften and smooth tresses," says Lavagni. 

What ingredients should I avoid for my curly hair?

Keisha
Keisha Jo Lawler

Jamaican-born, Keisha moved to England in 2003 and saw a huge space in the market for women with curly hair who wanted a premium product offering and needed help understanding how best to care for their curls. 

Keisha’s journey into the industry began with an online platform, offering tutorials, a forum and a store full of products such as Shea Moisture, Miss Jessies and Kinky Curly, sourced from the US – which were the leading brands at the time, but not readily available in the UK. In 2015, Keisha launched both the Trepadora flagship salon and her own range of vegan-certified products - designed for all curl types from corkscrews to gentle waves, and suitable for all ages from three up.

"If you have textured hair, that means you naturally have bends and loops which make the natural oils produced by your scalp to not travel easily along your hair shaft" says Keisha. 

"For this reason, you need to gravitate towards shampoos which offer the ability to keep your scalp happy but deliver moisture to your strands at the same time. For this reason, most curlies avoid harsh irritating sodium lauryl sulphates and opt for kinder surfactants like Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, a very gentle cleanser derived from Coconuts. 

"For fine curl types a liquid shampoo works best to avoid weight whilst for tighter curl types a cream-based shampoo offers the higher level of moisture that really penetrates your strands beautifully however I still recommend using a liquid shampoo at the scalp level at least once per week."

Millie Fender
Head of Ecommerce

Millie Fender is Head of Ecommerce at Woman&Home, and was formerly Head of Reviews across a number of Future Plc's leading Homes titles such as Ideal Home and Homes&Gardens. As our head of all things shopping, Millie is committed to giving readers honest, expert advice when it comes to spending their hard-earned cash.

Millie has always had a personal interest in fashion and beauty and has (almost) ditched the straighteners since learning how to look after her curly hair. In her free time, she loves to knit and bake, and has a 200-strong bucket list of London restaurants she's desperate to try out. 

With contributions from