Choosing from all the different shampoos and conditioners out there isn’t too dissimilar to choosing a moisturiser: the best option is incredibly personal, and one product can provide completely different results for two different people. You need to find what works best for your individual hair concerns, goals, and schedule. And every so often, a hair care product comes along and does exactly that.
With our strands constantly under attack, thanks to elements like UV exposure, pollution, heat styling, and harsh dyes, the right hair-care routine can help keep your hair in tip top shape.
So to help you sort through all the options, we’ve found our favourite shampoos and conditioners available right now – all in mid-range pricing (think: $30-$60).
The best mid-range shampoos and conditioners
Best Shampoo For Wavy Hair
Champu de Yucca & Witch Hazel Shampoo
Whether you have fine waves or almost-curly texture, this shampoo for voluminous hair cleans without stripping natural oils. But the reason I love it so much is because it doesn’t contain potentially icky ingredients, and instead uses a natural formulation to gently (and effectively) remove buildup.
Best Conditioner For Wavy Hair
MOROCCANOIL Moisture Repair Conditioner
This is a product that seriously comes to the aid of dry hair. Not only does it add serious hydration, it revives dullness, too. How? It’s enriched with Argan Oil and keratin and the best part, it’s sulphate, phosphate and paraben-free.
Best Shampoo For Straight Hair
Dove, Hair Therapy, Dry Scalp Care Shampoo
Flat, limp strands? Not on our watch. These Dove Hair Therapy Hydration Spa Therapy Shampoo is a weightless formula that deliver the right amount of volume and bounce. It’s also sulfate-free—meaning it gently cleanses, hydrates, and moisturises with hyaluronic acid and emollients.
Best Conditioner For Straight Hair
R+Co SUN CATCHER Vitamin C Leave-In Conditioner
When you need that little something extra, there’s the R+Co SUN CATCHER Vitamin C Leave-In Conditioner. This little beauty offers shine, protection and a little bit of hold, so you’re getting more than your standard detangling offering. You can expect stronger, softer and generally happier hair with regular use, and on top of that, it’s vegan and cruelty-free.
Best Shampoo For Curly Hair
Klorane Shampoo with Organic Cupuaçu Butter
Want a thorough cleanse for your hair but worried it’ll come out feeling stripped and damaged? Easy, try the Klorane Intense Repairing Shampoo with organic cupuacu. This hydrating, smoothing shampoo has been formulated with exactly those fears in mind. It offers a softening, moisturising cleanse, and is a winner on curly and wavy hair. It’s also vegan.
Best Conditioner For Curly Hair
Aveda Be Curly Conditioner
Focus this conditioner from about inch down from your crown through to the ends to enhance your curls, combat frizz and boost shine. It smells so good and combs through well, too.
Best Shampoo For Thin Hair
O&M Fine Intellect Shampoo
If you have incredibly fine hair that gets oily quickly, this is for you. O&M’s Fine Intellect Shampoo will leave your hair feeling properly clean and so full – yep, we’re talking great volume, here, for our finer-haired ladies. It’s Australian made, cruelty-free, sulphate-free and vegan, too.
Best Conditioner For Thin Hair
OUAI Fine Hair Conditioner
If you’re looking for a lightweight conditioner that adds volume and gives that extra oomph shine then Ouai Fine Hair Conditioner is your best bet. Designed to leave your hair feeling shiny and with bounce, this one smells so fabulous and immediately works at detangling your hair. Lots of ticks, here.
Best Shampoo For Coily Hair
NAK HAIR ORI Lab Curl Cleanse Shampoo
From NAK’s ORI Lab line comes this Curl Cleanse Shampoo, which is specially formulated to cleanse curly hair without stripping it of much-needed moisture. It features hyaluronic acid, rice proteins, and plant extracts, and is vegan, sulphate-free, paraben-free and silicone-free. It’s also safe on coloured hair and suitable for those who are partial to double-washing.
Best Conditioner For Coily Hair
Wella Professionals Care Nutricurls Detangling Conditioner for Waves and Curls
The Nutricurls line of Wella products is specially designed to take the best care of curly and wavy hair. This detangling conditioner contains the goodness of jojoba oil and wheat bran extract, making the curls soft and smooth. Proper application of this conditioner results in easy manageability of hair and no frizziness.
Best Shampoo For Dandruff
Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp Shampoo
This is a clarifying, deep cleansing shampoo that addresses the causes of dandruff while also relieving its symptoms. If things are looking a bit flaky and oily up top, this one has your name on it.
Best Conditioner For Dandruff
Bondi Boost Dandruff Conditioner
An ultra-nourishing and hydrating conditioner from Bondi Boost to target itchy, flaky, dandruff-prone scalps. Australian made, it will keep your hair feeling lightweight and isn’t too harsh like other options on the market.
Best Shampoo For Dry Hair
Fable & Mane Holiroots Hydrating Shampoo
This shampoo tames frizz and softens even the most unruly and dry hair. Gentle enough for all hair types, it’s powered by natural active ingredients to effectively cleanse, hydrate and rejuvenate your hair; coconut smooths and adds enviable shine, plus tiger herb delivers essential nutrients such as magnesium and iron to promote healthy keratin formation.
Best Conditioner For Dry Hair
Coco & Eve Super Hydrating Cream Conditioner
Including hair damaged from heat, styling and dyes; Coco & Eve’s Super Hydrating Cream Conditioner uses hyaluronic acid, coconut and avocado oil to revive parched and damaged hair, and reverse dryness, coarseness and frizz.
Best Shampoo For Damaged Hair
NEXXUS HAIR Keraphix Shampoo
This shampoo contains an ingredient known as phospholipids (say that three times fast!), which leaves an invisible and weightless coating on hair to render humidity powerless. It is a rainy and muggy day must-have.
Best Conditioner For Damaged Hair
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner
Maybe you’re a dedicated heat styler, maybe you change your hair colour every other week. Whatever your poison, you’ve damaged your hair, and now it’s time for the Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner. This luxurious formula has been designed to balance the hair’s pH, strengthening weakened bonds and generally helping your hair look its happiest and healthiest.
Best Shampoo For Colour-Treated Hair
Kérastase Chroma Absolu Riche Respect Shampoo for Thick Coloured Hair
Coloured your hair one too many times? Can’t decide if you prefer brunette or blonde life? This shampoo is for you. It’s ideal for hair types that are particularly sensitive or have been damaged from over-colouring over the years. The rich formula is designed for damaged, medium to thick hair types, containing lactic acid to gently cleanse, heal and smoothen stressed-out tresses.
Best Conditioner For Colour-Treated Hair
Redken Color Extend Conditioner
This Color Extend Conditioner acts as a hair primer, with benefits like advanced colour retention, anti-fade protection from frequent washing, maximum colour vibrancy and stronger hair with continued use. This conditioner gently detangles, and deeply conditions using cranberry oil and delivers a bright, shiny finish to all hair colours.
Are fragrance free shampoos and conditioners better for your hair?
There’s multiple of reasons why someone might opt to use a fragrance-free shampoo versus a scented one. “For some, it’s because they love the smell of their own perfume and don’t want it to compete with their hair, while for others, it’s a matter of sensitivity to smell or even sensitivity to the skin,” says hairstylist Christin Brown. “Additionally, some may just want to use a product that isn’t loaded with artificial scents for the sake of keeping the unnecessary out of their beauty products.”
If you have allergies or sensitivity to fragrance, this can appear as contact dermatitis, with an itchy, red rash—and yes, natural fragrance can cause skin allergies as well. Some fragrance can also cause migraines to flare so this is another reason why some people may avoid them.
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