If you have relaxed hair that tends to feel dry, rough, or stripped after shampooing, finding a shampoo that cleans your hair without making the dryness worse can make a big difference in your wash day.
So I put together a list of moisturizing and hydrating shampoos for relaxed hair, including shampoos I've used on my own hair and some that I haven't tried yet but am interested in trying.
Hydrating vs moisturizing shampoos
Hydrating and moisturizing aren't necessarily the same thing.Hydrating shampoos are generally focused on adding or retaining water in the hair, primarily through humectant ingredients such as glycerin. These types of products can be helpful for hair that feels dry, brittle, or stiff.
Moisturizing shampoos focus more on smoothing and conditioning the hair and helping reduce moisture loss. They often use conditioning ingredients, oils, and butters. These shampoos can be particularly helpful when hair feels rough, frizzy, or lacks softness.
Of course, hair care brands don't always make this distinction very clearly. That became obvious to me when I started looking at the ingredient lists for these shampoos. Some shampoos called "hydrating" contain ingredients that I would typically associate with moisturizing products. And some shampoos marketed around moisture contain ingredients that are more commonly associated with hydration.
So for this list, I'm using the way the brand describes the product along with the ingredients to determine whether I consider each shampoo moisturizing, hydrating, or a little bit of both.
And, as always, what works for my relaxed hair may not work the same way for yours.
Moisturizing shampoos for relaxed hair I haven't tried yet
Let's start with the shampoos I haven't used...yet.These are products that caught my attention based on their claims, ingredients, or popularity. I haven't personally tested them on my relaxed hair, so I can't give you a firsthand review.
Nexxus Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo
The Nexxus Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo is one I've actually had my eye on for a while.Nexxus describes this as a moisture shampoo that nourishes the hair, locks in moisture, smooths and softens the hair, controls frizz, visibly repairs dryness in one use, and makes dry hair easier to detangle.
It's also supposed to have a rich lather, which immediately gets my attention because I really like a shampoo that lathers well.
The shampoo contains the brand's Caviar and Protein Complex, which Nexxus says is designed to restore the hair's strength, elasticity, shine, and moisture.
I'm not completely sure what the Caviar and Protein Complex means in terms of the actual amount or type of protein in the formula, so if you're trying to avoid protein, this is something I'd keep in mind.
Outside of that protein complex, I didn't notice any obvious protein ingredients in the ingredient list.
As far as price, I'd put Nexxus in the premium drugstore category.
It's more expensive than some traditional drugstore shampoos but generally less expensive than many salon-level options.
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L'Oréal Paris EverPure Moisture Rosemary Oil Shampoo
The L'Oréal Paris EverPure Moisture Rosemary Oil Shampoo is more of a traditional drugstore option, which shows that you don't necessarily have to spend salon-level money to find a moisturizing shampoo.This shampoo is sulfate-free, silicone-free, and formulated for dry and color-treated hair.
L'Oréal says it moisturizes dry hair with two times more moisture and softens the hair with what it describes as a nourishing formula.
I didn't notice any obvious protein in the ingredient list. I did notice that rosemary leaf oil is one of the last ingredients. That means there isn't a particularly high concentration of rosemary oil in the formula, so I wouldn't let the rosemary oil alone sway my decision about whether to try this shampoo.
The fragrance is described with notes of musk, cedar, and bergamot, so scent is definitely part of the experience with this shampoo.
L'Oréal also describes the formula as creating a "lush, luxurious lather."
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Cécred Hydrating Shampoo
The Cécred Hydrating Shampoo is definitely on the more premium end of this list.Cécred describes this as a hydrating shampoo for dry hair. The formula contains ingredients such as baobab, moringa, and black seed oils, along with hyaluronic acid-related ingredients and its bioactive keratin ferment.
There are a few things about this shampoo that caught my attention.
It contains collagen proteins and what Cécred calls a "bioactive keratin ferment" that includes hydrolyzed wool keratin. So I would consider this a protein-containing shampoo.
The shampoo also has coconut oil relatively high on the ingredient list, which is something to keep in mind if your hair doesn't respond well to coconut oil.
Cécred says the shampoo creates a rich lather and has high slip, so it may also be helpful for making detangling easier.
And then there's the fragrance. Cécred describes the fragrance as including Australian sandalwood, warm musk, night-blooming jasmine, violet leaves, and several other notes. So this isn't a shampoo where fragrance seems to be an afterthought.
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Pattern describes this as a creamy moisturizing shampoo designed to cleanse while helping hydrate the hair.
The ingredient list contains quite a few oils and moisturizing ingredients. Pattern says the formula contains a blend of 10 oils, including argan oil, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter. Aloe vera and glycerin are some other ingredients to call out. Most of the oils are fairly high on the ingredient list, which caught my attention.
But there's another ingredient I want to point out: hydrolyzed vegetable protein. It's further down the ingredient list, which suggests it isn't one of the primary ingredients, but it's still something to consider if your hair doesn't respond well to protein.
Pattern describes the lather as "soft." I'm not entirely sure what that means in practical terms, so I'm curious whether it would pass my personal lathering test. If it doesn't produce a huge amount of lather but still gets my hair clean and leaves it feeling moisturized, that wouldn't necessarily be a problem.
Pattern Hydration Shampoo
Last on my list of shampoos I haven't tried yet is the Pattern Hydration Shampoo.Pattern describes this as a creamy moisturizing shampoo designed to cleanse while helping hydrate the hair.
The ingredient list contains quite a few oils and moisturizing ingredients. Pattern says the formula contains a blend of 10 oils, including argan oil, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter. Aloe vera and glycerin are some other ingredients to call out. Most of the oils are fairly high on the ingredient list, which caught my attention.
But there's another ingredient I want to point out: hydrolyzed vegetable protein. It's further down the ingredient list, which suggests it isn't one of the primary ingredients, but it's still something to consider if your hair doesn't respond well to protein.
Pattern describes the lather as "soft." I'm not entirely sure what that means in practical terms, so I'm curious whether it would pass my personal lathering test. If it doesn't produce a huge amount of lather but still gets my hair clean and leaves it feeling moisturized, that wouldn't necessarily be a problem.
The scent also caught my attention. Founder Tracee Ellis Ross selected the fragrance to be clean and not overpowering, with notes of jasmine, bergamot, and sweet sandalwood.
As far as price, I'd put this in the mid-range to premium category rather than traditional drugstore.
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Some of these have remained in my rotation, while others were just okay and eventually stopped getting regular use.
Joico describes Moisture Recovery as a shampoo for dry, dehydrated hair that gently cleanses without stripping moisture.
It also claims to replenish moisture and restore smoothness and elasticity.
Some of the ingredients that stand out to me are sea kelp, rosehip oil, jojoba oil, and hydrolyzed keratin. So yes, this shampoo contains protein. When I first started using it, I wasn't using a lot of other protein products, so the protein wasn't an issue for my hair.
This is a salon-level shampoo, so it costs more than your typical drugstore shampoo. But I think this is one of those cases where you can actually feel the difference.
I originally used Joico Moisture Recovery every few weeks because I was a little concerned about using a sulfate shampoo frequently. Eventually, though, I started using it more often because I liked how well it cleaned my hair without completely stripping it.
Now I use it either after a clarifying shampoo as my second lather or as my first lather before following with a sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo.
And speaking of lather. It lathers really well. Especially when my hair is soaking wet.
A little bit also goes a long way, which is something I appreciate when I'm paying salon-level prices for shampoo.
I also like how clean my hair feels after using it without my hair feeling completely dried out. One of the biggest things I've noticed is that when I use it, my hair seems to hold onto moisture longer during the week. That's why this is still one of the shampoos in my current rotation.
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The brand describes it as a sulfate-free beauty bath for the hair that produces a rich lather while lightly conditioning and cleansing. It claims to moisturize, minimize breakage, help with detangling, improve cuticle alignment, and leave the hair soft and shiny.
This shampoo contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, so this is another protein-containing shampoo.
As far as price, I'd put this in the mid-range to premium category rather than traditional drugstore.
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Moisturizing shampoos I've used on my relaxed hair
Now let's get into the shampoos I've actually used on my relaxed hair.Some of these have remained in my rotation, while others were just okay and eventually stopped getting regular use.
Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo
The Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo is one that has been in my regimen for years. And that decision was validated when I did a search on several social and content sites to see what people considered their favorite moisturizing shampoos for relaxed hair, and I saw this one mentioned again and again. And again.Joico describes Moisture Recovery as a shampoo for dry, dehydrated hair that gently cleanses without stripping moisture.
It also claims to replenish moisture and restore smoothness and elasticity.
Some of the ingredients that stand out to me are sea kelp, rosehip oil, jojoba oil, and hydrolyzed keratin. So yes, this shampoo contains protein. When I first started using it, I wasn't using a lot of other protein products, so the protein wasn't an issue for my hair.
This is a salon-level shampoo, so it costs more than your typical drugstore shampoo. But I think this is one of those cases where you can actually feel the difference.
I originally used Joico Moisture Recovery every few weeks because I was a little concerned about using a sulfate shampoo frequently. Eventually, though, I started using it more often because I liked how well it cleaned my hair without completely stripping it.
Now I use it either after a clarifying shampoo as my second lather or as my first lather before following with a sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo.
And speaking of lather. It lathers really well. Especially when my hair is soaking wet.
A little bit also goes a long way, which is something I appreciate when I'm paying salon-level prices for shampoo.
I also like how clean my hair feels after using it without my hair feeling completely dried out. One of the biggest things I've noticed is that when I use it, my hair seems to hold onto moisture longer during the week. That's why this is still one of the shampoos in my current rotation.
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Related read: Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo Review
KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo
If you spend enough time looking for moisturizing shampoos for relaxed hair, you're going to see the KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo mentioned. A lot.The brand describes it as a sulfate-free beauty bath for the hair that produces a rich lather while lightly conditioning and cleansing. It claims to moisturize, minimize breakage, help with detangling, improve cuticle alignment, and leave the hair soft and shiny.
This shampoo contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, so this is another protein-containing shampoo.
It's generally a professional or salon-type product, although it's not as expensive as some higher-end salon shampoos.
When I started using this KeraCare shampoo, I had high expectations. The first time I washed my hair with it, my hair felt a little drier than normal. I couldn't work it into a good lather.
And I didn't get the slip I was expecting. Thankfully, I detangle my hair before I shampoo anyway, because I definitely wasn't going to rely on this shampoo to do that job for me.
I actually changed how I used it. Instead of using it as my second lather after a clarifying shampoo, I started using KeraCare as my first lather and TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo as my second. That worked better for me.
I also started diluting it in an applicator bottle with water. This helped it lather better and made it easier to apply directly to my scalp.
Over time, my hair did feel softer, shinier, and more moisturized when I used it, and I felt like it played a role in reducing breakage. But even after using it several times, I still didn't feel like this was the shampoo for my hair.
I used up the bottles I had but ultimately decided not to repurchase it. I wouldn't be opposed to giving it another try, though.
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Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Moisturizing & Detangling Shampoo
Design Essentials is a salon brand I've known about for years, and I've actually had the Almond & Avocado Moisturizing & Detangling Shampoo used on my hair at the salon.This shampoo is designed to cleanse, hydrate, soften, and help with detangling. The brand highlights almond and avocado as key ingredients for softening and moisturizing the hair.
There is a little ingredient-list wrinkle here that I want to mention. Some retailer sites list hydrolyzed wheat protein as an ingredient. However, the current ingredient list on the Design Essentials website does not list hydrolyzed wheat protein.
So if you're specifically avoiding protein, I recommend checking the ingredient list on the bottle you're buying because it looks like there may have been a formulation change or multiple versions of the formula on the market.
As far as price, this is another salon-level brand that's still fairly affordable compared with some higher-end salon shampoos.
My experience with it is actually pretty good. I really like how clean my hair feels after using this shampoo without it feeling dried out. And the lather is really good. Like, really, really good.
It's one of those shampoos where I feel like I don't have to work very hard to get the lather going.
I've also noticed that it does a better job of removing dirt, oil, and buildup from my hair than some of the other sulfate-free shampoos I've used.
I can't really speak to the detangling claim because I always detangle my hair before I shampoo and haven't used it specifically for that purpose.
Overall, I like how my hair feels after using it. I've had this shampoo used on my hair at the salon and liked the results. While my experience using it at home has also been good, it hasn't been good enough compared with some of the other shampoos I've mentioned to make it a regular staple for me.
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TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Another long-time favorite shampoo of mine is the TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo. It’s one of the shampoos I've used on my relaxed hair for years. I originally found it when I was trying to get away from protein because I was dealing with protein overload. One of the things I immediately liked was that this shampoo is protein-free.TGIN says it gently cleanses and detangles without stripping the hair's natural oils while helping increase moisture retention and reduce breakage.
It contains ingredients including amla oil, coconut oil, and Pro-Vitamin B5. And it's sulfate-free.
I'd consider this a mid-range drugstore shampoo based on its price.
Now let's talk about what I actually think.
I LOVE the lather on this shampoo. This is one of the best-lathering sulfate-free shampoos I've used. And because I really like a shampoo that lathers, that's a big deal for me. I can shampoo my hair two or even three times with this shampoo without my hair feeling stripped. My hair feels soft and moisturized after using it.
The one downside I've noticed over time is that it isn't the best shampoo when I have a lot of product buildup. That's one of the reasons I typically use this as my second-lather shampoo.
I'll often use a sulfate or clarifying shampoo first and then use TGIN Moisture Rich as my second lather to bring some moisture back into wash day. Despite that, I still think this is a good moisturizing shampoo to include in a relaxed hair regimen.
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Related read: TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo Review
TGIN Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo
Next is another TGIN shampoo: the TGIN Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo. I would consider this another mid-range drugstore option.This one is a little different from the TGIN Moisture Rich shampoo because the Rose Water collection is designed to provide lighter moisture, particularly for finer hair.
The shampoo claims to gently cleanse the hair while leaving it moisturized without a greasy finish. It also aims to smooth and reduce frizz.
The key ingredients include rose water, acai berries, ginger, lavender, and Pro-Vitamin B5. Based on the current ingredient list, I don't see a conventional protein ingredient in this shampoo.
I kinda like this shampoo. It lathers nicely even though it's sulfate-free.
When my hair and scalp were dirty, it did a good job of getting my scalp clean without making my hair feel stripped. It also has a light scent that I liked. It doesn't bother me and doesn't linger forever.
The thing I learned from using this shampoo is that light moisture isn't necessarily enough moisture for my hair. My relaxed hair tends to be on the drier side, so while my hair felt moisturized and manageable after using it, I didn't feel like the moisture was enough to carry me all the way through the week without adding other moisturizing products.
That's why I think this one is better suited to someone with finer hair or hair that doesn't need quite as much moisture as mine does. I don't consider it a bad shampoo at all. It's just lighter than what my hair prefers.
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The brand says it gently cleanses while providing intense hydration, softening and moisturizing the hair and smoothing the cuticle. Key ingredients include agave, lavender, and mango butter.
This shampoo does contain hydrolyzed wheat protein, so again, this isn't a protein-free shampoo.
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Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Moisturizing Hair Bath
Another Design Essentials shampoo I've used on my relaxed hair is the Agave & Lavender Moisturizing Hair Bath. This one is actually rotated in and out of my current set of go-to shampoos.The brand says it gently cleanses while providing intense hydration, softening and moisturizing the hair and smoothing the cuticle. Key ingredients include agave, lavender, and mango butter.
This shampoo does contain hydrolyzed wheat protein, so again, this isn't a protein-free shampoo.
I would say the Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Moisturizing Hair Bath is generally in an affordable price range for a salon-level product.
Obviously, my experience with this shampoo is good because I keep bringing it back into my shampoo rotation again and again. The lather is probably the thing that stands out to me the most. This shampoo can create a really thick lather. And I mean really thick.
It lathers like no other shampoo I've used. I sometimes have to rinse my hair twice to get all of the lather out. And even with all of that lather, my hair doesn't come out feeling dry.
This Design Essentials shampoo gets my hair clean while still leaving it feeling moisturized and soft. I actually like this shampoo enough that it's currently in my relaxed hair regimen along with Joico Moisture Recovery.
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Honorable shampoo mentions that didn't work for my hair
Surprise! I have a few honorable mentions.I'm calling them that because they seem to be well-liked by many people, but they didn't work for my hair at all. And I think it's important to talk about this because a shampoo can have hundreds of positive reviews and still not be right for your hair.
Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo
The Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo is formulated for dry, textured, and coarse hair and contains ingredients such as squalane and hyaluronic acid.On paper, this sounds like exactly the kind of shampoo my hair should love. But I found it under-moisturizing for my hair.
And that was disappointing because, honestly, the name and all of the positive reviews I saw and read set my expectations pretty high. The shampoo may work beautifully for someone else, but it didn't give my relaxed hair the level of moisture I was looking for.
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L'Oréal Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Shampoo
My other honorable mention is the L'Oréal Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Shampoo.This is another one where the product description sounds fantastic. L'Oréal says it gently cleanses and instantly hydrates dry, dehydrated hair, with hyaluronic acid helping to lock in moisture and providing up to 72 hours of hydration.
The shampoo also has a fragrance with notes including bright berries, cherry blossom, sweet vanilla, and sandalwood.
Unfortunately, this one didn't work for my hair. For me, it was another shampoo that just didn't provide enough moisture. And that's why it's on the honorable mention list rather than the main list.
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Which moisturizing shampoo is right for your relaxed hair?
There are quite a few moisturizing and hydrating shampoos out there, and what works for one person's relaxed hair isn't necessarily going to work for someone else's.For me, the shampoos that stand out are the ones that can get my hair and scalp clean while still leaving my hair feeling soft and moisturized.
Ultimately, I think the most important thing is paying attention to how your relaxed hair feels after shampooing.
- Does it feel clean without feeling stripped?
- Does it feel soft?
- Does it still feel moisturized once your hair dries?
Those things matter just as much as what the front of the shampoo bottle says.
And if you're dealing with dry relaxed hair, you may need to experiment with a few shampoos to figure out what gives your hair the balance it needs. I’ve found that using trial or travel sizes of hair products is a good way to try experiment without spending a ton of money.
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