For most of my life, my hair looked the same: stick-straight Asian strands, and a simple middle part. I always thought if I wasn’t treating my hair with heat or chemicals, it must be healthy. However, after experiencing a stressful season three years ago, I noticed my hair density decreased significantly. It was time to revisit my hair care products, and even simple habits like the way I dry my hair (Previous Post: 12 Affordable Tips to Protect Your Hair). After experimenting with different products for the past 2 years, I am happy to report on the best and worst shampoo brands I’ve tried so far.
Disclaimer: This post makes use of affiliate links for products I recommend. Purchases through these links may result in a small commission at no additional cost to you.
(Affiliate links directly shoppable in the image below)
In the rest of this post, I share about the following brands I tried (in order). If there is a particular brand you are curious about, feel free to scroll to that particular section.
- Bondi Boost: Austrialian-made vegan hair growth focused brand
- OGX Biotin Shampoo: Unfortunately had a class action lawsuit in 2021 – I cannot recommend this product, but shared my thoughts for the time I had it.
- Function of Beauty: Affordable and customizable haircare brand you can find at Target.
- Dae Hair: Desert-inspired haircare brand that newly launched in Sephora.
- Vegamour: Vegan hair growth brand fueled by biotechnology (read my FULL brand review HERE)
- Amika Hair Mask
BONDI BOOST HG SHAMPOO
Price: Expensive (10 oz. bottle = $308)
Ingredients: Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Saw Palmetto. Paraben, silicon, and sulfate-free.
Special Claims: Supports hair growth, and prevents scalp build-up.
Recommend? Yes – decent shampoo.
Review: Bondi Boost is an Australian haircare brand that has recently gained momentum. Due to its clean ingredients, I notice the shampoo does not lather very much. However, the trick is to emuslify a few pumps into your palm first. This step helps to distribute product more evenly across your scalp. The fragrance is a light peppermint, that fades quickly.
I have tried both their HG (Hair Growth) Shampoo, and HG Conditioner for 6-months. It took a while for me to love the product because the scent is subtle. However, my scalp does feel clean each time, and my hair feels hydrated. The actual hair growth, however, has been harder to measure as I also use Vegamour GRO Hair serum on the side.
BEST AND WORST SHAMPOO BRANDS: OGX BIOTIN & COLLAGEN SHAMPOO
Price: Very Affordable (10 oz. bottle under $10 at Target and Ulta)
Ingredients: Sulfate and paraben-free. Vitamin B7 (biotin), hydrolyzed collagen. Contains ‘Fragrance’ and DMDM Hydratonin (an ingredient linked to hair loss)
Special Claims: Thickens and voluminizes hair.
Recommend? No – this product underwent a class action lawsuit in 2021.
Review: This OGX shampoo was one of the first products I tried when I started looking for better shampoo. The affordable price was alluring, and the product lathers well with a pleasant fragrance. However, I ultimately stopped using it once the bad news broke:
- OGX shampoo contains ‘fragrance.’ Unfortunately, this term is highly unregulated and can contain toxic scented chemicals.
- There is no evidence that topical biotin improves hair health, or growth (beware of these claims).
- DMDM Hydratonin is a controversial ingredient. In June 2021, Johnson & Johnson’s OGX brand faced a lawsuit that this compound causes hair loss. Out of caution, I have shelved this product away for good.
FUNCTION OF BEAUTY
Price: Very Affordable ($9.99 for 11 oz. bottle at Target)
Ingredients: Differs based on the product that targets your hair type. Their ‘Straight Hair’ Shampoo has a coconut water base. All shampoos are paraben and sulfate-free.
Special Claims: Hydrates without weighing hair down. At just $3.50 a pop, you can customize with ‘boosters’ to volumize, strengthen, scalp-smooth, and more.
Recommend? Yes – one of my favorite shampoos from the list!
Review: In my ranking of ‘best and worst shampoo brands,’ Function of Beauty was my favorite. The ingredients are carefully chosen based on hair type. For example, I found that the coconut base for their straight hair shampoo was perfect. The formula was light, did not weigh down my hair, lathers well, smells great, and is super affordable! Next step: going to try their boosters, and conditioner!
DAE HAIR SIGNATURE SHAMPOO
Price: Expensive ($24 for 10 oz. shampoo). This brand has recently expanded to a few more fragrances since early 2022 – Signature, Moisture Hour, Violet Purple Shampoo (new).
Ingredients: Sulfate, paraben, and phthalate free. Desert-derived ingredients without synthetic color or fragrance. Hibiscus flower and false daisy extract.
Special Claims: Flower extracts promote hair growth, and healthy scalp. Adds shine, smooths and calms frizz.
Recommend? Yes – smells heavenly. I loved the shampoo but don’t recommend the conditioner.
Review: I love the smell of Dae shampoo. It reminds me of a delicious Starburst. The ingredients are also very unique. I did not find this shampoo to be as sudsy as Function of Beauty, but it was more so than Bondi Boost. This product does not make any claims to hair growth. However, I love how light the formula is, and my hair feels fresh and clean after.
I did not love their conditioner, but share my thoughts on that below.
BEST & WORST SHAMPOO BRANDS: CONDITIONERS & HAIR MASKS
Dae Deep Conditioning Treatment
Price: Expensive ($28 for 10 oz. shampoo)
Ingredients: Sulfate, paraben, and phthalate free. Desert-derived ingredients. Moringa seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil.
Special Claims: Adds extra moisture to hair than their regular conditioner. Contains vitamins and antioxidants to boost keratin production.
Recommend? No – sticky and contains silicones.
Review: While I loved Dae’s shampoo, their conditioner falls short for me. Because the conditioner contains silicones, it leaves behind a sleek and sticky residue. After a few uses, I noticed major scale build-up that was very hard to wash off. Based on the ingredient list, I learned that the conditioner contains water-insoluble silicones (specifically, demethicone), which are bad for your hair.
Full list of ‘bad’ silicones in this Byrdie article. These coatings leave your hair feeling smooth, but are impossible to wash off and block your hair from getting the moisture it needs in the long-run. As a result, I do not recommend this one.
VEGAMOUR GRO REVITALIZING CONDITIONER
Price: Very expensive ($48 for 8 oz.)
Ingredients: Sulfate, silicone, and paraben free. Vegan keratin.
Special Claims: Promotes thicker, stronger, and fuller looking hair using plant-based ingredients.
Recommend? Need longer term use to track impact.
Review: I love Vegamour’s GRO hair serums, and I also wrote a thorough review HERE. After seeing good results, I decided to try their conditioner too. Because their products are quite expensive, I started with their travel size sample first.
Since Vegamour does not use any silicones, I notice that my hair does not look instantly silky when I apply it. However, I am sure this is better for my hair in the long-term. Unlike other conditioners, Vegamour’s supposedly remains on your hair strands after rinse for a lasting, strengthening effect. The secret lies in their vegan B-silk™ which promotes thicker, and fuller hair.
This conditioner has a subtle botanical fragrance, but feels natural. My hair feels nourished after, without the sticky, sleek residue I get with other conditioners.
Amika Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask
Price: Medium ($30 for 8 oz.)
Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil (for vitamins and antioxidants), sea buckthorn
Special Claims: Hydrating hair mask with vitamins that help hydrate, smooth, and soften hair.
Recommend? Yes to the version I bought in 2020. But I hear the latest ones are not good anymore 🙁
Review: I love the smell of Amika’s hair mask, and I was introduced to the brand when I received it as a Christmas gift one year. It leaves my hair feeling soft afterwards. While I cannot say this product specifically helped with hair growth, I did love how smooth it made my hair feel.
My last Amika purchase was in 2020. Apparently since then, the formulation, color, and consistency have all changed. I have not purchased Amika in the past year, so I would definitely read the latest reviews before you buy.
BEST & WORST SHAMPOO BRANDS: SUMMARY
I hope you found my review of the best and worst shampoo brands helpful. I am always on the hunt for better hair care products, and I hope this post saves you some time when you go shopping next!
