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Culinary

How do I Choose the Best Daily Shampoo?

By Felicia Dye
Updated May 17, 2024
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Many retailers have dozens of shampoos for sale. Choosing one can be difficult, but if you wash your hair every day, the choice can be more difficult. Daily shampooing can damage your hair if you do not use the correct products. To prevent this from happening, make sure the daily shampoo is nourishing, that it contains the ingredients to address your problems, and that it is not too harsh.

Shampooing your hair daily can strip away the nutrients and oils that help keep your hair healthy. One way to prevent damage is by looking for shampoos that have natural ingredients. This is especially true when those ingredients are known for nourishing and strengthening the hair. The more synthetic chemicals there are in a product, the greater the chances are that it should not be used as a daily shampoo for extended periods.

Hair washed daily generally requires a lot of nourishment. Before you purchase your daily shampoo, decide if you will also use a conditioner daily. If not, choose a 2-in-1 shampoo that will condition your hair when you wash it.

Also consider your styling habits. Many hair care products produce optimal results when they are used with other products in their range. Try to choose a brand of daily shampoo that offers the other products you will need, such as leave-in conditioner, glosser, and hair spray.

If you are looking for a daily shampoo for a particular problem, make sure the product contains ingredients that can help you to solve that problem. This involves more than believing the claims on the front of the bottle or those made in advertisements. You need to analyze the ingredients to make sure you do not become a victim of creative marketing. An anti dandruff shampoo, for example, should contain special ingredients to remove and prevent dandruff.

Permed and colored hair should be washed with products designed for treated hair. This is especially true when you wash your hair daily. If your hair is permed or dyed and you do not use the appropriate daily shampoo, you are likely to find yourself spending more money to have these treatments done more often.

Make sure the shampoo you purchase is one that is truly suitable as a daily shampoo. Some products may advise against overuse or may warn that daily use is only suitable for a certain period. Do not ignore these warnings and do not try to use these products daily for an extended period of time.

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Discussion Comments

By animegal — On Jul 24, 2011

@behaviourism - I agree with you about the best daily shampoo being no shampoo.

I always struggled with limp hair that looked ratty and dull, which gave me a lot of self image issues. I could never figure out what was wrong despite myself investing in the best salon shampoos I could find.

What really worked for me when I couldn't take anymore products was a simple baking soda rinse in place of shampoo to control oil, and a bit of an apple cider vinegar rinse to give my hair some shine.

My hair went through a nasty transition period but afterwards it started to look healthy and shiny. For those interested you should do some research on the no shampoo movement.

By Mae82 — On Jul 23, 2011

Every time I used to walk into my hairdressers and sit down I hated waiting for the comments. They always had to tell me that my hair was damaged and that it was difficult to brush through. As if I didn't already know that myself.

The comments always made me feel embarrassed, especially since I spent a small fortune on hair products to try and help my hair.

What really worked for me was finding a daily shampoo in bar form made from completely natural and organic ingredients. I found it didn't leave any buildup on my hair and did wonders for my fuzzy hair and mass of split ends.

If you are going to choose a daily shampoo just get one that is as simple as possible and ignore all the hype over expensive products.

By andee — On Jul 22, 2011

When choosing a shampoo, I think it is important to consider what your hair is like before you choose the shampoo. If your hair is color treated then you would want to buy something that works well on that type of hair. It also makes a difference if your hair is either on the oily or dry side.

I know I use a much different shampoo than I did when I was younger. My hair is much drier than it used to be and I make sure my shampoo is more moisturizing. I have tried many brands of shampoo, and have always been happy with Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner.

By honeybees — On Jul 21, 2011

Many times I have read it is best if you don't wash your hair every day. I tried doing this for awhile and just washed it every other day, but it drove me crazy. I thought if I did it long enough I would get used to it, but I never did.

I don't use much gel or product in my hair so do not get much build up from those type of products. Once or twice a week I use a clarifying shampoo that helps remove any build up and keeps my hair healthy.

By behaviourism — On Jul 21, 2011

I stopped using shampoo years ago -- I have curly, thick hair, and most shampoos are fully of astringents that remove your hair's natural moisture and defense.

These days I sometimes use baking soda, but what I found was when I stopped using conditioner as well, my hair was mostly fine- just needed a tiny bit of gel or something similar- and then it didn't need shampoo, conditioner, or anything.

The thing is these products are mostly a marketing scheme. Your hair will look best if you keep it as natural as possible, because all of these products add buildup to your scalp.

If you are interested in trying to use baking soda, or other ways to lesson product use, there's lots of advice online.

By Tomislav — On Jul 20, 2011

@speechie - I haven't tried the daily defense shampoo either, but I have started researching! I am tough on my hair and thought the more defense I give it the better!

The reviews I have read so far have mentioned that these shampoos tend to help their dry hair and their sort of unruly wavy hair. So if that is your type of hair go for it!

The worst case scenario is that it doesn't make your hair silky, but it is still going to do its job of cleaning your hair. I have never heard of a daily defense shampoo actually worsening your hair, but then again I haven't had too many conversations about shampoos.

Good luck! Here's to hoping for less dry hair for me!

By Speechie — On Jul 19, 2011

I feel that I can't really tell a difference with shampoos since I am always conditioning my hair and the conditioner seems to make more of a difference.

However, I know my husband uses dandruff shampoos and they really work, which is great for him since some of his favorite t-shirts are black. However, since the dandruff shampoos do tend to be stronger shampoos, he does not use this type of shampoo for his daily use rather he uses it on occasions when it seems his dandruff has started to pick up.

Has anyone tried daily defense shampoo? Now that it is summer and I am outside more, I wonder if that is a better choice for me.

By dimpley — On Jul 19, 2011

I think that buying a lot of luxury shampoos is really just a way to make people think they are buying higher quality when that is not necessarily the case.

I don’t mean to say the salon brand shampoos don’t deliver, because they usually do. However, many regular shampoos provide the same benefits without the extra cost.

Now, I’m pretty sure that the dollar priced shampoo isn’t going to do as much for your hair as the more median priced brands. But, I really cannot tell much of a difference between those I’ve bought in a salon and those that come from that median price range.

I’m all about saving a little extra cash wherever I can. So if my salon doesn’t have a really great sale going, I’m going to put my cash toward a store bought brand instead.

And I'm going to do it shamelessly!

By oscar23 — On Jul 18, 2011

I have a real issue with the shampooing market today. Yes, it is a major bone that I would like to pick with them.

I am unfortunate enough to be cursed with dandruff during the winter months. I also love to pamper my hair. But, if I buy shampoo that takes care of the dandruff, it also ruins my hair!

There are few beauty products that I have found that are delicate to the hair and also actually delivers on eliminating the dry scalp.

My hairdresser told me she had some high end products that really work, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay the price!

Any suggestions for this shampoo industry faux pas?

By GreenWeaver — On Jul 17, 2011

@BrickBack - I have heard that you shouldn’t wash your hair daily either, but I can’t help it. I use the Paul Mitchell extra body daily shampoo and it is fantastic.

It does not dry out my hair at all and it gives it a little bit more volume. I really like volumizing shampoos because my hair tends to be thin and it makes it look a little fuller.

By BrickBack — On Jul 17, 2011

My hairdresser told me not to wash my hair every day because it will tend to dry out my hair. Instead he suggested that I could rinse my hair and then condition it so that my hair will remain soft.

At first I had a hard time doing this because I was so used to washing my hair everyday but it actually worked. My hair does feel softer. I have tried those shampoo and conditioner combinations but I don’t like them.

I don’t think that they are as effective as using a real conditioner. I have also tried sulfate free shampoo brands and they also work well as a daily use shampoo because they are not as harsh and will not strip your hair of moisturizing benefits.

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