The 10 Best Hair Straightening Shampoos of 2023

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Are you planning on replacing your straightening iron because it takes too long for you to straighten your hair? What if we have a more affordable solution to your hair woes?

Here’s our tip: use a hair straightening shampoo. Yes, you read that right—a shampoo. Shampoos are more than just hair cleansers. These can help prep your hair for the hairstyling process too.

That’s why if you want to achieve sleek and straight hair, you need to choose the best hair straightening shampoos.

These are formulated with conditioning agents and heat-activated ingredients, which create a microfilm. This will coat your hair strands and shafts and helps make the straightening process easier and more efficient by:

• locking in moisture in your hair cuticles, preventing hair dryness.
• protecting hair from the moisture in the environment—the cause of frizzy hair, resulting in shinier and smoother hair.
• When activated by heat, the microfilm reduces styling time and helps your hair stay straight for longer.

 

Which Hair Straightening Shampoo Should You Buy?

Not all hair straightening shampoos are created equal. To ensure that you’ll get the best hair straightening shampoo, here are some of the ingredients that you should look for:

• Silicones (substances that end with – cone or conol) produce a waterproof layer of film on your hair.
• Keratin Protein, which nourishes and strengthens the hair.
• Hair oils, preferably coconut or argan oil, that moisturize and condition the hair.

Now that we got that covered, we present to you some of the best hair straightening shampoos on our list!

1. John Frieda Frizz Ease Flawlessly Straight Shampoo– Best Straightening Shampoo for Damaged Hair

While most hair straightening shampoo formulas are centered on silicones, this John Frieda shampoo focuses on keratin proteins, which coats the hair shaft, making it easier to control hair frizz.  It is also effective in addressing damaged hair problems by nourishing the hair strands from the inside out.

Pros:

• It holds hairstyle in place for longer.
• The shampoo lathers well.
• The product has a subtle floral scent.
• It contains keratin protein, which fortifies and repairs hair.

Cons:

• The packaging leaks.
• It contains sulfates, which may cause hair dryness.

 

2. Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampo– Best Value Straightening Shampoo

If you’re looking for an affordable hair straightening shampoo, the Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo is one of the best options that you have.

Despite its low price, this is one of the few straightening shampoos that contain Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter extracts—two of the most moisturizing and hydrating oils available today. Through these oils, the shampoo claims to provide you 24-hour frizz control.

Pros:

• This is the most affordable product on the list.
• Cocoa Butter is known for its softening properties.
• Coconut Oil is an excellent hair smoother.
• All ingredients are sustainably sourced.
• The container of the shampoo is made of 30% recyclable PET plastic.

Cons:

• It contains fragrance which may irritate the scalp.
• The shampoo has Sodium Laurel Sulfate too.

 

3. It’s a 10 Haircare Miracle Shampoo Plus Keratin– Best Shampoo for Colored and Treated Hair

The 10 Haircare Miracle Shampoo Plus Keratin is one of the few sulfate-free straightening shampoos. It’s because of its gentle formulation that makes this shampoo suitable for treated and colored hair.

The shampoo contains ingredients that protect the hair from heat from thermal styling and hair damage caused by natural and environmental factors. It’s also effective in preserving your hair color. 

Pros:

• It’s free of sodium chloride.
• No animals were harmed during the testing of this product.
• The shampoo is infused with keratin protein to repair and protect damaged hair.
• It has a pleasant scent.

Cons:

• It’s not as moisturizing as other shampoos.
• The shampoo may cause scalp itchiness.

 

4. TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo– Best Sustainable Straightening Shampoo

If you want to lower your carbon footprint, the TREsemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo is one of the best options for you. Their shampoo comes in a packaging that’s compact by design, meaning it has less packaging, air and features a more efficient shape.

Aside from their sustainability efforts, the thing we love the most about this shampoo is its redesigned formulation. It now includes Marula Oil that delivers 5 hair smoothing benefits—anti-frizz, tangle-free, fly away-free, shiny and soft hair.

Pros:

• The shampoo claims to give you smooth hair with natural movement.
• It also has a conditioner counterpart to help you achieve the best results.
• Marula Oil is harvested from Africa.
• You can enjoy the results for up to 72 hours!

Cons:

• You need conditioner to achieve sleek and straight hair.
• The shampoo contains high amounts of sulfates.

 

5. Organix Ever Straightening Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo– Best for All Types of Hair

No matter what type of hair you have, the Organix Ever Straightening Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo promises to deliver you the straight and sleek hair that you’ve always wanted for.

This is because it’s packed with different types of oil and butter, which can soften, smoothen, and straighten the hair. It also has keratin protein, which can repair and strengthen hair bonds.

Pros:

• The oils in this shampoo gives the hair a brilliant glow and shine.
• It has a nice coconut scent because of the coconut oil.
• The shampoo doesn’t have formaldehyde and sulfate.
• It contains both coconut oil and avocado oil that are known for nourishing hair.
• It also has cocoa butter, which softens the hair.

Cons:

• It contains parfum, which is a potential irritant.
• The shampoo doesn’t lather well.

 

6. R+Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo– Best for Thick and Curly Hair

The thicker the hair, the harder it is to smoothen and straighten it. Luckily, the R+ Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo was formulated for this very purpose.

There’s no advanced technology behind this shampoo, but it gets the job done because of its antioxidant complex that comes in the form of an artichoke extract. This ingredient protects the hair and scalp from UV damage and free radicals. Additionally, it has seed oils that soften thick hair, making it easy to straighten and style.

Pros:

• Plum Seed nourishes and stimulates the scalp for stronger hair development.
• Broccoli and okra seed oil and extract deeply condition the hair.
• The formulation has no parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, gluten, and mineral oil.
• It also protects your hair from UV rays.
• This is cruelty -free.

Cons:

• It has a woodsy smell that most people don’t like.
• It’s a bit pricey.

 

7. L’Oreal Professional X-tenso Care Straight Shampoo– Best Professional Straightening Shampoo

If you want salon-style straight hair, you should try the L’Oreal professional X-tenso Care Straight Shampoo. This straightening shampoo is by L’Oreal, one of the leading professional hair product manufacturers in the market.

Formulated with L’Oreal’s trademark Incell Technology, this shampoo is designed to fight off hair breakage and dryness, strengthening and straightening the hair bonds in the process. It is said to restore hair lipids, giving your hair the shine that you can only get from a salon.

Pros:

• You can use this with its masque counterpart for maximum results.
• It has a Pro-Keratin complex, which deeply nourishes the hair.
• Despite being a professional hair product, this is quite affordable.

Cons:

• The packaging is prone to leakage.
• Some complained about having dandruff after using this shampoo.

No products found.

 

8. Acure Organics Coconut Hair Straightening Shampoo and Conditioner– Best Organic Shampoo

If you love all things organic, you may want to check out the Acure Organics Coconut Hair Straightening Shampoo. This shampoo features an organic blend of Marula oil and Coconut oil. Marula oil, along with the Brazilian Keratin Complex, fortifies the hair strands and promotes hair shine. On the other hand, coconut oil facilitates hair growth by nourishing the scalp.

Pros:

• This vegan formulation doesn’t contain parabens and sulfates.
• The shampoo wasn’t tested on animals.
• It’s an excellent option for damaged hair.
• This has a tropical coconut smell.

Cons:

• It might cause hair fall. 
• The straightening effects may not work well on curly hair.

No products found.

 

9. PURA D’OR Smoothing Therapy Shampoo– Best for Frizzy Hair

What makes the Pura D’OR Smoothing Therapy Shampoo different from the rest is it doesn’t contain silicones! Yes, we’ve said that silicones are the main ingredients of a hair straightening shampoo, but they were able to find natural alternatives.

Instead of silicones, this shampoo contains Linseed and Chia seeds that work hand in hand in taming frizzy hair to be easier to style and straighten.

Pros:

• It doesn’t contain silicones to avoid sticky feeling on the hair.
• The shampoo comes with a satisfaction guarantee.
• It also contains aloe vera and argan oil that nourishes and softens the hair.
• The shampoo is cruelty-free and made in the USA.

Cons:

• It has a strong smell.
• The shampoo is a bit drying during the first few uses.

 

10. Agave Healing Oil – Smoothing Shampoo0– Best for Itchy and Sensitive Scalp

Are you tired of dealing with dry hair and itchy scalp? The Agave Healing Oil is here to your rescue! Enriched with agave plant sugars, this shampoo claims to seal in moisture into your hair. It also has a balanced formulation that restores your scalp’s pH balance, which makes it a good option for the itchy and sensitive scalp!

Pros:

• The plant sugars also preserve hair color and boost hair shine.
• It has an all-natural formulation that’s free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.
• Because of its gentle formulation, it’s recommended for daily use.
• It produces a rich lather.

Cons:

• It’s expensive.
• The scent is not for everyone.

 

 The Verdict

This list is proof that there are plenty of great hair straightening shampoos out there. Because of this, it’s a bit difficult to choose which one so we decided to go back to basics. That’s why we went for R+Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo. It has no frills formulation— just good ingredients that have been proven to soften, smoothen, and straighten hair.