Pinning down the best shampoo and conditioner for your hair type can be like finding a needle in a haystack. You’ve got to contend with everything from price points to moisture levels – too much could weigh down your hair but not enough will leave you with straw-like strands – and don’t even get me started on sulphates, silicones and the world of haircare buzzwords.
All of these things play an important role in the state of our strands, so, knowing what works for you is key. As IndyBest’s beauty writer, I’ve tried my fair share of volumising, smoothing and repairing formulas but, at the end of the day, my straight strands only represent a fraction of the different hair textures the industry’s shampoos and conditioners cater to. Thankfully, I’m not a one-man band and so, to save your head from imploding while you sift through all manner of curly, kinky and fine hair formulas, my fellow IndyBest reviewers have been busy testing a wide range of products, to bring you the best of the bunch for every hair type.
That’s right, from coily to wavy, poker-straight to dandruff-prone, we’ve been working up lathers left, right and centre, to bring you a comprehensive list of the best shampoos and conditioners on the market. We browsed both budget and high-end picks to cover all financial bases and added in a sprinkling of our personal favourites (after years of use), too. Here’s how we got on...
How we tested
Testing across eight different hair types, IndyBest’s team of reviewers addressed the following hair textures and concerns:
- Straight hair – tested by Lucy Smith
- Damaged/dry hair – tested by Lucy Smith and Eva-Waite Taylor
- Coloured hair – tested by Annabel Grossman
- Grey/white hair – tested by Mai Davies
- Dandruff-prone and flaky/itchy scalps – tested by Elis Williams
- 3A-3B curls – tested by Ella Duggan
- 3C curls/coils – tested by Nicole Ocran
- Afro hair – tested by Sheilla Mamona
Each tester paid attention to the products’ price, packaging, ingredients and the feel of each formula on their hair, noting how the products performed during washing and the final results after drying their locks. Whether there was any build-up or dryness as a result of using each formula was also taken into consideration, and each tester assessed the formulas’ suitability for their respective hair types. Only the products that performed the best made it into our final edit.
Why you can trust us
As a beauty writer, Lucy has been covering all things haircare and cosmetics since 2020, so she knows which brands do and don’t work. She has also gleaned tips from industry hair professionals such as Gina Conway and Amy Short. For this article, she worked with six other testers, to cover different hair types, each of whom has accrued their own experience in the industry. For instance, Sheilla Mamona is a beauty aficionado (especially on the topic of afro and coily hair) and has written for the likes of Glamour, British Vogue and Marie Claire. Likewise, Ella Duggan is a certified #curlygirl and has written extensively about the topic for IndyBest, speaking to expert trichologists such as Philip Kingsley’s Annabel Kingsley.
The best shampoos and conditioners for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Monday Haircare smooth shampoo (£5, Boots.com) and conditioner (£5, Boots.com)
- Best for curls – Mielle rosemary mint strengthening shampoo (£7.33, Boots.com) and masque (£7.33, Boots.com)
- Best for afro hair – Cécred hydrating shampoo (£31, Cecred.com) and moisturising deep conditioner (£39, Cecred.com)
- Best for coloured hair – Color Wow colour security shampoo (£16.20, Amazon.co.uk) and conditioner (£16.20, Amazon.co.uk)
- Best for greying/white hair – L’Oréal Professionnel shampoo for grey, white or light blonde hair (£13.19, Amazon.co.uk) and conditioner (£13.65, Amazon.co.uk)
Read More
Monday Haircare smooth shampoo
Best: Shampoo overall
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Coconut oil, vitamin E and shea butter
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: For frizzy, coarse, curly and coily hair types, according to the brand, but worked well on fine-medium straight hair, too
Scent: Fresh and lightly floral
Size: 350ml
Why we love it
- Smells lovely
- Leaves hair lightweight and volumised
I’ve been using Monday shampoo since its UK launch in 2021. I love it so much I wrote an entire separate review of its products and, after waxing lyrical about the brand to my friends, I’ve been assured it’s just as wondrous on curly locks as it is on my own straight strands. Upon retesting the shampoo for this round-up, I was impressed once more at how easily the formula lathers, without the use of sulphates, not to mention the fact its indulgent ingredients (shea and coconut oil) don’t weigh down my fine-medium hair at the root.
The scent is lovely and fresh and, for the price, I really don’t think you can go wrong. I’ve probably repurchased this product about five or six times at this point, and I won’t hesitate to do so again.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £5.00, Boots.com
Monday Haircare smooth conditioner
Best: Conditioner overall
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Coconut oil, vitamin E, glycerin and shea butter
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: For frizzy, coarse, curly and coily hair types, according to the brand, but worked well on fine-medium straight hair, too
Scent: Fresh and lightly floral
Size: 350ml
Why we love it
- Ideal for detangling
- You don’t need much
- Doesn’t weigh down hair
While Monday’s smooth shampoo is a dream for clarifying hair without stripping it of moisture, the brand’s conditioner is ideal for working through knots and tangles. Though I have a bob now, I’ve used this formula on rib-length hair in the past and have been impressed with the results – finding it easy to comb through my brittle strands. As such, this conditioner is a wonder for damaged hair and doesn’t require an entire palm’s worth of product to do the job. Upon drying my strands, I love how soft the product leaves my hair and, from an aesthetic point of view, the bottles look #cleangirl-approved in my bathroom.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £5.00, Boots.com
Cécred hydrating shampoo
Best: Shampoo for afro hair
Sulphate-free : Yes
Key ingredients: Bioactive keratin ferment, African oil blend, cationic hyaluronic acid, phyto-collagen complex
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: All hair types
Scent: Oud, sandalwood, warm musk, jasmine, vetiver and violet
Size: 236ml
Why we love it
- Great shine
- A little goes a long way
Take note
- Would have liked a larger bottle
This Cecred hydrating shampoo works harder than most, so, if you’re a co-wash kind of person (washing your hair with conditioner only), you might want to reconsider. It’s not often that curly girls get to say a little goes a long way (as far as shampoo goes, this is rarely the case), but I’m happy to report this formula does. Sure, it’s not ultra foamy – foams can leave hair feeling stripped and dry, post wash, FYI – but it does lather well across the hair strands and gently cleanses curls, without stripping the hair’s natural oils.
The high-slip formula makes coils easy to detangle, and leaves them feeling nourished and manageable. This shampoo is formulated with a sexy infusion of an antioxidant-rich African oil blend and hyaluronic acid, for max hydration – this helps promote hair health, moisture retention and leaves your hair shiny and moisturised, even post-drying.
While it’s free of silicones and parabens, the price point may be a bit high for some but, overall, it works exceptionally hard to maintain healthy, hydrated curls.
- Sheilla Mamona
Buy now £29.00, Cecred.com
Cécred moisturising deep conditioner
Best: Conditioner for afro hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Shea and murumuru butter, African oil blend, hyssop extract
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Dry, damaged and textured hair
Scent: Oud, sandalwood, jasmine and musk
Size: 300ml
Why we love it
- Restores elasticity
- Gives shine to curls
Take note
- It’s thick, so requires some lather to spread evenly
Specially formulated for Afro-textured hair in need of intense hydration, this conditioner is a moisture boost in a jar. It’s rich in shea butter and an African oil blend, which coat strands for smooth, defined curls and coils. The squalane seals the hair cuticles; the hyssop extract is antioxidant-rich and is there for shine; and hyaluronic acid helps to lock-in moisture.
The thick, creamy consistency makes it perfect for tackling knots and tangles, leaving hair soft, shiny, and manageable. Meanwhile, the luxurious scent and nourishing formula make it a standout – its rich texture means you’ll need to rinse thoroughly to avoid residue, though.
- Sheilla Mamona
Buy now £36.00, Cecred.com
Living Proof full shampoo
Best: Shampoo for volume
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Amino cleansing complex, peptides, marine algae, strengthening phytantriol and soy protein
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Fine, flat hair, including coloured hair
Scent: Fresh and crisp apple
Size: 236ml
Why we love it
- Cleans the hair thoroughly with just one wash, no rinse and repeat required
- Doesn’t require much product
- Leaves roots fluffy and lifted, without drying ends
As someone who’s a religious user of the Living Proof perfect hair day dry shampoo, I had high hopes for the brand’s full shampoo. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint, and I could tell from that first scrunch of shampoo into my roots that it was going to lather well and cleanse effectively. What I didn’t know was whether or not it would dry out my hair, however, I’m please to say it did not and, in fact, achieved the perfect lifted-roots-to-moisturised-ends ratio. There wasn’t so much as a hint of grease around my hairline, nor a split end eeking into my line of sight. I don’t doubt those split ends remain but the shampoo (together with the conditioner) somehow smoothed them into be unnoticeable.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £29.00, Spacenk.com
Living Proof full conditioner
Best: Conditioner for volume
Sulphate-free : Yes
Key ingredients: The brand’s humidity-proofing patented ‘healthy hair molecule’, smoothing behentrimonium chloride, soy protein, peptides, squalane and marine algae
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Fine, flat hair, including coloured hair
Scent: Fresh and crisp apple
Size: 236ml
Why we love it
- Minimal product required to hydrate all strands
- Smells delicious and scent lingers on hair
- Works well with air drying
Much like the shampoo above, Living Proof’s full conditioner left me in awe, with my post-wash hair appearing soft, silky and bouncily tousled. This was all after air drying and zero heat styling. What’s more, I could smell the brand’s signature fresh scent with every flick of my head – a big plus for us fragrance fanatics. I loved how the conditioner brought out my colour’s natural highlights and, with the fine-medium thickness of my hair, I found this formula to be uber moisturising, without leaving my roots slicked to my scalp. Full marks, no notes.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £29.00, Spacenk.com
Mielle rosemary mint strengthening shampoo
Best: Shampoo for curls
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Biotin, coconut oil, babassu seed oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, ginger root oil, chamomile extract, nettle extract and honey
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: For all hair types, though especially good for curly tresses
Scent: Rosemary and mint
Size: 355ml
Why we love it
- Refreshing scent
- Curl defining
- Boosts volume
- Super hydrating
I love this brand, and I love this shampoo. Without sounding too hyperbolic, I credit this power product with my life-changing curl revolution. The difference with this shampoo is its focus on strength and hydration. Lots of formulas can claim to battle frizz but Mielle products fight the issue at the cause: dehydration. The formula is rich in nutrients such as fortitude biotin, which encourages healthy hair growth and reinforces the hair’s natural structure. It’s a real saviour for the curly girls who are finally putting down the straighteners in favour of embracing their natural pattern.
The shampoo lathers really well, and a little goes a long way. Plus, the powerful minty scent was a welcome change from the sickly fruity shampoos I’m oh-so familiar with. The definition this shampoo provides for my curls is thus far unmatched – they’re so springy and light without any of that crispy texture so many other curl-defining products leave behind.
- Ella Duggan
Buy now £10.99, Boots.com
Mielle rosemary mint strengthening masque
Best: Conditioner for curls
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Rosemary, sesame seed oil, honey, aloe vera, olive oil, babassu oil, ginger oil, rosemary oil, jojoba oil, chamomile extract, nettle extract, peppermint extract and coconut oil
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: For all hair types, though especially good for curly tresses
Scent: Rosemary and mint
Size: 340ml
Why we love it
- Boosts volume
- Super hydrating
- Leaves hair soft to the touch
- Great shine
Take note
- The masque may be too think for finer hair
While it’s not a classic conditioner, I actually use this masque as my go-to conditioning treatment on wash days, leaving it on for around 10 minutes. This leaves my hair feeling utterly buttery and smooth, as the luxurious texture of the cream coats every last thirsty strand. The masque uses a cocktail of classic hydrating ingredients, such as coconut oil, honey, peppermint oil and, of course, rosemary, for added botanical nourishment and to help strengthen the hair long-term.
Once dried using a diffuser, my curls had a new lease on life after using this product. Immediately, there were improvements in the volume, definition and shine, which only increased after each use. Carrie Bradshaw curls are well and truly in sight, thanks to this product and the brand’s shampoo.
While the brand describes the masque as suitable for all hair types, I think the thickness of the formula could lead to some build-up issues for those with finer hair.
- Ella Duggan
Buy now £10.99, Boots.com
Color Wow color security shampoo
Best: Shampoo for coloured hair
Suplhate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Glycerin, keratin, ‘Japanese amino-fortified complex’ and protein base
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Coloured hair, plus coarse, oily, thinning, fragile, frizzy, chemically treated, curly, dry and damaged hair, according to the brand
Scent: Clean and aloe vera-esque
Size: 250ml
Why we love it
- Sulphate and paraben-free
- Good value
- Suitable for extensions
Take note
- Not great for easily tangled hair
I’ve yet to find a shampoo that perfectly preserves the blonde in my hair but this option from Color Wow does a pretty great job. Almost 12 weeks since my last colour treatment and the blonde is still bright, with very little sign of brassiness. Crucially, for me, neither this shampoo nor the matching conditioner (see below) contain sulphates or parabens, which makes a real difference to my hair. After using Color Wow, my strands felt clean and fresh rather than weighed down.
- Annabel Grossman
Buy now £14.35, Amazon.co.uk
Color Wow colour security conditioner, for normal to thick colour-treated hair
Best: Conditioner for coloured hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Heat protection, avocado oil, smoothing behentrimonium chloride, argan oil, keratin, rice protein and fatty acids
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Coloured hair, plus coarse, oily, thinning, fragile, frizzy, chemically treated, curly, dry and damaged hair, according to the brand
Scent: Clean and aloe vera-esque
Size: 250ml
Why we love it
- Includes three types of heat protector
- Effectively preserves blonde colour
- Impressive roster of ingredients
Take note
- Could be more moisturising
Constantly dying my hair has inevitably left it dry and brittle, so, I would have liked this conditioner to be a little more moisturising, especially considering I tested the version of the formula that’s for medium to thick hair (there’s also a fine to medium iteration). That said, I have noticed fewer split ends than usual, and my hair feels stronger. Plus, the conditioner is excellent value, compared with some other formulas that do a similar job but come with a much steeper price tag.
- Annabel Grossman
Buy now £16.20, Amazon.co.uk
Lush tofu cream shampoo
Best: Shampoo for damaged hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Soya, agave, olive oil and rice vinegar
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: All hair textures but especially curly/coily dry and damaged hair
Scent: Gourmand
Size: 200ml
Why we love it
- Lovely cream-to-foam texture
- Great for travel
Take note
- A pricier option, considering the size
Curly hair tends to be drier, due to the tightness of the coil and the length of time it takes for natural oils to get to the ends of your hair. I always want to inject and retain as much moisture and hydration into my hair as possible, even when shampooing and cleansing, so, it’s really important for me to choose shampoos that aren’t stripping.
Lush is known for its natural, vegan ingredients and what I love about tofu is that boost of vegan protein is just what my hair needs when it’s feeling dry and damaged. I love that this is a cream-to-foam formula that lathers once you rub it between your hands or through your hair, which makes it very handy for travel, because there’s no opportunities for leakage. This shampoo is SLS-free (sodium laurel sulphate) and uses rice vinegar for cleansing. This shampoo feels super lightweight and it’s great for all hair types, especially dryer/damaged ones.
- Nicole Ocran
Buy now £20.00, Lush.com
Lush glory conditioner
Best: Conditioner for damaged hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Okra, coconut oil, olive oil and castor oil
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Thicker hair textures, and especially curly/coily dry and damaged hair
Scent: Zesty
Size: 200ml
Why we love it
- Rich
- Hydrating
Take note
- Again, a pricier option for the size you get
Lush products seem to make my hair happy, and the scents are just dreamy – when I use the brand’s formulas, it feels like I’m having a spa day in my bathroom.
Glory’s ingredients include okra, coconut oil, olive oil and castor oil, which are rich ingredients for thick hair and curly/coily textures. That being said, you might not get on too well with this if you have fine hair. Instead, I’d advise using it as a mask or once-a-week treatment, to really enjoy the hydrating benefits, without feeling like your hair is weighed down.
I have thick, 3C-type hair that gets dry and tangles easily, and I find this conditioner is the best when it comes to helping me smooth out frizz and get rid of knots. My only gripe is the price, though it’s worth the money for the natural, cruelty-free ingredients as well as Lush’s brand ethics in terms of production and employee value.
- Nicole Ocran
Buy now £20.00, Lush.com
K18 hair damage shield pH protective shampoo
Best: Shampoo for damaged curls
Sulphate-free : Yes
Key ingredients: K18peptide and plant-derived surfactants
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: All hair types
Scent: Citrus
Size: 250ml
Why we love it
- It helps restore health of weak, brittle and damaged curls and coils
Take note
- Pricey
If you’ve suffered from brittle, damaged curls, you’ll be pleased to know K18 has developed a genius formula that manages to cleanse your curls and scalp without causing dryness – crucial for maintaining the health of afro hair. The brand’s patent K18peptide, effectively prevents protein loss, which is even suitable for colour-treated curls and coils and leaves damaged hair feeling nourished and strong after a single wash.
By replicating the hair's natural pH level, this formula can be gentle on fine, brittle hair strands yet remain effective. You don’t have to use much of it to see results (although, it works much better in combination with the brand’s leave-in repair hair mask). The only downside is while it does deliver on moisture and repairs hair after a few uses, it works harder in combination with the mask and they’re both at the higher end of the price scale.
- Sheilla Mamona
Buy now £39.00, Spacenk.com
K18 biomimetic hairscience damage shield protective conditioner
Best: Conditioner for damaged curls
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: K18peptide, amaranth protein, and hemisqualane
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: All hair types, especially damaged or colour-treated hair
Scent: Light citrus
Size: 250ml
Why we love it
- Reduces breakage and frizz
- Boosts hair strength
Take note
- Works best paired with other (expensive) K18 products
This is a lightweight, high-performance conditioner designed to repair and shield hair from damage. Formulated with the patented K18peptide, it restores protein bonds to reverse damage from heat, chemical treatments, and everyday stressors. It’s also formulated with amaranth protein and hemisqualane, to add a boost of hydration, reduce frizz, and provide a protective barrier, leaving hair soft, smooth, and strong.
It has a lightweight formula that doesn’t weigh down curls, while still providing intense nourishment, making it ideal for all hair types. For best results, it works well in conjunction with the K18 leave-in repair mask (£30, Spacenk.com) and, while it delivers impressive results in hair texture and strength, the premium price tag makes it more of an investment buy.
- Sheilla Mamona
Buy now £39.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Amika hydro rush intense moisture shampoo
Best: Shampoo for medium thickness hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, fermented coconut water and sea algae
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Dry, textured or coarse hair types 2a-4c, according to the brand
Scent: Vanilla, citrus
Size: 275ml
Why we love it
- Lathers well
- A little goes a long way
- Softens hair
- Packaging allows you to eek out every last drop
Take note
- Needs to be rinsed thoroughly, to prevent build-up
- Scent doesn’t linger
A shampoo at the higher end of the price scale, Amika’s hydro rush is a great choice for those with straight hair that’s dry, been heat damaged or is in need of a trim. For the majority of testing, my hair was actually long enough to graze the top of my ribs, rather than the shoulder-length style shown above and, after squeezing a generous Oreo-sized circle of this product onto my palm, I was pleased to discover a much smaller amount of the formula was adequate to coat the lengths of my hair.
Upon lathering, it has a pleasantly sweet (not sickly) scent and I found it easy to work into the oilier areas of my scalp. While some shampoos can leave a squeaky clean feel in their wake, this one left my wet hair feeling smoothed. Likewise, upon blow-drying, my roots remained lifted and silky. I did occasionally find a slight build-up of product left in the upper lengths of my hair, owing to an inadequate amount of rinsing in the shower – on this front, I’d dub it a better formula for those with a touch more time on their hands. Not, like me, someone who’s always five-minutes behind schedule.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £26.00, Spacenk.com
Amika hydro rush intense moisture conditioner
Best: Conditioner for medium thickness hair
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, fermented coconut water, sea algae shea butter, and jojoba seed oil
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Described as being suitable for “dry, textured or coarse hair types 2A-4C” but isn’t, in my opinion, deeply hydrating enough for 3B-4C hair
Scent: Vanilla, citrus
Size: 275ml
Why we love it
- Doesn’t overload the hair with grease
- Works great on short hair
- Leaves you with soft, silky strands
Take note
- Not suitable for knotty or brittle hair
While Amika’s hydro rush shampoo was a top choice for my longer, dry and frazzled strands, I found the conditioner to be better suited to my healthy, recently cut hair. Upon testing with lots of split ends and brittle mid-lengths, I found myself using a hefty amount of product only to come up short when detangling. However, with my newly chopped locks, I found that just a grape-sized amount of the conditioner would adequately coat and hydrate the ends without overly saturating the grease-prone roots. In terms of finish, my styled hair felt soft and appeared velvety sleek.
- Lucy Smith
Buy now £26.00, Boots.com
Oribe gold lust repair and restore shampoo
Best: Luxury shampoo
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: ‘Bio-restorative complex’ (collagen, caffeine, biotin and niacinamide), argan oil, amino acids and moisturising cypress extract
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Medium-thick, dry/damaged hair
Scent: Fruity and fresh, with watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower
Size: 250ml (75ml and 1l options are also available)
Why we love it
- Smells delightful
- Lathers easily and a little goes a long way, especially considering it’s sulphate-free
- Leaves hair deeply moisturised
Take note
- Doesn’t really like mixing with leave-in conditioners, as the hair is then over moisturised
- Expensive
This is my second bottle of Oribe’s gold lust shampoo and I’ve been just as impressed this time around as I was with my first encounter with the brand. It’s annoying, really, how much I love this shampoo, given its premium price point. From the heavenly scent to the easy lather and luxury packaging, it’s certainly a formula worth hyping, though.
What’s more, it’s from a deeply moisturising collection of products and, for supremely dry and brittle strands, the brand even offers a matching hair oil (£38, Spacenk.com) and heat-protection spray (£42, Cultbeauty.co.uk) – I’m an avid fan of both.
While this could be taken as a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it, the gold lust shampoo and conditioner don’t love – in my experience – to be paired with subsequent serums and leave-in products. Of course, given the price of the products, it’s a blessing that they don’t require an onslaught of extra products, though, it can prove a little annoying if you’re styling with heat afterwards and your existing heat protector spray is (as many are) a two-in-one conditioner. I suppose, conveniently, this is an incentive to invest in the brand’s own dry heat protector.
Buy now £54.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Oribe gold lust repair and restore conditioner
Best: Luxury conditioner
Sulphate-free: Yes
Key ingredients: Strengthening protein blend, ‘Bio-restorative complex’, argan oil and cypress extract
Cruelty-free: Yes
Hair type: Medium-thick, dry/damaged hair
Scent
