Shampoo, conditioner, treatment and scalp care, by hair texture and what the scalp is doing.
Pick your answers and the shelf shows only what fits.
Ranked by formula, how many people it suits, value per ounce and track record. The rank is the order; we do not print a decimal score. Every pick says who should skip it.
Ketoconazole 1%, labeled by the maker to control flaking, scaling and itching associated with dandruff. The carton says to use it every 3 to 4 days for up to 8 weeks, then only as needed.
Skip it if you want an everyday shampoo; the maker's schedule is twice a week
A cheap rinse-out conditioner with a silicone and a little argan oil to smooth frizz. The fruity scent is strong enough to notice, and fine hair can go greasy.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it weighs it down and turns greasy
What the maker calls its most effective formula, with 1% selenium sulfide, labeled by the maker to relieve stubborn dandruff. The smell is the price of entry.
Skip it if you mind a strong scent that lingers on hair and towels
A thick deep conditioner of coconut oil, shea and mafura butter for dry curls. The maker says five minutes, or up to thirty under a cap with heat. Fine hair tends to get a film.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners report a waxy film
The oil that made argan famous, though two silicones come before the argan on the list. A little on damp ends gives shine and less frizz; the scent is the brand.
Skip it if your hair is fine and goes flat or oily
A leave-on scalp serum with caffeine, peptides and plant extracts, sold for fuller, healthier-looking hair. Many owners like it, and plenty used a whole bottle and saw nothing.
Skip it if you want regrowth; the maker promises only a fuller look
A leave-in styling cream for frizz and heat, protective to 450°F according to the maker. Silicones do most of the smoothing, and owners say a bottle lasts months.
Skip it if you want it to spread easily; some owners call it gummy
A salon shampoo for dry, brittle hair that softens through silicones and a classic sulfate base. The page talks up argan oil; its own ingredient list does not have any.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it turns flat or greasy
A concentrated shampoo for dry, color-treated hair, sulfate-free according to the maker. A little goes a long way, which helps at $39 MSRP, and the scent divides people.
Skip it if you mind a strong herbal or powdery scent
A rich rinse-out conditioner with shea, olive and castor oils for curls and coils. Long-time buyers say the newer bottles are not what they used to buy.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it is too much
The partner to All Soft shampoo, sulfate-free according to the maker, with palm oil high on the list and argan oil well below it. Softens dry hair; long-time users preferred the old formula.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners report a coated feel
A giant bottle of everyday conditioner, with silicone for slip and a ceramide and hyaluronic acid on the list. Plenty of slip and softness for the money; the pump is the weak part.
Skip it if your hair is fine; owners say it feels heavy
A weekly mask with rosehip, algae and avocado oil that stays light on fine hair for many owners. Thick hair gets less out of it, and some owners react badly to the scent.
Skip it if your hair is thick or very coily; owners report weak moisture
A leave-in spray that detangles and protects from heat to 450°F according to the maker. Owners like the frizz control; the strong perfume and the spray stream are what they complain about.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one overpowering
A clarifying shampoo with apple cider vinegar and keratin according to the maker, for lifting dry shampoo and hard-water build-up once or twice a week. Used more than that, it dries.
Skip it if your hair is dry, color-treated or low on moisture
A shampoo built around Olaplex's bond ingredient, sulfate-free and color-safe according to the maker. Plenty of owners like it; others ask what the $34 MSRP bought them.
Skip it if your hair runs dry; some owners say it left theirs like straw
A big bottle of ordinary sulfate shampoo with a few vitamins on the list. It lathers and washes for not much money, though long-time buyers say recent bottles have changed.
Skip it if your hair is curly or very dry; owners report tangles and dry hair
The conditioner that goes with Nº.4, creamy and detangling according to the maker. Owners on processed hair like it best, and others say a cheaper bottle does the same job.
Skip it if your hair is unprocessed; reviewers doubt you would notice much
A light salon conditioner for fine to medium dry hair, with niacinamide and plant proteins according to the maker. Fine-haired owners like the weightlessness; others ask why it costs $48 MSRP.
Skip it if you want value; reviewers compare it to drugstore conditioners
A humidity-blocking spray that is heat-activated and lasts three to four shampoos according to the maker. It only works if you drench your hair and blow-dry it properly, and some owners still see frizz.
Skip it if you air-dry; the maker says it needs heat with tension
Olaplex's new version of No.3: three minutes on wet hair before shampoo, according to the maker. Most owners report softer hair, but fans of the old formula are angry.
Skip it if you loved the old No.3; owners say this is not the same product
A peptide leave-in: four minutes on damp, shampooed hair with no rinse, according to the maker. Alcohol denat is the second ingredient, and owners split hard over the $75 MSRP.
Skip it if your hair is healthy; this is a lot to spend on nothing
A finishing oil that leads with three silicones, then honey, almond and coconut oil. Good shine from a drop or two, and the bottle and name are doing a lot at $46 MSRP.
Skip it if your hair is fine or thin; owners say it weighs it down