15 Best Smelling Shampoos, According To A Dermatologist (2024)
These shampoos are infused with long-lasting, enticing scents - from floral to fresh!
Lindsay Loo is a cosmetologist who has spent 10 years behind the chair in a storied salon in Chelsea. She is a certified Wella Master Color Expert and also has experience backstage at New York Fashion Week. She has a private studio and loves to make her clients feel amazing and welcomed.
Read full bio of Lindsay Loo
Experience: 2 yearsPooja is a Mass Communications and Psychology graduate from St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, and has two years of experience as a content writer. Her education has helped her develop the perfect balance between what the reader wants to know and what the reader has to know.
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Experience: 4 yearsShiboli has a master’s degree in English literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and is a certified skincare coach with four years of experience. As a commerce editor, she guides her team members on the best practices to create crisp and authentic content.
Read full bio of Shiboli Chakraborti
Experience: 7 yearsAnjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.
Read full bio of Anjali Sayee
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One of the best things about shampoo is the incredible fragrance that comes with it. While you aren’t supposed to wash your hair every day, you can’t help but want your hair to smell fruity or flowery all the time. Delicious-smelling hair can completely change your mood, bring you to a state of perfect harmony, and give a great kickstart to your day. We have rounded up a list of the best smelling shampoos that are economical and will make you want to smell your hair all day! Scroll down to take a look at some of the best products with a delightful scent out there!
In This Article
15 Best-Smelling Shampoos To Buy In 2024
1. Best For Sensitive Scalp:Aveda Shampure Shampoo
Get ready to feel like a tropical princess with this aromatic floral-scented shampoo. This shampoo imparts a delicate, pleasant fragrance to your hair that lingers even after three days of shampooing. If you prefer subtle scents, this is the perfect shampoo for you. This weightless formula has a calming signature scent with 25 pure flower and plant essences. It contains 95% naturally derived ingredients, including certified organic lavender, petitgrain, ylang-ylang, and Abyssinian oil. It claims to nourish your hair, protect your scalp health, and uplift your spirits throughout the day. Watch this YouTuber’s honest review to get a better idea about the shampoo through the tester’s experience with the product.
Pros
- Suitable for sensitive scalp
- Just a little product required per use
- Adds shine
Cons
- Can make your hair frizzy initially
2. Best For Color-Treated Hair:Rita Hazan True Color Shampoo
Catch a whiff of this perfumed shampoo, and you will instantly fall in love with it. This luxurious shampoo is infused with the most delicious floral aroma you will ever encounter. Its invigorating aroma lingers for days, reminding you of your excellent choice time and again. This shampoo contains rice proteins and moringa seed extracts that leave your hair squeaky clean and nourished.
Pros
- Safe for colored hair
- Rich lather
- Contains organic botanicals
- Removes dirt and impurities
- Makes your hair feel light and fresh
Cons
- Insufficient quantity
"This shampoo works so well on my color-treated locks. It adds a pleasant scent and does not dry out my hair even if I wash daily. It helps in extending the life of my hair color and now I require less frequent salon visits."
Pro Tip3. Best Frizz Control:MATRIX Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo
The Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo gently nourishes the hair, resulting in healthy-looking, manageable tresses from the roots to the ends. It strengthens and treats rough, frizzy hair. This hydrating shampoo covers each strand with ultra-glossiness and softens and nourishes the hair. It is enriched with ceramide and shea butter that improve hair elasticity, strength, porosity, smoothness, and moisture retention and manage unruly hair. This purifying shampoo also contains salicylic acid that eliminates dead scalp cells and conditions the hair giving a clean scent to your tresses. This anti-frizz, clarifying shampoo is suitable for natural, color-treated, and damaged hair.
Pros
- Leaves the hair smooth and shiny
- Safe for colored hair
- Protects the hair against humidity
- Manages unruly hair
Cons
- Contains sulfate
Pro TipAveda Shampure Shampoo Best For Sensitive Scalp | Rita Hazan True Color Shampoo Best For Color-Treated Hair | MATRIX Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo Best Frizz Control | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair Type | All Hair Types | Color Treated Hair-,Color Treated Hair | Dry |
| Dimensions | - | 1.75 x 1.75 x 7 inches | 2.6 x 7.2 x 9.29 inches |
| Weight | - | 8.5 Ounces. | 4.5 Pounds. |
| Rating | |||
| Reviews | 118 | 114 | - |
| Price | $20.0 | $26.0 | $28.99 |
4. Best Silicone-Free:Fekkai Full Blown Volume Shampoo
This energizing shampoo has a botanical scent due to the extracts of citrus and ginseng. Its fragrance will remind you of bright, warm mornings. This volumizing shampoo adds tons of body to your hair. You will be thrilled with the way the fragrance whiffs around you the entire day.
Pros
- Free of silicones
- Suitable for thin and limp hair
- Adds bounce to your tresses
- Just a little product required per use
Cons
- Contains SLS
Pro Tip5. Best pH-Balanced Formula:John Masters Organics Shampoo for Normal Hair With Lavender Rosemary
Want to smell expensive? Then, get your hands on this shampoo that promises to leave everyone around you weak in their knees with its luxurious scent. Spiked with the invigorating aroma of lavender and rosemary, this aromatherapy shampoo will leave your hair looking healthy and shiny. It also helps fight scalp problems while adding volume and body to thin hair.
Pros
- pH-balanced formula
- Safe for colored hair
- Free of sulfates and SLS
- Improves hair texture
Cons
- Contains silicones
6. Best For Chemically-Treated Hair:Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Shampoo
This gardenia-scented shampoo gives an aromatic experience that is sure to remind you of a beautiful flower garden. It will leave your strands smelling like a bunch of exotic fruits and flowers. This volumizing shampoo is packed with potent natural ingredients like ginger, ginseng, lemon, witch hazel extracts, biotin, and natural sugar starch. These ingredients provide immediate fullness to thin, limp hair. It is also infused with follicle stimulating ingredients that boost hair growth and fullness. Click here to check out a detailed personal review of this shampoo.
Pros
- Stimulates blood circulation in your scalp
- Removes excess oils
- Suitable for chemically-treated hair
- Imparts nutrients to the hair shaft
- Provides vibrant shine to your tresses
Cons
- Can dry out your hair initially
7. Best For Thin Hair:Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo
This shampoo has a pleasant zesty fragrance that can energize your mood instantly. It contains lemon, sage, peppermint, and tea tree extracts that strengthen and volumize each strand. This uplifting formula adds volume and protects your hair from split ends and breakage. It removes dirt, residues, and product build-up and gives your scalp a deep cleanse. The ingredients in this shampoo promote scalp circulation and promote new hair growth. Numerous reviewers have expressed their satisfaction with the product through their positive reviews.
Pros
- Protects hair against future damage
- Leaves hair feeling clean and fresh
- Treats scalp issues
- Suitable for thin and fragile hair
Cons
- Non-travel friendly
- Product prone to spillage
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The extensive 7,379 rave reviews on Amazon prove why we are vouching for this product.
8. Best Vegan:R+Co Sunset Blvd Blonde Shampoo
Add a delicious fragrance to your blonde hair with R+Co Sunset Blvd Blonde Shampoo. This shampoo makes your blonde hair look extra bright and vibrant. This amazing shampoo tones down the brassiness and adds an excellent silvery shine to gray hair. Its enchanting fragrance is an oriental composition of juniper berries, blood orange, rhubarb, leather accord, violet, and dark woods. It also contains coconut essences that gently cleanse and eliminate impurities from your scalp without stripping the natural oils from your hair. Also, animal testing was not conducted in the evaluation of this product.
Pros
- Makes your hair more manageable
- Cleanses scalp well
- Contains organic botanicals
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Cons
- Takes time to deliver results
9. Best Chemical-Free:OUAI Fine Hair Cheveux Fins
Enjoy the refreshing OUAI mercer street fragrance in this shampoo. The herbal infusion of jasmine, lemon, sambac, rose, lily, iris, and white musk delivers a delightful aroma. This shampoo adds volume to the hair, strengthens, and keeps them hydrated and nourished. The Chia seed oil infused in the shampoo thickens and volumizes the hair, biotin enhances the health of the hair, and keratin smoothens the frizz. Also, the testing process for the product did not involve the use of any animals.
Pros
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Phthalate-free
- Cruelty-free
- Color-safe
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons
- None
10. Best For Volumizing The Hair:L’ange Hair Déjà Vu Dry Shampoo
The L’ange Hair Déjà Vu Dry Shampoo nourishes the hair and scalp while eliminating excess oil, sweat, and debris with no white residue. It improves the volume and shine of the hair and refreshes locks on the move. This shampoo moisturizes and protects the hair and revitalizes your style, whether you are short on time or need to extend a blowout. It is suitable for all hair types, from short, crisp locks to rich long waves. The unique oil-absorbing formula helps rejuvenate and reboot second-day hair, renew volume, and keep your hair clean, fresh, and odor-free.
Pros
- Enhances volume
- Mattifies oily roots
- Instantly adds texture
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
Cons
- None
"This dry shampoos absorbs oil like nobody's business. I love how it does not leave behind that dreaded white residue or sticky feeling. It has a refreshing fresh scent."
11. Best For Dry And Itchy Scalp:Klorane Soothing & Anti-Irritating Shampoo With Peony
This calming shampoo is best for dry and itchy scalp. It provides immediate relief from an itchy scalp with a gentle cleansing base that maintains the natural pH balance of the scalp. It contains peony, a soothing agent that conditions your hair and scalp. It is also enriched with detangling agents that eliminate frizz and stubborn knots from your hair. It has a gentle hydrating scent that helps in relaxing and relieving stress.
Pros
- Hypoallergenic formula
- Leaves hair feeling soft and silky
- Removes flakes and impurities from your scalp
Cons
- The fragrance fades away quickly
12. Best For All Hair Types:Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo uses Triple-Action Cleaning Technology to make your hair appear, feel, and smell clean while absorbing oil, sweat, and odor. This absolute best-smelling shampoo has a light, pleasant, and exquisite fragrance that lingers for several hours. This dry shampoo is ideal for terrible hair days when you do not have the time or want to wash your hair. It also makes styling and managing your hair easier and removes frizz. It helps detangle knots easily and is suitable for all hair types, including chemically-treated hair.
Pros
- Easy to apply
- Affordable
- Color-safe
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben- free
Cons
- None
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The product has more than 6,812 reviews and is a top choice all around the world.
13. Best Affordable:OGX Extra Strength Refresh + Restore Dry Shampoo
OGX Extra Strength Refresh + Restore Dry Shampoo makes your hair silky-soft. It is infused with coconut, tiare essence, and vanilla bean extract that absorb oil, revive strands, and keep them fresh between washes. TThe tropical ocean breeze scent of the shampoo refresh your mood instantly. Free from sulfates, this dry shampoo is suitable for all types of hair, including color-treated hair. It will not cause any future damage to the hair. Here’s a personal review video to help you get a better understand the shampoo with the reviewer’s experience. Also, the product has generated a substantial volume of positive reviews, indicative of its effectiveness.
Pros
- Suitable for color-treated hair
- Free from sulphates
- Rejuvenating fragrance
Cons
- Might not suit darker hair
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
With over 7,488 reviews, this product has become a fan favorite among users.
14. Best Cruelty-Free:WOW Skin Science Himalayan Rose Hair Shampoo
The WOW Skin Science Himalayan Rose Shampoo soothes your sore scalp and revitalizes your weak, damaged hair. It contains rose hydrosol and pro-vitamin B5, which helps enhance hair elasticity, add shine, and strengthen the hair. This shampoo helps keep your hair smooth, lustrous, and vibrant. The mild formula cleanses the hair and scalp without removing natural oils or the moisture barrier. The flowery rose notes leave your hair fragrant. Whether your hair is curly, straight, thick, thin, dyed, or natural, this shampoo is ideal for all hair types. No animal testing procedures were practised in the formulation of this product.
Pros
- 100% Vegan
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Gluten-free
- Color-safe
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons
- None
"This rose-scented shampoo smells very pleasant and natural. It keeps my hair soft and revitalized. It is perfect for detangling and has helped reduce hair fall to some extend."
15. Best Gentle Formula:Alba Botanica So Smooth Shampoo
The Alba Botanica So Smooth Shampoo makes your hair healthier, sleek, and silky. It is filled with mild herbal cleansers and nourishing gardenia. Pineapple and papaya nourish the hair, while aloe and quinoa protein protect your hair from humidity and frizz. The 100% vegetarian and gentle formula has a sophisticated scent derived from its natural extracts. It is pH-balanced, cruelty-free, and free of parabens or phthalates. It reduces frizz, repairs split ends, and makes unmanageable hair smooth and glossy. This product is cruelty-free, which means it was not tested on any animals and is also approved by the Leaping Bunny Program.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Contains botanicals ingredients
- 100% vegetarian
- PH-balanced
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Phthalate-free
- Cruelty-free
Cons
- None
"This shampoo is very gentle on my hair. It is sulfate-free but manages to clean my hair well. It mkaes my hair soft and adds such a beautiful scent that lingers for a while."
The best smelling shampoo is one that has a pleasant, captivating, fresh scent that is not too overwhelming. The fragrance should be gentle on the hair and scalp and leave your tresses feeling clean and soft. There are many shampoos on the market that claim to be the best smelling, but not all of them live up to their claims. When choosing a shampoo, look for a scientifically proven formula made with natural ingredients devoid of any synthetic fragrances or colors.
To help you find the best smelling shampoo for your hair type, we’ve put together this handy guide. Keep reading to learn more about the best smelling shampoos for every hair type!
Things To Look For In The Best Smelling Shampoo For Every Hair Type
Ingredients:
When it comes to finding the best smelling shampoo, it really depends on your hair type. For example, if you have oily hair, you might want to look for a shampoo that contains citrus or mint essential oils. These oils can help balance out the natural oils in your scalp and leave your hair feeling refreshed and smelling great.
If you have dry hair, on the other hand, you might want to look for a shampoo that contains hydrating ingredients such as glycerin or aloe vera. These ingredients can help maintain the moisture level in your strands and leave you with nice-smelling, healthy hair.
Sensitive Scalp: If you have sensitive skin or scalp, you would want to be extra careful about your scalp health when choosing a shampoo. Avoid products with harsh chemicals or anything with artificial fragrances. Instead, opt for something gentle and hypoallergenic. You might also want to try a shampoo made specifically for sensitive scalp types that are dermatologist-tested or clinically verified.
Color-Treated Hair: You would want to be sure to find a shampoo that is specifically designed for this type of hair. These shampoos often contain gentle cleansing agents that won’t strip away the color from your strands. Plus, they usually contain UV protection agents to keep your color looking vibrant for longer.
Type of Fragrance: Next, think about the type of fragrance you prefer, whether you like a light and refreshing scent or more powerful and invigorating ones! Once you know what kind of scent you prefer, you can narrow down your options and choose a shampoo that matches your desired aroma.
Do not be afraid to experiment! Sometimes the best way to find the perfect shampoo is to try out a few different ones until you find one that smells just right.
Allergies Or Sensitivities: Take into account any allergies or sensitivities you may have. Some people are allergic to certain ingredients and fragrances in shampoos, so it is important to read the labels carefully before purchasing anything.
Budget: Finally, think about your budget. There are plenty of great smelling shampoos out there, but they do not all come cheap. If you are on a tight budget, look for something affordable but still high quality. Drugstore brands can be a great option.
Infographic: Key Ingredients To Opt And Avoid In Best-Smelling Shampoos
Many hair care enthusiasts look for two things while choosing a shampoo: longevity and fragrance. You can make your tresses smell floral, fruity, or woody with a good best-smelling shampoo. Not only do these shampoos nurture the strands and the scalp, but they also make sure that your hair smells the best. However, before picking one, you should know what ingredients to opt for and avoid. Check out the below infographic for more details. Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
The Bottom Line
Shampoos are a great way to keep your scalp and hair clean. Unfortunately, sometimes even after regular hair washing, your hair smells bad due to excessive sweat. So you need the best-smelling shampoos to keep the unpleasant odor away. The shampoos listed in our article have sweet, floral, musky, and dreamy fragrances. Some shampoos give you soft and silky hair while others keep it nourished. The Aveda Shampure Shampoo offers gentle cleansing and uplifts your spirit with its calming aroma, while Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Shampoo adds thickness to hair. If you are seeking a color-safe dry shampoo that refreshes hair then try Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. These shampoos add a rejuvenating fragrance to your strands that last for up to three days. So consider investing in shampoos that offer long-lasting fragrances. And restrain from buying shampoos that trigger an allergy in you (if you are allergic to any fragrance). Lindsay Loo, a cosmetologist with 10 years of experience, states, “When it comes to finding the perfect scent in a shampoo, be mindful of sensitivities. If you are sensitive to chemical fragrance, look for products that have natural fragrances with no added toxins. These products still smell great but use the basics of their ingredients to create a genuine smell. They do not add extra chemicals in their formulas.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the smell of shampoo last on hair?
The duration for which the scent of shampoo will last on your hair depends on various factors like the amount of fragrance (natural or artificial) in the formula, your hair type, how you tie your hair, and what you expose your hair to. Usually, if you are using a well-fragrant shampoo, you can expect the scent to linger for 1 to 2 days.
Can good-smelling shampoo be healthy for your hair?
Yes. If the product has nourishing and moisturizing ingredients, a good-smelling shampoo can give you healthy hair. However, some people have sensitive skin or are allergic to artificial fragrances. In that case, you can opt for naturally fragrant formulas which derive their pleasant aroma from organic ingredients.
Does the fragrance in shampoos damage the hair?
No. Some formulas with strong artificial fragrances can dry out your hair and lead to hair fall. However, shampoos with premium formulas, like the ones mentioned in this listicle, contain natural or gentle fragrances which are safe for use.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
The author, Pooja Karkala, is a hair care enthusiast who enjoys trying out new products and formulations. She has an in-depth understanding of the right product components that would benefit a particular hair type. She has painstakingly gone through several reviews before curating this list of the best smelling shampoos for you. These not only add that gorgeous whiff of fragrance and smooth shine to your hair but also help nourish and strengthen your tresses from within!
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