The 15 Best Sulfate-Free Shampoos

Within the last few years, sulfate-free shampoos have grown in popularity. I’m a fan, but I wanted to address a few questions regarding these shampoos and provide a list of 15 of the most popular on the market today.

Is sulfate-free better for your hair?

I quickly saw that my normal shampoo was refusing to work on my naturally curly hair after I transitioned from chemically straightened hair to my naturally curly hair. I could not get my hair to grow no matter how much conditioner, oil, or product I used. My hair had become frizzy, dry, and nearly impossible to manage. Let’s not even talk about split ends!

Hair stylists like Lorraine Massey and Anthony Dickey point the finger at sulfate shampoo. Since the 1980s, these companies have urged consumers to look for “low “poo” (low sulfate) or sulfate-free shampoos. The sulfates are typically listed as sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laurel sulfate and are abbreviated as SLS.

What’s the deal with SLS?

If it’s been in our shampoo for decades, it can’t be that harmful, right? Wrong. Despite erroneous rumors, it is a popular detergent found in a wide range of home products, including laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, and so on. Just look at your labels if you don’t trust me. (I did it myself.)

I would use sulfate-free shampoo only for this reason. I don’t want to use the same detergent on my hair, skin, or baby that I use on my clothing and dishes.

I’ve only used sulfate-free shampoo, body soap, and baby wash, and I’ve seen less eczema flare-ups and dry scalp/dry skin, less frizzy hair, and smoother skin – my hair even appears to respond better to my hair products after each shampoo!

So, if you’re considering about switching to a sulfate-free shampoo, here’s a list of 15 options to consider:

1. Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo

Image Source: Aveeno — IMAGE SOURCE: AVEENO

The Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo combines the power of seaweed extract with naturally derived cleansers. Despite the lack of sulfates, this formula lifts away impurities without drying them out. This treatment maintains optimal moisture levels in your hair, resulting in shiny, healthier-looking hair. Colored hair can also benefit from this treatment. (via Aveeno)

2. Bee Mine Moisturizing Shampoo

Image Source: — IMAGE SOURCE: BE MINE ORGANICS

Bee Mine Botanical Moisturizing Shampoo is formulated with botanical ingredients to gently wash, remove residue, moisturize, and enhance natural shine while gently cleansing, removing residue, and moisturizing hair. It makes hair feel silky and smooth to the touch. The scalp will be nourished and the hair will be strengthened without being stripped or weighed down. This botanical moisturizing shampoo will cleanse, moisturize, and quench your parched dry hair. (via Bee Mine)

3. Curls Curlicious Cleansing Cream

Curls Curlicious Cleansing Cream is a cleansing cream, not a shampoo, thus there aren’t many suds. It’s extremely gentle. Curls also uses certified organic components in many of their products. (via Curls)

4. Eden BodyWorks JojOba Monoi Moisturizing Shampoo

JojOba Monoi Moisturizing Shampoo by Eden BodyWorks is designed with the purest botanical ingredients to naturally wash pollutants and nourish your hair without harsh detergents. It’s designed to remove debris and oil build-up while also restoring the natural moisture balance of the hair and scalp. (via Eden)

5. L’Oreal EverStrong Sulfate-Free Fortify System

The L’Oreal EverStrong Sulfate-Free Fortify System uses L’Oreal’s proprietary Amino Acid Complex to help weak, thinning hair look thicker while also caring for the scalp. (via L’Oreal)

6. Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo

Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo was a pioneer in the sulfate-free movement, long before others followed suit. It was one of the first I tested, and I continue to use it. (via Amazon)

7. Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream

Anthony Dickey’s Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream is a moisturizing no-suds shampoo for dry hair. According to the company, it was designed as a hair care product with the same philosophy as skincare, which is that if you have dry skin, you wouldn’t wash your face with a bar of detergent, and so you shouldn’t use traditional shampoos that contain sulfates (found in detergents) because they also rob your hair of moisture. (via Hair Rules)

8. Audrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo

Restorative herbal emollients in Audrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo help you attain ultra-softness and manageability by rehydrating hair fibers to combat dryness and brittleness, leaving hair irresistibly fragrant and silky-soft. (via Amazon)

9. Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo

Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo is gentle on your hair and suitable for all hair types. (via Jessicurl)

10. Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo

Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo is a chelating shampoo that is devoid of sulfates. The term “cheleating” refers to the process of removing hard water minerals. This shampoo is also fantastic for eliminating chlorine from summer pool dips! (via Kinky Curly)

11. Living Proof Full Shampoo

Living Proof Full Shampoo is a sulfate-free daily shampoo designed to help flat, lifeless hair. It gently cleanses hair of grime, oil, and product residue while thoroughly cleansing it. (via Living Proof)

12. Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo

Orangix Hair claims that all of their collections are sulfate-free. Because it nourishes and strengthens hair, I opted to highlight Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo. (via Amazon)

13. Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Moisturizing Lather Shampoo

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Moisturizing Lather Shampoo is one of the last sulfate-free shampoos on the market. Keep an eye out for this line, which is very new and only available at a few salons, so keep an eye out. (via Amazon)

14. Sheamoisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo

Image Source: Amazon — IMAGE SOURCE: AMAZON

Sheamoisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo is a sulfate-free shampoo created with certified organic components that is based on shea butter. I’ve tested a lot of Sheamoisture products and have yet to find one that I didn’t enjoy. (via Amazon)

15. Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo

The Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo is not labeled as a sulfate-free product, however there are no SDS or SLS stated in the full ingredient list. (via Aveda)