Finding the right shampoo to suit your tresses can be hard, but looking for a shampoo for black hair can be a downright crisis.

Black hair or natural hair can be of many types. You’ve got type 3 hair which is simply curly and then coily type 4 hair. 

So you need to figure out your hair type too before selecting the right shampoo for natural hair.

Related: Best Clip In Hair Extensions For Black Hair

Related: Best Deep Conditioners For Natural Hair

African American hair is also on average more thin, fragile, and prone to breakage. 

So selecting a sulfate-free, nourishing shampoo is a very important step in your black hair care.  

This article will let you in on the best shampoos for black hair growth and why you should choose them.

What makes black hair grow longer?

Black hair, like all hair types, grows at an average rate of about half an inch per month. However, there are several factors that can affect the growth and length retention of black hair. Here are some things that can help promote longer, healthier hair:

1. A healthy diet: Eating a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals can help support the growth and health of hair. Foods that are high in protein, such as lean meats, eggs, and beans, can help promote healthy hair growth.
2. Proper hair care: Black hair is often prone to dryness, which can lead to breakage and damage. Using gentle, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, and avoiding harsh chemicals and heat styling tools can help keep hair healthy and promote growth.
3. Protective styling: Wearing protective styles, such as braids, twists, or buns, can help protect hair from damage and breakage. These styles can also help retain length by minimizing the amount of manipulation and styling required.
4. Regular trims: While it may seem counterintuitive, getting regular trims can actually help promote longer hair. Trimming split ends and damaged hair can help prevent breakage and split ends from traveling up the hair shaft, which can lead to more significant damage and loss of length.

Overall, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, taking proper care of hair, and using protective styling techniques can all help promote longer, healthier black hair.

How I tested the best shampoo for black hair?

I used these top shampoos for natural hair and Afro-textured hair on my 4c curls. I then rated them on a scale of 1-5 depending on the following parameters.

• Curl Enhancing Properties - I first checked how well the shampoo can enhance my hair texture by defining the curls. For this the shampoo needs to be volumizing in nature and should moisturize without weighing your curls down.
• Moisturizing Properties - Black hair is really prone to dryness and frizz. So it needs a shampoo that contains rich nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, honey, etc.
• Gentleness of Ingredients - Yes, a shampoo's first job is to clean. But black hair is fragile and prone to breakage. So I looked at if the shampoos contain harsh ingredients like SLS, SLES or alcohol and added perfumes.

Top Shampoo For Black Hair Growth

Best Shampoo For Black Hair	Best For	Top Ingredients
Maui Moisture Thicken and Restore Shampoo	Thin Hair	Bamboo Fiber, Neem Oil, Castor Oil
Nexxus Curl DefineCurl Define Shampoo	Curly Black Hair	Silk Protein, Marula Oil
Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo	4c Black Hair	Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Peppermint
OGX Hydrating + Tea Tree Shampoo	Dandruff-Prone Black Hair	Tea Tree Oil, Milk Protein, Peppermint
Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo	Oily Black Hair	Jojoba Oil, Cypress Oil, Hydrolyzed Protein
Carol’s Daughter Almond Milk Shampoo	Dry Black Hair	Almond Oil, Shea Oil, Coconut Oil
African Pride Olive Miracle Shampoo and Conditioner	Damaged Hair	Aloe Vera, Olive Oil, Vitamin E, Tea Tree Oil

If you’re looking for a good shampoo for black hair, here are some top products and their reviews. Check it out!

Maui Moisture Thicken and Restore Shampoo

Best Volumizing Shampoo For Black Hair

What I love best about the Maui Moisture Thicken and Restore Shampoo is that it is perfect for my curly and colour-treated hair. 

It also has a lovely subtle coconut fragrance that makes my hair smell fresh every time I wash it.

The Maui Moisture Thicken and Restore Shampoo helps keep my curls detangled and makes the texture feel soft and smooth. 

This is possible because this shampoo contains bamboo fibres. 

Using this shampoo helped strengthen my hair and reduce my hair brittleness to a large extent, instead making my lifeless hair feel rejuvenated and also look voluminous and dense. 

This shampoo is blended with aloe vera, castor oil and neem oil that contribute to the hair restoration property of this product.

One last thing I’m sure most people love to hear about any shampoo is the part that it is completely sulfate, paraben and surfactant free.

So is it perfect? Well, the shampoo does contain added perfume which can irritate very sensitive scalps. But the real issue is the coconut fragrance. Likin g it is a VERY subjective thing.

Also, I found the texture of this shampoo a bit thick. And the way the bottle is designed it was difficult to get the product out.

Pros:

•  Doesn’t contain any sulfates, parabens or surfactants, so it's safe for sensitive skin.
•  Contains bamboo fibres that help fortify the hair and add volume
•  Helps get rid of hair brittleness and nourishes the hair as it contains biotin
•  It is safe to use even on those with colour-treated hair as there are no dye-stripping sulfates.

Cons:

•  Has a subtle smell of coconut which may not be appealing to everyone.
•  Texture of the shampoo is a little thick, so it's difficult to get out of the packaging.

My Ratings:

• Curl Enhancing Properties - 5/5
• Moisturizing Properties - 4/5
• Gentleness of Ingredients - 4.5/5

Nexxus Curl DefineCurl Define Shampoo

Best Color Shampoo For Black Hair

The Nexxus Curl DefineCurl Define Shampoo worked well on my coily hair. 

After I started using this shampoo, I have begun to notice how well it has moisturized and conditioned my hair.

What’s more, this product has improved my hair strength considerably and reduced hair breakage as well.

This Nexxus Shampoo is created using a ‘ProteinFusion’ custom formula made by blending silk protein with marula oil. 

This combination helps improve hair health while giving the hair sufficient protein and nourishment.

One of the best things about this shampoo is that it is completely sulfate and silicone free and is safe to use on hair, as it protects the hair from damage. 

This shampoo is known to work best when used with the Nexxus Curl Define Conditioner, but I used it with a conditioner of my choice and it worked perfectly fine. 

This shampoo also worked perfectly well for my colour-treated hair as it didn’t strip the dye.

Pros:

•  Doesn’t contain any sulfates or silicones so it won't dry hair or weigh it down
•  Works well on all types of curly hair ranging between 2A to 4C types of hair as its both moisturizing and volumizing.
•  It is safe to use even on those with colour-treated hair as it's sulfate free

Cons:

• None that I could find

My Ratings:

• Curl Enhancing Properties - 5/5
• Moisturizing Properties - 4/5
• Gentleness of Ingredients - 4.5/5

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo

Best Moisturizing Shampoo For Black Hair

I’m sure most of you who are looking out for a good shampoo for your curly hair, would have come across this one. 

The Shea Moisture Shampoo worked really well in deep cleansing my hair and it helped get rid of the dirt and grime.

It works well on chemically treated hair and it didn’t fade or dry my colour treated hair. 

Also, the product made my hair feel more moisturized and hydrated and it reduced hair breakage considerably, making my hair feel more protected over time.  

This shampoo helps seal open hair cuticles, locking in the moisture into the hair strand, making the curls look smoother and shinier. 

Using this shampoo will give you the benefits of its three main ingredients.

There’s Jamaican black castor oil which has hair-reparative omega-3 fatty acids, peppermint that stimulates the hair follicles to growth and organic shea butter that moisturizes your hair and scalp.

Pros:

•  Can cleanse the hair and scalp very well as it contains coconut-based surfactants
•  Contains Jamaican castor oil that helps in hair restoration, hair hydration and hair repair.
•  It is safe to use even on those with chemically treated hair as it is free of harsh surfactants like sulfates

Cons:

•  Has a peppermint fragrance not suitable for everyone.

My Ratings:

• Curl Enhancing Properties - 4/5
• Moisturizing Properties - 5/5
• Gentleness of Ingredients - 4.5/5

OGX Hydrating + Tea Tree Shampoo

Best Dandruff Shampoo For Black Hair

Okay, so the OGX Hydrating + Tea Tree Shampoo is advertised as being perfect for all hair types, be it straight, curly, thick or even thin. 

But is it the truth? Well, this suited my curly hair type as well and it also helped reduce my oiliness as well as got rid of my dandruff and flaking issue. However, it did not moisturize my curls or make them more manageable. 

My colour-treated hair didn’t like the shampoo much as it felt really dry after washing and yes it strips color for some reason despite being sulfate-free!

I think that the OGX Hydrating + Tea Tree Shampoo is great if you have black hair that is either silk-pressed or of the type 3 curls. It's definetely not for type 4 Afro hair as it's moisturizing power is almost non-existent.

I did like how this shampoo is very gentle on the hair and scalp as it contains no parabens or sulfates. But it's not enough, I'd rather pay more to get the Maui shampoo that settle for this for the drugstore price.

One good thing about the shampoo is the presence of ingredients like tea-tree oil and peppermint oil. They can help stimulate the hair follicles and improve hair growth. But like I said, it only works well if you more "straighter" black hair types.

If you feel your hair getting dry you can skip the OGX Hydrating + Tea Tree conditioner, and use a heavier, more nourishing conditioner of your choice. That's what I did!

Pros:

•  It contains no parabens or sulfates, which makes it gentle on the hair.
•  It is safe to use even on those with colour-treated hair.
•  Relatively cheaper than other such shampoos available in the market.

Cons:

•  Contains tea-tree and peppermint fragrance not suitable to everyone.

My Ratings:

• Curl Enhancing Properties - 3/5/5
• Moisturizing Properties - 2/5
• Gentleness of Ingredients - 3.5/5

Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo

Best Clarifying Shampoo For Black Hair

If you are looking for a shampoo that can perfectly balance out the oil and moisture content in your scalp and hair, then the Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo should be the perfect choice for you.

I liked this shampoo as it is completely sulfate and paraben free and is best suited for curly, oily or coily hair. 

I have a lot of product build-up from using hair creams and butters so this “degrease” shampoo can really help clearing it out.

So, it was definitely a good choice I made choosing this one. 

This shampoo has a subtle lemon fragrance because it contains a blend of lemon and basil essential oils which is very gentle on the hair.

I also liked that the shampoo gives the hair a vibrant and shiny appearance after a wash. 

This shampoo is a hair volumizing shampoo that makes the hair look very voluminous and well nourished.  

It is a clarifying shampoo that will help reduce excess oil from the scalp. But what I liked that it’s not harsh but can hydrate hair as well to maintain ideal their health. 

One added advantage of this shampoo is that it can be used by both men and women.

Pros:

•  Formulated for use by both men and women.
•  Free from parabens and sulfates, making it gentle and safe on the hair.
•  Helps balance oil and moisture content in the scalp and hair.
•  Gets rid of excess oiliness on the scalp and hair.
•  Helps promote hair volume.

Cons:

•  Has a fragrance of lemon and basil, not suitable for some.

Carol’s Daughter Almond Milk Shampoo 

Best Moisturizing Shampoo For Black Hair

This shampoo worked well on my curly hair and reduced my hair damage considerably. 

The three chief ingredients – aloe vera, almond oil and coconut oil make the shampoo’s protective formula very nourishing. 

It helps repair hair damage and keeps the hair moisturized.

There are no artificial scents, rather the fragrance is a combination of three ingredients.

What I like best about the Carol’s Daughter Almond Milk Shampoo is that it is free from sulfates, petrolatum and mineral oils that felt gentle and safe on my colour-treated hair. 

This product is recommended to be used along with a sulfate-free conditioner to get the best results and I did just that and it gave me the desired results.

Pros:

•  Made with no sulfates, petrolatum or mineral oils, safe and gentle on the hair.
•  Keeps the hair well-moisturized and hydrated.
•  Formulated to repair, protect and prevent the hair from damage.

Cons:

•  Has a combination of fragrances that some may find strong.

African Pride Olive Miracle Shampoo and Conditioner 2 in 1 Formula

Best Detangling Shampoo For Black Hair

This shampoo was for sure a good choice because it is formulated with the finest African miracle herbs and natural ingredients that helped rejuvenate my hair and give it a natural bounce. 

It helped promote better moisture balance in my hair and gave it a renewed shine.

Two of the main ingredients used in this product are olive oil  and tea tree oil.

Now olive oil can trap moisture into the hair strands, preventing the hair from becoming dry and breaking.

And tea-tree oil is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. 

My itchy scalp? Gone in one wash! 

One of the best parts of using this product is the fact that it is a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner formula that requires no use of any additional conditioner. 

It’s kind of perfect if you’re trying to get into the Curly Girl Method.

Also, this shampoo is free from harsh chemicals like sulfates, mineral oils, petrolatum and parabens.

Pros:

•  Formulated with African miracle herbs and natural oils like olive oil and tea-tree oil.
•  Helps prevent and reduce hair damage.
•  Completely free from substances like sulfates, parabens, mineral oils and petrolatum.
•  Has a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner formula that requires no use of additional conditioner.

Cons:

• None.

The final takeaway

Well, I hope this article came in handy as your personal guide to finding the best shampoo for black hair.

Natural hair can require a lot more care than regular hair types. So it’s important to pick out the right products, especially the shampoos!

 You need to choose a product that helps in promoting hair growth, reduction of hair damage and promoting shine. 

I hope my list of reviews helped you find your right hair match!

Also Read:

Best shampoo for black colored hair

Easy Protective Styles For 4C Hair Growth