Quick answer: the best shampoo for dry hair cleanses the scalp without stripping moisture from the lengths. Look for a gentle cleansing base and nourishing ingredients such as plant butters, oils and humectants, always follow with conditioner, and add a mask once or twice a week. Shampoo the scalp rather than scrubbing the ends, and use lukewarm water. If it's your scalp that feels dry and tight, rather than your hair, you need a soothing scalp shampoo instead.
Why is my hair so dry?
- Heat styling without protection.
- Bleach and colour, which make hair more porous so it loses moisture faster.
- Hair type: curly, coily and coarse hair tends to be drier, because scalp oil travels down the strand less easily.
- Harsh or very frequent cleansing.
- Weather: sun, wind, cold air and central heating. See our winter hair care guide.
- Hard water and swimming.
Not sure whether your hair needs moisture or protein? Read protein vs moisture. If dry hair soaks up water fast and dries quickly, our hair porosity guide may explain why.
What to look for in a shampoo for dry hair
- A gentle cleanse that removes oil and dirt without leaving hair squeaky. Some dry-hair shampoos are sulphate-free; others are simply free from SLS and SLES. What matters is the whole formula.
- Nourishing ingredients such as plant butters and oils, which soften and smooth the lengths.
- Humectants such as plant glycerin, which help draw moisture into the hair.
- A matching conditioner and mask, because shampoo alone can't put back all the moisture dry hair needs.
Which shampoo for your kind of dry hair?
| Your hair | Try |
|---|---|
| Dry, dull and lacking softness | Nourishing Shampoo |
| Very dry, and you want sulphate-free | Melted Nourishing Shampoo |
| Dry and frizzy | Hydrating Shampoo |
| Dry and damaged or breaking | The Damaged Hair range |
| Dry after a keratin or smoothing treatment | Gentle Moisture Shampoo |
| Dry, tight or itchy scalp | Itchy & sensitive scalp care |
Nourishing Shampoo: for dry, dull hair
Nourishing Shampoo restores softness, elasticity and shine to dry lengths without stripping moisture, with a phytocomplex of organic oat extract, illipé butter and organic coconut oil. It's free from SLS and SLES. With the Nourishing Hair Conditioner, it won Best Zero Plastic Shampoo & Conditioner at the HAIR Awards 2025.
Melted Nourishing Shampoo: sulphate-free, for very dry hair
Melted Nourishing Shampoo is genuinely sulphate-free, with a concentrated, semi-solid texture and a mild isethionate cleansing base. It's made with sweet almond, illipé butter and coconut oil plus plant glycerin to draw in moisture, and because it's almost water-free, it lasts around twice as many washes as a standard liquid shampoo.
Hydrating Shampoo: for dry, frizzy hair
Hydrating Shampoo smooths the cuticle so dry, frizzy hair feels softer and stays manageable, even in humidity, with amaranth extract, linseed extract and cotton seed oil. With the Hydrating Hair Conditioner, it's a three-time HAIR Awards winner (2022, 2024 and 2025).
Shop the full Dry Hair range.
Dry hair or dry scalp?
They're not the same thing. Dry hair feels rough, looks dull, tangles and frizzes, mainly on the lengths and ends. A dry scalp feels tight or itchy and may shed small, fine white flakes. A rich dry-hair shampoo won't necessarily help a dry scalp, and larger, oilier flakes are more likely to be dandruff. See shampoo for an itchy scalp and dandruff treatment.
A routine for dry hair
- Wash with lukewarm water, not hot.
- Shampoo the scalp, and let the lather rinse through the lengths rather than scrubbing the ends.
- Condition every time, from mid-lengths to ends.
- Mask once or twice a week. The Nourishing Hair Mask gives dry hair an extra moisture boost. See the best hair mask for dry, damaged hair.
- Use a leave-in to add slip and moisture between washes. Read our leave-in conditioner guide.
- Protect before heat with Replenishing Thermal Care Serum (up to 230°C).
- Seal the ends with a drop of Illuminating Hair Oil-Serum.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I wash dry hair?
Often less than oily hair, but there's no fixed rule. Wash when your scalp needs it, and lean on conditioner and leave-ins between washes. See how often you should wash your hair.
Is sulphate-free shampoo better for dry hair?
Many people with dry hair prefer it, but it isn't the only factor. Read what sulphate-free really means.
Can I use dry hair shampoo on oily roots?
If you have oily roots and dry ends, use a balancing shampoo on the scalp and a rich conditioner on the ends. See shampoo for oily hair.
Will a shampoo fix dry, damaged hair?
Shampoo helps by not making things worse, but conditioner, masks, heat protection and regular trims do most of the work. See how to treat dry, damaged hair.
Are these shampoos vegan?
Yes. Every Insight product is certified vegan by VeganOK, cruelty-free and made in Italy.
About the author
Charlotte Read has spent six years in the hair industry with Insight Professional and holds a First Class BSc in Business Management and Marketing. She writes with reference to real salons across social media and the wider Insight community, and draws on the Insight office team, who between them bring over 100 years of combined experience on salon floors.
Where technical expertise is needed, Charlotte consults Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, who brings over 38 years of global experience in colour, technique and hair science.