Shampoo, Conditioner & Hair Care

47 products ranked by Scout score

Best shampoo, conditioner & hair care right now

BASED Shampoo 97/100
Scout's analysis: BASED Shampoo scores 97/100 -- a premium, non-toxic shampoo with a clean cleansing system and a real conditioning payload. Zero sulfates (no SLS/SLES -- the surfactants…
BASED Conditioner 96/100
Scout's analysis: BASED Conditioner scores 96/100 -- a premium, non-toxic conditioner. Zero silicones (no dimethicone, cyclomethicone, or amodimethicone -- the ingredients that build up…
BASED Hair Clay (Santal) 96/100
Scout's analysis: BASED Hair Clay scores 96/100 -- a premium, non-toxic styling clay with matte hold. Zero petrolatum (the petroleum-jelly base of nearly every conventional pomade), zero…

What to skip

L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Shampoo 12/100
Scout's analysis: L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Shampoo scores 12/100 -- a textbook conventional drugstore formula stacked with nearly every ingredient Scout…
TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo 13/100
Scout's analysis: TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo scores 13/100 -- a conventional drugstore shampoo with a uniquely concerning surfactant booster pair: TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate +…
L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Conditioner 14/100
Scout's analysis: L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Conditioner scores 14/100 -- a conventional drugstore conditioner that combines both 'dirty quat' petroleum-derived…

Ingredients to watch in shampoo, conditioner & hair care

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 47 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Fragrance (Parfum) in 9 of 47
Phenoxyethanol in 8 of 47
Sodium Benzoate in 6 of 47
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) in 5 of 47
Dimethicone in 5 of 47
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate in 4 of 47

What the better shampoo, conditioner & hair care have in common

Glycerin in 12 of 47
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride in 8 of 47
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter in 8 of 47
Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) in 7 of 47
Tocopherol (Vitamin E) in 6 of 47

Common questions about shampoo, conditioner & hair care

What scores highest in shampoo, conditioner & hair care on Scout?

BASED Shampoo leads Scout's shampoo, conditioner & hair care ranking at 97/100, followed by BASED Conditioner (96) and BASED Hair Clay (Santal) (96). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in shampoo, conditioner & hair care?

L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Shampoo scores 12/100, the lowest of the 47 products Scout has analyzed in shampoo, conditioner & hair care; next lowest are TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo (13) and L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Conditioner (14). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in shampoo, conditioner & hair care?

Across these 47 products the most common flagged ingredients are Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Dimethicone, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

How does Scout score shampoo, conditioner & hair care?

Every product in shampoo, conditioner & hair care gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores shampoo, conditioner & hair care

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →