This $3 Shampoo Beat Formulas 12 Times More Expensive in Our Lab Testing (2024)

Great hair starts in the shower, with the perfect shampoo for your hair type and needs to fully cleanse and prep it for styling. But why is shampoo important and how does it work?

"Shampoo contains surfactants, which are ingredients (like sulfates) that cleanse your hair and scalp," explains Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Executive Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. "They attach to oils and dirt in hair and remove them when rinsed with water." Shampoos can also be made with conditioning ingredients, fragrances and preservatives, she says.

Regularly cleansing hair with an effective shampoo is crucial for keeping the hair and scalp healthy and free of oil and product buildup so it looks and feels its best. But not all shampoo brands work the same (or as well as each other), which is why we test all kinds of shampoos, from drugstore buys to luxury picks, for all hair types and concerns to find the top formulas on the market, including shampoos for dry hair, shampoos for colored hair, thickening shampoos and shampoos for oily hair.

In our Lab, shampoos are evaluated with their corresponding conditioners using technical instruments that gauge conditioning ability, and on consumer testers, who provide feedback on their ease of use, cleansing performance and effects on hair. Thousands of data points are then tallied (over 16,000 in the most recent tests) to identify the best shampoos in each category.

Here, read all about the rigorous evaluation and results behind our top picks tested and recommended by GH Beauty Lab scientists and beauty experts to guarantee gorgeous, healthy hair (and good hair days!) whether yours is thin, thick, curly, straight or somewhere in between.

The refreshing Dove formula (and its corresponding conditioner) was a winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s hydrating shampoos test thanks to a perfect balance of both purifying and lightly softening. The drugstore value-priced formulas rated best for leaving hair clean and easy to style. “My hair was fantastic — brushable, silky and flowing," a tester reported. Note that it may not be rich enough for thick, very damaged or textured hair.

At less than $2 (!) per bottle, you can’t find a better drugstore bargain that really works than this classic clarifying shampoo from Suave, which is why it also earned a spot as the best shampoo for oily hair. Clarifying formulas are powerhouse cleansers, delivering the most purification and easily removing oil and dirt (because of this, they can be drying). This super lightweight formula is the GH Beauty Lab scientists’ go-to for deeply cleaning hair samples in all of their studies.

Get strong smoothing and conditioning effects with this protein- and coconut oil-laced Dove shampoo and corresponding conditioner, both GH Beauty Award winners. In Beauty Lab assessment, they received perfect scores for making hair manageable, smooth and supple and rated well for ease of use. Two testers said hair wasn’t frizzy after application. “It was easier to style,” one noted. Another found it left hair feeling "soft and hydrated." Since the formula is rich and nourishing, it may be best for those with coarse or thicker hair.

The skin-hydrating ingredient hyaluronic acid, used to draw in moisture, is infused into this GH Beauty Award winner L’Oréal Paris formula with matching conditioner. The pair earned top marks for fully cleansing strands and making hair look less damaged. They also ranked highest for their lasting “sophisticated” scent; one user thought the texture was "sticky," however. “Works wonders: My strands feel super soft and bouncy and look shiny,” a tester raved.

This protein-infused Nexxus shampoo, a GH Beauty Award winner, tames unruly hair and fends off frizz as you suds up. In a study on hair samples in 98% humidity, strands had significantly less frizz up to 72 hours after application of the shampoo and its conditioner match. (Be aware that the strong smoothing effects could make some hair types flat, as one tester found.) “The amount of smoothness and shine was noticeable from the first use,” a tester reported.

The creamy GH Beauty Award-winning Redken shampoo (along with its conditioner and leave-in conditioner) works to protect and strengthen bonds in hair, shielding against damage. In a study, the set reduced visible split ends by 82%, and 93% of testers said their hair felt moisturized immediately, according to GH Beauty Lab data analysis. “My hair was absolutely gorgeous,” “results were transforming and long-lasting,” and “I can’t live without these,” several testers enthused. (Note that one was put off by the "artificial" citrus scent.)

Blended with honey and plant oils, Garnier’s GH Beauty Award-winning shampoo is proven to nourish dehydrated, breakage-prone hair when used with its corresponding conditioner. They significantly reduced breakage of very dry, damaged strands, GH Beauty Lab data analysis confirmed. "This makes my frayed ends feel much softer and I love the sweet scent," GH's beauty director says, though some users thought it was too heavy for their hair.

Keep your salon color vivid with this Alterna shampoo; it scored high for preventing hair color from fading in GH Beauty Lab testing. Some users didn't love the "chemical"-like scent, but raved about how it left hair color looking "deep, rich and shiny." "It is so luxurious that you only need to use a little," one commented. "My color still looks vibrant after many washings."

Herbal Essences’ intensely nourishing coconut and aloe shampoo (plus its matching conditioner) won for being the most moisturizing in the GH Beauty Lab’s test of hydrating shampoos and conditioners. The shampoo was the easiest to apply and rinse, lathered most and effectively cleansed. It was also the most conditioning formula in Lab measurements with the Instron machine, which gauges combing force in wet hair, though it didn't score as well for leaving hair manageable. “Made my dry hair much more moisturized,” a tester said. Another raved: "My hair was soft as silk."

It’s made with the flake-fighting active ingredient pyrithione zinc, but this GH Beauty Award-winning Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo is the gold standard for keeping any hair type and scalp healthy. "I don't have dandruff, but I swear my strands have never looked or felt better — bouncier, softer, shinier — than when I've used this shampoo," GH's beauty director says. (A caveat: A few users commented they felt it faded their hair color.) GH Beauty Lab evaluations have also confirmed its flake-fighting and strand-smoothing abilities.

This violet-tinted Kristin Ess shampoo is a go-to of GH's blonde editors for toning their strands. The pigments in the sulfate-free formula help neutralize yellowing and brighten all shades of blonde. (Take note, though, that some users with very light hair said it can stain strands.) Use it every other shampoo as needed; to give your blonde a cooler, more ashy cast, apply it every time you wash.