Ever wonder why your hair looks so amazing after a visit to the salon and instantly seems to fall flat (sometimes quite literally) after your next wash? While a huge part of that perfect hair day is thanks to skilled styling, you should never underestimate the power of a good shampoo and conditioner — so if you're looking to get a salon-quality wash at home, it's time to invest in the best professional shampoos and conditioners.
Before shelling out on a pro-quality shampoo and conditioner, you want to make sure to choose a formula that will work for your specific hair type. The fairly straightforward task includes opting for a sulfate-free formula if you have color-treated hair. (And if you have hair that's been dyed blonde or platinum, you'll want to be extra choosey and go for a shampoo and conditioner that have purple pigments to help neutralize brassy undertones.) If it's more moisture you're after, look for a shampoo that includes multiple nourishing ingredients like argan oil, moringa oil, or camellia seed oil. Not only do these omega fatty acid-rich oils work to soften hair and eliminate frizz, but they can also help prevent future damage.
For more texture-focused concerns, it's especially helpful to pay attention to the ingredients list. Curly hair requires heavier moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil to help smooth the hair follicle and define curls. On the other hand, these heavy hydrators can weigh down fine hair, making it look stringy and greasy. While fine hair still needs moisture, look for more lightweight options such as hyaluronic acid that aren't at the top of the ingredients list. Thin hair types will also want to choose a formula with thickening or plumping technologies, which will have the obvious benefit of added volume, but can also help you get an extra day out of your wash by preventing your hair from looking flat and greasy so quickly after shampooing.
Ahead, you'll find five of the best professional shampoos and conditioners that are worth the splurge.
1The Best Professional Shampoo For Color-Treated Hair
Many shampoos that boast a color-safe formula don't do much else in the way of ensuring a good hair day. But R+Co's Television Perfect Hair Shampoo was created by three of the industry's leading hair pros to keep your color looking its best, while also adding body and shine (aka hair that's worthy of its own television commercial). Juniper berry extract adds weightless moisture to hair while regulating oil production and soaking up impurities on the scalp, and glycerin and babassu seed oil help strengthen hair and add even more moisture.
Fine hair types reported increased volume and thickness with this shampoo, while other reviewers rave about the way it enhances shine and cleanses hair without being stripping or leaving behind a film. The vegan and cruelty-free formula doesn't contain any parabens or sulfates, either.
"I often run out of time in the morning to use product and style my hair, but this shampoo ensures that my hair is still manageable and looks shiny and beautiful with little to no effort," reported one reviewer. "Feels great, smells great, and a little goes a long way."
2The Best Professional Shampoo For Curly Hair
For wavy or curly hair types, it's important to look for a formula that's been created with the purpose of enhancing your natural curl pattern. The Davines Love Curl Shampoo is a tried-and-true example of that, which uses almond extract to hydrate and soften textured hair without messing with its structure. The rich formula also helps add shine and detangles frizzy, hard-to-manage curls. Plus, it's free of sulfates, which is important for curly hair types, since they tend to be moisture-stripping.
"My hair is much softer now and makes my frizzy curly hair much more manageable and soft," one reviewer wrote, while another said, "It’s improved my volume and made my hair way less frizzy."
3The Best Professional Shampoo For Fine Hair
On the opposite end of the hair spectrum, if you have fine hair or hair that's thinning, the Kérastase Densifique Bain Densité Shampoo is worth the investment. This gentle shampoo uses hyaluronic acid to hydrate and boost hair, as well as gluco-peptide to increase smoothness. To strengthen the hair fiber and protect it from future damage, Kérastase, a longtime salon-favorite brand, uses a power renewal complex and ceramide technology.
One fan said, "This product is well worth the money if you have fine hair. It helps to thicken your hair and makes it healthy [and] shiny too."
Another reviewer wrote, "I love this shampoo. My hair is thinning due to thyroid problems and this shampoo makes it look twice as thick. It also provides 'lift' at my roots. This is the first time I have written a review because I am so impressed."
4The Best Professional Conditioner For Dry Hair
If you notice that your hair is drier than usual, the CHI Argan Oil Conditioner is here to help. Designed to be used with the brand's Argan Oil Shampoo, the conditioner is formulated with the same main ingredients: argan oil, moringa oil, and CHI's own ceramic compound. While argan and moringa oils work to soften and instantly moisturize hair, the CHI ceramic compound helps keep hair protected from future UV and heat damage, so it stays strong in the long run.
With a rare 4.7-star overall rating on Amazon, it's clear reviewers are obsessed. "It makes my hair silky, shiny and smooth," wrote one reviewer, who noted, "I went three days without it and I could tell a difference in the texture of my hair right away. It’s a must have!"
Another fan said, "This is the best conditioner I've ever used! It's AMAZING! Leaves my hair so soft and silky but not weighed down. My hair still has plenty of body to it. Looks smooth and frizz free. Highly recommend and it smells amazing."
5The Best Professional Conditioner For Shiny Hair
For hair that has a glossy sheen to it, try adding the Wella Oil Reflections Luminous Instant Conditioner into your wash routine. Light enough to be used on finer hair types without weighing it down, this conditioner was designed to be applied from the middle of the lengths to the ends and left on for 30 seconds to really lock in moisture. Antioxidant-rich white tea not only helps restore your hair's natural shine, but it can also help protect against damage from the sun and even aid in hair growth. Camellia seed oil is another key ingredient in this conditioner, which further helps enhance shine and deeply nourishes hair because it's naturally rich in omega fatty acids.
One Amazon reviewer reported, "I was worried that a product with oil in the name would make my stick-straight hair look greasy, but it makes it feel luxurious."
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