13 Best Alcohol-free Shampoos That Hydrate Your Locks

Written by Alvira Dsouza, Hair Expert
Updated on May 08, 2024
Best Alcohol-free Shampoos
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Alcohol — one commonly found ingredient in shampoos can take a toll on your hair’s health, quality, and texture over a period of time. To let that not be the case, it would be wise to splurge on one of the best alcohol-free shampoos that cleanse your scalp and leave your mane feeling thoroughly hydrated and moisturized. The reason behind why one should use a non-alcoholic shampoo is quite legitimate. As per a research paper published in the National Library of Medicine, surfactants derived from fatty alcohols aid in removing sebum from your scalp. However, when cleaned excessively with the usage of harsh surfactants, hair tends to become dry, harsh, rough, dull, and frizzy, thereby more prone to tangling and breakage. Sound worse? Not when you begin indulging in the best alcohol-free shampoo for color-treated hair or natural ones.

Drawing from our findings, a non-alcoholic shampoo paired with an alcohol-free hair conditioner effectively minimizes scalp irritation and paves the way towards attaining healthy, hydrated, smooth, lustrous, and silky hair. Gradually, your hair will feel incredibly soft, and easy to manage, and style. All thanks to the moisturizing blend of key ingredients that promise utmost nourishment and revitalize your tresses from roots to tips. 

Without further ado, let’s quickly run you through our curated list of the finest shampoos available on the market. 

13 Best Alcohol-free Shampoos

OGX Nourishing + Coconut Milk Shampoo has managed to seize the top position in the category of the most efficient shampoo without alcohol. What made hair care enthusiasts and experts sing carols is its top-notch formulation and a well-chosen blend of key ingredients that strengthen, hydrate, and revive dull and damaged hair. With every wash, one notices a significant difference in the feel, quality, and overall texture of their hair. Plus, its invigorating scent of creamy coconut, shea butter, and white peach hooks your senses and makes you experience a spa-like treat. 

What’s the best part? It lathers well and offers up to 24 hours of frizz control with humid protection and added shine. For optimal results, you may think of concluding your hair wash session with OGX Nourishing + Coconut Milk Conditioner.

Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, egg white protein, and coconut milk

Hair Type: All

Quantity: 13 fl oz

Pros
  • Cost-effective
  • Doesn’t weigh down the tresses
  • Paraben-free
  • Ideal for all hair textures
  • Free from sulfates
  • Softens the hair
Cons
  • Fragile cap
  • Editor’s Pick

    Maui Moisture Hair Care Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo

    Maui Moisture Hair Care Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo
  • By incorporating Maui Moisture Hair Care’s Water Shampoo, you will be able to restore the lost glory of your hair with consistent use. Out of all alcohol-free hair products, this shampoo is most loved by someone inclined towards investing in a refreshing tropical shampoo for instant upliftment in the mood. Having said that, it is not only about hair care and shampooing; rather, it is about offering sufficient nutrients to your mane. 

    As long as you have this shampoo in your stash, your hair strands will never feel or look parched. Coated with the right amount of nutrients and vitamins, happy hair days will keep rolling. Plus, if you wish for extra softness and added shine, consider using Maui Moisture Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Conditioner post-hair wash. 

    Key Ingredients: Hibiscus water, coconut water, passionfruit, and watermelon

    Hair Type: All

    Quantity: 13 fl oz

    Pros
    • Sulfate-free
    • Lightweight formula
    • Reasonably priced
    • Safe for color-treated hair
    • Doesn’t contain mineral oil or silicones
    Cons
    • Prone to leakage
  • Best for All Hair Types

    Design Essentials Oat Protein & Henna Deep Cleansing Shampoo

    Design Essentials Oat Protein & Henna Deep Cleansing Shampoo
  • Make your hair strands more resilient to hair damage and breakage with Design Essentials Deep Cleansing Shampoo. Ranking high in the list of the best hair products without alcohol, this Oat Protein & Henna Shampoo grabs all attention with its gentle and non-stripping formulation. It deeply penetrates and cleanses your scalp to the fullest, ensuring healthy and lustrous hair. In addition, it boosts volume and conditions your hair shafts, facilitating a healthy scalp environment for quick hair growth. Here is what a happy user willingly shares, “This shampoo is very moisturizing, smells good, and leaves your hair clean, moisturized, and smelling very nice! Try it, you’ll love it too!”

    Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed oat protein and henna

    Hair Type: All

    Quantity: 12 fl oz

    Pros
    • Smells like honey
    • Can be used daily
    • Cruelty-free
    • Ideal for color and chemically-treated hair
    Cons
    • Fragile pump dispenser
  • Best for Color-treated Hair

    GK Hair Color Protection Moisturizing Shampoo

    GK Hair Color Protection Moisturizing Shampoo
  • GK Hair Moisturizing Shampoo is designed to revive dry, damaged, and dehydrated hair, making sure that the vibrancy of your hair color remains intact. This sulfate and alcohol-free shampoo is also a game-changer when it comes to smoothening your hair, deep conditioning, and reducing static. Furthermore, the shampoo leaves your scalp squeaky clean and rejuvenates your hair follicles while making your hair soft, silky, and easy to manage. Last but not least, with anti-aging protein, it also fights against frizz and tame flyways. 

    Key Ingredients: Juvexin (a blend of proteins and peptides), natural seed oils, natural plant extracts, and natural grain extracts

    Hair Type: Color-treated hair

    Quantity: 3.4 fl oz

    Pros
    • Offers protection against heat damage
    • Cruelty-free
    • Hypoallergenic formula
    • Free from parabens and sulfates
    Cons
    • Unsatisfactory packaging
  • Best for Dry Hair

    Prell Classic Clean Shampoo

    Prell Classic Clean Shampoo
  • This shampoo that does not contain alcohol is crafted especially for those battling with dry hair. Featuring a thicker and richer formula, it quenches the thirst of your dry strands by imparting vital nutrients and vitamins. It does a great job of cleansing your mane, lifting build-up, and helping follicles to seal moisture. What matters the most is that the shampoo leaves your mane utterly rejuvenated, healthy, hydrated, and happy. The best part is that it is suitable for sensitive scalps!

    Key Ingredients: Not mentioned 

    Hair Type: Dry

    Quantity: 13.5 fl oz

    Pros
    • Easy to rinse
    • Enhances hair texture
    • Imparts shine
    • Lathers well
    Cons
    • Little Pricey
  • Best for Damaged Hair

    Sauce Beauty Moisturizing Shampoo

    Sauce Beauty Moisturizing Shampoo
  • Experience a salon-like hair spa at home with Sauce Beauty’s Moisturizing Shampoo. With its tropical fragrance and rich lather, this alcohol and sulfate-free shampoo is the go-to product to hydrate, revive, revitalize, and rejuvenate your hair and scalp completely. All credit goes to the goodness of natural ingredients that jam together to help you attain the hair of your dreams without weighing it down. What makes this shampoo so special? Its ability to tame frizz and nourish hair for soft, silky, and radiant locks.

    Key Ingredients: Jarrah honey, glycerin, macadamia oil, monoi oil, Island marinade, coconut milk, and Jamaican black castor oil 

    Hair Type: Wavy, Frizzy, Color-treated, Dry, and Curly

    Quantity: 10 fl oz

    Pros
    • Works well on fine to medium hair texture
    • Doesn’t weigh down your hair
    • Smoothes hair
    • Free from gluten
    Cons
    • Doesn't lather properly
  • Best for Neutralizing Hair Color

    Pete & Pedro Purple Violet Toning Shampoo

    Pete & Pedro Purple Violet Toning Shampoo
  • For anyone who wants to refresh and enhance the vibrancy of their blonde, platinum, color-treated, or gray hair, Pete & Pedro Toning Shampoo is your way to go for a couple of good reasons. Firstly, this violet shampoo with no alcohol is renowned for its ability to neutralize brassy tones and fend off split ends. Secondly, haircare enthusiasts and professionals sing carols for the way the product works on your hair and infuses it with moisture. Last but not least, the shampoo softens and smoothes your hair follicles and ensures utmost hydration with high-quality ingredients. 

    Key Ingredients: Grape seed extract

    Hair Type: All 

    Quantity: 8.5 fl oz

    Pros
    • Enhances shine
    • Tames frizz
    • Boosts moisture
    • Sulfate-free
    • Paraben-free
    • Unscented
    Cons
    • Might not control dandruff

    Quick Tip:

    Wet your hair and begin massaging a generous amount into your hair and scalp. Rinse thoroughly. You may use this shampoo daily until the desired brightness is achieved.

  • Best for Curly Hair

    Kristin Ess Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo

    Kristin Ess Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo
  • Moving on to the next, Kristin Ess Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo is a magical elixir for curly hair bearers. This shampoo is not just a cleansing agent to clarify your scalp; rather, it is a source of moisture for your dry strands. What makes this sulfate-free and alcohol-free shampoo so distinctive is its gentle formula that cleanses your hair without affecting the natural oil barriers. Adding to that, for the ease of styling, it boosts moisture levels and leaves your locks lustrous.  

    Key Ingredients: Shea butter, soybean oil, and glycol distearate 

    Hair Type: 2A to 4C Curly hair

    Quantity: 10 fl oz

    Pros
    • Cruelty-free
    • Keratin-safe
    • Vegan
    • Lathers well
    • Pointed tip applicator
    • Paraben-free
    Cons
    • Unpleasant scent
  • Best for Hair Growth

    Dermachange Thick & Full Hair Growth Shampoo

    Dermachange Thick & Full Hair Growth Shampoo
  • Dermachange Thick & Full Hair Growth Shampoo will make your hair wash day a sheer pleasure. Packed with natural key ingredients, it helps you deal better with hair loss, breakage, and thinning and fosters a healthy scalp environment for quick hair growth. 

    The shampoo lathers well and takes you a step forward towards embracing a healthier, thicker, and fuller mane. Henceforth, you need not worry about your weak, lifeless, and damaged hair, this shampoo will take great care of it.

    Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, coconut oil, and orange peel oil

    Hair Type: Dry and brittle hair

    Quantity: 8 fl oz

    Pros
    • Stimulates keratin production
    • Fragrance-free
    • Reduces dry scalp and dandruff
    • Available in a bigger size
    • Suitable for men and women
    Cons
    • Feels a little greasy

    Quick Tip:

    Refrain from over-lathering your hair with the shampoo to get more of a lathering effect. If done so, then it will strip your hair of its natural oils and dry it out.

  • Most Hydrating

    L'ange Hair Lathér Keratin Protein Shampoo

    L'ange Hair Lathér Keratin Protein Shampoo
  • Bid adieu to frizzy, damaged, and drab hair with L'ange Hair’s non-alcoholic shampoo, which is rich in protein and keratin. It relieves an itchy scalp and dandruff, taking you a step closer to achieving stronger and healthier hair. Addedly, the shampoo is loaded with vital antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins to reveal smoother and softer hair. What we like the most is the fact that it tames frizz and flyaways pretty easily and allows you to flaunt shinier hair like never before. 

    Key Ingredients: Keratin and hydrolyzed vegetable protein 

    Hair Type: Color-treated, Dry, Frizzy, Chemically-treated-hair

    Quantity: 8 fl oz

    Pros
    • Adds volume to hair
    • Suitable for kids, men, and women
    • Protects against UV rays
    • Lathers well
    Cons
    • Scent may not appeal to all
  • All About Curls No-Lather Cleanser

    All About Curls No-Lather Cleanser
  • This No-lather Cleanser introduced by All About Curls is an apt alcohol-free shampoo for curly hair. Firstly, it gently cleanses, nourishes, redefines, and defrizzes your curls. Its foam-less formulation works wonders in hydrating and imparting moisture to your hair tresses. For you to understand the working pattern of this cleanser more closely, we glanced through the feedback section. Here is what a satisfied user shares, “The shampoo cleans my hair beautifully without stripping my color. I have not felt the need to use a clarifying shampoo since I started with this brand. Yet it leaves my hair soft and manageable even without the conditioner.”

    Key Ingredients: Shea butter, coconut oil, soybean oil, almond extract, soy protein

    Hair Type: Curly 

    Quantity: 15 fl oz

    Pros
    • Recyclable packaging
    • Silicone-free
    • Budget-friendly
    • Easy to rinse
    • Vegan
    • Color-safe
    Cons
    • Runny consistency
  • Fragfre Hydrating Shampoo

    Fragfre Hydrating Shampoo
  • Next on our list of recommendations is Fragfre’s Hydrating Shampoo which not only cleanses your scalp and hair but also works well in fighting against static and frizz. It effectively sweeps away oil, dirt, debris, and buildup and improves the overall hair quality and texture of your hair. Honestly, it is a good alcohol-free shampoo to rely on with closed eyes if you are dealing with treated, fragile, and super-sensitive scalps. 

    Key Ingredients: Cucumber juice 

    Hair Type: All

    Quantity: 12 fl oz

    Pros
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • Hypoallergenic
    • Free from preservatives
    Cons
    • Doesn’t get very sudsy
  • Yarok Feed Your Moisture Shampoo

    Yarok Feed Your Moisture Shampoo
  • Lastly, we recommend Yarok Feed Your Moisture Shampoo. What made us recommend this shampoo is its organic and natural formula, which is incredibly hydrating and detoxifying. The potent blend of key ingredients, vitamin-infused water, and restorative oils works in synergy and amplifies the quality and feel of your hair. Another standout feature is that this no-alcohol shampoo possesses an alkaline pH balance property that protects your hair from free radicals and leaves your hair looking and feeling oh-so-good!

    Key Ingredients: Argan, hemp seed, and coconut oil

    Hair Type: Wavy, Curly 

    Quantity: 12 oz

    Pros
    • Non-toxic
    • Vegan
    • Gluten-free
    • Mesmerizing aroma
    Cons
    • Expensive

    That was our comprehensive list of shampoos without alcohol. Now, let us run you through a detailed buying guide.

    How to Choose the Best Alcohol-free Shampoo?

    Here are a few aspects that you should consider before splurging on a high-grade alcohol-free shampoo:

    Hair Type And Texture: Make sure you analyze your hair type and texture before investing in any of the above-listed hair products without alcohol and sulfates. If you have sensitive scalp and brittle hair, then look for shampoos that are gentle yet effective enough to cleanse and hydrate your scalp and hair. Likewise, for anyone who possesses oily hair due to excessive sebum production, a clarifying shampoo can be a reliable choice to consider. On the other hand, if you have chemically or color-treated hair, choose a shampoo that is color-safe and loaded with deep conditioning agents. Refrain from purchasing a shampoo that is not meant for your hair type and texture. 

    Key Ingredients: The next vital aspect to consider is the list of key ingredients. Based on our first-hand research, an ideal non-alcohol shampoo is enriched with natural ingredients like coconut oil, egg white protein, coconut water, honey, black castor oil, argan oil, grape seed extract, shea butter, soybean oil, etc. These ingredients are further blended with citric acid, biotin, keratin, protein, glycol, and other substances that fortify your scalp and hair health. Avoid shampoos that contain harsh ingredients like sulfates, gluten, parabens, mineral oil, silicones, and phthalates.

    Formula: Moving on, it is the formula that you should be careful of. For added care, relying on an organic and scalp-soothing shampoo is always a good idea. Look for shampoos that are vegan and cruelty-free. In addition, the formula should be light in weight with great ability to keep your mane’s pH balanced.

    Consistency And Texture: Make sure that the shampoo you choose is easy to spread and rinse. It is advisable to splurge on a shampoo that is creamy and lathers well. Additionally, the shampoo should not leave any kind of residue or build-up which may lead to greasiness or weight down your hair.

    Conclusion

    With this comprehensive list of the best alcohol-free shampoos, you can bid a brief farewell to dry and itchy scalp along with damaged, dry, and dehydrated hair. These non-alcoholic shampoos do not cause any harm and thus can help you in lessening hair loss and damage. They are mindfully formulated with nourishing and rejuvenating ingredients that aid in strengthening, hydrating, and reviving your hair’s natural glory. Considering a plethora of factors like key ingredients, formula, reviews, and ratings, we managed to get the best of the best shampoos at your fingertips. Out of them all, OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo managed to seek the top position on our list for its phenomenal cleansing and hydrating properties. Likewise, you, too, can find your most suitable haircare buddy and undergo a drastic hair transformation.

    FAQ's

    Who should indulge in alcohol-free shampoos?
    Everyone should indulge in alcohol-free shampoos for utmost hair care and rejuvenation.
    Does alcohol in shampoo cause damage to hair?
    Yes, as per research, propanol, ethanol, isopropyl, and propyl alcohol are a few of the alcohols that cause hair damage.
    How many times a week should one wash hair with shampoo?
    One should wash hair with a shampoo at least once or twice a week.
    Is it easy to find an alcohol-free conditioner to go with my shampoo?
    Yes, there are plenty of alcohol-free conditioners available on the market that go well with your shampoo.
    What should one do if he/she already used shampoo with alcohol?
    You may switch to a non-alcoholic shampoo and use more hair oils and butter to retain lost moisture.
    Which hair types and textures can benefit from using alcohol-free shampoo?
    All hair types and textures can enjoy the benefits of using an alcohol-free shampoo.

    Why Trust Pinkvilla

    Our certified haircare expert, Alvira, has meticulously researched the best alcohol-free shampoos. She carefully analyzed their formula and texture and then curated this list for you to make a wise investment. She believes that non-alcoholic shampoo is the very first step to attaining hydrated and healthy hair. Drawing from her experiences, she recommended the usage of alcohol-free as well as sulfate-free shampoo. From the above list, Maui Moisture Hair Care Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo caught her attention for the longest time for its soothing formula and invigorating fragrance. You can also roll your eyes over the rest of her top picks and bring home the one that suits your preferences the best. 

    Our product experts study the specifications of every product we suggest and try them out to bring what’s proven to be worthy of your money, time, and energy. We also have subject matter experts from various fields like Fashion, Skincare, Haircare, Home Decor, and Health & Fitness onboard to make sure our suggestions are credible and trustworthy. You can trust Select to be your faithful shopping guide for all the right reasons!

    Author BIO
    reviewer
    Alvira Dsouza
    Hair Expert

    With a keen eye for detail and a passion for hairstyling, Alvira is a certified Hair Expert who brings the latest tre More