Salon-quality shampoos are lovely, but they can often be a splurge with prices as high as $50. If a $10 shampoo is more in your budget, drugstores and major retailers like Target and Walmart have several options on the market. I talked to hair and scalp care experts, including stylists, trichologists and dermatologists about what you should look for and avoid when buying a budget-friendly shampoo. I also rounded up some of our experts’ favorite drugstore shampoos as well as NBC Select-staff picks and highly rated options that align with their guidance.
SKIP AHEAD How I picked the best drugstore shampoos | The best drugstore shampoos in 2025 | How to shop for a drugstore shampoo | Why trust NBC Select?
Best overall$8.96$9.68
Best for damaged hair$undefined$11.99
How I picked the best drugstore shampoos
While shopping for drugstore shampoos, think about the following factors to determine which is best for you:
- Hair type and texture: Hair texture refers to the individual strand and its structure — it’s composed of four groups including fine hair, medium hair, thick hair and coarse hair. Hair type is the pattern of your hair and it can fall into four groups, including straight, wavy, curly and coily (to determine hair type, examine how your hair looks after it dries). My list has options for all hair types and textures for all groups.
- Price: Drugstore shampoos can vary in price but my list has options all under $20, with some reaching this maximum price point in packs of two.
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The best drugstore shampoos in 2025
All of the drugstore shampoos below come recommended by experts and NBC Select staff.
Best overall drugstore shampoo: Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo
- For all hair tyoes/textures
- Reduces frizz
- Creamy lather
- Not in pump packaging
This hydrating, sulfate-free drugstore shampoo comes recommended by Dr. Hadley King, a New York-based, board-certified dermatologist, and Taylor Rose, a certified trichologist. Its formula has shea butter, manuka honey and mafura oil to hydrate and moisturize the hair, says King. It also has African rock fig, an ingredient rich in antioxidants to help protect from damage from free radicals, says King.
Best for oily hair: Acure Buildup Balancing Hemp & ACV Shampoo
- Free of common irritants
- Helps balance hair's PH
- For all hair types
- Not in pump packaging
Acure makes some of our favorite drugstore shampoos including this option, which comes recommended by Rose. This shampoo has apple cider vinegar, which removes excess sebum and makes it great for those with oily hair and scalps that tends to look greasy, according to King.
Best for dry hair: Dove Hydration Spa Shampoo
- Smoothing
- Moisturizing
- Softens hair
- Not available in many sizes
If your hair is dry and brittle, moisturizing ingredients like a hyaluronic acid (which is also a skin care staple) may help hydrate your hair, says King, who recommends this Dove shampoo. When pairing it with Dove’s Hydration Spa Conditioner, the set leaves her hair feeling soft and moisturized without weighing it down, she says. Rather than using a harsh sulfate, its formula includes cocamidopropyl betaine which is a more gentle alternative.
Best for frizzy hair: Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo with Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter Extracts
- Smoothing
- Tropical and nutty scent
- Available in multiple sizes
- Not sulfate free
If your hair is dry and coarse, Francesca Maria Alfonso, a celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist, recommends this Garnier option. “It’s smoothing, it has coconut oil and it’s paraben-free,” she says. Though this option is formulated with sulfates (a more harsh but effective cleanser) Alfonso thinks it’s still a winner if you’re on a budget. Plus, if you have a sensitive scalp or sensitive skin, using a paraben-free shampoo is a really good course for you, since parabens can irritate your scalp, she says.
Best for dandruff: Head and Shoulders Classic Clean Dandruff Shampoo
- Relieves irritation
- Reduces flaking
- Subtle fresh scent
- Not sulfate free
Whether you’re prone to dandruff or not, this shampoo is a great addition to your shower routine. It uses zinc pyrithione to heal dryness, itching, irritation and more, according to the brand. It has a 4.8-star rating from over 12,000 reviews on Amazon.
Best for sensitive scalps: Hairitage Down to the Basics Fragrance Free Shampoo
- For all hair types/textures
- Hydrating
- Color-safe
- Nothing to note at this time
This shampoo comes recommended by Rose because it works for a wide group of individuals and its ingredient list includes sulfate alternatives like cocamidopropyl betaine. It also has soothing ingredients like chamomile to add shine to the hair and relieve scalp discomfort, as well as panthenol and glycerin (moisturizing ingredients) to prevent the shampoo from stripping the hair, according to the brand.
Best for fine hair: Odele Volumizing Shampoo
This Odele shampoo, which is suitable for those with fine hair, comes recommended by Rose because it adds volume to their hair and helps it to look and feel thicker over time, according to the brand. It’s also sulfate-free and uses the gentler cocamidopropyl betaine to cleanse, Rose says.
Best for curly hair: Ogx Quenching+ Coconut Curls Shampoo
- Softens hair
- Very moisturizing
- Reduces frizz
- Not in pump packaging
This is one of former NBC Select production coordinator Kelsey Fredricks’ go-to shampoos (she alternates between this option and the brand’s Renewing+ Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo) when she doesn’t feel like splurging). She loves the coconut scent and says that it cleanses and nourishes her hair well, which is especially important for her curly hair. “My curls don’t feel dry when I use this and it’s been a common feature in my hair care routine since I was a teenager,” she says.
Best clarifying: 4U by Tia Clarifying Shampoo for Curls
- Strengthens hair
- Adds shine
- Safe for all hair types
- Not in pump packaging
When NBC Select SEO editor Nikki Brown needs a deep cleanse after taking down her braids, she turns to this clarifying shampoo from 4U by Tia. The shampoo uses apple cider vinegar and Hemi15, which is a silicone alternative, to retain moisture and improve curl definition while clarifying and balancing your scalp’s pH level, according to the brand. It has a warm, vanilla and floral scent and is safe for use on color-treated, chemically-treated and relaxed hair.
Best for damaged hair: Saltair Recovery & Restore Damage Shampoo
- Easy to dispense
- Conditions hair
- Reduces frizz
- Strong earthy scent at first
After years of bleaching her hair and constantly using hot tools without a heat protectant, NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez has undergone a hair recovery journey using repairing products like this shampoo for her damaged hair. “I use two pumps of this shampoo and it creates such a luxurious lather in my hair that even after rinsing out this creamy foam, my hair always feels clean but also less dry, brittle and dull,” says Alvarez. “It’s been a staple for me and I never feel bad when I run out of it because it doesn’t hurt my budget when shopping like other shampoo options I own and love.”
Best for itchy scalps: Dove Dermacare Scalp
- Good for dandruff
- Helps an itchy scalp
- Nothing to note at this time
If you struggle with dandruff or flakes, look for shampoos like this Dove option, which has pyrithione zinc. Pyrithione zinc has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, and it helps with inflammation and itch, says King. This drugstore shampoo has a mild formula that balances pH levels, meaning that it can decrease yeast on the skin without causing irritation, she says. (Yeast can cause stubborn dandruff or flaky patches.)
Best shampoo alternative: Raw Sugar Rosemary Vinegar Hair Rinse Shampoo Alternative
- Stimulates scalp
- Easy to apply
- Adds shine
- Doesn't replace full hair wash
After being sent this shampoo alternative by Raw Sugar for testing, Brown, who says she’s usually really bad at taking care of her scalp when she has braids, found this to be an easy solution to cleansing her scalp. She loves the shampoo’s clean scent and nozzle applicator, which she says is easy to navigate around her braids and apply the shampoo directly to her scalp. “It also relieves any itchiness and hardly has a lather, so rinsing it off never feels daunting,” she says.
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How to shop for a drugstore shampoo
It’s worth noting that there is a difference between affordable drugstore shampoos and more expensive options, according to the experts we spoke to. “Drugstore shampoos typically have more ‘filler’ ingredients like sulfates, excess water and chemicals,” says Rose. Salon-quality products, on the other hand, tend to have more vitamins and minerals that are actually beneficial to the hair, she says. In fact, most of the hair stylists we spoke to do not use, and therefore are not familiar with many drugstore shampoos.
Still, not everyone can or is willing to pay for higher-end shampoo. Moreover, with shampoos, like any hair product on the market, there really is no “one size fits all” option, says Rose. The best thing you can do is understand your hair type and look at the first five ingredients listed on the bottle, which “on average make up 97% of a product’s volume,” says trichologist and founder of Advanced Trichology, William Gaunitz.
In general though, here are a few rules to keep in mind:
- Go gentle: “Gentle surfactants are good for cleaning,” says King. In shampoos, surfactants are the cleansing agent that help get rid of dirt, oil or residue. Harsh cleansers you want to avoid include sodium lauryl sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate, according to our experts. Instead look for sodium lauryl sarcosinate or cocamidopropyl betaine, according to New York City-based trichologist and hair health expert Shab Caspara. Another option to consider are coconut oil-derived surfactants, says Gaunitz.
- Avoid fillers: Avoid potentially damaging “filler” ingredients like propylene glycol and formaldehyde, which can cause scalp inflammation, says Gaunitz.
- Check your hair type: For an oily scalp, salicylic acid and/or apple cider vinegar can be helpful because they’re good at removing that excess sebum (an oily substance produced by the scalp), according to King. For dry or damaged hair, look for a formulation that contains humectants, emollients and occlusives, says King. For dandruff, ingredients like pyrithione zinc or selenium sulfide will benefit the scalp, says King. If you have a sensitive scalp or skin, look for a paraben-free shampoo, according to Alfonso.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Hadley King is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
- Taylor Rose is a certified trichologist and hair health expert.
- Francesca Maria Alfonso is a celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist.
- William Gaunitz is a certified trichologist and the founder of Advanced Trichology.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am a former editor for NBC Select. For this story, I spoke to board-certified dermatologists and professional hairstylists about the best drugstore shampoos, including product recommendations and advice on how to shop for your own.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
