Best Shampoo for Sensitive Scalp in 2023 – Our Top 15 Picks

If you have a sensitive scalp, you know just how important it is to find a shampoo created for your needs. We promise you are not alone. That’s why we have compiled a list of the best shampoos made just for you!

 Each of these Shampoos has fabulous reviews from people just like you who have a hard time finding a great product that won’t cause itchiness, dryness, irritation, and aggravation to your scalp.

 If you’re in a hurry, here are the best shampoos for sensitive scalp customers.

 

What to Avoid if You Suffer From a Sensitive Scalp?

If your scalp gets irritated and itchy when you use regular shampoos, chances are you have a sensitivity to the chemicals and fragrances used in the formula. It could also be from the way you are styling and maintaining your hair. Here is a list of things you can do to help keep your hair and your scalp feeling refreshed and nourished all day long.

 

Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Many FDA-approved chemicals are added to some shampoos that help clean your hair, leave it silky smooth, and leave behind an amazing scent. However, these same chemicals can be very detrimental to your scalp and your skin, causing dryness, irritation, and itch.

Before purchasing your next bottle of shampoo, make sure these ingredients are not on the label.

• cocamidopropyl betaine
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• Formaldehyde
• DMDM hydantoin
• imidazolidinyl urea
• quaternion 15
• Parabens (methylparaben and propylparaben)
• methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone

Look for things like:

• Non-alkaline
• Ph-balanced
• Simple formulas
• Mild and gentle
• Natural ingredients like oat and coconut milk

 

Be Conscious of the Water you Rinse With

Using hard water or hot water will irritate your scalp and make it susceptible to the shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products you use frequently.

To avoid adding to your sensitivity problems, keep your water warm while you wash your hair. Then, turn it hotter when you don’t have your scalp directly under the spout.

To avoid dryness and itch, consider investing in a hard water filter shower head, keeping your scalp from drying out and flaking.

 

Too Much Maintenance is No Good

Washing your hair frequently will dry out your scalp, causing redness and irritation. If you already suffer from a sensitive scalp, purchasing one of the shampoos above that are not made for daily use may be a great idea.

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It is also a good idea to check the ingredients listed not only on your shampoos but your conditioners and all other hair products you use often. Things like hair sprays, masks, and dry shampoos can contain the same amount of chemicals in them, if not more.

Lastly, try brushing your hair less often. Brushing your hair too much or with hard bristles will scratch at your scalp, making irritation worse. Brush enough to remove tangles and give your hair a clean voluminous look and then put the brush away.

 

Top 15 Shampoos for Sensitive Scalps

Your hair goes through a lot every single day. It is put through sun damage, chemicals from hair products, rubbing on your pillows at night, and so much more. Because of everything your head goes through, it’s no wonder you have a  hypersensitive scalp, these shampoos will put your skin problems to rest.

1. Bioderma Shampoo (Best for Sensitive Scalp)

Bioderma shampoo combines biology with dermatology. This shampoo is perfect for sensitive scalps because its moisturizing ingredients are centered around keeping your scalp from drying out and causing discomfort. It is soap-free, and you can use it every day.

Lather up your hair, softly massaging the shampoo into your scalp, and rinse with warm water. You will be floored with the results you see once it dries.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Restores shine
• Soothes irritated skin
• Daily use

Cons:

• Some ingredients may dry out some hair types

 

2. Sebamed- Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (Doctor’s Recommended)

Sebamed everyday shampoo is a doctor-recommended brand for those who are constantly dealing with dry skin, dandruff, and a sensitive scalp. The formula is made from moisturizing safe ingredients and is free of soap, alkali, and parabens that cause irritability to your scalp but still give you a deep clean feeling.

Using this product frequently will help remove and reduce oily flaky scalp build-up that causes irritation and discomfort to many people.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Paraben-Free
• Alkali free
• Can be used daily

Cons:

• Can dry out already damaged hair
• Does not lather up

 

3. Aveeno Scalp Soothing Oat Milk Blend Shampoo (Best Budget-Friendly)

Aveeno’s scalp soothing oat milk shampoo is great for cooling an already irritated scalp. The main ingredients are oats and almond milk, giving your scalp a refreshing and invigorating clean. Aveeno is free of dyes, parabens, and sulfates, and its goal is to offer up nothing but the best ingredients for their sensitive scalp customers.

Pros:

• Free of dyes, parabens, and sulfates
• Affordable
• Soothing ingredients while still cleansing the hair
• Smells great

Cons:

• none

 

4. Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo (Best Weekly Treatment)

Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo cleanses the hair removing 90% of the built-up film and residue from all of the hair products you use every day, without aggravating or irritating your scalp. Without any dyes or colorants, you can feel confident you will only be flaunting volumized and gorgeous hair after every use.

Using this product once a week will help restore your hair’s natural texture and will balance.

Pros:

• Removes 90% of built-up residue
• No dyes or colorants
• Works on all types of hair

Cons:

• Not recommended for an everyday shampoo

 

5. Klorane Shampoo with Peony (Best 24-hour Relief)

The cleansing ingredients used in this Klorane shampoo relieve and rejuvenate irritated and itchy scalps. The peony has an amazing natural scent and provides a moisturizing and cleansing aspect to the shampoo formula.

This shampoo relieves itchy, dry, irritated skin for 24-hours rejuvenated the natural oils and PH balance to your scalp.

Pros:

• Relieves itch and scalp irritation
• floral scent
• cleansing base helps recover natural balance

Cons:

• Bottles lid comes off easily
• pricy

 

6. Max Green Alchemy- Organic formula (Best Organic Formula)

This vegan-certified, animal-cruelty-free scalp rescue shampoo is everything a sensitive scalp sufferer will ever need. It is a mix of botanical extracts, essential oils, and vitamins, giving you an organically sourced shampoo that isn’t leaving harsh residues and irritants on your skin.

This shampoo was designed with the perfect PH balance leaving your hair beautiful and smooth, and your scalp nourished and full of moisture.

Pros:

• Made for all types of hair
• Smells great
• Animal cruelty-free
• Organic formula
• Safe for daily use

Cons:

• Pricy
• Small bottle

 

7. Maple Holistics- Sage Shampoo (Best All Natural Ingredients)

Maple Holistics has created a sage and tea tree shampoo strong enough to cleanse your hair thoroughly yet safe for even the most sensitive scalp. Their plant-based products are vegan-friendly and animal safe, plus they only use 100% pure oils in all of their shampoo formulas. Rest assure your scalp is going to love you after feeling the soothing sensations Maple Holistic has to offer.

Pros:

• 100% natural oils
• Vegan-friendly, animal-safe
• Plant-based, natural ingredients
• Volumizing
• Affordable

Cons:

• Could dry out certain hair types

 

8. ATTITUDE Shampoo (Best Eco-Friendly)

ATTITUDE Shampoo is a fragrance-free, sensitive scalp shampoo that uses no extra chemicals that could aggravate perfume allergies; instead, they keep their product all-natural and use oatmeal to soothe a sensitive scalp.

This gentle shampoo offers volumizing and cleansing properties without using the chemicals and ingredients other companies do, causing dandruff and an itchy dry scalp. It has an easy-to-use design with an attached cap that will not get lost after one use.

Pros:

• Oatmeal ingredients
• Fragrance Allergy safe/hypo-allergenic
• Affordable
• Relieves itchy scalp
• Ecologo certified

Cons:

• May cause build up for certain hair types

 

9. Free and Clear (Best Travel Shampoo)

Free and Clear is a dermatologist-tested and approved shampoo. Free of common chemical irritants such as dyes, fragrances, parabens, and preservatives. This shampoo removes build-up from each strand of hair, making follow-up brushing easier and giving your hair a boost of volume.

Pros:

• Helps control oily scalp
• Helps remove build-up from conditioners, hair sprays, and other hair care products
• Leaves hair clean and manageable
• Ideal for daily use

Cons:

• Unscented
• Does not lather well

 

10. Tree to Tub- Soapberry For Hair (Best Naturally Moisturizes)

Tree to Tub soapberry shampoo creates a gentle lather that cleanses your hair without irritating your scalp with harsh chemicals and perfumes. This hair product company wanted to create a shampoo that not only cleanses the hair and rids each strand of built-up residue but also focused on your skin’s sensitivities to leave your entire head feeling nourished.

Pros:

• Made for dry, oily, and sensitive skin
• No irritants or harsh chemicals
• Free of sulfates, paraben, gluten
• Great scent, fragrance-free

Cons:

• More expensive than other shampoos

 

11. Garnier Whole Blends Gentle Oat Delicacy (Best Budget-Friendly Runner Up)

Garnier has been a popular hair care line for many years and has always lived up to its reputation. Their natural skin-sensitive shampoo line is no different. The formula is enriched with natural extracts such as oat milk and rice cream, moisturizing your scalp as it cleans your hair. If you are looking for soft, dandruff-free smooth hair, this is a great place to start.

Pros:

• Oatmilk is a natural anti-inflammatory
• Uses natural ingredients
• Gentle enough for daily use
• Affordable

Cons:

• none

 

12. Nature Sustained-Raw Probiotic Soapberry Formula (Best Eczema Psoriasis Formula)

This soapberry shampoo formula uses handpicked soapberries and fruits giving you the best ingredients possible. This formula is 100% organic and uses natural ingredients (like artesian spring water, elephant apple, and makrut lime) to give your head a gentle cleanse without the chemical side effects on your scalp. This Ph balanced formula is for those who suffer from itchy dry scalp, damaged hair, eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff.

Pros:

• Natural ingredients
• Organic
• Balanced PH
• Contains probiotics
• biodegradable

Cons:

• Expensive

 

13. TheraNeem- Scalp Therapy Shampoo (Best Natural Scent)

This formula protects, nourishes, and heals sensitive scalps with its natural neem oils and extracts. It provides a purifying and balancing cleanse while soothing the most sensitive areas on your scalp. With the natural scents of lemon and peppermint oils, you won’t miss out on the added perfumes other companies use to improve their scents.

Pros:

• Lab verified
• Natural ingredients
• Made for all hair types
• Vegan friendly

Cons:

• Some people may react to natural oils like lavender and peppermint

 

14. Cleure Shampoo for Sensitive Skin (Best Hair Strengthening)

Cleure is a dermatologist-recommended shampoo for sensitive scalp sufferers. It is free of harsh irritants such as dyes, gluten, parabens, fragrances, alcohol. And other products that are known to leave your scalp itchy, dry, and aggravated. This shampoo not only cleans your hair thoroughly while soothing your scalp but with the added B5 vitamins, it also helps to strengthen every strand.

Pros:

• Free of harsh chemicals
• Dermatologist-recommended
• Affordable
• Calms already irritated scalps

 Cons:

• Does not provide a lather

 

15. Oribe Serene Scalp Shampoo (Best Splurge)

Although very pricy, Oribe has developed a shampoo made of only the best ingredients to provide and deep enriched clean while soothing and protecting sensitive scalps. Some of their main ingredients include caffeine (to energize and rejuvenate hair follicles), Bilberry Fruit & Sugar Maple Extracts (to soothe the scalp), and Orange & Lemon Fruit Extracts (to help maintain moisture in hair and scalp.)

Pros:

• Natural soothing ingredients
• High end clean
• Relieves and prevents dandruff
• Soothes irritated scalp
• Relieves dryness

Cons:

• Very expensive

 

Conclusion

When it comes to great hair and a healthy scalp, only the best products will do. No two people are alike; therefore, not all products work the same for everyone. However, we are fairly confident that no matter why you suffer from a sensitive scalp, one of these 15 products will work wonders for you. Now you just need to try them out.