10 Best Shampoos For Curly Hair – Curly Girl Approved, Sulfate Free, & Silicone Free

If you’re following the curly girl method, you need to make sure you’re using a cowash or curly girl approved shampoo! Here I’m sharing the BEST curly hair shampoos out there.

With the exception of clarifying, the shampoo you use on a regular basis should be sulfate free, silicone free, and drying alcohol free.

And while many curly girls cowash, for others like me, it works better to use a low poo, also known as a sulfate free curly girl method approved shampoo, whether it’s every wash day or alternating with a cowash.

Read on to find our top picks for shampoo for curly hair.

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Why Use A Shampoo On Curly Hair?

Low poo shampoo lathers and cleanses without stripping curls of its natural oils. These are specifically formulated to be gentle on curls which tend to be dryer than other hair types.

Compared to cowash, a shampoo will remove more buildup and leave your hair and scalp cleaner. You need to be sure you’re using a shampoo on a regular basis to avoid buildup and scalp issues. Strictly using cowash is not recommended.

If you’re struggling with cowashing, then give a low poo a try to see if it works better for you. Especially for those with thin or fine hair, low poo shampoo tends to work better since it’s not as moisturizing and heavy.

Also, don’t forget to clarify! Find curly girl clarifying shampoo and tips here.

How Often Can You Shampoo Curly Hair?

I get lots of questions about how often you can use a low poo shampoo. If your shampoo is curly girl approved – meaning it doesn’t have silicone, sulfate, or drying alcohols, then you can use it as often as you want!

You can shampoo daily if you have to. There is no reason to stretch out your washes as long as possible. All that is doing is negatively affecting the health of your scalp.

Choosing The Right Shampoo For your Curls

Consider how much moisture you need in your products as that’s the biggest factor when choosing a shampoo.

There are sulfate free shampoos (low poo) which are more gentle and moisturizing, and clarifying shampoos which are stronger to remove buildup. For daily use, go with a low poo shampoo. Clarifying shampoos should be used less frequently, about once a month.

You can check out my product matching guide to help you choose the right products for your hair type. This guide will show you how to identify your hair type and characteristics, provide some styling tips, and list exact products that will work on your hair type. Click here for more info.

The 10 Best Curly Hair shampoos

I chose the following products based on a few points:

• effectiveness at cleansing
• ease of use
• ingredient quality
• concentration – how much you need to use
• buildup potential

I have assigned a number from 1 to 5 for each category, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.

1. Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath – best overall for all hair types

Innersense has 3 lines but the Pure Harmony is loved by all curl types. If you want more moisture go with the Hydrating line and for color treated hair the Color Radiance line is equally amazing.

They all have a light scent, are made with organic ingredients, and are extremely concentrated so they should last a while. All lines require water to get them to foam. Shop Innersense Shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 4
• ease of use – 4
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

2. EVOLVh SmartCurl – best lathering low poo

EVOLVh is one of my favorite lines for my fine hair. It’s less moisturizing than others, providing a deeper cleanse but still delivering moisture to my curls. It may be too drying for anyone with thick, dry curls so keep that in mind. It has a grapefruit scent and produces a nice, fluffy lather without much product. Shop the EVOLVh SmartCurl Shampoo here. Code HE15 saves you 15%.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 5
• ease of use – 5
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

3. Hask Biotin Thickening Shampoo – best for thinning

Hask Biotin shampoo is formulated to strengthen strands and and Tri-level Thickening OCmplex to volumize,s well as biotin and collagen for thicker looking hair. This shampoo lathers nicely without stripping hair and has a strong spa-like scent. Shop Hask Biotin Shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 4
• ease of use – 5
• ingredient quality – 4
• concentration – 4
• buildup potential – low

4. TreLuxe Curl Renew & Restore – best for dry, thirsty curls

The TreLuxe cleanser is the most hydrating shampoo on this list. It has the least lather and the strongest scent. It’s very popular for those with dry and thick hair that don’t like really cleansing shampoos but need something more than a cowash. Shop the TreLuxe Curl Renew & Restore Shampoo here. Code holisticenchilada15 saves you 15%.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 3
• ease of use – 4
• ingredient quality – 3
• concentration – 3
• buildup potential – moderate

5. Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo – best unscented option

The Jessicurl shampoo is also really popular and I love that you can get their products unscented if you want. The quality is great and it works on all curl types, though it’s a little more moisturizing than others. It creates a gentle creamy lather that doesn’t strip hair of moisture. Shop the Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 4
• ease of use – 4
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

6. Raw Curls – Organic Cleanser & Wavy Swavy Cleanser – best organic & water soluble shampoo

This is the brand that revived my curls, but it is a little tricky to figure out. The original cleanser is very low foaming and best for hair that needs more moisture. The Swavy line foams more and provides a better cleanse. Both require water to activate and create a lather. May need to use twice for a deeper clean. Shop the Raw Curls Shampoos here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 3 for Original /4 for Swavy
• ease of use – 3
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

7. Briogeo Curl Charisma – most like conventional shampoo

This shampoo is the most like traditional shampoo. It lathers well but isn’t drying and has a slightly strong scent. Shop the Briogeo Curl Charisma Shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 5
• ease of use – 5
• ingredient quality – 4
• concentration – 3
• buildup potential – low to moderate

8. Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo – best affordable curly girl shampoo

This is the most affordable low poo on this list but the quality is still there. While the ingredient quality is not of the other high-end brand, it’s a great option because of how effective and gentle it is while still being water soluble. It’s the most moisturizing option from Giovanni, so if you want less moisture check out the 50:50 and Root 66 lines. Shop Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 5
• ease of use – 5
• ingredient quality – 3
• concentration – 3
• buildup potential – very low

9. MopTop Gentle Shampoo – Best Affordable Runner Up

This shampoo has a nice light scent, foams nicely, and doesn’t dry out your hair. This also needs more water to activate it. Shop MopTop Salon Gentle Shampoo here. Use code HE10 to save.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 5
• ease of use – 4
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

10. EVOLVh InstaVolume Cleansing Treatment – best For Volume

This volumizing shampoo truly is the best at adding volume. It has lots of lather and a nice subtle clean scent. When using this, you need to leave it in for a few minutes to get the most out of it. Shop InstaVolume shampoo here.

• effectiveness at cleansing – 5
• ease of use – 4
• ingredient quality – 5
• concentration – 5
• buildup potential – very low

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If you’re new to the curly girl method, I recommend you check out my post on affordable curly girl approved products to start off.

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If you want help with embracing your naturally wavy or curly hair, you can join my FREE email course and download my FREE pdf guide, THE QUICK START GUIDE TO MASTERING YOUR CURLS, full of everything you need to know to get started and bring out your beautiful waves and curls.

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