The Best shampoos for wavy hair

Finding the perfect shampoo for wavy hair is easier said than done. Wavy hair is from the curly-hair family, meaning waves are just a specific type of curl.

Curly hair has unique needs and differs from straight hair. Whether you’re looking for a beachy hair vibe or just want to find a solution to frizzy, dry waves, we’ve got your back. Our list of the best shampoos for wavy hair will help you properly care for your waves.

Here are our favorites and the best shampoos for wavy hair.

1. Blu Atlas Shampoo

Get soft beach waves or loose, springy curls with the most curl-lovin’ shampoo on this side of the Mississippi. Blu Atlas Shampoo is the best shampoo for wavy hair this year. So what did they do to win the crown? They formulated a simple curl-supporting cleanser that dismisses frizz, removes product buildup, cleanses hair, and maintains wave patterns with clean, premium ingredients.

Blu Atlas is well known for its hand-picked premium ingredients. The brand has been making a different kind of wave by winning all sorts of prizes and awards. We understand why. The brand is being touted as one of the most transparent hair- and skin-loving companies that puts the health of men and women first.

With the help of their medical advisory board, aka a dream team of dermatologists, the brand makes safe-for-hair and skin products that people love. Shampoo by Blu Atlas supports waves and curls with its blend of nutrient-dense vitamins and minerals. Jojoba oil supports the natural shape of waves by enriching them with vitamins A, E, and D while nourishing each hair strand and providing maximum hydration.

Aloe barbadensis leaf is a natural moisturizer that satisfies the scalp and hair. Aloe is also full of natural antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E. Saw palmetto joins the party to prevent hair loss and keep the scalp healthy. Vegan biotin increases hydration and hair strength, which decreases frizz and breakage.

Coming in two scented options with the classic scent or coconut apricot, they’re both incredible picks for anyone with wavy hair. The shampoo is also free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances, so you don’t have to worry about stressed-out, damaged hair. Instead, you’ll have happy, vibrant waves with Blu Atlas Shampoo.

2. Gisou Honey Infused Hair Wash Shampoo

Who doesn’t love a spot of honey in the morning? Gisou Honey Infused Hair Wash Shampoo is a decadent cleanser that will have you salivating due to its delightful honey-filled scent. The cleanser is a lightweight, gentle wash that uses the power of honey to hydrate hair while cleansing.

With this shampoo, guys and gals with wavy hair reap the benefits of added shine, frizz-free locks, and extra nourishment. Suitable for all hair types, it works exceptionally well for folks with frizzy, unruly hair. Made with a blend of naturally derived ingredients like argan oil and baobab, it’s a perfect treatment for stressed-out hair.

We love this smooth honey-infused shampoo, and it’s one of the best shampoos for wavy hair.

3. Briogeo Farewell Frizz Smoothing Shampoo

Soothing, smoothing, and giving you “it girl” hair is the main focus of Farewell Frizz Smoothing Shampoo. The shampoo is free from silicone, sulfate, and gluten and uses nourishing ingredients to tame frizz and repair damaged hair. Nourishing ingredients such as argan oil, rosehip, and coconut restore hair’s natural shine, control frizz, and even protect hair from free radicals.

Women and men with frizzy hair love this shampoo’s ability to eliminate frizz while gently cleansing hair. We recommend this as one of the best shampoos for keeping frizz under control for wavy hair.

4. Pattern Clarifying Shampoo

Adding a clarifying shampoo to your haircare routine is like washing your car. It looks nice, feels nice, and everyone in the neighborhood will compliment you. Clarifying Shampoo from Pattern is a clarifying shampoo that helps waves look fresh and well cared for.

Clarifying shampoos are BFFs to curly and wavy hair. They clean the scalp while removing product build-up, dead skin cells, and dirt trapped on the scalp. This helps hair hold onto moisture better and have an all-over healthier appearance.

5. Matrix Total Results Instacure Anti-Breakage Shampoo

A common issue for men and women with wavy hair is frizziness, breakage, and dry or brittle hair. Total Results Instacure Anti-Breakage Shampoo is a shampoo that targets these issues and puts a stop to hair damage. Adding this shampoo to your daily routine will reduce damage and breakage and give your hair strength. The sulfate-free, silicone-free, and paraben-free formula is gentle enough for everyday use and even for those with chemical damage.

Liquid proteins repair hair and make it feel healthy and strong again. We love that it works for all types, so you can share this shampoo for wavy hair with the whole family.

6. Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo

Cleansing wavy hair while keeping it hydrated is no easy feat. It’s hard to find shampoo for curly hair that does both without creating greasy, heavy hair. Hydrating Shampoo from Moroccanoil is an oil-infused cleanser that does the impossible, hydrating hair while making your hair and scalp squeaky clean.

Working hard for all hair types, concerns, and issues, the shampoo is a simple cleanser that treats the hair and scalp with nutrient-dense materials. Argan oil deeply conditions hair, while red algae brings extra moisture to the hair and scalp. Gentle and safe for daily use, it’s also free from colors, sulfates, phosphates, and parabens.

We recommend the Hydrating Shampoo to men and women who want a moisturizing shampoo that maintains healthy waves.

7. Amika Normcore Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Sulfate is a harmful ingredient to wavy hair. It removes the natural oils from your hair and leaves it dry. That’s why Normcore Sulfate-Free Shampoo is a great shampoo option.

They ditch the sulfate so hair can stay healthy and happy using its own natural oils. Safer ingredients like coconut acid and sea buckthorn add strength to hair. The shampoo works well for all hair types and is free from sulfates, color, parabens, and mineral oil.

8. OUAI Detox Shampoo

Sometimes, our hair and scalp need a good scrub and an intense detox. Detox Shampoo from OUAI is a salon-quality hair product that deeply cleans the hair and scalp. When you use products like dry shampoo or styling gel, they cause product buildup on your scalp. A detox shampoo has the power to rejuvenate waves by removing product building and keeping hair squeaky clean.

The clarifying shampoo uses simple ingredients to remove oil, dirt, and product buildup. Apple cider vinegar eliminates impurities without damaging wavy hair. Keratin adds strength to tired locks and boosts hair’s natural shine. Safe for all hair types, the cleanser also works well for folks with thin or oily hair.

Detox Shampoo is the best clarifying shampoo for wavy hair.

9. Ceremonia Yucca & Witch Hazel Shampoo

Silky smooth and hydrated hair is what’s on offer from our next cleanser, Yucca & Witch Hazel Shampoo. The shampoo is an ultra-hydrating, extra-nourishing wash that cleans the hair and scalp without removing your natural oils.

Yucca extract and witch hazel imbue hair with fortified strength, reduce frizz, and add shine. Other helpful ingredients like aloe vera juice, castor oil, blue agave extract, babassu oil, safflower seed extract, and cupuacu butter support natural waves and curls while adding extreme hydration and nourishment. The shampoo works best for women and men with thick or dry, damaged hair.

10. Seen Skin-Caring Shampoo

Sometimes damaged, wavy hair just needs a gentle shampoo to cleanse the hair and scalp. Skin-Caring Shampoo is a lightweight, fragrance-free shampoo full of plant-derived ingredients that clean your waves. Free from phthalates, sulfates, parabens, dyes, and gluten, it’s the perfect choice for folks with wavy hair and sensitive skin.

Created by a dermatologist, the shampoo is a super-safe, gentle option for folks who experience irritation from regular shampoos. The key ingredient, hemisqualane, controls frizz, offers protection from heat, and smooths out hair. The cleanser is strong enough to clean hair and help you feel fresh and clean.

11. Dove Amplified Textures Sulfate-Free Moisturizing Shampoo

Like the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This shampoo is a classic grocery store brand made specifically for wavy and curly hair. There’s no need to buy expensive salon products when such a simple solution is available.

Dove’s curly hair shampoo cleans curls and waves while helping hair retain its natural moisture and shape. As a gentle cleanser, it cleans hair properly without irritating or drying out the hair. Free from sulfates and parabens, it’s the best choice for wavy hair if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly shampoo.

12. Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hydrating Shampoo

Nourish hair with an intense hydrating shampoo. HoliRoots Hydrating Shampoo is a heavy moisturizer and hydrator that cleanses hair while injecting rich nutrients and minerals into each strand. The cleanser keeps the scalp clear of product buildup, which we know is vital to the health of waves and curls.

Natural ingredients like coconut oil throw vitamins and fatty acids at the hair, which keep it free from frizz and damage. Coconut oil also soothes the scalp and removes build-up around hair follicles. Centella asiatica, aka tiger herb, dives into the scalp and cleans it while boosting moisture.

13. Rossano Ferretti Parma Intenso Smoothing Shampoo

We didn’t forget about the men and women with thick, heavy waves. Made for thick, curly, and coarse hair, Smoothing Shampoo is a rich formula of ingredients that detangle, hydrate, nourish, condition, and de-frizz hair. Natural ingredient avocado adds moisture to dehydrated hair and protects hair strands. Green tea is a natural antioxidant that boosts shine, softens hair, and nourishes the hair and scalp.

Macadamia is full of natural antioxidants that soothe and nourish stressed-out hair. Made with 95% naturally derived ingredients, it’s a safe cleanser for thick, wavy hair. We recommend Smoothing Shampoo to men and women with unruly, coarse waves who need a soothing shampoo treatment.

Buyer’s Guide to Shampoo for Wavy Hair

Our guide will help you narrow down your hair care needs and choose the best shampoo.

How to Choose a Shampoo for Wavy Hair

With so many great shampoos to choose from, it’s hard to narrow down the search to just a few. We’ve highlighted the most essential features to help you choose.

Good Ingredients

We’d prefer you only to put good, curl-supporting ingredients on your hair. Fueling waves with the best ingredients is essential if you want to have frizz-free, healthy, moisturized waves. Curly hair is often prone to breakage due to dryness, heat, or other damage. Nourishing ingredients go a long way to restoring tired wavy hair.

Aloe vera: Assisting with more than just your waves and curls, aloe vera also keeps your scalp healthy. With natural vitamins A, C, and E, aloe vera reduces damage to curly hair, smoothing and moisturizing each strand.

Argan oil: A hair-loving ingredient, argan oil is a natural moisturizing agent that boosts hair and scalp health with vitamin E. Argan oil adds shine to hair, increases softness, and locks in moisture.

Coconut oil: One of the best-kept secrets in the beauty world, coconut oil is an intense natural oil that brings extreme hydration. The oil moisturizes waves, adds shine, and helps the scalp feel sated and fresh.

Honey: You might be surprised to find this sweet sticky treat in our list of wave-loving ingredients, but honey is a natural moisturizer that aids the scalp and hair. Honey locks in hydration and increases hair’s natural shine.

Kelp: This unique ingredient is a type of seaweed full of minerals and nutrients that support waves and their overall health. Kelp improves waves’ strength and decreases breakage.

Murumuru butter: Murumuru butter is an intense hydrator for dry or damaged hair. This natural fat injects natural moisture and hydration while protecting hair from environmental stressors. The butter also adds smoothness and shine and makes hair less brittle.

Rice amino acids: Rice amino acids are a lifesaver for anyone with frizzy, wavy hair. The natural ingredient can make waves easier to maintain and decrease frizz while adding shine to hair. It also adds strength to hair while helping waves look their best.

Spirulina: Derived from algae, spirulina is a vegan hair care ingredient that boosts hair and scalp health. Naturally rich in nutrients, spirulina restores damaged hair.

Bad Ingredients

Wavy hair, like all curls, is sensitive to harsh chemicals and materials. Here are some of the top ingredients to avoid.

Alcohol: It’s common to find alcohol used in self-care products as a carrier or drying agent. In products for curly hair, they can dry out hair and remove hair’s natural oils, which irritates both the scalp and hair.

Artificial fragrance: Fake fragrances are often included in products to make you smell better. The problem is synthetic fragrances can irritate the scalp, which causes dryness and damage.

Dyes: Dyes are used to give your hair the color of your dreams, but they often cause severe hair damage. If you enjoy dyeing your hair, use dyes without ammonia or peroxide to reduce damage.

Formaldehyde: Used as a preservative, formaldehyde is damaging to curls and scalps. Damage from formaldehyde causes frizzy and dry waves.

Petroleum: Another ingredient commonly found in products for curly hair, petroleum covers hair strands and prevents moisture from entering the hair. This cause frizzy, dry, stressed-out hair and buildup on the scalp.

Silicones: A popular synthetic ingredient, silicones are most often found in conditioner or conditioner treatments but are also included in other products. They add a layer of coating to the hair to lock in moisture. The downside to silicones, though, is they build up on the hair and scalp over time and weigh down waves.

Surfactants: Commonly found in shampoos, surfactants are chemical detergents that create that rich, foamy lather people know and love. Surfactants remove impurities from the scalp and get rid of oils, including the natural oils on your hair and scalp. While surfactants may not sound that bad, they strip the hair of its natural oils, stealing moisture from your scalp and waves, irritating the scalp, and causing dandruff.

Determine Hair Porosity

It’s okay if you don’t already know about hair porosity. Hair porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb moisture or liquid and then hold it. Knowing your hair porosity will help you choose shampoo and other hair care products with the right amount of oils and moisturizing ingredients.

Low-porosity: Men and women with low-porosity hair have hair that doesn’t readily absorb hydrating ingredients or moisture. Try to use products with lightweight formulas and avoid thick or heavy products because these tend to weigh down the hair and cause product build-up. Low porosity hair loves water-based products.

Medium-porosity: This type of hair needs to find balance in moisturizing elements. Use light, gentle shampoos and other hair care products, and always condition the hair properly. Because hair should be balanced, avoid hot styling tools that cause dry and damaged hair.

High-porosity: Hair with high porosity easily absorbs hydrating elements and liquids. Use moisturizing and conditioning treatments to give hair extra nutrients and vitamins. Extra treatments with ingredients like shea butter, protein, and natural oils work wonders for high-porosity hair.

Know Your Curl Type

Understanding your particular waves and curls allows you to choose the right products for your hair. Waves have unique hair needs that are different from other curls.

Waves are type 2 curls, and there are three different types of waves. 2a waves are light, loose, and soft. They aren’t very wavy, nor do they have deep waves. 2b waves have a bit more depth to each wave, but the hair is still flat at the roots. 2c waves are a mix of waves and curls, making them the most noticeable type of wave.

Price

Taking care of waves and curls adds up. They often require special shampoos, treatments, and hair care products to look and feel their best. So while building your ideal wavy hair routine, keep in mind that you’ll most likely be buying each product every few months. While we understand you may want to be cheap on some products, it’s often worth spending extra cash to create healthy, happy waves.

Top Tips and Tricks for Wavy Hair

Have you been washing your hair with the right shampoo and conditioner, but your hair still feels dry, tired, and lifeless? Then you should our top tips and tricks to get the best wavy hair.

Application Process

Ready to suds up with your perfect wavy hair shampoo? Apply your shampoo directly to the scalp. This targets the buildup of dead skin cells, grime, dirt, and hair products.

Gently rub the cleanser into the scalp, using a back-and-forth motion. Avoid making circular motions because this causes tangles and knots. Rinse off the shampoo with cold or lukewarm water.Cold water is better because it seals the end of your hair cuticles, protecting hair from stressors.

Use Lukewarm or Cold Water

You’ve probably heard this before, but when washing hair, especially curly or wavy hair, never use hot water. Hot water damages the hair and scalp and makes it virtually impossible to hydrate and satisfy hair if you’re blasting it with scalding water. We all love a good hot shower, but when it comes to the health of your hair, it’s best to avoid extreme heat. Hot water can cause frizz, dryness, damage, an itchy scalp, and more.

Cleanse the Scalp

People often overlook the scalp during their hair care routine. Keeping the scalp clear of debris like dead skin cells, dirt, and product buildup is essential for men and women with curly, wavy hair. Always apply shampoo directly to the scalp and then gently massage it in a back-and-forth motion—this causes fewer tangles, knots, and damage to fix later. Keep your scalp healthy and clean so the natural oils from your scalp travel down individual hairs.

Avoid Heat and Styling Tools

Heat is one of the most damaging things to curls, including those with wavy hair. Try to avoid hot styling tools like straighteners, curlers, and blowdryers because they can cause damage to the hair. If you have to use a hot styling tool, like a blow dryer, spray or apply a heat protectant evenly over hair before using it.

Deep Condition Every Week

Wavy, aka curly, hair is notorious for being dry and prone to damage. Using a deep conditioning treatment every week is a great way to keep your waves free from frizz and damage. Another option is to use a nourishing hair oil that acts as a serum and protects hair from environmental stressors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my shampoo for wavy hair expire?

Yes, at some point, it will. Every hair and skin care product should have a printed expiration date. These are usually clearly labeled in black print on the side or bottom of the tub or bottle.

If you can’t find a printed expiration date and you don’t recall when you bought it, check for signs that it’s past its expiration date. Changes in color, texture, smell, and effectiveness are all signs that a product is expired.

Can I wash wavy hair daily?

This depends on your hair type, issues, and scalp. For some people, it’s more appropriate to wash their hair every day, but others may only wash their hair once a week.

Men and women with dry, coarse, rough hair and type 4 curls should typically wash their hair once a week or once every other week. This type of hair is prone to damage and breakage. People with thin or wavy hair often wash their hair daily or every few days. Maintaining nourishment and moisture levels is important for this type of hair.

Can I use dry shampoo for wavy hair?

Yes, you definitely can, but don’t use it as a replacement for shampoo. What do we mean by that? Use the dry shampoo sparingly and only once in-between washes.

For example, if you wash your hair, and then the next day you use dry shampoo to suck up excess oil, the next day, wash your hair and scalp. Keeping your scalp healthy and clear of buildup ensures healthy, hydrated waves.

What’s the best shampoo for wavy hair?

The best shampoo for wavy hair is Blu Atlas Shampoo. Made with 99% ingredients of natural origins, it’s a safe, wave-loving shampoo that cleans the hair and scalp with no irritation. Shampoo from Blu Atlas is a simple cleanser that works for every hair type and concern.