The best sulphate-free shampoos for a gentler clean, tested by 580 women

Score: 94/100

Promising to leave your locks feeling lighter, smooth and soft, this Kérastase shampoo is a great all-rounder, scoring full marks in our lab tests. Our testers found its lather thick, creamy and “luxurious” and loved that their hair felt smoother and looked shinier after washing.

It rinsed out easily and most agreed their hair felt cleaner. Many also noted how soft and manageable it left their hair, with some testers saying it stayed smooth for a few days after use.

Score: 92/100

Heat styling, colouring and environmental aggressors can all have a negative impact on the molecular composition of hair, resulting in breakage, dullness and dryness. And once the damage is done, it can be hard to know how to nurse your locks back to life again. Well, this reparative shampoo from L’Oréal is a great place to start, helping to replenish and strengthen strands. It proved very effective on test, with the majority of panellists agreeing that their hair felt stronger and smoother after use.

The power lies in the peptides – these clever proteins get to work inside the hair fibres, helping to fuse broken bonds and prevent further fallout. They help restore structure and movement to hair, for that all-important swish. Indeed, panellists said it immediately left their hair feeling softer and said you only need to use a small amount to achieve smoother strands.

Score: 91/100

This shampoo claims to keep your colour around for longer, and many of our panel confirmed that it boosted vibrancy. They raved about its “salon-quality lather” and almost everyone thought their hair felt more hydrated after use. Many said it helped reduce flyways and improve smoothness, too.

Score: 89/100

Redken’s frizz-fighting formula aims to improve smoothness and shine, and our lab tests proved it does just that. Impressively, almost all our testers found the shampoo helped control frizz, without leaving any unpleasant residue.

All were happy with its lather, saying a small amount foamed up well and distributed evenly through their hair.

Score: 87/100

Enriched with omega fatty acids that not only work to resurrect damaged ends but also protect them from further damage, this left all testers with longer-lasting colour, and almost everyone saw an improvement in vibrancy.

Everyone appreciated the gentle formula too, which effectively cleansed and created the perfect lather. They all loved the texture, and found it quick to rinse out. It kept frizz at bay for many and almost all reported softer, smoother and more moisturised hair.

Score: 86/100

Claiming to leave hair looking visibly healthier, this shampoo aims to deeply nourish damaged locks by reversing dryness. It scored top marks for how well it cleaned, and it left our panellists' scalps "soothed" with its light, non-drying lather.

It also made hair feel silkier, without any flattening, and its push-up dispenser made washing in the shower easier. It performed brilliantly in our lab tests, too.

Score: 85/100

Designed for treating extremely dry and brittle hair, this shampoo combines the smoothing effects of shea butter, Manuka honey and yoghurt to restore moisture and manageability.

Many testers commented on how luxurious this product felt to use and liked how soft, shiny and well-nourished it left their hair. Our lab tests backed up these results, finding it effective at smoothing and detangling.

Score: 82/100

This shampoo aims to smooth hair and fight humidity, resulting in tresses looking glossy and frizz-free.

Our testers loved the formula’s luxe gold colour, while almost all said the shampoo made their hair shinier and most found it helped to smooth frizz. In our lab tests, it also scored well for detangling and smoothing hair.

Score: 81/100

Claiming to protect hair cuticles from moisture loss, this shampoo provided a deep clean for all our panel thanks to its rich lather.

It was effective at diminishing frizz and static – one tester noted that the smoothing effect lasted even on damp days – but some natural curls were lost. Everyone agreed their hair felt clean after washing, and most said they would continue using this product after the trial.

Score: 81/100

If you love the bounce that comes with blow drying but hate the resulting heat damage, this shampoo offers a great compromise. Our testers loved the scent and thought their hair looked much bouncier post-wash. It also ramped up shine for almost everyone.

Score: 78/100

Wake up and smell the roses, quite literally, with this beautifully scented shampoo from Aveeno. The scent was the key USP for our panellists with one saying it smelt expensive. There’s no luxury price tag attached here though, thankfully, as this one is less than a tenner.

It also leaves hair feeling as good as it smells, thanks to its smoothing properties. “My hair felt noticeably softer straight after using,” said one pleased panel member. As with Aveeno’s entire skin and hair range, the colloidal oats are the star ingredient here – their protein-rich properties help reduce breakage and deeply hydrate dry strands. Note that it might not be one for those with thinner hair as some found it weighed their locks down a little.

Score: 75/100

Curly hair tends to be naturally drier as it’s harder for natural oils to make their way down the shaft through those beautiful twists and turns. And you don’t want sulphates drying it out any further, so we recommend this sulphate-free shampoo, which is specially formulated for those with curls.

Alongside a deep clean, the vitamin B5-infused formula adds a boost of moisture and softness to lengths. It helps refine coils too, with testers telling us it’s extremely light and didn’t weigh hair down. The only gripe from our panel members was the slightly clinical fragrance.

Score: 72/100

This generously sized bottle was a hit with our testers, and many loved how easy it was to apply in the shower with no danger of slipping out of their hands. All panellists agreed that the rich, nourishing formula left their hair feeling oh-so-fresh and clean. Those with eczema-prone skin did say it made them itchy though, so take care if this applies to you.

The sulphate-free formula comes packed with protein-rich collagen and biotin instead, which are both effective at adding structure and promoting growth for hair in need of extra volume.

Score: 70/100

FFOR stands for Free From | Original | Real and the brand promotes haircare without compromise or unnecessary extras. Its sulphate-free shampoo left our testers’ hair feeling deeply cleansed and less frizzy compared to other formulas. However, some did note that it was slightly drying on strands, so it’s best paired with an ultra-moisturising conditioner.