11 Best Shampoos For Long Hair
All hair types need their own specialised shampoo, and the same is true for different hair lengths.
If you have grown your hair out, then you will need the right shampoo to help maintain it.
A good shampoo can make a big difference in long hair, keeping it strong, healthy, and clean.
What is the best shampoo for long hair?
The best shampoo for long hair should contain gentle cleansers and conditioning agents that cleanse and nourish hair, and should preferably be free of sulfates as well. Look for added nourishment from vitamin E, B5, and other ingredients that promote hair growth.
If you are in the market for a shampoo for your long hair, to promote growth and maintain a healthy shine and nourished condition, keep reading for our top picks.
As well as some tips on how you can go about choosing the best shampoo for long hair!
Buyer’s Guide – Shampoo For Long Hair
Choosing a good shampoo is the first step in your hair-care journey, and for long hair, there are specific factors to consider when selecting one.
When choosing the best shampoo for long hair, consider your hair type.
Whether your hair is fine, medium, or thick, and whether you have certain conditions, such as a dry scalp or oiliness.
Here is what to consider when choosing the best shampoo for long hair:
Cleansing Shampoo
One of the primary purposes of a shampoo is to cleanse the scalp and hair, and the cleansing power of the shampoo should be one of the first things you look at.
A shampoo should promote better scalp health by removing buildup and nourishing hair follicles.
Any build-up left on the scalp can inhibit proper hair growth, as the hair follicles are not given a healthy environment. Build-up can also lead to dandruff.
The shampoo should gently cleanse the scalp and hair, leaving it free of oil and build-up without stripping too much and leaving it dry and undernourished.
Moisturizing Shampoo
While it should cleanse the scalp, the shampoo should be moisturising too.
Most of us rely on a conditioner to moisturise hair, but a good shampoo should help with this as well.
The shampoo should help to lock in moisture to the hair shaft, which, over time, helps to prevent breakage and split ends. Overall, this leads to healthier-looking hair.
Free From Harsh Chemicals
It is so important to look for a shampoo free of harsh chemicals. Harsh chemicals can dry out the scalp and damage hair follicles, and can end up doing more harm than good.
One way to avoid harsh chemicals is to opt for a herbal shampoo that contains natural ingredients and essential oils, which will nourish hair and the scalp rather than damage it.
Avoid shampoos that contain parabens, benzalkonium chloride, and benzethonium chloride.
These are preservatives that act as surfactants but can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system.
Artificial fragrances are also a no-go, as they can contain a whole host of chemicals that are considered trade secrets.
So they do not have to include the complete ingredient list on the shampoo label.
Sulfate-Free
Where possible, choose a shampoo free of sulfates.
Sulfate-free shampoos help retain moisture, which is especially ideal for damaged or dry hair.
The shampoo helps retain natural moisture, which is the best your hair can get.
A sulfate-free shampoo is also a good option for coloured hair.
As it will not strip colour from hair too quickly and is gentle and caring on coloured hair as well, helping it recover from the chemical process of dying.
Nourishing Ingredients
While there are a good few ingredients that you should avoid in shampoos, there are some that you should look for.
These are some of the ingredients which shampoos might contain that nourish and care for hair, giving it a beautiful finish and a healthy shine.
These are natural ingredients that are safe for long hair:
- Oils such as avocado oil, coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil
- Essential oils
- Herbal extracts such as dandelion, sage, chamomile, calendula, rosemary, peppermint, green tea
- Aloe vera
- Biotin
- Seaweed collagen
- Shea butter
- Honey
By choosing a natural shampoo, you aren’t giving up any of the benefits that a regular shampoo would have.
Instead, you would be benefiting from all the natural nourishment and care that these above ingredients hold, most of which are better than any man-made ingredient.
And which are sure to be safer to use.
The Best Shampoos For Long Hair
Here are our top picks for the best shampoos for long hair. We have included shampoos for different hair types, for colored and non-colored hair, and everything in between.
So you are sure to find the shampoo that suits you best!
Keep in mind your hair type and needs when deciding which shampoo is right for your hair.
But you will definitely be able to find one from the list below, all of which are highly recommended!
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Redken Extreme Length Shampoo | Biotin, reduces breakage, strengthening |
| 2. | Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo | Nourishing, moisturizing, softening |
| 3. | Redken Volume Injection Shampoo | Lightweight, softening, creates healthy shine |
| 4. | Pureology Hydrate Shampoo | Sulfate-free, jojoba oil, lavender scent |
| 5. | Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo | Frizz-free, creates shine, shea butter |
| 6. | L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Shampoo | Paraben and sulfate free, silicone-free |
| 7. | Marc Anthony Grow Long Biotin Shampoo | Silky hair, caffeine, vitamin E |
| 8. | Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo For Damaged Hair | Repairs damage, smooth and shiny hair |
| 9. | Botanic Hearth Biotin Shampoo | Sulfate and paraben free, cruelty-free |
| 10. | LivSo Moisturizing Shampoo | Coconut oil, glycolic acid, anti-fungal |
| 11. | Tree Hut Extreme Moisture Shampoo | Pure shea butter, lightweight |
1. Redken Extreme Length Shampoo
The Redken Extreme Length Shampoo is the answer for damaged hair that refuses to grow.
The Extreme Grow System contains biotin, which helps long hair stay healthy and grow by preventing breakage and strengthening the mid-length of the hair.
Using Redken’s Length Care Complex, made with biotin and soy protein.
The system strengthens hair from root to tip and can help reduce breakage by 81% when used as a complete system.
The Extreme Length Shampoo is excellent for damaged hair and ideal for long hair to reduce damage and breakage, and leave hair looking strong, healthy, and full of shine.
The Length Care Complex also ensures long hair stays in the best condition while promoting growth.
With a pH-balanced formula, the shampoo is gentle on the scalp and helps maintain optimal scalp conditions, supporting healthy hair growth.
Length-fortifying and protective properties make this an essential shampoo for long hair that needs some love, and for those looking to grow their hair even longer!
The shampoo is best used along with the conditioner and treatment in the same range.
2. Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo
The Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo is an excellent option for dry or damaged long hair, with split ends and breakages.
It helps optimise the hair’s moisture balance, ensuring it is healthy-looking and nourished.
Using this shampoo will leave hair cleansed and extremely moisturised, giving it a beautiful softness and shine.
It can be used to cleanse thick, coarse, and dry hair gently.
The Biolage Hydrasource range offers essential care for all hair needs, quenching thirsty, under-nourished hair in the healthiest way possible.
The Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo will intensely moisturise hair and the scalp, and its indulgent texture gently cleanses for extreme softness.
Along with these benefits, you can enjoy a blend of 27 notes that create a timeless, irreplaceable scent that you will fall in love with.
The vegan shampoo is full of natural ingredients that care for your hair and make it safe to use on coloured hair, too!
3. Redken Volume Injection Shampoo
Redken has another shampoo available that is an excellent option for long hair – the Redken Volume Injection Shampoo.
The Volume Injection Shampoo gives long hair lift and body, creating weightless volume and leaving hair light, soft, and shiny without being weighed down.
The lightweight formula provides lift and body to hair, along with unbeatable volume.
A pH-balanced formula with filloxane and a bodifying complex makes even fine hair appear thick and voluminous.
It is an excellent option for fine, processed long hair, which needs a little bit of life back.
This is a perfect choice if your long hair needs a volume boost, to prevent it from looking dull and flat, and to help you make the most of your hair growth!
4. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
The Pureology Hydrate Shampoo is a sulfate-free, creamy shampoo that deeply hydrates normal and thick hair and nourishes colour-treated hair.
The thirst-quenching formula helps to promote moisture and touchable softness, as well as extraordinary colour protection, even for dry hair.
Only a small amount of shampoo is needed for long hair, so the bottle will last a long time.
Made with natural ingredients, the shampoo uses jojoba to add moisture, and sage and green tea to stimulate hair follicles and support a healthy scalp.
Moreover, the shampoo is made with a spa-like blend of bergamot, lavender, and patchouli for the most relaxing scent possible.
Normal, dry, colour-treated long hair will benefit from the moisture and softness this shampoo and conditioner provide.
Hair will be kept in the best possible state, fully nourished and with optimal growth.
5. Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo
Matrix Mega Sleek Shampoo will give long hair the shiniest, healthiest appearance while nourishing it from deep within.
The shampoo offers smoothing haircare for all hair types prone to frizz and is ideal for keeping long hair smooth and manageable.
The shampoo contains shea butter, which helps control rebellious, unruly hair and protect against frizz in humid environments.
Shea butter helps seal hair cuticles, keeping frizz under control.
For many with long hair, frizz really dulls its appearance and potential.
But with this shampoo, it’s kept under wraps, and hair is smooth and shiny after continued use.
While the shampoo is not sulfate-free, all other products in the range are, so you can be sure of the best care and nourishment when using this shampoo.
6. L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Shampoo
The L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Shampoo is a creamy, restorative shampoo that helps visibly repair damage without weighing hair down.
After using the shampoo, hair is left shiny and strengthened.
The shampoo protects hair length by sealing split ends and keeping the scalp cleansed and nourished.
It is made with a gentle, restoring formula featuring fine castor oil and vitamins B3 and B5.
It is also made with a sweet, floral scent from pomegranate, caramel orchid, and milk sorbet extracts.
With the Dream Lengths range, along with the shampoo, hair care is extended and magnified, making it perfect for everyday healthy long hair.
The best part of the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Shampoo is that, while it is ultra-caring and nourishing for hair, it will not weigh hair down, a common problem with long hair.
The shampoo is also sulfate-free, paraben-free, dye-free, and silicone-free, ticking many boxes!
Using the Dream Lengths Shampoo, you’ll definitely be able to reach your hair goal dreams and enjoy long, luscious locks!
7. Marc Anthony Grow Long Biotin Shampoo
The Marc Anthony Grow Long Biotin Shampoo For Hair Strength is a sulfate-free, caffeine- and ginseng-infused shampoo that is an absolute dream to use.
The creamy, velvety shampoo helps transform long, dry, brittle hair into soft, silky, smooth locks.
The nourishing formula includes ginseng, caffeine, and vitamin E, which work to promote longer, stronger, and healthier-looking hair quickly.
With the added suppleness, hair will experience less breakage and split ends, and growth will be promoted.
Using innovative hair care, the shampoo features ingredients that hydrate, nourish, replenish, and protect hair.
The shampoo is also free from sulfates and is of salon-quality, offering you the best care from the comfort of home.
Long, unmanageable hair will be transformed into long, hydrated hair with a beautiful shine and increased growth, with less breakage and more nourishment!
8. Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo For Damaged Hair
Using the Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo.
You can return your long hair to its optimal state, helping to heal visible signs of damage and breakage.
The Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo utilises the science of protein, combining science and nature to revolutionise hair care.
Made with Proteinfusion, the shampoo features an exclusive blend of keratin protein and black rice that gently cleanses hair and repairs damage.
The shampoo offers a similar experience to a keratin hair treatment, but it’s a cleanser as well and can be used more often than a keratin treatment.
With the inclusion of keratin in the shampoo, hair will be made smoother and firmer as the overlapping cells are smoothed down.
For long hair, this means less breakage, fewer split ends, and softer, shinier-looking hair.
Enjoy salon-quality hair care at home with the Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo and other products in the range.
These are essential for healthy, shiny, long hair that can grow and remain nourished.
9. Botanic Hearth Biotin Shampoo
The Botanic Hearth Biotin Shampoo is sulfate- and paraben-free, helping keep long hair healthy and nourished.
Made with ginger oil, the moisturising hair cleanser will leave hair soft and silky.
It is also enriched with a blend of restorative and nourishing ingredients that promote long and thick hair.
Hair is left fuller and shinier, allowing you to make the most of your length.
The shampoo is ideal for regular or daily use, as it is gentle enough to be used often and safe on colour-treated hair, too.
It is a cruelty-free shampoo that is not tested on animals.
A formulation of ginger oil and keratin means that hair loss and hair thinning are reduced, and healthy hair growth is promoted instead.
This goes a long way to ensuring long hair is kept in the best possible condition.
10. LivSo Moisturising Shampoo
The LivSo Moisturising Shampoo features a specialised formula suited to dry, damaged hair, as well as curly and textured hair and itchy scalps.
The rich ingredients selected by dermatologists leave hair and scalp clean, moisturised, and healthy.
A nutrient-rich formula contains coconut oil.
This adds natural, protective moisture to the scalp and hair and includes glycolic acid, an exfoliating agent that helps improve a flaky, dry scalp.
The addition of xylitol makes the shampoo anti-fungal, too.
Being sulfate-free, the shampoo effectively cleanses hair without stripping it or leaving it parched.
It helps to maintain all of the essential moisturising qualities it needs, without any heavy additives, leaving long hair light and manageable.
This is an excellent option for those with long hair who need treatment for a dry and itchy scalp.
Unlike other treatment shampoos, this will not leave your hair feeling heavy and unmanageable.
The shampoo’s added benefit is AHA, which gently exfoliates the scalp to prevent build-up and clogged pores, helping reduce irritation and itchiness.
However, you might need to protect your skin from sun exposure.
11. Tree Hut Extreme Moisture Shampoo
Tree Hut Extreme Moisture Shampoo helps to look after and nourish long hair from the scalp down.
Made with 100% pure natural shea butter, the shampoo delivers deep moisture and vitamins that hydrate, soften, and smooth the scalp and hair.
With hyaluronic acid, the hair and scalp are moisturised and stimulated, leading to fullness without the added weight that many other shampoos bring.
Hair is left lightweight and manageable with beautiful lift and volume.
Sugar in the formula provides an exfoliating and stimulating scalp treatment, and also works as a natural conditioner to treat hair damage.
Vegetable pea protein helps heal heat-damaged hair and combat dullness by boosting moisture levels.
Sulfate- and paraben-free, the shampoo is free from harmful chemicals, ensuring your hair receives the best and safest care possible.
It uses natural ingredients to deliver extended hair benefits from Mother Nature’s bounty.
The Best Shampoos For Long Hair
When choosing a shampoo for long hair, you need to make sure it is nourishing, cleansing, and gentle, and that it moisturises and hydrates hair without being heavy or adding weight.
It should be light, volumising, and make long hair manageable.
Above are 11 great shampoo options for long hair that nourish and care for different hair types and will be perfect to use as your regular shampoo.
Along with the shampoo, choose a complete range that includes a conditioner and a long-hair treatment to ensure your hair receives the best care possible.
Related Questions
How do I keep long hair from drying out?
To keep long hair from drying out, you should get a trim when split ends appear, avoid washing your hair every day, and use natural shampoos that nourish and hydrate your hair.
When caring for long hair, avoid using heat styling tools too often, as they can cause significant damage and dryness.
How often should I wash long hair?
You should only wash long hair every other day, around every 3 days.
There is no hard rule, and you should wash your hair when it gets oily and your scalp itches.
Washing hair too often strips it of its natural oils, which are crucial for healthy, nourished hair.
Is it better to let hair dry naturally?
Fine, straight, thin, curly, or dyed hair should be left to air-dry, as this reduces the amount of heat the hair is exposed to and helps prevent dried-out hair.
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