Did you know that using the wrong shampoo and conditioner can make or break your routine? I’m sharing my top 8 regular shampoos and conditioner pairs for wavy or curly hair, including drugstore and high-end.
What I look for in Shampoo & Conditioner
I’m actually not that picky when it comes to “regular” shampoos and conditioners. By “regular,” I mean your standard shampoo and conditioner that you use on a regular basis, not clarifying shampoos or deep conditioners. Watch here for examples.
There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting products:
❌ Avoid shampoos that are too mild, like co-washes.
❌ Avoid shampoos and conditioners that contain a lot of oils and butter ingredients. This will impact your hold, especially if you have fine, thin, or overly soft hair which is more prone to getting weighed down.
✅ Medium to strong cleansing shampoos
✅ High lather
✅ Sulfate-free formulas
✅ High slip in conditioner
Products
You don’t need to spend a lot on shampoo and conditioners, and a lot of them will work with most hair types. Below are some of my favorites:
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- No oils or butters
- Protein-free
- Low moisture
- Great for all hair types, especially fine
- Lightweight moisture
- High slip
- No oils or butters
- Protein-free
- Silicone-free
- Great for all hair types, especially fine
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- No oils or butters
- Contains proteins & peptides
- Medium moisture
- Great for damaged hair or fine hair
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- Coconut oil
- Protein-free
- Contains silicone
- Great for damaged hair
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- 3 oils
- Contains amino acids
- Medium moisture
- Great for damaged hair
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- 3 oils
- Contains amino acids
- Silicone-free
- Great for damaged hair
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- No oils or butters
- Protein-free
- Medium moisture
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- No oils or butters
- Protein-free
- Silicone-free
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- No oils or butters
- Contains amino acids
- Medium moisture
- Lightweight moisture
- High slip
- 7 oils
- Contains amino acids
- Silicone-free
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- 7 oils (but not too heavy)
- Contains peptides
- Low moisture
- Scalp balancing
- Hard water compatible
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- 12 oils (but not too heavy
- Scalp balancing
- Contains proteins & peptides
- Silicone-free
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- 1 butter
- Protein-free
- Medium moisture
- Fragrance-free & hypoallergenic
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- 4 oils & butters
- Protein-free
- Silicone-free
- Strong cleanse
- Not stripping
- 2 oils
- Protein-free
- Medium moisture
- Medium weight moisture
- High slip
- 2 oils & butters
- Protein-free
- Silicone-free
Don’t know which hair type you have?
If you need help choosing the right products for you, my free Hair Type Quiz asks you a series of questions to determine your hair’s texture, porosity, water type, and more. After, you’ll receive a personalized report sent to your email with links to the shop page on my website. There you’ll find filters applied based on your hair’s needs.
Comment and let me know what your results were, and if they surprised you!
Watch the full Product Reviews & Guides playlist for more.
