We Tested Shampoos for Dry Scalp, and Here Are the 11 We Recommend

Klorane’s shampoo doesn’t contain mineral oil, which, despite being moisturizing, can clog pores and lead to buildup. Ashley Ziegler, an Everyday Health editor, loves the mild scent and says it felt like a clarifying shampoo that left her hair feeling clean without making her scalp feel tight and dry — even though the product wasn’t a good match for her fine hair.

Colloidal oatmeal is my personal favorite moisturizing ingredient, and it’s all because of Aveeno’s line of colloidal oatmeal products. These moisturizers are a lifesaver for me in the winter months, and they offered instant relief to my daughter’s sensitive, eczema-prone skin as a baby. This shampoo, formulated with colloidal oatmeal and almond milk, offers the same soothing relief as Aveeno’s moisturizers.

Exfoliating scalp scrubs can be a great way to treat itching and flaking without medication. Briogeo has made one that does double duty as a shampoo: The physical scrub consists of charcoal, which also works to clarify and exfoliate hair from buildup. Ziegler, who tested Briogeo, says she enjoyed a cooling sensation and her scalp felt clean and was itch-free for days. Briogeo recommends using this no more than once or twice a week because too much exfoliation can irritate your scalp.

Ziegler, who has fine hair, found Briogeo to be drying, so it’s probably not a good pick for anyone with fine hair. But many users give the product rave reviews, with many commenting that it left their scalp feeling relieved and their hair feeling extremely soft.

This Vichy shampoo did a great job at cleaning my scalp and was highly effective against itching and flaking. It comes in three separate formulations: normal to oily hair, dry hair, and sensitive scalp. I tested the version for sensitive scalp, and it did make my scalp feel wonderful: clean and healthy, not tight or overly dry, and completely free from any itching or flaking. My hair looked great after it had dried, and my scalp felt good for days after use.

It has no added fragrances — important for anyone who might be allergic to unnecessary chemicals that could cause dermatitis — but it’s not without smell. I found the orange color pretty, but the sweet smell was unappealing, though it didn’t linger after my hair was dry. I did find the shampoo to be somewhat drying. My hair felt squeaky clean when I rinsed the shampoo out, and I used about twice as much conditioner as I usually would to make up for it. That said, once my hair was fully dry, it felt wonderful; silky smooth and light and airy, without any frizz or buildup.

This shampoo also contains coconut oil to help moisturize your scalp. It has a delightful scent, and it’s effective against both dandruff and dry scalp. There’s also a non-medicated version for dry scalp that doesn’t treat dandruff.

This shampoo relies on a blend of three seaweeds to do this: royal sugar kelp, Pacific sea kelp, and green microalgae. It washes away oil and buildup and moisturizes without adding oil to your scalp or weighing down your hair. It’s particularly suited to fine to medium-thickness hair. It’s also designed to make your hair look amazing.

OUAI only launched in 2016, but the company has rapidly gained a cult following since then. This dandruff shampoo is also specifically recommended for dry scalp, and after one use I understood why. OUAI’s dandruff shampoo feels worlds apart from most typical dandruff shampoos. It smells great, the packaging is cute, and it doesn’t strip my hair or make my scalp feel dry at all. After drying, my hair was luscious and healthy, and my scalp felt hydrated and soothed.

OUAI is big on appearances and doesn’t limit that just to your hair. From the sleek-looking bottle to the thick amber gel within, this product feels like a luxury experience. It also smells incredible, so I wasn’t surprised to discover that OUAI also makes perfume. The smell isn’t floral, and it doesn’t linger much once hair has dried, but washing your hair smells like walking into an expensive clothing store: clean, fresh, subtle, and pleasant.

It took a bit more shampoo than I normally use to get a decent lather, but it did lather up nicely. Afterwards, my hair looked amazing. I have thick hair and usually veer away from moisturizing shampoos because they tend to make my hair even thicker and more unmanageable, but that was not the case with OUAI. My hair was shiny and sleek, but it still felt light and airy.

It’s worth noting that my scalp started to itch again after about two weeks of using this shampoo exclusively. The 2-percent salicylic acid, which helps with exfoliation, is not as effective as other shampoos’ medicated ingredients, and I found it wasn’t enough to completely control my symptoms on its own.

Jupiter’s line of hair products only hit the market in 2020, but in just five years the brand has become the darling of medicated hair care. Jupiter elevates dandruff shampoo from a product that may compromise hair health for scalp health to one that delivers salon-quality results in terms of hair appearance while still providing relief for irritated scalps.

The shampoo is a creamy, thick, brilliant white, with a fragrance my daughter and I decided smells deliciously similar to Key lime pie. Her hair, which is prone to tangles, stayed sleek and tangle-free much longer than it does with her typical kids’ shampoo, so it needed less brushing. The shampoo lathers up well and leaves hair feeling smooth and healthy, even before applying conditioner. Because it’s a balancing shampoo, Jupiter works on all hair and scalp types, from oily to dry, helping to regulate oil production for a healthy, well-balanced, itch-free scalp.

Don’t let Dove’s bargain prices fool you. This shampoo has the same concentration of the same active ingredient, pyrithione zinc, as many other more expensive shampoos. Specifically formulated for dryness and itch, Dove’s gentle formula won’t strip or dry out your scalp.

Our research has found that this shampoo works just as well as, if not better than, some of the higher-end options. However, it’s quite moisturizing (which is a good thing, in this case), so it may weigh your hair down a bit as a result.

It’s worth noting that this shampoo doesn’t smell very good. You’ll know right away that the active ingredient is tar-based as soon as you flip open the lid — it smells like hot tar. Also, it can stain light-colored hair, and because it contains sulfates, it may leave your hair feeling stripped and dry. It may be challenging to find this in stores, but it’s still available from many retailers online.