While your go-to shampoo and conditioner duo might be doing the day-to-day work, clarifying shampoos are like a reset button for your hair. These powerful formulas provide a deeper clean than your everyday shampoo to help refresh and reset your scalp and strands. But before you lather up, finding the best clarifying shampoo for your hair type is a must—what works for oily roots might not be ideal for color-treated curls or vice versa. Below, we’ve put together a guide for selecting a good clarifying shampoo for your hair type, texture, and concerns. Plus, we’re sharing a look at 12 formulas we love.
What Is a Clarifying Shampoo and Why Do You Need One?
Clarifying shampoos are scalp-cleansing shampoos designed specifically to remove stubborn buildup (like product residue and hard water minerals) that regular shampoos might leave behind. Unlike regular shampoos, they’re not meant to be used every time you lather up—instead, they’re an occasional treatment designed to help remove lingering impurities that can affect how your hair looks and feels. If your hair's been looking dull, feeling greasy just a day after washing, or your favorite products suddenly aren't working like they used to, it might be your hair's way of telling you it needs a good clarifying shampoo.
How To Choose the Best Clarifying Shampoo for Your Hair Type
Not all clarifying shampoos are created equally—the best clarifying shampoo for oily hair, for example, will probably look a bit different than the best clarifying shampoo for colored hair or dry hair. If oiliness is your main concern, you’ll want to select a formula designed specifically to target sebum. Those with dry hair may want to look for gentler formulas that contain hydrating ingredients to avoid stripping their strands. And if your hair is color-treated, be extra cautious when shopping for a clarifying shampoo—harsh formulas might affect your color. To keep your hue looking vibrant and fresh, you’ll want to be sure to use a clarifying shampoo for color-treated hair, as these are carefully formulated to be gentle on color.
Don't forget, clarifying is more of a once-in-a-while treat, not a daily ritual. Overdoing it can lead to dryness, so tailor the frequency to your hair’s needs, whether weekly, biweekly, or whenever your strands start feeling too weighed down.
12 of Our Favorite Clarifying Shampoos for Different Hair Types
We’ve rounded up some of the best clarifying shampoos for every hair type—whether dealing with oily roots, product buildup, or just craving a fresh start. From budget-friendly drugstore clarifying shampoos to beauty community favorites, there’s a formula out there that fits your hair’s needs and your wallet, so you can reset your scalp without sacrificing quality.
1. Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo
If your hair has been feeling weighed down, dull, or just not responding to your usual products, Redken's Hair Cleansing Cream might be what you're missing. This powerful yet gentle clarifying shampoo detoxes your strands in one wash, removing product buildup, hard water minerals, excess oil, and pollution residue. It's an excellent option for low porosity hair, which tends to hold onto buildup and resist moisture.
2. Purelogy Pure Volume Shampoo
On the hunt for the best clarifying shampoo for fine hair? Try this refreshing pick from Purelogy. The lightweight clarifying shampoo lifts, refreshes, and brings your strands back to life without ever weighing them down. It gently removes buildup that can leave hair looking flat and lifeless while infusing volume and movement for that effortless, swishy feel. Plus, with Pureology’s patented Antifade Complex®, your color stays vibrant and protected.
3. Biolage Professional Scalp Sync Clarifying Shampoo
If your scalp gets oily fast and your roots fall flat by day two, consider this your new go-to. This clarifying shampoo for oily hair breaks down residue, buildup, and excess sebum without stripping your hair dry. It’s formulated with fermented tea and glycolic acid—and without parabens, silicones, and mineral oil—for a deep-clean feeling sans any harsh extras.
4. Biolage Professional Cool Mint Shampoo
This minty lather from Biolage Professional is another favorite for those with oily scalps. The refreshing, menthol-infused formula gently cleanses away excess oil without stripping the hair, providing a deep clean that leaves your strands soft, hydrated, and healthy-feeling.
5. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Delicate Comfort Deep Cleanser
Nix buildup with this luxurious, moisturizing scalp cleansing shampoo. Designed to deeply cleanse without stripping, it removes dirt, oil, and stubborn product buildup while delivering a surge of hydration to leave your hair soft, nourished, and totally revived. Ideal for those battling oily scalps but craving moisture, this formula balances it all, cleansing deeply while caring for dryness.
6. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Pure Serenity Deep Cleanser
Those with oily scalps will love the deep-clean feel this luxe lather provides. It’s infused with antioxidant-rich biotech ferments and helps detox and balance oily scalps while leaving the hair soft, shiny, and thoroughly clean. The shampoo’s decadent musk-and-yuzu fragrance adds to the appeal, making for a truly indulgent showering experience.
7. L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Shampoo
This next-level clarifying shampoo does more than cleanse your hair—it detoxes metals, too. With every wash, metal particles like copper can sneak into your strands through water, leading to dullness, damage, breakage, and even unwanted color changes. But this anti-metal cleansing cream shampoo steps in with patented Glicoamine technology, a powerhouse molecule small enough to penetrate deep into the hair fiber and neutralize those sneaky metals from the inside out. The result? Less breakage, color that stays true, and hair that feels clean, soft, and refreshed.
8. L’Oréal Professionnel Curl Expression Shampoo
The best clarifying shampoo for curly hair is one that won’t dry out your coils and spirals, and this nourishing option ticks the box. Designed with oily scalps and curl care in mind, this pro-formula jelly melts away buildup and impurities without stripping your strands or leaving your scalp itchy. You can thank this shampoo for long-lasting moisture from the plant-based glycerin, Urea H, and hibiscus seed added to the formula. Did we mention the dreamy scent of star jasmine, orchid, and cedarwood that turns wash day into a full-on vibe?
9. Kérastase Specifique Bain Divalent Balancing Shampoo
Clean and hydrated hair starts here with the Kérastase Specifique Bain Divalent Balancing Shampoo. The ultra-lightweight clarifying shampoo for oily hair is the perfect fix when your roots feel greasy but your ends feel dry. It purifies the scalp to sweep away excess oil and odor while nourishing your lengths and giving your hair a serious volume boost—we’re talking 61% more lift from the first wash. Plus, unlike most clarifying shampoos, this pick is totally suitable for daily use.
10. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Gentle Radiance Deep Cleanser
Time to hit refresh because your hair deserves a clean break. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Gentle Radiance Deep Cleanser is a lightweight clarifying shampoo that sweeps away dirt, oil, and product buildup without that dreaded stripped feeling. Perfect for fine hair, this formula is featherlight but mighty, leaving every strand soft, shiny, and full of bounce.
11. Mizani Moisture Fusion Gentle Clarifying Shampoo
Natural hair needs moisture to thrive, but when heavy oils, creams, and gels pile up, it’s time for a clean slate. The Mizani Moisture Fusion Gentle Clarifying Shampoo is your curl-friendly reset button, made with detoxifying charcoal to lift away buildup and coconut oil to keep moisture locked in. It deep cleans without stripping, so your strands stay soft, shiny, and ready to soak up your next deep conditioning treatment.
12. Kérastase Bain Chroma Respect Shampoo
Finding the best clarifying shampoo that gives you the deep cleansing you need without fading your color-treated hair is tricky. Meet this sulfate-free gem, designed to gently cleanse while delivering significant hydration, shine, and color protection—without weighing you down. Perfect for fine to medium hair, it keeps your color vibrant and fresh while smoothing the hair fiber for that soft, glossy finish you love.
How To Use Clarifying Shampoo
A good clarifying shampoo is necessary for removing buildup and giving your scalp a clean slate, but how often you use it depends on your hair type. If you have oily hair or use many styling products, once a week might be your sweet spot. Every 2–4 weeks is plenty to avoid stripping away natural oils for dry, color-treated, or curly hair.
When it’s time to clarify, start by fully saturating your hair with warm (not hot) water. Apply a generous amount of clarifying shampoo, focusing on the scalp and roots. Massage it with your fingertips to lift the buildup, then rinse thoroughly. If your hair still feels weighed down, go in for a second wash.
Since clarifying shampoos include ingredients to strip away buildup, following up with a deep conditioner or hydrating hair mask is essential, especially if your hair is dry, curly, or color-treated. Apply your treatment from mid-lengths to ends, leave it on for 5–15 minutes (depending on the product instructions), and rinse thoroughly before proceeding with the rest of your haircare routine.
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Header photo credits (left to right): @pureology, @lorealprofessionnel
