After Testing Two Dozen Men’s Shampoos, We Found These 9 Picks Made Our Hair Look and Feel Amazing

My teen sons and husband tested this product. The incredible aroma that filled the house whenever anyone used this shampoo made me feel like I was living in a spa. It smelled absolutely amazing. It pairs basil with verbena to create a citrusy botanical aroma. The scent lasted until the next day. This shampoo left my oldest son’s type 3A curly, shoulder-length hair looking much shinier, healthier, and much less frizzy than usual. 

Its thick, rich, plant-based formula is vegan and includes ingredients like macadamia oil and rosemary extract. It lathered and rinsed very well, despite containing no sulfates or parabens. It was the clear favorite of all the shampoos we tested because the 250 milliliter (ml) squeeze bottle was empty within two weeks. If you don’t have longish hair, it should last a lot longer. Those sensitive to fragrance or with a history of atopic dermatitis may want to steer clear of this one. But for those looking to really pamper their hair with a luxurious, phenomenal-smelling shampoo, this one is great.

This was another big hit as far as scent, effectiveness, and how it left our hair feeling. Fortunately, it’s available at Target and most drugstores, so it’s perfect for folks who want to grab a bottle while they’re out doing their weekly shopping. We found that a little goes a long way, and it lathered and rinsed very easily despite being free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, and dyes. The invigorating blend of eucalyptus and spearmint made our scalp feel tingly and refreshed and left our hair smelling great throughout the day.

“Unlike other two-in-one shampoo combinations I’ve tried, where it feels like it is drying out your hair, my hair felt very soft after using it,” says Everyday Health writer Raki Swanson, who tested this product with her family. “My hair felt normal, looked normal, and felt conditioned. I don’t have much hair, so having it look normal is a big thing. I loved, loved, loved the scent, and I will be buying this moving forward as my daily shampoo.”

Our only issue was with the bottle. We had to actually Google how to open it when all our usual tricks failed. We found a YouTube video on how to open Native bottles (because all of their bottles are the same). Still, we highly recommend it to anyone who wants an inexpensive two-in-one shampoo and conditioner that leaves your hair feeling refreshed.

Our tester has a history of dandruff and had developed several welts on her scalp as a result of using another drugstore brand shampoo. This Vichy Dercos shampoo not only left her scalp flake-free, it also cleared up the welts and left her hair and scalp feeling fabulous. We would recommend this to anyone dealing with dandruff or itchy-scalp issues. This product works and doesn’t affect the texture of the hair. Unlike other medicated shampoos we’ve tried, it didn’t leave our hair feeling dry, only our scalp.

Of the clarifying shampoos we tested, this was our absolute favorite: It lathered nicely, felt fantastic on our scalp, and left our hair feeling soft and looking fabulous without overdrying it. “This was the best feeling for my scalp, thanks to the menthol and apple cider vinegar. The scalp sensation with each wash and the overall clean feeling that accompanied it was great,” says Michael Striker, a group VP at Everyday Health, who tested this shampoo for us. “My hair felt great. I would absolutely recommend it.” He particularly enjoyed the unique menthol scent and tingling feeling. 

My husband’s go-to cologne has long been The Body Shop Arber Eau de Toilette, so he was excited to try the body wash and shampoo in the same scent. He already knew he loved the smell: It ha an earthy, spicy aroma with notes of coriander, geranium, lemon, mint, orange, sandalwood, vetiver, and watermelon. This shampoo really does smell amazing, and the scent lasts much longer than many other shampoos. You can even smell it in your hair the next day.

The one thing we didn’t like was the bottle. It’s not upright like a normal shampoo bottle; it’s upside down like a lotion bottle. This made it more difficult to dispense and to control the amount we were getting. We tend to prefer pumps. The one good thing about this bottle is that it’s easy to get the last bit out. Also know that it contains sulfates. We’d wholeheartedly recommend it to people wanting an effective, great-smelling two-in-one product to streamline their routine.

A different sort of two-in-one we loved was this Slick Gorilla daily shampoo and conditioner. Most shampoo-conditioner combos leave our hair feeling limp and weighed down or not conditioned enough, but not this one. It left our hair feeling very clean and manageable. “This is a good two-in-one product. It leaves hair clean and not oily, but also the conditioner does its job,” says Swanson. “It’s very affordable and does work for shorter hair.”

Sensitive scalps need special care. When you have sensitive skin, it’s just as important to look at what isn’t in the ingredient list of your skin-care products as what is. This CeraVe shampoo is free of potentially irritating ingredients like phthalates, sulfates, dyes, parabens, and fragrance. This makes it a great option for people with sensitive skin, allergies, or chemical sensitivities.

We found it effectively cleanses and hydrates our hair and scalp and lathers well, despite a lack of sulfates. “I noticed that my hair felt smooth, soft, and light. After two or three washes, it felt like it had a little more volume to it,” said Striker, who tested this shampoo for us. “I would definitely recommend this product to someone looking to add a little more volume to their hair.” 

This shampoo contains skin-improving ceramides and hyaluronic acid. According to Dr. Mitchell, ceramides help rebuild your skin barrier, while hyaluronic acid pulls moisture into the skin. And while this is labeled as fragrance-free, there was definitely a subtle scent, especially when lathering. We believe it’s a fantastic option for anyone with high sensitivity to fragrances, sulfates, and other common allergens.

We definitely needed to use a bit more of this product to get it to lather up because the formula is on the thicker side. We were also surprised to see that the shampoo was orange-colored, which might not be preferable to some users. It has a slight fruity, floral scent and rinses out well. We heartily recommend it for those with thinning hair.

This luxurious botanical shampoo uses plant power to cleanse and nourish your hair and scalp. It includes a cornucopia of oils: pracaxi, babassu, jojoba, avocado, clary, eucalyptus, lavender, bergamot peel, and olive as well as biotin, vitamin B5, barley seed, aloe, and extracts of watercress, sage, sunflower seed, and rosemary. “My hair felt superclean after using it,” said Billy Hulbert, director of affiliate partnerships at Everyday Health, who tried this shampoo. “I loved that it was cruelty-free and plant-based and felt intentionally made.”

Hulbert loved the intense aroma of rosemary, bergamot, and eucalyptus. “It smelled fantastic and definitely seemed to stick around throughout the day,” he says. The cleansing and conditioning also won him over. “In our dry climate, it’s super important that shampoo helps my hair retain moisture, and I felt like it kept it light yet held moisture well,” he added. The only thing mediocre about this shampoo was its ability to lather, which could be due to its lack of sulfates. It’s also free of alcohol, parabens, silicones, phthalates, palm oil, and synthetic fragrance. It comes in a recyclable aluminum bottle, which gave it a high-end feel. We’d recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their shampoo experience with a luxe, plant-based option.