11 Best Clarifying Shampoos 2023 : Get Rid of Dandruff

Are you tired of your hair looking greasy and dirty?
Best Clarifying Shampoos are the perfect solution for you. They’re specially designed to remove excess oils, dirt, product buildup, and other impurities from your hair without stripping it dry or leaving behind any residue. These shampoos will leave your hair feeling clean, soft, and healthy. You’ll be able to use these clarifying shampoos every day if you want because they won’t cause any damage to your locks! Plus, they come in various scents, so you can find one that smells amazing on you.
Best Clarifying Shampoos 2021
Best Clarifying Shampoos Overall
1
Neutrogena Anti-Residue Clarifying Shampoo
Neutrogena Anti-Residue Clarifying Shampoo is designed to gently cleanse the scalp and help boost volume by instantly rinsing away build-up. This non-irritating formula is recommended for all hair types, even color-treated hair. Use our anti-residue shampoo only once a week to see your favorite daily shampoo work even better, and help stop bad hair days. Gentle hair shampoo is designed as an easy, once-a-week treatment to remove heavy build up from the scalp and leave it feeling thoroughly cleansed.
What we like:
- Gently cleanses your hair and scalp without stripping away natural oils.
- Leaves your hair looking shiny and healthy.
Best on Budget
2
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo that purifies oily roots and hydrates dry ends. This shampoo and conditioner system features 3 refined clays that instantly purify oily roots and hydrate dry lengths. L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay leaves hair beautifully fresh and clean from root to tip for up to 48 hours. It will leave your hair looking clean, healthy, manageable, shiny,and beautiful with just one use! With this clarifying shampoo, you no longer have to worry about having greasy-looking, weighed-down locks.
What we like:
- Removes excess oils to leave your hair feeling clean and fresh.
- Protects from humidity to maintain a healthy shine.
Best for Curly Hair
3
Carol’s Daughter Wash Day Delight
Carol’s daughter wash day delight micellar water-to-foam shampoo with Aloe is perfect for curly, kinky, coily, and all ethnicities. It transforms from a water to a gentle foam lather for a deep clean quickly without stripping or harsh friction. The targeted applicator helps the liquid formula flow through your scalp easily, providing easy access and rinsing clean. This sulfate-free shampoo has been dermatologist tested on African American skin types 1-4, so you know it won’t irritate sensitive skin!
What we like:
- Moisturizes and nourishes hair.
- Helps prevent breakage.
- Helps maintain healthy hair and scalp.
- Gives your hair a fresh, clean scent.
4
MopTop Detox Shampoo
MopTop is a clarifying shampoo that cleanses the scalp and hair of impurities, buildup, and residue. This clarifying shampoo restores balance to the scalp for healthy hair. It removes chlorine, product residue, minerals, and oil buildup from the scalp and primes it for styling or color treatments. The natural ingredients in this sulfate-free formula include coconut cleanser, aloe vera juice, peppermint oil extract (an antiseptic), colloidal sulfur powder (an antifungal) free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, insoluble silicones dyes.
What we like:
- Detoxifies the hair and scalp.
- Helps remove build up from styling products, pollution, and other toxins.
Best for Natural hair
5
Nothing But Clarifying Shampoo
Nothing But Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo gently deep cleans hair and scalp removing deep-seated contaminants, excess oils, build-up, and residue from hair and hair follicles. It is recommended for all hair types, including oily, curly, African American, biracial, or multicultural hair. It is safe for use on color-treated or highlighted hair. No petrolatum, mineral oil sulfates, parabens, colorants, phthalates, just genuine care for natural hair. Stylists recommended removing impurities that weigh your locks down.
- Helps remove build up from products.
- Keeps your hair looking and feeling healthy.
- You’ll have a clean, fresh feeling after using it.
6
Avalon Organics Natural Shampoo
Avalon Organics Natural Shampoo is an all-natural clarifying shampoo that gently cleanses and revitalizes hair while removing excess oils and dulling build-up. This certified organic formula made with plant-based botanicals and essential oils, including lemon oil, to cleanse the scalp. It also contains nourishing ingredients like jojoba seed oil, which helps to strengthen hair follicles for healthier-looking hair. You can use this product every time you wash your hair to eliminate any dirt or residue left behind by styling products or other shampoos so that your natural beauty shines through! Avalon Organics Natural Shampoo is vegan, not tested on animals, and safe for color-treated or keratin-treated hair.
What we like:
- 100% organic ingredients.
- Gentle for sensitive skin and scalp.
Best for Colored Hair
7
Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo
The feeling of having to wash our hair every day. It’s so greasy. It can be a real pain and spent more time in the shower than we want to. But there is a solution! Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream is a fantastic clarifying shampoo that will remove product build-up, excess oil, and pollution residue in just one use! This unique formula contains powerful cleansing agents to remove buildup without stripping the hair. Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream also contains conditioners to help prevent dryness, breakage, and dullness caused by over-cleaning. Use 1x/week for best results!
What we like:
- Eliminates product buildup and residue that weighs hair down.
- Creates a clean, lightweight feel with a fresh scent.
Best for Oily Hair
8
Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo for Oily Hair Care
Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo for Oily Hair Care is one of the most popular purifying shampoo oily hair formulas. It can tackle some of the most common hair concerns making it a top greasy hair shampoo for oily scalp care. Best clarifying shampoo sulfate-free formula packed with best natural hair care products like pure rosemary oil for hair care. Healthy hair begins at the scalp, and our oily and dry scalp shampoo for men and women is made with the finest natural ingredients like Cypress Basil and Jojoba Oil.
What we like:
- Shampoo for oily hair care.
- Contains tea tree, peppermint and eucalyptus oils to reduce scalp oiliness.
Best for Black Hair
9
PURA D’OR Apple Cider Vinegar Thin2Thick Set Shampoo
If so, it’s time to stop worrying about your appearance and start taking action. Our powerful clarifying shampoo is the perfect solution for anyone who wants thicker-looking hair. This formula contains apple cider vinegar, which balances the pH levels in your scalp to stimulate hair growth. It also contains Aloe Vera, jojoba oil, and other nutrients that restore strength to damaged hair. You can use this shampoo every day without any side effects or damage to your natural color! You can use this shampoo every day without worrying about it drying out or damaging your natural curls or waves because it’s made from all-natural ingredients!
What we like:
- Thick, healthy hair that is easy to style.
- Thicker strands and fuller body.
Best for Hard Water
10
OGX Purifying + Charcoal Detox Shampoo
If you’re looking for a clarifying shampoo that will detox your hair, nourish it for a balanced glow, and bust through any buildup, then the OGX Charcoal Detox Shampoo is perfect for you. This purifying line infused with coconut charcoal and kaolin clay leave even the hair of a daily dry shampoo user looking shiny without stripping or overdrying. The Charcoal Detox Shampoo is formulated to cleanse while helping to remove product buildup gently. It also contains coconut oil to help hydrate and strengthen your locks while you cleanse.
What we like:
- Deeply cleanses hair of impurities for a healthier scalp.
- Removes build up from styling products, chlorine or hard water.
- Leaves hair feeling refreshed and renewed.
11
Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo
Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo is formulated to detoxify your hair and scalp by removing buildup that causes dull, dry locks. Gentle enough for color-treated hair, the shampoo defends against hidden hair horrors; prevents hard water buildup; reveals shine and manageability. This vegan cleansing complex also targets impurities without stripping moisture for a pristine clean that instantly imparts radiance. Follow with Malibu C Miracle Repair Conditioner and Remedy Shampoo for best results.
What we like:
- Shampoo is formulated to remove chlorine and minerals from hair.
- Reduces dryness, breakage and split ends.
- Eliminates hard water mineral deposits that can build up on your hair and scalp.
- Gently cleanses to leave hair feeling soft, shiny, and healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good hair clarifying shampoo?
Professionals recommend that if you are using a lot of products in your hair, it is good to use a clarifying shampoo. This will be most effective when done every 2-4 weeks. Clarifying shampoos remove any product that may have built up on your hair, including styling gel, hairspray, and oils like mineral oil or petroleum jelly. These products can contain alcohols or glycols that clog the hair follicles and make them heavy with a dull finish.
Do salons use clarifying shampoo?
Salon professionals often use clarifying shampoo to remove the last shampoo’s product on your hair. If you only wash your hair once a week, using this type of shampoo will not be necessary. However, if you wash your hair every day, there is more product than usual on your hair, and so you may need to try out some clarifying shampoo at some point.
Is it bad to always use a clarifying shampoo?
It is not bad to always use a clarifying shampoo. But if you don’t need it, then you may have problems because of it.
How often should I use a clarifying shampoo?
Some people think that putting lemon juice in their hair makes it “clarify.” The more often you use them, the drier your hair will become. Clarifying shampoos should only be used about once per week; less often is better.
How do you know if you need a clarifying shampoo?
It sometimes depends on your hair type and the condition of your scalp. If you have a dry scalp, flaking skin, or dandruff-like symptoms, you might want to use a clarifying shampoo. But if not, likely, your scalp does not produce as much oil as other people’s do and therefore does not need the cleansing properties that a clarifying shampoo has to offer.
What can I use instead of clarifying shampoo?
The other thing you can use to clean your hair is baking soda. People report that it kills bacteria and gets out oils in the scalp to make the hair seem clean.
Is baby shampoo a clarifying shampoo?
Baby shampoo is not usually used for clarifying the hair. It might help reduce dandruff, though, if you like the fragrance. Dandruff often gets better when skin cells start to fall off naturally, and the underlying skin problem starts to appear. If you have scalp psoriasis or seborrhoeic dermatitis, it’s best to see a dermatologist for treatment.
Clarifying Shampoos Buyer Guide
There are many types of shampoos available in the market but each type is designed for some specific purpose. If you use a lot of hair styling products, it is necessary to clean your scalp and hair once in a while to get rid of the residue left behind from the chemical-laden products. There are some important factors that must be considered when buying a clarifying shampoo. Some of these factors include:
1) Hair Type & Concern
The type of clarifying shampoo you need depends on your hair type and the conditions in which you wash your hair. If you wash your hair with hard water or use a lot of styling products, you need a stronger clarifying shampoo than a regular one. Some brands make clarifying shampoos for curly or ethnic hair also.
2) Formula
The formula of the clarifying shampoo should be easy to rinse and should lather well to remove all the dirt settled in the hair. These shampoos are a bit thicker as compared to other shampoos. Look for ingredients like argan oil, keratin, apple cider, and volcanic ash which cleanse the scalp and absorb oil from the hair. Go for an organic formula which is better for the hair in the long run.
3) Packaging
Some clarifying shampoos come in a bio-degradable packaging which is good for the environment. Choose a small bottle to try before purchasing a full-size as some shampoos might or might not suit your hair depending on your hair type. You can also go for a clarifying balm which has a hair mask-like consistency.
4) Price
You can get a good clarifying shampoo in around 5$ to 30$ depending on the brand and the formula of the shampoo. Some brands make organic shampoos which tend to be more expensive as compared to other chemical-based shampoos. You can get good deals online on bulk purchases as some brands give a one plus one free offer on some of their products or great discounts.
5) Customer Reviews
Not all clarifying shampoos work in removing residue from the hair effectively and reading the experiences of other users of the product can help you get a genuine idea of the effectiveness of a particular shampoo. These reviews will also make you aware of the various merits and demerits of the shampoo.
Here are some general tips and tricks you should keep in mind when buying and using clarifying shampoos to get the ideal results:
- Do not use a clarifying shampoo more than once a week or once every fifteen days as it is designed to purge your hair and scalp of all the oil and residue so frequent washes can leave the hair dry.
- Gently work through your scalp and hair with the shampoo and do not rinse it immediately. Work up the lather and massage to get the shampoo to all the areas of the scalp before rinsing.
- Always follow up a clarifying shampoo with a good conditioner or hair mask to restore the moisture removed by the shampoo.
- Using a clarifying shampoo before going in for a keratin or protein treatment can enhance the results of the treatment significantly as the shampoo removes the hard water chemicals from the hair and helps the keratin to penetrate the hair shaft.
- Choose a clarifying shampoo which is designed for your hair type as not all shampoos are made for all types of hair. Ask your dermatologist or hair specialist for any advice related to clarifying shampoos before investing in one.
So these are ten of the most popular clarifying shampoos available in the market which are specially designed to clean up your scalp and hair of the product build-up that occurs due to excessive use of hair styling products. Using a clarifying shampoo once or twice a week can restore the shine and strength of your hair. You can use this buyer guide to select the right shampoo for your hair type and see the difference after just a few weeks of usage.