If you’re plagued with brittle hair that looks dull and full of frizz, your locks are likely crying out for hydration. “Dry hair often looks dull, feels rough, and breaks more easily,” says board-certified hair restoration specialist Alan Bauman, MD, founder and medical director at Bauman Medical, with offices in both Boca Raton, Florida, and New York City. “People may notice increased frizz, tangling, or split ends.”

Dry hair can cause trichoptilosis, or split ends, according to Veena Vanchinathan, MD, a dermatologist in San Jose, California, and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Split ends occur when the tips of the hair shaft separate. Less common, but sometimes experienced by those with dry hair, is trichorrhexis nodosa. This is a condition in which weak points on the hair shaft break easily.

The environment may cause hair to lack moisture, Dr. Bauman adds, and some hair types, like curly hair, are more prone to dryness. Changes to your hair care routine, including the addition of a hydrating shampoo, might be just what you need to get your hair back to its healthiest state. These are our top picks for hydrating shampoos.

• Best for daily use: RŌZ Foundation Hydrating Shampoo

• Best for dandruff: Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo

• Best for curly hair: Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo

• Best clarifying shampoo: Odele Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo

• Best budget-friendly: Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

• Best for dry hair: Shu Uemura Urban Deep Hydration Shampoo for Dry Hair

• Best volumizing: Hask Coconut Oil Nourishing Shampoo

• Best for men: Le Labo Basil Shampoo

• Best 2-in-1: Slick Gorilla Daily 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner

We chose the RŌZ Foundation Hydrating Shampoo as the best hydrating shampoo for daily use because it thoroughly cleans the hair and scalp without leaving it feeling brittle or dried out. This shampoo left my hair soft and shiny after use during the testing period.

The RŌZ Foundation Hydrating Shampoo nourishes the hair using a combination of vitamins A and C. It contains coconut-based surfactants in place of the synthetic surfactants often found in shampoo. This shampoo also uses a ceramide complex, which helps restore the skin barrier of the scalp, promotes hair and scalp health, and may promote hair growth.

I tested this shampoo for more than two weeks, and I loved the unique botanical scent, which I attributed to its use of frankincense, walnut oil, and grape extract. I have loose curls that are often frizzy. I loved how this shampoo smoothed my frizz and left my hair feeling softer after use. It’s free of parabens and sulfates, and it’s vegan and gluten-free, too. 

Neutrogena’s T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo targets scalp buildup, helping reduce dandruff flakes and itching, and we chose it as the best hydrating shampoo for dandruff. It’s recommended by dermatologists for management of scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) and psoriasis, the underlying scalp conditions that can cause irritation, itching, and flaking. The main way this shampoo accomplishes this is through a 3 percent concentration of salicylic acid, which, with regular use, has been found to reduce the symptoms of mild to severe dandruff caused by seborrheic dermatitis.

“My hair and scalp felt exceptionally clean,” says women’s health writer and editor Olivia Campbell, who tried this shampoo for two weeks. “I felt like my hair felt really light and fluffy and seemed to naturally have more bounce and body.” Campbell noticed reduced dandruff, and while she noted some dryness after use, she adds that this was easily remedied by following up with a lightweight conditioner.

Neutrogena recommends using this shampoo twice a week. Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo is free of sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances. Campbell noticed a slight medicinal scent, likely due to the medicated ingredients in the shampoo, but says it wasn’t too strong or all that noticeable.

Your curls will love Ouidad’s Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo, which provides gentle cleansing and plenty of moisture for curly hair. This shampoo uses a combination of chamomile, corn oil, and vitamins A and E to hydrate and nourish the hair. Despite being deeply moisturizing, it’s not heavy and doesn’t leave behind residue that could rob your ringlets of their lightness.

“It smells so good,” says mental health writer Julia Childs Heyl. “It reminds me of a coconut herbal essences shampoo from the ’90s.” Childs says she noticed a difference in her hair immediately after the first use, noting that her hair felt softer but wasn’t greasy or oily, and that her curls were left with great bounce.

This shampoo is cruelty-free and vegan. You won’t find sulfates, parabens, silicones, mineral oils, phthalates, petroleum, or glycerin on the ingredients list. Ouidad also prioritizes the use of sustainable packaging, a bonus for the earth and your hair care routine.

We chose Odele’s Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo as the best clarifying shampoo because it deep cleans your hair without leaving it brittle or dried out. This shampoo removes buildup from the hair, leaving it lighter and residue-free, without stripping it, making it safe for color-treated hair and all textures. This is a great option for someone with hard water, as it uses chelation technology to target chlorine and hard-water deposits. Some research suggests hard water is connected with increased hair breakage and reduced hair strength.

This is a scented shampoo, so it might not be appropriate for those with fragrance sensitivities. However, we enjoyed the scent, which consists of cucumber, ylang-ylang, and oak moss.

“My hair felt cleaner, my scalp lighter, and my hair still felt somewhat soft,” says writer Amy Sowder van Erk, who notes that she struggles with dandruff, dry ends, and an oily scalp. “It’s not squeaky like the shampoo stripped it. I loved it.”

If you’re looking for hydrating hair care that won’t bust the budget, check out the Daily Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner from Dove. This low-cost shampoo and conditioner set is designed to repair dry, damaged hair. It contains hyaluronic acid, which has been found to help repair damaged hair, increase hydration of hair, and reduce the appearance of frizz. Dove’s Daily Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner is a daily use shampoo with a slight, fruity scent. It’s a vegan shampoo that’s never tested on animals.

“After using this shampoo, my hair felt soft and manageable,” says wellness writer and editor Katie Tuttle, who notes that the shampoo is thick and creamy and worked up into a substantial lather. “It was easy to comb through, and I did not feel it left a residue after rinsing,” she adds.

Give your dry locks the hydration they need with Shu Uemura Urban Deep Hydration Shampoo. This shampoo was created with the unique environmental stressors of urban living in mind. Its ingredients are meant to help protect and repair hair regularly exposed to smog, smoke, and other pollutants.

The key ingredients in this shampoo are moringa oil, an antioxidant that may help protect against hair loss, and red algae, a nutrient-dense ingredient that helps nourish and clean the hair. The texture is both lightweight and hydrating, so it’s perfect for all hair types, but especially suited for dry hair. It’s safe for use on color-treated hair. And it’s vegan, gluten-free, and free of sulfates and parabens.

“My hair looked and felt like a moisture factory,” says writer Raki Swanson after testing this shampoo. “It was so smooth and so soft, my mind was blown. It was shiny and there was way less frizz in my hair.” Swanson says there’s a slight yet clean scent to the shampoo. She loved the lightweight nature of the product, comparing it to “melted butter.” She adds that it had a great lather and didn’t leave residue behind on her hair. 

While some hydrating shampoos can weigh hair down, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice volume for moisture. We chose Hask Coconut Oil Nourishing Shampoo as the best volumizing and hydrating shampoo because we found it left our hair feeling soft and weightless after each use.

This shampoo is part of the Hask Nourishing line, which is formulated to bring dry and dull hair back to life. It contains vitamin E-rich coconut oil and linseed oil, and it has a tropical coconut scent. The Coconut Oil Nourishing Shampoo from Hask is a vegan shampoo that is gluten-, alcohol-, paraben-, and sulfate-free.

“I did notice a lightness to my hair,” says writer Ysolt Usigan. “My hair was easier to brush than usual — it was easier to get the knots out. I wouldn’t say it was softer or changed in texture, but it just felt sleeker to brush while wet.” 

For luxurious hair care that leaves men’s hair soft and clean, try Le Labo’s Basil Shampoo. We ranked it as having the best fragrance in our best shampoo for men article. This shampoo is a plant-based option that contains moisturizing and nourishing macadamia oil along with rosemary and rice extracts. It’s a thick and hydrating shampoo that’s vegan and never tested on animals.

“It left my hair very shiny and healthy looking,” says Campbell’s son, who tested this one out. “My hair felt clean after shampooing. The curls looked healthy, and the frizz was minimal.” During testing, the scent was something that really stood out. This shampoo has a citrus-y scent, and Campbell describes it as “absolutely incredible,” noting that the scent lasted until the next day.

We think this could be a great shampoo for men with textured or curly hair, but those who are sensitive to fragrances may want to keep in mind that the scent is rather strong. 

The 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner from Slick Gorilla delivers the nourishing benefits of a shampoo and the hydrating power of a great conditioner. This all-in-one hair product is great for all hair types. It washes away any oil and buildup while leaving hair soft. This vegan hair product is never tested on animals.

“Conditioner tends to keep my hair from acting up, [making it] more manageable, and this product did just that,” says Swanson. “It does clean your hair and leaves it clean and not oily, but the conditioner does its job.” It has a warm scent with notes of amber, pepper, and patchouli, which our tester describes as very “faint and desirable.”

We spent over two weeks with more than 80 shampoos. While we chose the top nine for this list, here are a few other shampoos that stood out during testing.

Native Eucalyptus & Mint Scalp Refreshing 2-in-1 Our testers enjoyed the refreshing smell of this all-in-one shampoo and conditioner and reported great lather during use. However, we didn’t notice a long-term difference in the way our hair looked and felt after repeated use, so it didn’t make the list.

Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo During testing, we were impressed by just how clean our hair felt after use. Overall, we felt the shampoo from Avalon was a great clarifying option for reducing buildup or oil, but it doesn’t provide noteworthy moisture for drier hair types.

Bounce Curl Gentle Clarifying Shampoo This is a great option for someone with curly hair who needs a ton of hydration without oil and grease buildup. Ultimately, we left this shampoo off the list because of the overpowering citrus scent.

Over the last several months, our team of testers spent two or more weeks using over 80 shampoos. We paid attention to things like how our hair looked and felt after use, how well the shampoo lathered and rinsed, and things like ingredients and cost. Before I selected the best hydrating shampoos for this list, I considered the results of our testing and consulted two doctors about what to look for in a hydrating shampoo. The experts I spoke with were:

• Alan Bauman, MD, board-certified hair restoration specialist and founder and medical director at Bauman Medical, with offices in both Boca Raton, Florida, and New York City

• Veena Vanchinathan, MD, a dermatologist in San Jose, California, and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology

I’ve worked as a health journalist for over a decade and have written extensively about personal health and hygiene topics, including reviewing and researching personal care products, like lotions, shampoos, and dermatology products.

When you’re looking for shampoo that will hydrate your hair, it’s helpful to keep in mind your hair’s needs. If your hair is curly or fine, or if you’re dealing with dandruff, look for a shampoo specifically formulated for those hair types.

Outside of your unique hair type, we suggest keeping in mind the following factors:

• Hydrating and protective ingredients give your hair and scalp the moisture it needs to thrive. “Hydrating shampoos should contain humectants, such as glycerin, panthenol, or hyaluronic acid,” says Dr. Vanchinathan. “These ingredients pull water into the hair and scalp.” Vanchinathan also recommends looking for emollients, such as shea butter or natural oils, to help smooth the cuticle and reduce roughness.

• Skip irritating ingredients, such as added fragrances and alcohol, especially if you have sensitive skin or deal with eczema flare-ups. Vanchinathan suggests choosing an option that is sulfate-free, since sulfates can be harsh on the hair and worsen dryness and split ends. If you’re not sure which ingredients may be bothering your sensitive skin, check out this list from the National Eczema Association.

• Hair- or scalp-focused ingredients address the unique needs of your hair and scalp. “It’s important to recognize that there are scalp-focused shampoos and hair-focused shampoos, and choosing the right one depends on where the dryness is occurring,” says Bauman. “For a dry scalp, look for gentle, sulfate-free formulas that support the scalp barrier and calm irritation. For dry hair, the focus should be on nourishing and protecting the hair fiber itself, with lightweight conditioning agents that improve softness and reduce breakage without weighing hair down.”

Look for some of the most common symptoms of dry hair, which include split ends, frizzy texture, and a coarse or rough feel, says Vanchinathan. In some cases, you may notice your hair has become weakened and breaks easily in the middle of the hair shaft.

If your scalp is also dry, it’s likely you’ll notice itchiness or some flaking on your scalp. It’s common to experience general dryness on your skin alongside a dry scalp.

“Curly, coily, and wavy hair types are more prone to dryness because of the way sebum, or the scalp’s natural oil, travels or struggles to travel along the hair shaft,” says Vanchinathan. “Coarse hair is also more susceptible to dryness since its larger diameter allows for more water loss.”

According to Baumann, both gray hair and color-treated hair may experience dryness more than other types. “This is because pigment loss and processing affect moisture retention,” he says. “Fine hair can experience dryness as well, especially if it is overwashed or exposed to heat styling, harsh shampoos, or environmental stressors.”