# Shampoo/Conditioner/etc. for very dry hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723 "2020-01-20T21:34:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/1 "2020-01-20T21:34:48Z")
Don’t want to spend a lot . Anything available at Target, Walgreens ,etc is OK with me as long as it’s around $10 or less. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/2 "2020-01-20T22:30:45Z")
Stay away from anything that says “Tea Tree” on it. It’ll dry your hair out even more. I use Costco’s shampoo and conditioner. Sulfate free, and the conditioner has aloe. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/3 "2020-01-20T22:46:13Z")
What is the texture of your hair like other than “very dry”? Mine is frizzy (wavy when properly conditioned). The best bang for the buck I have ever bought was Trader Joe’s [Shea Butter and Coconut Oil Hair Mask](https://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/4970) once a week, and for daily use, their [Nourish Spa Conditioner](https://www.allure.com/review/trader-joes-nourish-spa-conditioner-review) (it might be up to $3-something a bottle now). But my fave drugstore brand is [Mixed Chicks.](https://mixedchicks.net/products/hair-products/condition-detangle/detangling-deep-conditioner-8oz/) It’s more expensive per ounce than most drugstore brands, but a little goes a long way. If your hair is really that dry, you might want to try a leave-in conditioner too, or even a tiny bit of straight coconut oil on wet hair. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/4 "2020-01-21T00:28:24Z")
I’ve had good success with **Suave** products. All shampoo is drying. Because it’s soap. I have very long hair and I use about a quarter size ammt. in my palm and concentrate on my scalp. The shampoo basically rinses through my hair, at best. I use substantially more conditioner and leave it in a few minutes before rinsing. I like the coconut scented ones. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/5 "2020-01-21T00:47:06Z")
Disclosure: I spent seven years working for a big manufacturer of haircare products. How often do you wash your hair? As Beck notes, all shampoos will dry out your hair, to a greater or lesser degree, as they’re detergents (chemically, they’re actually closest to dishwashing soap) – in addition to removing the dirt from your hair, they will also strip the oils from your hair. You may want to consider washing your hair less often, especially in the winter, if you think you can do so. (I get terrible bedhead, and if I try to go a day without washing my hair, it looks terrible, but I also have oily hair.) I used to work on Suave, and their products are generally better than you might expect from their price point. Regardless of the brand you choose, look for a formulation that’s for dry hair (those tend to have lower detergent levels), and I second the importance of conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/6 "2020-01-21T01:44:26Z")
Also, [brush your hair daily](https://edit.sundayriley.com/this-is-how-often-experts-say-you-should-brush-your-hair-and-why/) to work the natural oils from your scalp along the hair shafts for natural conditioning. Get a gravity assist by bending over while you brush with your hair hanging down, and brush gently with a natural bristle brush for preference. If you brush it regularly, you won’t have to wash it as often. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/7 "2020-01-21T03:16:28Z")
I should add I am a guy with typical guy haircut, just above my ears. I wash my hair about every other day. My hair is frizzy along with being very dry. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/8 "2020-01-21T04:55:38Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I should add I am a guy with typical guy haircut, just above my ears. I wash my hair about every other day. My hair is frizzy along with being very dry. Oh. Well, according to [this advice](https://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_300/393_fashion_advice.html), you should still be brushing your hair daily to get the natural oils going. And maybe try shampooing less often to reduce the drying? If you brush your hair regularly and don’t put a lot of product in it, dry hair could probably go quite a bit longer between shampoos. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/9 "2020-01-21T14:11:39Z")
If you wish, you can try washing your hair with conditioner only. I find the Suave Essentials coconut conditioner is good for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/10 "2020-01-21T14:41:33Z")
I have dry, frizzy, thick, curly hair. I’ve used a leave-in conditioner most of my life. In the past few years I’ve been advised by two different hairdressers to just use the in-shower conditioner of my choosing and don’t rinse it completely out. It has been pretty successful. Whatever conditioner you choose, I think you should experiment with only rinsing it out partially. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2020, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shampoo-conditioner-etc-for-very-dry-hair/846723/11 "2020-01-22T02:45:15Z")
My stylist recommends conditioners made for natural black hair.