Best Shampoo for Dry Hair (Moisturizing Picks for Every Hair Type)

The best shampoo for dry hair cleans gently and leaves conditioning behind, and the right one depends on how thick your hair is. Our top pick is Davines MOMO, a sulfate-free shampoo that NBC Select's panel of stylists named best overall. On a drugstore budget, Dove Daily Moisture won Good Housekeeping's lab test of hydrating shampoos.

Below are six moisturizing shampoos for dry hair, sorted by hair type, plus the wash habits that keep hair from drying out again.

Quick picks

Why is my hair so dry?

Dry hair looks dull and feels rough, and the cause is usually damage, hair type or habits. Good Housekeeping Institute chemist Danusia Wnek says it's often rooted in "chemical damage from permanent coloring or relaxants, mechanical damage from grooming or heat damage from hot tools". She adds that hormones, age and ethnicity play a part too.

A few other things make it worse:

• Thick or coarse hair. Stylist Brooke Jordan told NBC Select these strands "tend to be more prone to dryness."
• Cold weather and indoor heat. Stylist Julie Davis says hair dries out quickly "during cold months when you run the heat in your home."
• Shampooing your ends. The AAD says to put shampoo on your scalp, not the whole length, to "avoid drying your hair too much."

What makes a moisturizing shampoo work?

A moisturizing shampoo does two jobs at once: it cleans with milder detergents and leaves conditioning ingredients on the hair. A dermatology review puts it simply: shampoos for dry hair "provide mild cleansing and good conditioning."

Look for humectants like glycerin and panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), which Jordan says provides "long-lasting moisture," plus conditioning polymers and oils. Then pair it with a conditioner, because no shampoo can do all the moisturizing on its own.

Davines MOMO Shampoo

Best for: dry or dehydrated hair of any type, if you want a gentle, sulfate-free daily shampoo.

What we love

• It's NBC Select's best overall shampoo for dry hair and "a collective favorite" of its experts.
• Stylist Julie Davis uses it on her own dry, fine hair: "I feel like my hair feels so much more moisturized, and it's a really good reset."
• Davines says it "gently cleanses hair without stripping moisture" and is safe for all hair types. It's vegan friendly and has no sulfates in its ingredient list.

Keep in mind

• Davines has changed the formula since NBC's review: the current version uses apricot extract instead of the melon extract NBC lists.
• It's a mid-range bottle (250 ml), so it costs more per wash than the drugstore picks.

Key ingredients: apricot extract, glycerin, inulin, gentle non-sulfate cleansers.

How to use: massage into wet hair and rinse well. Davines suggests MOMO Conditioner after.

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Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo

Best for: fine to medium dry hair on a drugstore budget.

What we love

• It won Good Housekeeping's hydrating shampoo test (as Nutritive Solutions Daily Moisture) for "a perfect balance of both purifying and lightly softening," and GH named it its best overall shampoo.
• In GH's earlier dry-hair guide, it was "by far the tester favorite, with 100% stating they would continue using it."
• Dove says it suits straight, wavy, coily and curly hair.

Keep in mind

• GH says it "may not be nourishing enough for thick, very damaged or textured hair."
• Dove has updated the formula since GH's test (it now mentions "Bio-Protein" and a hyaluronic serum), so the bottle in stores may differ.
• It contains sulfates.

Key ingredients: glycerin, coconut oil, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed soy protein.

How to use: lather into wet hair, rinse and follow with Dove Daily Moisture Conditioner.

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Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo

Best for: thick, coarse or long dry hair that soaks up conditioner.

What we love

• GH calls it "perfect for those with thick or coarse hair," and it tied for the highest level of conditioning in the lab's wet-combing test, used with its conditioner.
• Testers gave it top marks for being easy to use, lathering well and leaving hair clean.
• Pantene says the shampoo and conditioner together hydrate "for 72 hours," compared with a non-conditioning shampoo.

Keep in mind

• GH's con: it doesn't leave hair as manageable as other formulas.
• It contains sulfates, which some stylists avoid for dry hair (more on that below).

Key ingredients: panthenol, a panthenol derivative, histidine, conditioning polymers.

How to use: massage into wet hair, lather, rinse, then use Pantene conditioner.

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L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Plump Shampoo

Best for: dry hair that also looks damaged from color or heat styling.

What we love

• It's GH's best shampoo for damaged hair and a GH Beauty Award winner. With its conditioner, it "earned top marks for fully cleansing strands and making hair look less damaged."
• It also ranked highest in GH's test for its lasting scent.
• L'Oréal says it hydrates dry hair "for up to 72 hours, without weigh down" when used as a system.

Keep in mind

• One GH tester found the texture sticky.
• It contains sulfates.

Key ingredients: sodium hyaluronate (a form of hyaluronic acid), conditioning silicones.

How to use: wash, rinse and follow with the Hyaluron Plump conditioner. L'Oréal also sells a spray and serum in the same line.

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R+Co Atlantis Moisturizing B5 Shampoo

Best for: dry, dull hair that needs shine, especially if it's colored or blow-dried often.

What we love

• NBC Select named it best for shine, recommended by stylist Julie Davis.
• R+Co says it's made for "anyone with dry, lifeless hair" and counters "the effects of sun, coloring, and blow-drying."
• Pro-vitamin B5 "coats strands" and adds "a natural sheen," with glycerin and nettle extract, according to the brand.
• It's sulfate-free, vegan and Leaping Bunny certified.

Keep in mind

• We didn't find a lab test of this one; the pick rests on a stylist's recommendation and the formula.
• The "Rosy Eyed" fragrance (bergamot, fig, tonka) is noticeable.

Key ingredients: pro-vitamin B5, glycerin, prickly pear stem extract, nettle extract.

How to use: R+Co says to apply from mid-length, then work it into your ends and roots.

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Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche

Best for: very dry, medium to thick hair, when you want a salon-grade splurge.

What we love

• NBC Select picked it as best for very dry hair, citing reviewers who say it adds moisture and makes hair easier to detangle.
• Kérastase made it specifically for very dry hair, with "anti-dryness polymers," plant proteins and niacinamide in a "white creamy gel texture."
• The 500 ml bottle is refillable with a pouch.

Keep in mind

• It isn't sulfate-free.
• NBC's pick rests on reviewer feedback, not an expert or lab test.
• If your hair is fine, Kérastase's plain Bain Satin (for dry rather than very dry hair) is the lighter choice.

Key ingredients: wheat, corn and soy proteins, niacinamide, glycerin, panthenol.

How to use: apply to wet hair, massage until it foams, then rinse thoroughly.

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How to choose a shampoo for dry hair

1. Match the richness to your hair's thickness. Stylist Jenna Pitocco told NBC Select that coarse hair does well with "dense ingredients like shea butter," while shea "may actually weigh down finer hair." Fine and dry: Dove or Davines. Thick or coarse: Pantene or Kérastase.
2. Decide how you feel about sulfates. Davis says sulfates "tend to further dry out hair." The dermatology review is less worried: it calls laureth sulfates "useful for normal-to-dry hair." Three of our picks contain them and still did well in GH's lab. Our take: if your hair feels rough or squeaky after washing, switch to Davines or R+Co.
3. Look for humectants high on the list. Glycerin and panthenol draw in water. Lightweight oils like argan, jojoba or grapeseed suit hair that goes flat, Jordan says.
4. Check for dry and damaged. If heat or color is part of the problem, L'Oréal Hyaluron Plump was GH's pick for damaged hair.

Pair it with the matching conditioner

The best hydrating shampoo and conditioner usually come as a set. Good Housekeeping tests every shampoo with its own conditioner, and most brands base their moisture claims on using both. The AAD says that if your hair is dry or curly, put conditioner on the full length, not just the ends.

How to wash dry hair

1. Wash only as often as you need to. The AAD says dry, curly or thick hair can be shampooed "when needed," at least every 2 to 3 weeks.
2. Put shampoo on your scalp. Let the suds rinse through your lengths instead of scrubbing your ends.
3. Condition from roots to ends, then detangle with a wide-tooth comb, as the AAD advises for wet hair.
4. Add a mask once or twice a week. Davis recommends it, and the dermatology review says deep conditioners left on for 20 to 30 minutes are usually used for extremely dry hair.

Comparison table

FAQs

What's the best shampoo for damaged hair?

For dry, damaged hair, Good Housekeeping's pick is L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Plump, which earned top marks for making hair look less damaged. Pair any shampoo with a conditioner and a weekly mask, and ease off hot tools, which GH's chemist lists as a main cause of dryness.

What's the best moisturizing shampoo and conditioner?

Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner won GH's hydrating shampoo test. For thick hair, Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal and its conditioner tied for the most conditioning in the same lab. Davines MOMO with MOMO Conditioner is our sulfate-free choice.

What's the best drugstore shampoo for dry hair?

Dove Daily Moisture for fine to medium hair, Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal for thick or coarse hair, and L'Oréal Elvive Hyaluron Plump if your hair is damaged as well as dry. All three did well in Good Housekeeping's lab tests.

How often should you wash dry hair?

Less often than oily hair, but not so rarely that buildup sets in. The AAD says dry, curly or thick hair can be shampooed when needed, at least every 2 to 3 weeks. A dermatology review adds that frequent washing with a well-formulated shampoo won't damage hair as long as you condition.

Is sulfate-free shampoo better for dry hair?

It's gentler, and the stylists NBC Select interviewed prefer it. But sulfate shampoos with plenty of conditioning, like Dove and Pantene, still scored well for moisture in GH's lab. If your hair feels stripped after washing, try a sulfate-free option like Davines MOMO or R+Co Atlantis.

A gentle shampoo on your scalp, conditioner from roots to ends and a weekly mask will do more for dry hair than any single bottle.