Sulfate-Free Shampoos Are Gentler on Your Hair—and These 15 Are Highly Recommended (2024)

Bread’s Clear-Wash is the relief your hair has been yearning for. With a gorgeous pink hue and an even better formula, your hair is thoroughly cleansed with moisture intact by the final wash. Your scalp is treated with stimulating rosemary, sage, and eucalyptus extracts to help encourage blood flow.

Key ingredients: Sage, rosemary, and eucalyptus lead extracts

Size: 10.4 fl oz

Sephora rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “There are no creams, oils, or butters strong enough to go up against this Bread shampoo. The best way for me to treat my hair is when it’s tucked in a protective style where my scalp is showing. Then, I go in with the cleanser to ensure all areas of my scalp are cleansed. The formula has cooling eucalyptus and rosemary for an extra boost of TLC.”—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor

A favorite among beauty obsessives everywhere, Olaplex’s shampoo repairs, strengthens, and restores hair bonds without stripping it of its natural oils and nutrients. Your hair is noticeably healthier after each wash.

Key ingredients: Coconut oil, glycerin

Size: 8.5 oz

Amazon rating: 4.7/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I rarely go back to a shampoo after trying it, but Olaplex is one that I’ve gone back to again and again. I love the way it smells, and it makes my hair super soft and less prone to frizz.”—Katie Berohn, ELLE beauty editor

Looking at your limp, lifeless hair can make you feel hopeless. Ouai’s Fine Hair Shampoo is the pick-me-up your hair has been missing. The formula is built with strengthening ingredients like biotin and keratin, while chia seed oil soothes and nourishes the strands.

Key ingredients: Biotin, chia seed oil

Size: 10 fl oz

Ouai rating: 4.6

A Ouai reviewer said: “I have very fine hair and this shampoo has been a game changer! My hair is so full and feels thick! Great stuff.”

We love the end results from hot tools, volumizing hairsprays, and nourishing oils, but by the time wash day rolls around, our strands are completely weighted down. Amika’s Normcore Shampoo works to remove all the product build-up and restore balance to the scalp to improve the hair’s overall health.

Key ingredients: Coconut acid, sea buckthorn

Size: 9.2 fl oz

Sephora rating: 3.4/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer said: “I honestly love this shampoo. I have thick, long, curly hair so I wasn’t sure how I would like it especially since my hair is so picky with products. I had previously tried out their hair mask and loved the smell, so I figured I would try the shampoo also. And, honestly, I was not disappointed. It smells amazing and makes my hair so soft. Such a great price too.”

Safe enough for daily use, Nécessaire’s shampoo treats your hair with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the scalp. Other ingredients like aloe vera juice and celery seed extract soothe and relax your strands.

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin B3

Size: 8.4 fl oz

Necessaire rating: 4.4/5 stars

A Necessaire reviewer said: “A consistent product. Always leaves my hair looking and feeling amazing. Combined with the conditioner this is my go to shampoo.”

Reverse dry, lackluster hair with this gem from Mizani. After a few washes, your hair will feel lighter and bouncier with a healthy sheen.

Key ingredients: Marula oil, olive oil

Size: 33.8 fl oz

Amazon rating: 4.7/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer said: “This shampoo has really made a big change in my hair. It was so dry and now it is shinning and soft. Yes i would recommend buying this product.”

As the name suggests, this Aveda shampoo is a savior for chemically-treated hair or any hair in desperate need of a tune-up. Mango butter and coconut oil work together to replenish strands and make curls appear healthier and bouncier.

Key ingredients: Coconut oil, mango butter

Size: 33.8 fl oz

Nordstrom rating: 4.2/5 stars

A Nordstrom reviewer said: “This made my hair feel healthy again after a lot of chemical treatment.”

If you’ve been struggling to detangle or style your hair due to excess damage, allow SheaMoisture’s Intensive Hydration Shampoo to bring your hair back to life. The “hydration” comes courtesy of manuka honey and mafura oil, which makes the hair softer and shinier instead of dry and stiff like many other cleansers.

Key ingredients: Manuka honey, baobab, fig extract

Size: 24 fl oz

Amazon rating: 4.6/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer said: “My hair looks sooooo much thicker after using this just once. I have noticed I have less split ends each time I use it. I have a sensitive scalp, and I really like this product. I even put the conditioner straight on my scalp, it does not leave a greasy residue at all.”

This shampoo makes you feel like you’re fresh out of the hair salon. Each wash results in soft, bouncy hair, and relieves itchy scalp.

Key ingredients: Argan oil, glycerin

Size: 8.5 fl oz

Amazon rating: 4.6/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer said: “I have been using this shampoo for over a year and my hair is very healthy feeling. I have gray coming in and I am letting it grow out. So it was feeling dry and had split ends. My hair looks shiny and soft!”

This drugstore sulfate-free option remains one of the best. The opalescent formula has a herbaceous scent and leaves color-treated strands both vibrant and volumized, not dull.

Key ingredient: Rosemary oil

Size: 8.5 fl oz

Target rating: 4.4/5 stars

A Target reviewer said: “Have used this EverPure shampoo for color-treated hair for at least 18 years. A small amount of the shampoo really works wonders, and it makes my color last a lot longer than regular shampoo does ! Usually purchase a single tube of the shampoo, but this time the sale was so great I bought 4 tubes at once!!”

A coconut-based cleanser means you’ll still get a frothy and satisfying lather, but without any unfortunate stripping.

Key ingredients: Aloe vera, green tea extract

Size: 8.0 fl oz

Ulta rating: 4.3/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I actually put this shampoo in the shower at my parents’ house, and my family is hooked on it. It’s so gentle on your hair and your scalp, and if you’re more sensitive, it’s nice that it’s fragrance-free. It also leaves your hair feeling cleansed but not stripped.”—Katie Berohn

This formula manages to be gentle while still being highly effective. Instead of relying on sulfates, this shampoo uses coconut-based surfactants to cleanse hair and remove dirt, grease, and other buildup.

Key ingredients: Coconut surfactants, tsubaki seed oil

Size: 8.1 fl oz

Sephora rating: 4/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer said: “I have very oily hair and most shampoos I have tried either did not clean my hair at all or made my hair feel like straw. But this shampoo cleanses well without stripping my hair. It makes my hair so soft and shiny.”

If you’re looking for shampoo that deeply repairs hair, this Rōz shampoo fits the bill. It’s made with a blend of nourishing and strengthening ingredients like grape extract, frankincense, walnut oil, and ginger root.

Key ingredients: Grape extract, frankincense, walnut oil, ginger root

Size: 10.1 fl oz

Nordstrom rating: 4.1/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “Roz hair products are incredibly good, and the shampoo is no exception. When I use this shampoo, my hair looks incredibly shiny and smooth, and the best part is that it feels light and clean.”—Katie Berohn

This shampoo cleanses while it actively nourishes your hair. It’s made with amino acids to strengthen, argan oil to add shine and control frizz, and a bio-restorative complex made with collagen, caffeine, biotin, and niacinamide to strengthen.

Key ingredients: Amino acids, argan oil, bio-restorative complex

Size: 8.5 fl oz

Amazon rating: 4.1/5 stars

An Amazon reviewer said:“I’ve been using the Repair and Restore Shampoo for a few weeks, and I’m thrilled. My hair, damaged from heat and coloring, feels softer and looks shinier. This shampoo lathers well and cleans without stripping moisture. The subtle scent is pleasant and fresh. Free from harsh chemicals, it’s gentle enough for daily use. Overall, it’s a fantastic product for repairing damage and maintaining healthy hair.”

If you struggle with frizzy hair or flyaways, this shampoo is formulated to help smooth your hair. This is thanks to olive extract rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, which helps soften and moisturize strands.

Key ingredients: Olive extract, vitamin E

Size: 8.45 fl oz

Amazon rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “This will always be one of my favorite shampoos. Not only does it leave my hair extremely soft and tames all my flyways, it also smells absolutely divine and leaves my thick hair manageable.”—Katie Berohn

Alicia Bailey, hair texture specialist and global education manager at Design Essentials

Starr Mason, hairstylist and Hair Cuttery Family of Brands’ field leader and educator

While sulfate-free cleansers are best for keeping your hair’s natural oils and nutrients intact, sulfates are not completely bad.

“I would not necessarily say that they are ‘better,’ because there are instances when shampoos that are not sulfate-free are needed. Clarifying shampoos, medicated shampoos, and neutralizing shampoos are not sulfate-free but are necessary,” Bailey says. “Sulfate-free shampoos provide moisture, shine, and conditioning to all hair types. They provide gentle cleansing and do not strip the hair of its natural oils, and they are great to help maintain color-treated hair and provide longevity as they will not strip the color from the hair.”

If a sulfate-based cleanser is used, Bailey says she follows up with a sulfate-free option to return moisture to the hair. “If I must use a shampoo that is not sulfate-free in those instances, I always follow with a sulfate-free shampoo to impart moisture into the hair before following with my favorite conditioner,” she adds.