The Best Shampoo and Conditioner For Your Hair Type | Seen in CNN Underscored

No matter how minimal the hair care routine, shampoo and conditioner are the foundation to keeping your hair healthy. When it comes to finding products that will best serve your hair’s needs and goals, there is no one-size-fits-all. Dr. Alexandra Bowles, as seen in a CNN Underscored article, shares the best ingredients suited for your specific hair type when choosing a shampoo and conditioner.

The purpose of shampoo and conditioner

Shampoo is the cleansing step in a hair care routine. Its main purpose is to remove excess oil, sweat, dead skin cells, product buildup, and environmental debris from the scalp and hair. Keeping the scalp clean is important because a healthy scalp supports healthy hair growth. I usually recommend choosing a shampoo based on your scalp type, since that’s where shampoo does most of its work.

Conditioner serves a different purpose. While shampoo cleanses, conditioner helps replenish moisture, smooth the hair shaft, and improve manageability. It can help reduce tangles, frizz, and breakage while making the hair feel softer and look shinier. For most people, I recommend applying conditioner primarily to the mid-lengths and ends, where dryness and damage tend to be most noticeable.

Essential ingredients for maintaining overall hair health

When I think about maintaining overall hair health, I usually focus on ingredients that support both the scalp and the hair shaft. A healthy scalp creates the foundation for healthy hair growth, so ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, and gentle moisturizers can be beneficial. For the hair itself, I often look for ingredients that help strengthen and protect the hair fiber, such as proteins, amino acids, and conditioning agents. Hydrating ingredients like glycerin and panthenol can also help maintain moisture and improve the overall appearance and feel of the hair. Ultimately, the best ingredients depend on an individual’s hair type and concerns, but maintaining a healthy balance of cleansing, hydration, and protection is key.

What are the best ingredients for my hair type?

Dry or Damaged Hair

For dry or damaged hair, I usually recommend looking for ingredients that help restore moisture and strengthen the hair shaft. Ingredients like shea butter, argan oil, coconut oil, and glycerin can help improve hydration and reduce dryness. Proteins such as hydrolyzed keratin or amino acids may also help reinforce weakened strands and improve the appearance of damage. I find that ceramides can be particularly helpful because they support the hair cuticle and help reduce moisture loss. When hair is dry or damaged, the goal is to replenish moisture while also protecting the hair from further breakage.

Frizzy Hair

Frizz is often a sign that the hair is lacking moisture or that the cuticle has become raised. For this reason, I typically recommend ingredients that help smooth and seal the hair cuticle. Silicone-based ingredients, argan oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter can all help reduce frizz and improve manageability. Humectants like glycerin can also help attract moisture to the hair, although they may work differently depending on the climate. I think of frizz control as a combination of hydration and cuticle protection.

Oily Hair

For oily hair, I usually recommend focusing on ingredients that help balance excess oil without over-drying the scalp. Ingredients like salicylic acid can help remove excess oil and product buildup from the scalp. Niacinamide may also be beneficial because it can help regulate oil production while supporting the skin barrier. Lightweight formulas are often preferable, as heavier oils and conditioning ingredients can sometimes make oily hair feel weighed down. The goal is to cleanse effectively while maintaining a healthy scalp environment.

Thinning Hair

When it comes to thinning hair, I typically look for ingredients that support scalp health and healthy hair growth. Minoxidil remains one of the most well-studied ingredients available for certain types of hair loss. Other ingredients commonly found in hair growth products include peptides, caffeine, and niacinamide, which may help support the scalp environment and improve the appearance of fuller hair over time. I always remind patients that thinning hair can have many different causes, so identifying the underlying reason is an important part of choosing the right treatment. Consistency is also key, as results often take several months to become noticeable.

Curly or Textured Hair

Curly and textured hair tends to be naturally drier because oils from the scalp have a harder time traveling down the hair shaft. For this reason, I usually recommend ingredients that provide long-lasting moisture and help improve elasticity. Shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, glycerin, and ceramides can all be beneficial. I also find that leave-in conditioners and products containing moisturizing ingredients can help reduce breakage and improve curl definition. Maintaining hydration is often one of the most important priorities for curly and textured hair.

Men’s Hair

The best ingredients for men really depend on their individual hair concerns rather than gender alone. For men experiencing thinning hair, ingredients like minoxidil, peptides, and caffeine may be helpful. If excess oil is a concern, ingredients such as salicylic acid or niacinamide can support scalp health and help manage buildup. For dry or damaged hair, moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, and natural oils can be beneficial. I usually encourage patients to focus on their specific scalp and hair needs rather than choosing products simply because they are marketed toward men.

Color-Treated Hair

Color-treated hair is often more prone to dryness and damage, so I usually recommend products that cleanse gently while helping maintain moisture. Shampoos designed for color-treated hair often use milder cleansing agents and include hydrating ingredients that help minimize color fading and keep the hair looking healthy. I typically suggest looking for products labeled specifically for color-treated hair, as well as ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, ceramides, and conditioning oils. Sulfate-free shampoos can also be a good option because they tend to cleanse more gently. Conditioner is especially important because it helps replenish moisture, smooth the hair cuticle, and reduce breakage. The goal is to protect both the color and the overall health of the hair so it stays vibrant, soft, and manageable.

What are some of the best drugstore options for shampoo and conditioner?

There are a number of excellent drugstore shampoos and conditioners available today, and I think many people are surprised by how effective some of these formulations have become. For general hair health, I like L’Oréal Paris EverPure, particularly for color-treated hair, because it offers gentle cleansing and conditioning without sulfates. Dove Intensive Repair is another option I find works well for dry or damaged hair because it helps improve softness and manageability while remaining affordable. For individuals looking for additional hydration, Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal is a reliable choice that helps replenish moisture and reduce dryness.

What are the differences between these products and higher-end products?

What makes these products good options is that they often contain many of the same beneficial ingredients found in more expensive products, such as conditioning agents, humectants, proteins, and moisturizing oils. They are also widely available and generally provide consistent results for a variety of hair types and concerns. The biggest difference between drugstore and higher-end products is often not the basic cleansing or conditioning performance, but rather the overall formulation experience. Higher-end products may offer more customization to concern, by containing more specialized ingredients, proprietary technologies, or higher concentrations of certain actives. That said, a higher price tag does not automatically mean a product will work better for everyone. I usually encourage patients to focus on finding products that address their specific hair and scalp needs rather than assuming the most expensive option is necessarily the best one.

Dr. Bowles’ Favorite Shampoo and conditioners

L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner – I often recommend this line for color-treated hair because it cleanses gently while helping maintain moisture and reduce color fading. It’s a great option for people who want an affordable, sulfate-free formula that supports overall hair health.

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner – This is a nice choice for dry or damaged hair. I find that it helps improve softness and manageability while reducing the appearance of damage from heat styling or chemical processing. It’s also widely available and works well for many hair types.

Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo – For patients dealing with dandruff or scalp flaking, this is one of the products I recommend most often. It contains ketoconazole, an antifungal ingredient that helps address one of the common underlying causes of dandruff while also improving scalp health.

Nutrafol Strand Defender Shampoo & Conditioner – This line can be a good option for individuals concerned about thinning hair or increased shedding. I like that it focuses on supporting both the scalp and hair fiber, which are important components of maintaining healthy-looking hair over time. While no shampoo alone can reverse hair loss, it can be a helpful part of a broader hair growth routine.