The best luxury hair care brands each do one thing especially well, so the best luxury shampoo is the one made for your hair type. For medium to thick hair, Oribe Gold Lust is the classic splurge. For very dry hair, choose Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche. For fine, colored hair, choose Pureology Hydrate Sheer. And if you bleach, choose Olaplex Nº.4.
Salon shampoo costs more for a few reasons. It tends to be more concentrated, it's made for narrower hair types, and it smells better. It won't make up for a bad haircut or a hot flat iron. We picked these seven from NBC Select's expert-led lists and the brands' own ingredient lists and directions, and we say where we couldn't find an independent review.
Our top picks
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Quick picks
| Badge | Pick | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall splurge | Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore | NBC Select's pick for medium and thick hair |
| Best for very dry hair | Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche | NBC Select's pick for very dry hair |
| Best for fine, color-treated hair | Pureology Hydrate Sheer | Sulfate-free; NBC Select's pick for fine hair |
| Best for bleached hair | Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance | Concentrated, color-safe, made to pair with Olaplex Nº.3 |
| Best for shine | Davines OI | Roucou oil for shine, for all hair types |
| Best for curly and coily hair | Kérastase Curl Manifesto | Manuka honey and ceramide for waves, curls and coils |
| Best for flat, fine hair | Virtue Full | Lightweight, sulfate-free volume shampoo |
Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo
Best for: medium to thick hair that's dry from color or heat, and anyone who wants their shower to smell like a hotel in the south of France.
What we love
- On NBC Select's list for damaged hair it's the pick for medium and thick hair. Brooklyn hairstylist Brooke Jordan says it "helps correct damage and restores moisture."
- Oribe lists plant collagen, caffeine, biotin, niacinamide and argan oil, and says it's sulfate-free, silicone-free and vegan.
- The scent is Oribe's Côte d'Azur: bergamot, jasmine and sandalwood. If you're after the best smelling shampoo, this is the one people talk about.
Keep in mind
- Jordan told NBC Select it can be heavy for fine hair, so she only recommends it for medium and thick hair. Oribe says it's for all hair types; we'd go with the stylist.
- It's the most expensive pick here.
Key ingredients: plant collagen, caffeine, biotin, niacinamide, argan oil.
How to use: lather into wet hair, rinse, and follow with the matching conditioner.
Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche Shampoo
Best for: medium to thick hair that feels like straw by the ends.
What we love
- It's NBC Select's pick for very dry hair. Reviewers there say it makes hair easier to detangle and softer, smoother and shinier.
- Kérastase uses plant-based proteins and niacinamide. The brand says it's for medium to thick hair that's prone to dryness.
- Kérastase says to use a quarter-size amount, so a bottle goes a long way.
Keep in mind
- It isn't sulfate-free. NBC Select flags that as its one drawback.
- For fine hair, Kérastase makes a lighter Bain Satin for fine to medium hair. Choose that one instead.
Key ingredients: plant-based proteins, niacinamide.
How to use: massage a quarter-size amount into wet hair and scalp, then rinse. Kérastase says to follow with a Nutritive conditioner or mask.
Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo
Best for: fine or thin hair that's colored and dry but goes flat with anything rich.
What we love
- NBC Select's dry-hair list names it the best for fine or thin hair. Reviewers say it leaves hair silky and soft "without weighing it down."
- It's sulfate-free, paraben-free and vegan, and Pureology says it's made for fine, dry, color-treated hair.
- Pureology says to use a dime-sized amount, which suits fine hair.
Keep in mind
- NBC Select notes the scent (lavender, bergamot, patchouli) is strong for some people.
- It comes in a squeeze bottle, not a pump.
Key ingredients: jojoba, green tea, sage.
How to use: apply a dime-sized amount at the scalp, lather, work it down to the ends, and rinse. Pureology suggests the matching Hydrate Sheer conditioner.
Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Best for: bleached, highlighted or heat-styled hair that's started to snap.
What we love
- Olaplex calls it a highly concentrated, color-safe shampoo that cleans without stripping moisture.
- It's made to pair with Olaplex Nº.3 and Nº.5. NBC Select's damaged-hair list doesn't include this shampoo, but it does name Olaplex Nº.3 its best pre-wash, so this is the shampoo for people already using Nº.3.
- A coin-sized amount is all Olaplex says you need.
Keep in mind
- We found no independent review of this exact shampoo. The evidence is the brand's own.
- If your hair isn't colored or heat-styled, you probably don't need it.
Key ingredients: coconut-derived cleansers, bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate (Olaplex's signature ingredient).
How to use: apply a coin-sized amount to wet hair, lather well, rinse, and follow with Nº.5 conditioner.
Davines OI Shampoo
Best for: normal hair that just looks dull, and for households that share one bottle.
What we love
- Davines says it's made for all hair types: curly, straight, colored or damaged.
- Roucou oil is the headline ingredient, for shine and softness, according to the brand. It's sulfate-free and made in Italy.
- Davines says it won InStyle's 2020 Best Beauty Buys for best natural shampoo and conditioner.
Keep in mind
- That award is the brand's claim. We didn't find a recent independent review of OI Shampoo.
- The "all hair types" approach means it isn't specialized. Very dry or very fine hair will do better with a pick above.
Key ingredients: roucou oil.
How to use: massage gently into hair and scalp, rinse, and follow with OI Conditioner.
Kérastase Curl Manifesto Bain Hydratation Douceur Shampoo
Best for: wavy, curly and coily hair that loses its shape when it's dry.
What we love
- Kérastase made the Curl Manifesto line for wavy, curly and coily hair, with manuka honey and ceramide.
- The brand says it cleans away styling buildup from scalp and lengths without stripping natural oils.
- It's sold by Kérastase on Amazon, which is reassuring at this price.
Keep in mind
- We found no independent review of this shampoo. For better-documented curl picks, see our best shampoo for curly hair.
- It's a splurge for a shampoo you'll go through fast on long, thick curls.
Key ingredients: manuka honey, ceramide.
How to use: apply to wet hair, massage from scalp to ends, and rinse. Kérastase suggests following with Curl Manifesto conditioner or mask.
Virtue Full Shampoo
Best for: fine, limp hair that you want to look thicker, colored or not.
What we love
- Virtue made it to add volume and body to fine, limp hair, using its own Alpha Keratin 60ku protein.
- It's sulfate-free and safe for color-treated and chemically treated hair, according to Virtue.
- The scent is a citrus floral with pear, spearmint and lemon notes, so it smells fresh rather than sweet.
Keep in mind
- We found no independent review of Virtue Full. For better-reviewed budget options, see our volumizing shampoo picks.
- It's scented with essential oils, which can bother a sensitive scalp.
Key ingredients: Alpha Keratin 60ku.
How to use: lather into wet hair and rinse. Virtue suggests pairing it with Full Conditioner.
How to choose a luxury shampoo
Start with your hair's texture (fine, medium or thick), then what it needs most (moisture, volume, color care or curl). Pick the brand last.
Luxury hair care brands, and what each is known for
- Oribe: scent and a rich feel. Best on medium to thick hair.
- Kérastase: lots of lines, each for one hair need. Choose the line first, then the shampoo.
- Pureology: sulfate-free formulas for colored hair.
- Olaplex: bond-building products for bleached and processed hair.
- Davines: gentle, all-hair-type formulas made in Italy.
- Virtue: keratin-based formulas, including volume care for fine hair.
Is salon shampoo worth it?
Sometimes. If one of these matches your exact hair type, the narrower formula can make a real difference. If your hair is healthy and you're happy with a drugstore bottle, a pricier one won't change much. Our take: spend on the product that sits on your hair longest, usually a conditioner or mask, before you spend on shampoo.
Best smelling shampoo
Oribe's Côte d'Azur scent is the one people recognize. Pureology's lavender-patchouli is strong. Virtue is fresh and citrusy. If scent irritates your scalp, look for fragrance-free in our dry hair or color-safe lists instead.
How to make a luxury shampoo last
- Measure it. Kérastase says a quarter-size amount. Pureology says a dime. Olaplex says a coin. Use what the bottle says.
- Shampoo the scalp, not the lengths. The AAD's advice is to "gently massage shampoo into your scalp" and let it flow through the rest of your hair rather than rubbing it in.
- Wet your hair thoroughly first. Every brand here says to apply to wet hair. Our take: soaked hair spreads the product further, so you're less tempted to add a second pump.
- Condition every time. The AAD says to "use conditioner after every shampoo."
- Clarify now and then. If your hair feels coated, a clarifying shampoo once in a while gets rid of buildup.
Comparison table
| Shampoo | Budget | Best hair type | Sulfate-free | Editorial review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oribe Gold Lust | Splurge | Medium to thick, dry or damaged | Yes | NBC Select |
| Kérastase Bain Satin Riche | Splurge | Medium to thick, very dry | No | NBC Select |
| Pureology Hydrate Sheer | Splurge | Fine, color-treated | Yes | NBC Select |
| Olaplex Nº.4 | Mid-range | Bleached, processed | Not stated | None found |
| Davines OI | Mid-range | All | Yes | None found (brand cites InStyle 2020) |
| Kérastase Curl Manifesto | Splurge | Wavy, curly, coily | Not stated | None found |
| Virtue Full | Splurge | Fine, limp | Yes | None found |
FAQs
What is the best luxury shampoo?
It depends on your hair. Oribe Gold Lust is our splurge for medium to thick hair, Kérastase Bain Satin Riche is for very dry hair, and Pureology Hydrate Sheer is for fine, colored hair. All three are on NBC Select's expert-led lists.
Are luxury hair care brands better than drugstore?
Not automatically. Many are more concentrated and more specific to one hair type, and they usually smell nicer. A well-chosen drugstore shampoo can do the basic job just as well.
Is Oribe shampoo good for fine hair?
Stylist Brooke Jordan told NBC Select that Gold Lust can be heavy for fine hair and recommends it for medium and thick hair. With fine hair, choose Pureology Hydrate Sheer or Virtue Full instead.
How long does a bottle of salon shampoo last?
It depends on how much you use and how often you wash. Using the brand's measure, a dime or quarter-size amount, makes it last much longer than a big palmful.
Should I use the matching conditioner?
It helps, because the brands design them as pairs. The AAD says to condition after every shampoo, so if you're only buying one luxury product, make it the conditioner.
Choose by hair type, use the amount on the bottle, and focus on your scalp. That's how a splurge earns its place on the shelf.
