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You know those people who hold on to clothes they’ve had since high school? I am the opposite. Even before the term “spark joy” entered into our cultural consciousness, I’ve always loved to purge my closet (my whole apartment, really) at least a couple of times a year, if not every few months. Simply put, I love a reset. I’m no different when it comes to my hair. Clarifying shampoos may seem arduous or unnecessary to some (“Doesn’t shampoo already clean my hair?” a friend recently asked), but they’re gamechangers in my hair routine.
Whether you have oily, dry, sensitive or a combination of hair types, a clarifying shampoo is a must for optimal hair health. Even with fancy filtered showerheads, hard water, pollutants, dandruff, oil, product residue and even nourishing ingredients from your daily shampoo and conditioner accumulate on your scalp, essentially suffocating your hair. That looks like dull, limp, lifeless strands over time.
Swap in clarifying shampoos once a week or every few washes and watch as it helps to de-gunk products and chemicals off your scalp you didn’t even know were there, revealing softer, stronger, shinier tresses from root to ends. Have I convinced you yet? Keep scrolling for 15 picks that’ll truly restore your hair.
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Thanks to a gentle grit from naturally-exfoliating sea salt, French brand Christophe Robin’s best-selling (and generously-sized tub of ) scalp scrub removes product and sebum buildup. Perfect for oily roots, sensitive scalps and even after a hair treatment to sooth itchiness.
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Moroccanoil always leaves my hair as soft as if I’ve never had a hair treatment or heat styled. The brand’s Clarifying Shampoo is no different. With nourishing argan and avocado oils, keratin, lavender, chamomile, and jojoba extracts, it delivers that coveted soft, shiny, smooth effect while leaving hair squeaky clean.
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Especially good for product build-up, this shampoo is gentle, fragrance-free and made with buckwheat extract, an ingredient rich in proteins, antioxidants, amino acids and mineral salts. Plus, a small amount of the gel-texture lathers richly so you never have to use too much.
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One of TikTok’s current favorite hair-care brands makes a gentle and effective clarifying shampoo with grapefruit extract, coconut oil, vitamin E and shea butter. Combined, hair feels softer, less frizzy and truly invigorated.
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Curly-haired friends, this one’s for you. Ouidad’s Water Works Clarifying Shampoo reboots curl patterns and removes hard water and product buildup with non-stripping cleansing fruit acids. Plus, a combination of lemon, grapefruit and orange flower extracts enhances body and shine.
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For a truly deep scalp clean, this Bumble and bumble shampoo breaks out the big guns: ginseng for cleansing, rosemary to stimulate and sage to clarify. Keep in mind, this shampoo is not safe to use on color-treated hair.
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No surprise here: Tracee Ellis Ross’ PATTERN brand makes a terrific clarifying shampoo for wavy to coily tresses. With rosemary leaf extract, safflower seed extract and aloe leaf extract, plus antioxidants like matcha green tea and aloe vera, it removes buildup, revives the scalp and strengthens every strand.
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I used to worry that clarifying shampoos would dull my color-treated hair, but Olaplex’s No. 4C alleviates any of those concerns. It’s pH-balanced and sulfate-free, and with its patented bond-repairing technology, leaves hair soft, bouncy and vibrant.
Award Photo: No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo 9 / 15
A less expensive top-tier pick for color-treated hair is from L’Oréal’s EverPure line. On top of removing hair residue and refreshing oily roots, vitamin C and glycine brightens hair color resulting in unparalleled shine.
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Living proof’s detox shampoo formula includes a magnetic polymer that, according to the brand, acts like a magnet to attract product buildup and remove it from hair. Add in activated charcoal to absorb odors and you’re left with seriously clean strands.
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OUAI uses apple cider vinegar and keratin to exfoliate and cleanse the scalp while smoothing and de-frizzing ever strand. Shoppers also love the scent—a rosy fragrance with hints of bergamot, lychee, cedarwood and white musk.
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While not technically a clarifying shampoo, Briogeo’s Superfood Shampoo (billed as a “juice cleanse for your hair”) uses nourishing fruit extracts from banana, coconut, mango and açai to cleanse. This one’s more suited for drier-hair types who want a hair reset without sacrificing moisture.
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This year’s NewBeauty Award Winner for Best Clarifying Shampoo goes to K18’s Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo thanks to an impressive formula of activated charcoal, salicylic acid and the brand’s protective K18PEPTIDE technology. Our editors rave “it gets rid of pretty much any gunk that clogs the hair follicle.”
Award Photo: Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo 14 / 15
Bread Beauty’s powerful clarifying shampoo should be used on an “intermittent” basis, but when you do you’ll notice the difference. Sage, rosemary, eucalyptus, ginger root and amino acids combine to protect, strengthen, hydrate, boost collagen production and encourage hair growth.
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Milk_Shake’s Deep Detox Shampoo left my hair noticeably softer after one use. It contains antioxidant-rich green tea leaves to protect and soothe the scalp, milk proteins provide strength and nourishment for hydration and softness and all-star exfoliator salicylic acid. It also looks like a matcha latte, has a sweet, subtle scent and lathers into a luxuriously creamy foam.
