The Best Shampoos for Healthy, Strong, Silky Hair Are Actually All at This Unexpected Store (2024)

If you’re looking for the best budget-friendly shampoos at Walmart, is our top pick for the bes overall formula. This shampoo is enriched with plant proteins, vegan keratin, and chia seeds to smooth frizz and revitalize damage strands while also strengthening with deep nourishment. The formula is also free from harsh chemicals and low-quality ingredients such as sulfates, parabens, and dyes that can cause further damage. And, its formula is designed to soothe and nourishing the scalp, too.

Key Ingredients: Plant proteins, vegan keratin, chia seeds
Fragrance: Macadamia nut, tonka bean, and amber
Best For: Frizzy, damaged hair

Pros
Free from parabens, sulfates, and dyes.
A gentle formula that nourishes and soothes the scalp.
Strengthens strands.

Cons
The nourishing ingredients might be too heavy for fine hair.

For damaged strands that need strengthening support, consider the Native Strengthening Shampoo, which comes in the most delicious-smelling almond and shea butter aroma. This budget-friendly shampoo is formulated with just 10 ingredients and free from parabens, silicones, and dyes, making it safe to use on all hair types (though it might feel a little too heavy on some). It’s also a clean beauty shampoo, proving that you can have a highly effective shampoo without harsh chemicals.

Key Ingredients: Not listed
Fragrance: Almond and shea butter
Best For: Strengthening hair

Pros
A paraben, silicone, and dye-free formula.
Clean ingredients.
Formulated for all hair types.

Cons
The formula is a bit heavy for some hair types.

The Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo is all about adding nutrients and hydration back into the hair — especially if those strands are ultra-dry. Formulated with the brand’s signature Pro-V nutrients (including vitamin B5) plus antioxidants, this shampoo is designed to cleanse the hair and remove buildup while also nourishing strands with a burst of moisture. On top of that, it’s a color-safe formula, so you don’t have to worry about it fading or altering pigments.

Key Ingredients: Pro-V nutrients, vitamin B5, antioxidants
Fragrance: Fresh floral
Best For: Deep hydration

Pros
It’s formulated to replenish dry, lackluster hair with hydration and nutrients.
It costs under $6 for 17.9 ounces.
It’s color-safe.

Cons
It’s not ideal for sensitive scalps.

Fine hair types can create a fuller, more voluminous look with the help of the Dove Volume and Fullness Daily Shampoo with Biotin Complex. As its name suggests, this formula is enriched with biotin and designed to provide flat, lifeless strands with an extra oomph. On top of adding volume for a fuller-looking hairstyle, the shampoo also helps reduce frizz and smooths strands for a sleeker finish, too.

Key Ingredients: Biotin
Fragrance: Not listed
Best For: Volumizing hair.

Pros
It smooths strands.
It helps create a fuller-looking ‘do.

Cons
It doesn’t work as well on thick hair.

is our top pick for this category because it combines biotin and collagen together, plus vitamin B7 and hydrolyzed wheat protein to strengthen hair and support growth. On top of that, it doubles as a volumizing shampoo and can help transform hair to create a thicker and fuller effect, all while encouraging it to actually become thicker and fuller.

Key Ingredients: Biotin, collagen, vitamin B7, hydrolyzed wheat protein
Fragrance: Bergamot, jasmine, and vanilla
Best For: Strengthens hair and supports volume

Pros
It’s formulated with biotin and collagen for hair strengthening and thickening benefits.
The formula also adds volume to fine hair types.
It’s sulfate-free.

Cons
The volumizing benefits don’t work as well on thicker strands.

For a shampoo that provides the scalp with a cooling effect, look no further than the Mielle Rosemary Mint Nourishing Strengthening Daily Shampoo. This shampoo formula features aromatic rosemary and mint in its ingredient lineup, which give it its invigorating aroma and help provide a cooling touch on the scalp. On top of that, it also features biotin along with other nourishing ingredients like castor seed oil to encourage hair growth and provide deep nourishment for wavy, curly, and coily hair types.

Key Ingredients: Biotin
Fragrance: Rosemary and mint
Best For: Wavy, curly, coily hair types

Pros
The minty aroma helps create a cooling effect on the scalp.
It’s enriched with biotin for hair strengthening benefits.
It’s also formulated with castor seed oil.

Cons
The shamoo isn’t gentle enough for sensitive scalps.

The Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo is another cooling shampoo that, in addition for providing a tingly sensation on the scalp, is formulated with ingredients idea for oily scalps. This shampoo formula is enriched with tea tree oil, which is known for its ability to break down oils and can, therefore, target excess buildup on oily scalps. Because of that, it can provide a deeper clean and may even allow you to get to day three hair without the need to rinse and repeat.

Key Ingredients: Tea tree oil, peppermint, lavender
Fragrance: Tea tree, peppermint, lavender
Best For: Deep cleaning oily scalps and targeting excess sebum.

Pros
It’s enriched with tea tree, which breaks down oils.
It provides a tingly effect on the scalp.
It deep cleans.

Cons
The tea tree might irritate sensitive scalps.

If you have blonde hair and are prone to brassiness, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to revitalize your strands. Instead, reach for this L’Oréal purple shampoo, which costs under $5 at Walmart. The formula is enriched with purple pigments to help cut through brassiness and refresh blonde color as well as salicylic acid to support scalp health. On top of that, it has some additional nourishing ingredients like coconut oil which can help replenish bleached hair for softer, smoother, more moisturized strands.

Key Ingredients: Purple pigments, Salicylic Acid
Fragrance: Not listed
Best For: Reducing brassiness in blonde hair.

Pros
It’s enriched with salicylic acid to support scalp health.
The pruple pigments help cut brassiness in blondes.

Cons
Since it’s enriched with nourishing oils, it might clash with oily hair types.

The Earth Clean Beauty Moisture and Repair Shampoo is designed to repair damage-prone hair, thanks to an impressive blend of clean ingredients. Formulated with argan oil, aloe, quinoa protein, rice protein, flaxseed oil, and coconut oil, this budget-friendly shampoo from Walmart restores vital nutrients to help support hair health, while also strengthening and promoting healthier hair with every wash.

Key Ingredients: Argan oil, aloe, quinoa protein, rice protein, flaxseed oil, coconut oil
Fragrance: Aloe
Best For: Restoring moisture and repairing damage-prone hair.

Pros
It features lots of nourishing, clean ingredients
It’s free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, and dyes.
It protects against breakage.

Cons
We honestly can’t think of any!

Hair experts love the Not Your Mother’s shampoos for their budget-friendly and effective formulas — and the Way to Grow Long and Strong Shampoo certainly impresses. This shampoo formula features key ingredients such as vitamin B5, keratin, and biotin to support hair health while also encouraging hair growth. The ingredients work together to not only create an ideal environment for hair to grow long and strong (hence the name) but they also help stimulate the follicles to help kick things into high gear, too.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin B5, keratin, and biotin
Fragrance: Red apple
Best For: Hair growth

Pros
It’s formulated with ingredients that support hair growth.
It lathers well for an easy application.

Cons
Some might not prefer the red apple scent.

The Kristin Ess Hair One Signature Salon Sulfate Free Shampoo is a go-to for targeting frizz, thanks to its deeply hydrating formula featuring key ingredients such as avocado oil, castor oil, mango seed buter, and sunflower seed oil. In addition to taming frizz, this shampoo can also replenish moisture levels and promote shine for a sleeker-looking ‘do. Plus, it looks and smells like a luxury shampoo formula for a fraction of the cost.

Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, castor oil, mango seed butter, and sunflower seed oil
Fragrance: Ambrette seed, magnolia, pear water, night violet, orris butter, new caledonia sandalwood, and white amber
Best For: Targeting frizz, improving moisture levels, and promoting shine

Pros
It features deeply nourishing ingredients.
It promotes shine.

Cons
It might be too heavy for fine hair types.

If you’re on the hunt for a versatile option and love a two-in-one situation, experts also recommend The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair Shampoo. This shampoo and body wash combo is enriched with a 4 percent concentration of sulphate which can help provide an ultra-deep clean — similar to that of a clarifying shampoo — that is powerful enough to remove buildup. Since suplhates can dry out the hair, we don’t recommend using this on dry or dehydrated strands. Instead, it’s more ideal for scalps with excess oil or product buildup.

Key Ingredients: Sulphate
Fragrance: Citrus and floral
Best For: Deep cleaning hair and body

Pros
It provides a deep cleanse that is powerful enough to remove build-up.
You can use it on your hair and body.

Cons
Sulphates can be drying, so it’s not ideal for parched strands.