The Best Clarifying Shampoo, According to Your Hair Type

In recent years, it’s become somewhat of an (albeit odd) bragging right to see how many days you can last before washing your hair. And whether that’s two days or five, the fact of the matter is most of us are shampooing less frequently, which can lead to dulling buildup on your scalp and strands. This is where a clarifying shampoo comes in.

A clarifying shampoo is basically a supercharged cleanser that’s formulated to remove stubborn buildup (think oils, silicones, dry shampoo, hair spray and even residual shampoo and conditioner) from your hair. It’s also used to lift the chlorine that’s left on hair after swimming in a treated pool and remove the mineral deposits that result from hard water.

That mostly depends on your hair texture, lifestyle and styling routine. If you’re someone who regularly uses a lot of styling products, you’ll want to use a clarifying shampoo once a week to cut through any buildup (which can weigh down your strands and dull them).

If you use styling products sparingly or have naturally drier hair, you’ll want to limit your use to once or twice a month, as a clarifying shampoo is so good at its job that it can be drying when used excessively. Regardless of how often you use a clarifying shampoo, always follow up with a conditioning treatment on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair to restore moisture.

Ready to shop the best clarifying shampoos? Here, our top eight picks for super-clean strands.