15 best shampoos for Afro hair - for a delicate and nourishing wash
Our expert picks of the best shampoos for Afro hair for your freshest wash day yet
When it comes to shopping around for the best shampoo for Afro-textured hair it can be a bit of a minefield, right? There’s a bit of a precarious balance of sufficiently cleaning the hair and scalp without drying or stripping hydration from your texture.
Because of the shape of coily strands, oils from the scalp don’t tend to reach the tips of the hair and it can therefore feel drier than other hair types. It can also be weaker than other types, too, so you have to be mindful of how a shampoo can leave your hair feeling in case of tangling. On the plus side, as Afro-textured hair doesn’t tend to get greasy quickly, it doesn’t need to be shampooed as frequently as other hair types. Result. Therefore, if you’re shampooing less often, your product will last you longer, hence the need to choose your shampoo more wisely.
As a coily-haired girl myself, I have experimented with hundreds of shampoos at different points in my hair journey – from when I needed a protein-rich routine due to my hair being super weak to when I needed to protect my freshly-dyed red hair and when I needed to clarify my hair after using way too much wax for a slicked back look.
So, if you're in the market for an update to your choice of shampoo for Afro-textured hair, here are the picks we would choose depending on your hair concerns, from weakness to frizz and chemical damage.
The best shampoo for Afro hair, reviewed by a beauty expert
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Best all-rounder shampoo for Afro-textured hair
RRP: £20
There aren't many people that I don't recommend this shampoo to. It's such a crowd-pleaser thanks to its light and low lather, which is created from coconut, not SLS, plus it contains aloe vera and babassu oil for a smooth and tangle-free wash day.
Buy if: You want an easy wash routine
Avoid if: You prefer inexpensive shampoos
Best nourishing shampoo for Afro-textured hair
RRP: £24
However you wear your coils, this shampoo is the start of a softer wash day. The sulphate-free formula helps to lift off build-up, but the focus is on drenching the hair in moisture while doing so. Glycerin plays a big role, too, so if you wear your coils and curls naturally you’ll benefit from a more defined finish when you team this with the matching conditioner.
Buy if: Softness is key
Avoid if: You have fine hair
Best detangling shampoo for Afro-textured hair
RRP: £6.95
If you have had your hair done at a traditional Black hair salon, chances are you’ve had this used on your hair. While many, many things have had a needed upgrade from Y2K era salons, this shampoo remains a firm favourite for great reason. It cleanses hair thoroughly without leaving it feeling stripped, which makes for a good canvas for a deep treatment. Those with shorter styles will love its efficacy, especially as you only need a little to create a good lather, meaning a bottle will last a decent amount of time.
Buy if: You want a simple, classic shampoo
Avoid if: You want to treat a specific hair or scalp concern
Best shampoo for porous Afro-textured hair
RRP: £30
Of the two shampoos available from Cécred, Beyoncé’s new haircare line, this is the one I would recommend across the board. It lathers well despite being free from harsh sulphates and gives a nice slip even before applying the conditioner, despite not containing any silicones. With ingredients like phyto-collagen and hyaluronic acid, this is for you if you want your shampoo to be souped up with skincare ingredients.
Buy if: You have porous hair
Avoid if: You're looking for budget beauty products
Best for wash-and-go styles
RRP: £8.99
If you’re after an affordable shampoo that will cleanse your hair and scalp without leaving it dry, look no further. This one is sulphate-free and enriched with coconut extract to step coils and curls towards the natural lubrication that this texture can sometimes lack. The brand prides itself on gentle formulas that are suitable for the whole family to use, too.
Buy if: You want a family-friendly shampoo
Avoid if: You have bleached or chemically-treated hair
Best for gentle clarifying
RRP: £26
Sometimes you just need to wash your hair. Nothing particularly fancy, with no claims for extra add-ons, just a good wash that isn’t going to risk the softness of your strands. That’s exactly what this shampoo from Color Wow’s curl range delivers. It’s perfect for a mid-week wash day when you aren’t necessarily going to do a big deep treatment but have maybe been to the gym a few times and gelled your hair more than you want to admit; it’s a light reset.
Buy if: You need to wash your hair post-sweaty gym sesh
Avoid if: You like fancy-smelling shampoos
Best for maintaining moisture
RRP: £20.65
The stand-out ingredients in this formula – glycerin, urea H and hibiscus seed extract – work together to keep coils and curls soft and moisturised while cleansing. The creaminess of the shampoo (and the conditioners that match) suggests that if you have finer Afro-textured hair you might want to give this one a miss, but thicker hair types will lap up the richness.
Buy if: You have thicker, drier hair
Avoid if: You have fine coils
Best for coloured Afro-textured hair
RRP: £13
With our hair type being on the weaker side to begin with, and prone to more porosity (the ease with which hair lets in moisture and, therefore, frizz but the inability to hold onto needed hydration), colouring it can be a bit of a haircare disaster. This shampoo from Bleach London was created for hair that has been stressed by the colouring process and works well for all hair types, including textured hair. It contains creatine to help build electrostatic bonds, micro proteins and amino acids for stronger hair and longer-lasting colour.
Buy if: You have bleached your hair
Avoid if: You have no colour concerns
Best for chemically-treated Afro-textured hair
RRP: £25.70
If you relax your hair or straighten it in any way, you need to try this range from Redken. It's infused with citric acid to help restore lost strength from any harmful processes including bleach, straightening chemically and heat styling, for example. With regular use alongside the conditioner and treatment, it promises up to 56% less breakage and we can vouch for how strong our hair feels when we use this consistently after having a Texture Release treatment at the salon.
Buy if: You get chemical hair services
Avoid if: You wear your hair completely natural
Best co-wash for Afro-textured hair
RRP: £18
A complete sensorial treat, from the tactile packaging to the subtly sweet smell to the rich, creamy consistency, this is a go-to for moisturising wash days. If you are an avid co-washer or if you are easing yourself into low-foam wash days, you’ll love this texture. After use, your coils look and feel springy and softened.
Buy if: You prefer co-washes
Avoid if: You want a deep cleanse
Best for fine Afro-textured hair
RRP: £25
Often, Afro hair types are bracketed as thick and coarse by default. While many of us do have thick hair, it’s not always the case and if you have finer hair you might feel like a lot of textured hair products weigh your hair down. This cleansing foam from R+Co is the perfect way to kick off a weightless wash day. It’s enriched with green tea for its antioxidant benefits and argan oil for nutrients, resulting in a light and cleansed feel.
Buy if: You have fine hair
Avoid if: You have coarser hair
Best for using in hard water areas
RRP: £32.40
Hard water is the term for tap water that contains a higher volume of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which can build up. If you have to descale your kettle, you live in a hard water area. Now just imagine what that build-up can do to our hair. Often it can leave it feeling and looking lank and exacerbate the damage of styling our hair. This formula contains citric acid to remove said build-up from strands and glycerin to replenish lost durability.
Buy if: You live in a hard water area
Avoid if: You live in a soft water area
Best low-foam shampoo for Afro-textured hair
RRP: £7
A cream shampoo sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but there is no other way of describing this Cantu pick. There's a real creaminess to the texture but it is firmly a shampoo, so while it's "sulphate free" it does contain foaming agents. The lather is low, through, and doesn’t leave the hair feeling stripped, so it’s a good pick for a weekly wash.
Buy if: You're on a budget
Avoid if: You only co-wash
Best for a reset wash
RRP: £18
When your coils need a complete scalp reset and refresh, this needs to be your shampoo of choice. For an overhauling wash day after removing your braids or weave or returning from holiday, for example, this gives a clarifying cleanse that invigorates the scalp without leading to dryness. Peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus oils are all at play for a truly scalp-reviving wash.
Buy if: You're doing a reset wash
Avoid if: You don't like minty scents
Best for protecting the scalp
RRP: £30
Our scalps can go through it every week thanks to styling, the weather and the environment. While things like scalp scrubs are great to incorporate into our routines, an easy-to-use shampoo that will keep scalp health in check is a good addition. This shampoo by disruptor brand The Steam Bar offers a gentle formula with an expensive-smelling scent. It contains vitamin B5, baobab and prebiotic inulin to attract hydration and protect the scalp from styling damage.
Buy if: Scalp care is on your agenda
Avoid if: You're sensitive to fragrance
Keeks Reid is an award-winning freelance beauty editor and broadcaster. As well as woman&home she has written for titles including Stylist, Women's Health and Who What Wear, and has held positions at Cosmopolitan, Hairdressers Journal and Blackhair Magazine.
How to choose the best shampoo for afro hair
There are a couple of things to consider when choosing a shampoo for Afro-textured hair. “Choosing the correct shampoo for curls for me depends on two things: the job I want it to do or the type of hair I'm working with,” says Louis Driver, Avlon educator and freelance stylist. “For example, if the hair and scalp have a heavy build-up of product on them, then I'm going to use a detox or clarifying shampoo.”
“If the hair is really dry, then we want moisturising. If the curls or coils have been coloured, then we’re looking at something colour-safe. I'm also looking for a shampoo that's nutrient-rich and devoid of harsh sulphates or chemicals.”
And we can’t forget our scalps. “Scalp health is super important, so a shampoo that supports that, along with the hair’s requirements, gets extra points from me," Driver continues. "A good shampoo should leave your hair and scalp feeling clean without being brittle or crunchy.”
How often should you wash afro textured hair?
This answer really varies depending on the person. "I think the frequency of washing curly or coily hair depends on the individual or lifestyle, but at a minimum, the hair should be washed once a week," says Driver. "The curlier the hair, the greater its need for moisture."
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Keeks is a London-based beauty writer and content creator. She has worked with titles including Cosmopolitan, VOGUE, Refinery29, Red, Elle, OK! and woman&home. While she has a well-rounded beauty obsession, her specialism is all things hair.
When she’s not testing the latest hair tool on camera or waxing lyrical about styling tips, you’ll find her re-watching old episodes of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (or New York or Atlanta). She loves a social scroll as well as a romantic book, but nothing beats Sunday afternoon lunches with her friends and family. You can catch Keeks on all social platforms @keeksreid.
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