Find the right shampoo for your scalp and hair type

Finding the right shampoo can be difficult. Many factors affect the end result, and the selection is enormous. In this guide, you will learn what type of shampoo to look for and what to avoid. This will make it much easier to buy shampoo.

Scalp first

The biggest mistake you can make is buying a shampoo that does not suit your scalp. If the scalp is too dry or oily, your shampoo should primarily be formulated to balance it. An imbalanced scalp will sooner or later negatively affect hair quality. Therefore, always prioritize the scalp first.

Feel free to read our blog post about scalp detox.

Both dry and oily scalps can itch. However, the itching usually disappears when the scalp is balanced. If your shampoo does not suit your scalp but works well for your hair, the tip is to use two different shampoos: one for the scalp and another for the lengths.

Dry scalp

When the scalp is dry, it can feel tight after washing. It may also flake and itch. A classic sign of a dry scalp is small flakes of skin coming loose and falling onto your shoulders. It can feel as if it is “snowing” from your hair and will never stop, no matter how much you try to shake it off. Keep in mind: many people mistake dryness for dandruff and do not benefit from dandruff shampoos; instead, these dry the scalp out even more.

Tips for getting rid of a dry scalp

If you have a dry scalp

• Try exfoliating your scalp if it is very flaky. Dead skin cells need to be scrubbed away from a dry scalp just as much as from dry skin. See our blog post on scalp detox to learn how to exfoliate your scalp.
• If your scalp is very flaky, it is important to wash thoroughly so that dead skin cells do not accumulate and form a layer over the scalp. Gently massage the scalp with your fingers while shampooing and rinse thoroughly. Wash more often if you wash infrequently (e.g. once a week).
• If you usually wash your hair every day, try washing it less often. Frequent hair washing can dry out both the scalp and hair. If you exercise often, it is fine to wash your hair with shampoo some times and rinse it with just water or use a dry shampoo at others.
• If you usually wash your hair with hot water, try lukewarm or cold water, which is less drying.
• If you feel that your hair rarely gets dirty, try washing it with a lightweight conditioner instead and give your scalp a break from shampoo for a while.

Natural shampoos for dry scalps

• Try an organic, gentle shampoo designed to provide moisture, nourishment, shine, and easy-to-manage hair. These nourish and moisturize without drying out the scalp.
• Look for mild, moisturizing shampoos that contain plant oils.
• Avoid conventional harsh sulfates (drying soap ingredients that create a lot of lather) in your shampoo. Also avoid volumizing shampoos or strengthening shampoos for damaged and brittle hair. These can either irritate the scalp or strip too much oil from an already dry scalp.

Ingredients that are good for a dry scalp

Plant oils such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, and avocado oil are excellent for nourishing and protecting the scalp from dryness. Plant extracts from eucalyptus, aloe vera, burdock root, nettles, green tea, and calendula are also beneficial, as they provide moisture and soothe the scalp.

Products we recommend for a dry scalp

• Odylique Gentle Herb Shampoo
• Bruns Shampoo No. 02
• Logona Nettle Shampoo
• Glossy Locks Moisture Drench Shampoo
• 100% Pure Honey & Virgin Coconut Shampoo

Oily scalp

Overproduction of sebum (natural skin oil) may be caused by genetics or hormonal imbalance, but in most cases it actually stems from dry skin on the scalp. When too much of the skin’s natural sebum is washed away, excess sebum is produced to compensate for the imbalance. That is why you should avoid highly foaming and drying shampoos, which only make the condition worse. If you need to wash frequently and use highly foaming shampoos to keep your hair clean, it is time to break the vicious cycle.

Tips for getting rid of an oily scalp

• Does your hair not feel clean after shampooing? Be patient as you massage your scalp and hair with your new, milder shampoo to dissolve oil. Shampoo at least twice and make sure to rinse the shampoo thoroughly from your scalp and hair.
• When switching to a milder shampoo, you may initially need to wash your hair more times per week to keep it clean. That is fine as long as you are switching to a milder product. The goal, however, is to gradually wash your hair less often.
• If you absolutely cannot get your hair clean with a milder shampoo, alternate it with your current (highly foaming) shampoo, gradually phasing the latter out completely.
• Never massage hair conditioner into your scalp; apply it from the ears downward or only to the ends of your hair. Be sure to rinse the conditioner out thoroughly.

Natural shampoos for an oily scalp

• Try dry shampoo to extend the time between hair washes. Choose an organic dry shampoo to avoid irritating and highly drying ingredients.
• Look for a sulfate-free volumizing or balancing shampoo. Beware of cheap shampoos marketed for people with oily hair. They are usually drying and contain harsh, highly drying sulfates that dry out the scalp and cause it to produce even more oil.
• Avoid shampoos that are moisturizing, nourishing or shine-enhancing, that detangle tangled hair, or that are good for curly, frizzy, thick or dry hair. These usually provide too much nourishment to an already oily scalp.
• Many natural and organic shampoos for oily hair are also anti-dandruff shampoos. This is because the ingredients both balance an oily scalp and are effective against dandruff formation. If you do not have dandruff, an organic anti-dandruff shampoo still works excellently.

Ingredients that are good for oily scalps

Examples of ingredients that either balance or reduce oil production include jojoba oil, peppermint, eucalyptus, aloe vera, rosemary, tea tree, kelp, calendula, lavender, burdock root, horsetail, nettles, baking soda, neem and clays.

Products we recommend for oily scalps

• Logona Balance Shampoo
  
• Odylique Tea Tree & Herb Shampoo
• Grön Lycka Golden Rose Shampoo Bar
• Grön Lycka Exotic Flower Shampoo Bar

Shampoos suitable for your hair type

When your scalp is balanced, you can choose a shampoo that can fulfill your hair dreams.

Hair type /Shampoo / Beneficial ingredients

Fine, thin hair: Volumizing shampoos that bring hair to life without weighing it down. Avoid shampoos with lots of oils, such as serums and hair oils.1
00% Pure Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo, Sante Volume Goji & Henna Shampoo. Bamboo extract, kelp, clay, peppermint, horsetail

Straight hair: Shine-enhancing shampoos that are usually extra nourishing. 100% Pure Honey & Coconut Shampoo, Lavera Gloss & Shine Shampoo, 100% Pure Yuzu & Pomelo Shampoo.
Honey, nettles, rosemary, rose water, aloe vera.

Chemically treated, heat-damaged, bleached, colored and brittle hair: Strengthening, protein-rich shampoos. 100% Pure Repair Shampoo, Eco Cosmetics Repair Shampoo. Bamboo extract, baking soda, vitamin E, green tea, honey, proteins, rosemary, horsetail.

Dull, matte and lifeless hair: A detox shampoo or one that lathers well without harsh sulfates. Make sure to shampoo at least twice so that your hair becomes thoroughly clean. Follow up with a nourishing, detangling conditioner. Bruns Shampoo No. 04. Baking soda, honey, nettles, rosemary, apple cider vinegar.

Thick, wavy: Moisturizing, nourishing shampoos with plant oils that make the hair manageable, shiny, and smooth. Bruns Shampoo No. 02, 100% Pure Moisture Drench Shampoo. Aloe vera, argan oil, avocado oil, honey, jojoba oil, cinnamon, coconut oil, nettles, rosemary.

Curly hair: Nourishing shampoos that help counteract frizz with a mild lather. Avoid sulfates at all costs. 

Very dry and curly hair that rarely becomes greasy. Same as for Curly hair. Preferably skip shampoo and try washing your hair with clay or conditioner without silicones, mineral oils, and sulfates. Crearome Rhassoul Clay, Bruns Conditioner No. 01

All hair types experiencing hair loss or needing to stimulate hair growth with shampoos free from sulfates, silicones, and mineral oils. 100% Pure Grow More Shampoo. Biotin, vitamin E, ginseng, green tea, coffee, chamomile, burdock root, mint, nettles, rosemary, horsetail.

All hair types that need to be washed frequently. A mildly foaming shampoo for daily use (usually suitable for the whole family) that cleans without drying out, such as Logona Nettle Shampoo or Odylique Hydrating Lavender Shampoo.
Don't know your hair type: A balancing shampoo. This is a safe choice if you are not quite sure what you need. It is neither too nourishing nor does it dry out your hair. Dr Sannas balancing shampoo, Sante Shampoo Shine Birch Leaf, Odylique Hydrating Lavender Shampoo. Jojoba oil, lemon balm, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, lavender.

Here you can read more about dry hair, here you can read more about curly hair, here you can read more about creating volume in your hair or about the conditioner-only method.

Here you can read about how to dye hair with herbal hair dyes.