Best Products May 29, 2022

Best Products

Beauty

THE 7 BEST FRIZZY HAIR SHAMPOOS, ACCORDING TO HAIRSTYLISTS

 

The most affordable option costs less than $9!

Frizzy hair is completely normal and common, especially for anyone with dry, curly, or natural hair textures. However, for days when you want smooth-AF hair, you can count on frizzy hair shampoo as the ultimate at-home product for minimizing pesky frizz and flyaways. These frizz-fighting shampoos contain a blend of nourishing and moisturizing ingredients to help repair and replenish dry or damaged strands.

Our beauty editor, Nicole Saunders, connected with a few influential hairstylists to help you find the best frizzy hair shampoo for your needs. Beyond earning snaps from pro stylists, Saunders thoroughly researched their ingredient list, texture, smell, and online reviews to determine their overall value.

WHAT CAUSES FRIZZY HAIR AND FLYAWAYS?

If you have frizzy hair and a lot of flyaways, your hair is probably too dry. “Lack of moisture removes the coordination of the curl pattern, leading your hair to be staticky and not staying in place,” says celebrity hairstylist Michael Canale. “While frizzy hair and flyaways don’t look the same on everyone, they are ultimately the same thing: a result of dry hair. Add some moisture into your hair care routine to keep hairs sticking to their natural pattern.”

Jenna Spino, a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, adds that flyaways often get mistaken for frizz and vice versa. She breaks down the difference below:

Frizz can get out of control and typically is common with curly or coily hair textures.
Flyaways can happen to anyone when it’s either humid or dry outside or just after a blow dry, notes Spino.

Unfortunately, both conditions are caused by product build-up, split ends, breakage, and chemical damage. Luckily, they look similar and can often be treated the same: with an anti-frizz shampoo and regular trims.

HOW TO SHOP

The experts we consulted say ingredients are the most important factor to consider while shopping for frizzy hair shampoo. Canale, Spino, and fellow hairstylist Courtney Foster, share a few of their go-to anti-frizz ingredients, and which ones to avoid.

👠Best Ingredients

  • Anti-humectants such as glycerin and panthenol
  • Hydrating ingredients including vitamin E, fatty acids, cocoa butter, honey, and shea butter
  • Moisturizing oils from argan trees, coconuts, jojoba plants, and olives

👎 Worst Ingredients

  • Sulfates can strip the hair of its natural oils, sometimes making it drier, cautions Spino. In our guide to sulfate-free shampoos, experts previously told us that sulfates might also cause irritation, redness, and itching. There are also environmental and animal concerns around sulfates since they are derived from petroleum.
  • Other ingredients worth avoiding are silicones, parabens, and formaldehyde

Ready for the smoothest hair of your life? Here are the most impressive hairstylist-approved frizzy hair shampoos across various prices that are sold at your favorite retailers, including Amazon, Sephora, and Ulta.


BEST OVERALL

Bain Fluidealiste Shampoo
Kérastase

 

Pros

  • Non-greasy feel
  • Hair smoothing
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Sells out fast

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Morpho-kératine
  • Size: 8.5 ounces
  • Rating: 4.6-star average from 2,711 reviews on Amazon

Kérastase's frizzy hair shampoo earned the top spot on our list because it boasts a sulfate-free formula, it's compatible with chemically-treated hair and sensitive scalps, and thousands of reviewers praise its efficacy.

Spino calls this her favorite pick because the nourishing shampoo contains a polymer blend that coats each hair fiber. She loves that it helps restore uniformity to each strand and leaves her clients with softer, smoother, and shinier hair. According to several Amazon reviewers, this polymer blend also doesn't weigh down the hair.

Speaking of 5-star Amazon reviews, one reviewer called Bain Fluidealiste their favorite Kérastase product because they no longer have to use a hairdryer to style their hair. Another reviewer says using this popular shampoo and matching conditioner is their secret for a good hair day. To quote their 5-star review, "they leave my hair smooth and soft without being heavy or sacrificing the ability to get my hair clean."

MOST AFFORDABLE

Smooth Moves Anti-Frizz Shampoo
Not Your Mother's
 

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Vegan and cruelty-free

Cons

  • Contains perfume

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Macadamia nut oil
  • Sizes available: 9.7 ounces
  • Rating: 4.6-star average from 151 reviews at Ulta

Look, a cheap shampoo isn't going to perform the same as an ultra-luxe one, but you don’t always have to splurge on new beauty products to see results. Case in point: Not Your Mother’s Smooth Moves Shampoo comes recommended by celebrity hairstylist Mia Santiago, who says its noteworthy ingredients are ideal for banishing frizz without breaking the bank.

“If you really want hair that looks like you just had a professional blowout, it all starts with shampoo,” says Santiago. Hyaluronic acid creates a water barrier to lock-in hydration, macadamia nut oil adds shine and softens the hair, and a keratin protein alternative heals damaged hair. “This trifecta helps lay down the cuticle while adding moisture and shine, leaving your hair feeling softer, smoother, healthier, and frizz free for up to 72 hours,” she says.

Ulta reviewers also can't get enough of this berry and vanilla-scented shampoo. One reviewer based in the humid Deep South says they noticed their hair is more hydrated, shiny, and frizz-free after using this shampoo and conditioner. Another Ulta reviewer with 3C/4A natural hair adds that this 5-star frizzy hair shampoo "never disappoints."

BEST SPLURGE

Hair Alchemy Strengthening Shampoo
Oribe

 

Pros

  • Nice lather
  • Good for length retention

Cons

  • Expensive

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Oribe Signature Complex
  • Size: 8.5 ounces
  • Rating: 4.3-star average rating from more than 178 reviews at Sephora

Yes, $50 is expensive for an average-sized bottle of frizzy hair shampoo. However, Foster and Spino argue it's 100% worth investing in this shampoo because it's infused with a slew of luxe ingredients like hydrating hyaluronic acid and botanical extracts to help strengthen your strands from the inside out.

It also contains Oribe's Signature Complex — a blend of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower extract — that is known for protecting hair from environmental damage. While we like its enticing fruity smell, we love that it's one of the rare hair care products that genuinely works for all hair densities — fine, medium, and thick — and textures, ranging from straight to coily.

Beyond eliminating frizz, Sephora reviewers say it also cleanses hair without that dry, squeaky clean sensation. "With this, it makes my hair feel and smell great while not feeling stripped, and I can still style it how I want. I can tell I have some oils in my hair, but it does not look greasy," says one 5-star review. Another Sephora reviewer boldly declares that their "hair hasn't looked this good in a long time," and the gentle formula is so effective that they don't need to shampoo as often.

BEST CLARIFYING SHAMPOO

CLEANSE Restoring Shampoo
Canalé
 

Pros

  • Hypoallergenic
  • Keratin-safe

Cons

  • Limited stock

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Shea butter
  • Sizes available: 8.5 ounces
  • Rating: 4.3-star average from 22 reviews on Amazon

Canale, who works with Jennifer Anniston, Denise Richards, and Carolyn Murphy, recommends incorporating a clarifying shampoo once every three shampoos to help prevent product buildup and frizz. "It's good to switch up your hair care routine sometimes and get more than one product involved in your hair regimen," he says.

Naturally, Canale is a fan of his namesake clarifying shampoo, but we're impressed with its vegan formula and relaxing lavender scent. In addition, hydrating components like shea butter, glycerin, and soybean oil help balance out the drying properties found in gentle cleansing agents from coconuts.

One Florida-based Amazon reviewer says it controls their frizzy hair during humid weather, while other reviewers say it leaves their hair silky soft.

Are you dealing with fine or thin hair? Amazon reviewers say this clarifying shampoo is lightweight and has a non-greasy feel. "Not only does it smell great, but as it cleans, it also restores shine to my hair without weighing it down. I have fine, thinning hair, and combined with the conditioner, it gives me just the right amount of volume, too," says one 5-star review.

BEST OF CLEAN BEAUTY

Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
Briogeo
 

Pros

  • Increases shine
  • Black women-owned

Cons

  • Too moisturizing for oily hair

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Biotin
  • Sizes available: 16 and 33.8 ounces
  • Rating: 4.1-star average from more than 770 reviews at Sephora

Made with 95% natural ingredients, Foster says you simply can't go wrong with using this clean, frizzy hair shampoo. "Its hydrating formula repairs the hair with the help of biotin and b-vitamins that are essential to maintain strong frizz-free hair," she says.

Hundreds of Sephora reviewers agree that this frizzy hair shampoo delivers on its promise of improving moisture levels and shine. "I have very fine hair and live in humidity almost all year round in Florida. This keeps the frizz away and makes your hair shine," says one 5-star review.

We also love that it's the sole option on this list featuring a clean formula that is gentle enough for anyone with sensitive scalps. "I break out with painful bumps when using shampoos and conditioners, and this one has healed those bumps and prevented any new ones from forming," says one 5-star review.


BEST HAIR STRENGTHENING FORMULA

No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Olaplex
 

Pros

  • Good for all hair textures
  • pH-balanced

Cons

  • Watery texture

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate
  • Sizes available: 8.5 and 3.3 ounces ($14)
  • Rating: 4.7-star average from more than 47,100 reviews on Amazon

Foster loves this game-changing frizzy hair shampoo because it contains a patented ingredient that helps repair broken hair bonds from the inside out, leaving your mane smoother and shinier. The product also eliminates frizz, and it helps enhance the natural curl pattern, according to Amazon reviewers.

One reviewer boldly calls this frizzy hair shampoo a "life-saver to parched hair as it rebuilds the hair, smoothing and softening it as it goes." They add that you should give this shampoo a whirl if you need to bring life back to over-processed, frizzy hair.

Other Amazon reviewers rely on this shampoo for improving the quality of their color-treated hair. "The highlights and lowlights, in combination with toner every eight weeks, have fried my hair, and Olaplex is the only treatment system that has repaired the cuticle of my hair (smoothed it out) so that I don't look like I have a head covered in straw," says one 5-star review.

BEST FOR COLOR-TREATED HAIR

Smoothing Shampoo
Moroccanoil
 

Pros

  • Sulfate- and paraben-free
  • Sweet and spicy scent

Cons

  • Not super hydrating

Key Specs

  • Standout ingredient: Argan oil
  • Size available: 8.5 ounces
  • Rating: 4.7-star average from nearly 1,700 reviews on Amazon

All shampoos on this list smell incredible, but the spicy and nutty notes of argan oil and argan butter are sublime. It's equal parts warm and sweet, and smells so enticing that you'll wish you own the body mist, too.

Beyond its scent, senior hairstylist Tiffany Blair of G2O Spa + Salon in Boston, says this color-safe and sulfate-free shampoo stands out because argan oil retains moisture in the hair and scalp, meaning it prevents frizz and breakage.

Amazon reviewers agree that this shampoo will tackle frizz with ease. To quote one 5-star review, "I have curly frizzy hair, and it's the first product I've used that takes the frizz out and is light enough to allow my hair to curl." Other reviewers experienced positive results since their first shampoo. "I decided to try this without using conditioner, just to note the outcome. Well, my hair combed silky and soft, as if I did just use conditioner," says one 5-star review.


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