While every hair type deserves proper TLC, people with sensitive skin need to be extra gentle with their mane. Our studies indicate that sensitive skin is more prone to allergies and irritation, making it difficult to thoroughly cleanse the scalp without causing irritation or redness. But with the best hypoallergenic shampoos, that problem can be easily solved. These shampoos don’t contain nasties, such as parabens, added fragrances, silicones, alcohol, etc., and are packed with nourishing and soothing ingredients for the scalp. 

If having a sensitive scalp has been wreaking havoc on your haircare routine, making it difficult for you to have a squeaky clean scalp — don’t fret at all! You just need the right hypoallergenic products to alleviate inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier to get clean and silky smooth tresses that feel as soft as cotton. Our haircare experts delved into the world of the best allergy-free shampoos, devouring their reviews and testing them to make sure the best ones make it to this list. 

We understand that picking the right product can be overwhelming — from ingredients to fragrance, we need to take a lot of factors into consideration. This is why we have shared a buying guide with you to make your shopping experience easy-peasy. Don’t wait anymore and scroll through our recommendations to spruce up your haircare regimen!

• 1
  Best Clean Formula

  The Honest Company Shampoo+Body Wash

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Just like other grooming products from The Honest Company, this one, too, lives up to the expectations of people who love the brand. This 2-in-1 product can be used both as a shampoo and body wash. It’s crafted with anti-inflammatory ingredients chamomile and aloe that soothe the skin, boost skin elasticity, and prevent signs of aging (studies published on NCBI and ResearchGate). 

For those who love products with a pleasant fragrance, this is the best pick. It comes in three different scents, namely Calm (lavender), Nourish (sweet almond), and Refresh (citrus vanilla). Don’t worry if scents don’t suit you as they have a fragrance-free option, too, for people with skin sensitivities. 

Key Ingredients: Chamomile extract, aloe, and four naturally derived scents

Hair Type: All

Size: 10 fl oz.

2

Best for Babies

Eucerin Baby Wash And Shampoo – Pack of 3

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This baby wash and shampoo from Eucerin is packed with shea butter and pro-vitamin B — a potent formulation to cleanse the scalp thoroughly while nourishing the baby’s delicate skin and hair. Don’t go by its name — it works for adults, too. Its gentle formula as it leaves their scalp feeling squeaky clean without any irritation. 

Plus,  its unscented formula makes it an apt choice for people who are prone to allergies, and it’s pediatrician- and dermatologist-recommended. Customers love the fact that it doesn’t contain any fragrance, which makes it a good pick for their babies. In the words of a happy customer, “They work well and don’t make my baby cry. I also use them as shampoo and they work great. I love that they are unscented.”

Key Ingredients: Shea butter and pro-vitamin B5

Hair Type: Dry

Size: 13.5 fl oz.

3

Best for Fine Hair

No Nothing Sensitive Volume Shampoo

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Dealing with fine hair is no easy task — it weighs down easily and is more prone to breakage. But using the No Nothing Sensitive Volume Shampoo will help you care for your fine hair like a breeze. Infused with a special protein compound, it offers intense nourishment and strength to the hair, making your tresses healthier and stronger than before. Its protein-packed and clean formula gives volume to hair, making it appear fuller and thicker. So you no longer have to worry about itchiness or brittle hair as this shampoo will take care of both fine hair and sensitive scalp needs. 

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and Pisum sativum peptide

Hair Type: Normal, thin, damaged, and color-treated

Size: 10.15 fl oz

4

Best pH-balanced Formula

Natural Sustained Raw & Wild Soap Nut Shampoo

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This shampoo from Natural Sustained is truly a bliss for people with sensitive scalps — instead of using harsh surfactants that irritate the scalp, the product boasts nourishing and mild ingredients like soap berries that lather well without causing damage to the hair. The plant-based formulation of this shampoo adds a natural sheen to the hair without weighing it down. 

When our haircare experts tried this product, they couldn’t help but rave about it for days — they, in particular, loved its cleansing properties that made their scalp feel restored and hydrated without leaving any residue behind or their hair feeling flat. Infused with probiotics, raw fruits, and plants, this is truly one of the best hypoallergenic shampoos worth giving a shot!

Key Ingredients: Soap nut, Artesian spring water, Makrut lime, Elephant apple, pineapple, calendula flower, Indian Laurel-leaf, amla fruit, and turmeric root

Hair Type: Oily, dry, thick, thin, normal

Size: 9 oz.

5

Best for Wavy Hair

Theorie Pure Ultra Gentle Hypoallergenic Shampoo

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With ‘ultra-gentle’ in its name, our haircare experts had a hunch this product would surpass their expectations, and it truly did. With a powerful blend of aloe vera and hydrating oils, including sesame, marula oil, argan, and grapeseed oils — this indeed is a revolutionary product that breathes life into dull hair. 

The power of these ingredients packed in a bottle helps maintain the scalp’s natural moisture and elevates hair shine, leaving you with softer and smoother hair. The absence of nasties like sulfates, parabens, synthetic dyes, fragrances, allergens, and phthalates, makes it an ideal shampoo for allergic skin. 

Key Ingredients: Aloe juice, coco-betaine, marula oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil, and sesame oil

Hair Type: Dry, straight, wavy, curly, coily

Size: 13.5 fl oz.

6

Best Unisex Product

Nonscents Professional Fragrance Free Products Shampoo

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Fortified with keratin, aloe, silk amino acids, and wheat protein, this unscented shampoo delivers remarkable results in quenching the thirst of the driest scalps, while nourishing the hair from the inside out. After putting it to the test, our haircare experts observed that it lathers well, acts as a gentle cleanser, and makes hair shinier and silkier. Crafted by stylists, this shampoo does wonders in cleansing the scalp without leaving it dry or greasy. Being devoid of harsh chemicals, this is truly a boon for people with allergies. 

In fact, a lot of customers on Amazon praised the shampoo for its gentle formula, which didn’t trigger any unwanted reactions. One happy customer wrote, “I have some mild allergies to most conditioners, and I simply wanted a shampoo and conditioner that don't cause itching. These get the job done, leaving my hair looking and feeling great.” All in all, it does a great job of washing out all the dirt and grime from your scalp without causing any harm, and that’s truly remarkable!

Key Ingredients: Aloe juice, fractioned coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, keratin protein, and wheat protein

Hair Type: Normal

Size: 8 oz.

7

Best for All Hair Types

Cleure Volumizing Shampoo

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This non-irritating shampoo from Cleure offers promising results — it washes out dirt, grime, and excess oils from the scalp without damaging the skin’s natural pH. Thanks to the natural humectant glycerin present in it, it effectively draws moisture into the hair, making your tresses visibility softer and moisturized. 

Devoid of harmful ingredients, it revitalizes the scalp without causing dryness or itchy skin. Further, it has a balanced pH of about 4 to 5.5, making sure your scalp is restored and balanced after thorough cleansing. 

Key Ingredients: Glycerin and synthetic skin/hair conditioners

Hair Type: All hair types

Size: 12 oz.

8

Best Travel-friendly Pick

Liv Nature Unscented Shampoo Bar

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This product truly justifies its name — the ingredients used to craft this shampoo bar are plant-based, safe and natural, providing nourishment to the scalp and making hair softer and healthier. Laden with hair-friendly ingredients, this pH-balanced, unscented shampoo bar specifically caters to the grooming needs of people dealing with psoriasis, dandruff, skin sensitivities, and itchy scalps. 

This hypoallergenic shampoo for adults is compact and travel-friendly, so you can easily stash it in your backpack and get a gentle cleanse wherever you go. In the words of an Amazon customer, the product is “completely fragrance-free and leaves my hair clean and shiny! Totally eliminated my dry and itchy scalp!”

Key Ingredients: Sodium coco sulfate, coconut oil, cocoa butter, essential oils, and D-panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)

Hair Type: Normal

Size: 7.50 ounces

Quick Tip:

To use this shampoo bar, make sure that your hair is thoroughly wet, then run the bar over your hair a few times to create a rich lather. Don’t overdo it — just 3-4 swipes across the hair is enough. Rinse it off with cool water.

9

Best Dermatologist-tested Formula

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Aloe + Oat Milk Ultra Soothing Shampoo

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Among the best hypoallergenic shampoos for adults, we have on our list this revolutionary product that’s loved by customers for its gentle cleansing properties. This ultra-soothing shampoo from Briogeo comes with a gentle and nourishing shampoo devoid of artificial fragrances. The soothing formula (featuring oat milk, aloe vera, green tea, and meadowfoam seed oil) offers a gentle cleanse without stripping the scalp of its natural oils. 

These key ingredients work synergistically to calm sensitive skin, nourish the skin, and provide antioxidant protection. Cherry on the top — this is an award-winning product, suitable for all hair types, even curly and coily hair. 

Key Ingredients: Oat milk, aloe vera, green tea, and meadowfoam seed oil

Hair Type: All hair types

Size: 8 fl oz.

10

Best to Soothe Dry Skin

Attitude 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash

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This 2-in-1 shampoo & body wash contains 98.1% naturally derived ingredients to calm dry skin and provide a worry-free wash to your babies. Thanks to the EWG-verified ingredients present in the formulation, it offers a calming sensation to the scalp after every wash. This ultra-gentle product is paraben, sulfates, and phthalate-free, making it gentle for your baby’s skin. 

The blueberry extracts present in the formulation provide antioxidants to the scalp skin and protect it from environmental damage (a study published in ScienceDirect). Our testers’ experience with this product was positive. “Lathers well, gentle, and doesn’t make hair dry” is what they had to say after using it. 

Key Ingredients: Blueberry leaf extract, coco glucoside, and glycerin

Hair Type: All

Size: 16 fl oz.

Now that you’ve seen our top-recommended products for the best hypoallergenic shampoos, let us take a look at some of the crucial factors that you should keep in mind before investing in hypoallergenic haircare products.

1. Know Your Hair Type

Hypoallergenic shampoos, too, can have different formulations that cater to different hair types. Some products are suitable for dry and sensitive scalps, while others work great for color-treated hair. When buying a shampoo, go through the label to confirm if it suits your hair type or not. 

2. Address Your Hair Concern

Dandruff, oiliness, itchiness, flaky skin of the scalp, etc. are some common hair concerns people deal with. When opting for a hypoallergenic shampoo, make sure to get one that addresses your hair concern.

3. Go Through the Ingredients

The best hypoallergenic shampoos are the ones that don’t contain chemical irritants. Hence, go through the label to watch out for ingredients like isopropyl alcohol and harsh surfactants (cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium lauryl sulfate), artificial fragrances, alcohol, formaldehyde, and certain preservatives (such as methylchloroisothiazolinone) — these ingredients might trigger allergies and wreak havoc on your scalp. Instead, look for shampoos with gentle surfactants like soap berries, coco glucoside, decyl glucoside, etc.

4. Opt for a pH-balancing Formula

When choosing a shampoo for allergies, our skincare experts recommend using one that has a pH-balancing formula to prevent dryness. Natural Sustained Raw & Wild Soap Nut Shampoo is the best pick for those looking for a shampoo that won’t disrupt the natural barrier and pH levels of their scalp.