Maintaining the right hair care routine is paramount to keeping the curls of 4C hair healthy and bouncy. Let your curls thrive with the best shampoos for 4C hair.

The tight, springy ringlets of 4C hair are finer and closely packed, creating a dense volume. But the strands are very fragile, prone to breakage, dryness, and frizz. Moisture is the most essential part of maintaining 4C hair. Incorporating ingredients like cocnut oil, castor oil, and shea butter into its cleansing routine will hydrate and seal in moisture. Washing 4C hair regularly will strip the hair from its natural oils resulting in hair damage. 

We often get confused over using similar products for curls and dreadlocks. Putting all your doubts and confusion to rest, our contributor Dr. Harikiran Chekuri, Hair transplant expert - ClinicSpots, explains, “Dreads and locs are similar in that they are both hairstyles involving the matting of hair, but there is a big difference in their formation. Dreadlock hairstyles involve twisting or interlocking strands of hair while locs form when loose hairs begin to knot together into larger clumps. How long locs last is determined largely by the hair care routine you follow. Proper moisturizing and maintenance can help lengthen the life of your locs, while neglecting them may result in breakage or thinning.”

Depending on the scalp's health and curl conditions, cleansing twice a month with hydrating and clarifying shampoos can be helpful as per our expertise. We have narrowed down 14 of the best shampoos for 4C natural hair that will take utmost care of your curly hair type.

• 1
  Best for Hydration

  Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo

  BUY ON AMAZON

Using the wrong shampoo can leave your curls dehydrated and dry. But Ouidad's curl quencher reverses all that. This moisturizing shampoo quenches the thirst of your mane, and makes the manes more manageable, and defined. Take a little amount of the shampoo and massage your scalp in circular motions for at least 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Regularly use this shampoo to enjoy bouncy, and luscious hair. Thirsty hair can be a nuisance but not with this shampoo. 

2

Best for Breakage

PURA D'OR Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

We are absolutely bowled over by the powerful blend of rare and exotic ingredients, DHT blockers, vitamins, and minerals that make up this shampoo by PURA D'OR. The active ingredients strengthen hair follicles and increase thickness by reducing hair thinning and breakage. This lightweight formula is ideal for 4C curly hair which is susceptible to breakage. The natural extracts and essential nutrients fortify the roots and protect the curls from breakage and thinning. The gentle formula promotes stronger, cleaner, and healthier curls.

3

Best for Restoring Oil

SheaMoisture Shampoo Curl and Shine for Curly Hair

Buy on Amazon

Suitable for thick, curly hair, the goodness of shea butter, coconut oil, and hibiscus flower gently cleanses the curls to restore shine and luster. Coconut oil is known to moisturize and protect hair by restoring the lost oils while hibiscus extract improves hair elasticity to reduce breakage. Increase your hair strength with the addition of raw shea butter as it acts as a sealant, keeping the moisture locked in the strands. The nourishing formula delivers intense moisture to the curls, making them soft, smooth, and frizz-free. 

4

Best to Remove Buildup

Cantu Cleansing Cream Shampoo for Natural Hair

Buy on Amazon

Specifically made for the coils of 4C hair, the cleansing shampoo from Cantu is designed to nourish and moisturize the curls to make them thrive. A blend of pure shea butter and essential oils cleanse and condition the hair, removing heavy build-ups and preventing the curls from becoming dry. The best moisturizing shampoo that deep cleans hair and scalp to keep your coils, waves, curls, locs, and braids happy and bouncy, giving them the TLC they deserve.

5

OKAY MOISTURE GROWTH SHAMPOO

Buy on Amazon

Okay moisture growth shampoo promotes hair growth, keeping hair longer and stronger. It combats hair breakage, restoring strength and elasticity to the strands. Castor oil promotes circulation, stimulating the hair follicles to increase hair growth. It makes hair manageable, moisturizing dry, stressed, and damaged hair. With this shampoo for 4C curly hair, replenish your scalp's natural oils and strengthen the roots to make the curls thicker, fuller, and shinier. Rich in vitamin E and omega 6 and 9 fatty acids, it improves blood circulation to the scalp, encouraging hair growth.

6

Best for Moisturizing

Design Essentials Moisture Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

The non-stripping formula of Design Essentials moisture shampoo provides deep moisture to soften, detangle, and smooth hair cuticles. For hair that is strong, healthy, and beautiful, the scalp requires ample moisture and this moisture retention shampoo provides mega-moisturization that restores the hydration balance in dry and damaged hair. Infused with honey creme, it helps in regulating and retaining moisture, making the hair follicles stronger to promote hair growth. It also conditions the cuticles, detangling and adding shine to the curls. 

7

Best for Dehydrated Hair

Aunt Jackie's Deep Moisturizing and Softening Hair Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

Aunt Jackie's shampoo harnesses the power of shea butter, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil to eliminate dryness without weighing your hair down. It provides extremely deep penetrating moisturization that makes the curls clean, super soft, and ultra-hydrated. Give your dryness-prone 4C curly hair strands this conditioning hair bath and see them come alive with shine and bounce. Coconut oil, rich in vitamins and fatty acids, goes deep inside the hair shaft, moisturizing the coils from within, nourishing and protecting them while the vitamins E and K present in extra virgin olive oil prevent hair loss.

8

Best for Moisture Retention

tgin Moisture Rich Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

Free from harmful surfactants, the shampoo and conditioner combo from tgin effectively cleans 4C hair and replenishes the hair oils. The shampoo, formulated with pro-vitamin B5 and coconut oil, visibly reduces breakage by supplying the curls with intense moisture and helps in retaining it. The conditioner, enriched with shea butter, argan oil, and jojoba oil, ensures that the moisture stays locked in. Keep your natural curls healthy and bouncy with smoother cuticles for easy penetration of moisture. Great for 4C curly hair, they work together to heal damaged hair, giving you soft, shiny, and manageable coils.

9

Instant Itch Relief

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

Peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus work together to rejuvenate your hair with this shampoo from Trader Joe’s. It moisturizes and exfoliates your hair, removing all impurities while the peppermint provides a tingling sensation that offers relief to an itchy scalp. With over 1500 global ratings, one of the Amazon buyers has reviewed it as such, “I have been using this shampoo religiously on my dreadlocks for 3 years now. When I accidentally run out and have to use a different product, I realize just how much I miss the tingle and itch relief of this stuff! Total lifesaver for dreads to reduce buildup.”

10

Best for Clarifying

PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross Hydration Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

Give your curls and coils the boost of nourishing oils and biotin that gently cleanses the hair, removing build-up from the scalp. Without stripping away the essential hair oils, it keeps hair moisturized and hydrated with the goodness of aloe vera leaf juice, coconut oil, and honey. Give your curls the lift and bounce they deserve with this gentle cleansing formula. It washes your hair, cleaning it from the roots to tips, keeping hair tangle-free and soft.

11

Best for Curly Hair

Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo

Buy on Amazon

Prevent hard water build-up on your kinky, coily hair with this moisturizing shampoo from Kinky Curly. Infused with phytic acid and corn, it cleanses the strands and removes hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium. Phytic acid is a natural chelating agent that removes and prevents build-up by capturing the impurities and removing them from your hair. The perfect blend of organic plants and fruit extracts cleanses the hair and scalp of its impurities and build-ups, promoting proper moisture balance and retention.

12

GIRL+HAIR Cleanse Shampoo

BUY ON AMAZON

Formulated to prevent itchy, and flaky scalp, this shampoo from GIRL+HAIR provides thorough cleansing while keeping the hair moisture intact. Made with neem seed oil, tea tree oil, and shea butter, it provides natural elasticity and shine to dry, dull hair. The neem seed oil conditions your hair, alleviating dandruff and itchiness while the natural clarifying agent, tea tree oil, aids in reducing leftover product residue and removing dead skin cells. One of the best shampoos for dry, curly hair, it adds moisture and shine to your coarse, dry, frizzy, and brittle hair.

13

Dove Moisturizing Shampoo for Coils, Curls, and Waves

BUY ON AMAZON

Stop worrying about adding moisture to your coils, curls, and waves and bring home this hydrating shampoo from Dove. The best drugstore shampoo for curly hair, it is infused with aloe vera, a soothing humectant that attracts and seals moisture to the hair. Packed with vitamins A, C, E, and B12, it nourishes and promotes hair growth. The 4C hair is prone to dryness and product build-up. The moisturizing formula removes product build-up and restores shine and moisture, giving you healthy and springy hair. 

14

Esha Girl Natural – 3C & 4C Curl Shampoo

BUY ON AMAZON

The curl shampoo from Esha utilizes the properties of plant protein and biotin B complex that strengthens hair strands from within. This hair product has the added benefit of coconut oil provides essential moisture to the hair follicles, leaving your curls soft and smooth while rosemary oil stimulates the scalp to accelerate hair growth apart from leaving behind a pleasant, delicate smell. Suitable for all types of curls, from loose waves to tight coils, this hydrating shampoo cleanses them and keeps them healthy and hydrated.

Take the following points into consideration before buying a shampoo for 4C curly hair:

• Ingredients to Look for: The one thing that 4C curls lack is moisture. Due to the dense thickness and tightly formed curls, the moisture does not reach the tips, leading to dryness and brittle hair strands. Use hydrating shampoos that have natural oils and butter like shea butter, castor oil, or coconut oil that lightly coat the strands with moisturizing emollients preventing the moisture from escaping. They keep the curls soft and hydrated. It is time to ditch harmful chemicals, harsh chemicals and opt for organic ingredients that promotes lots of moisture to your coily hair. Opt for botanical extracts, black vanilla, mango butter and black castor oil. 
• Ingredients to Avoid: When looking for shampoos to cleanse 4C hair, avoid those that have surfactants. Though surfactant shampoos are great for cleaning all dirt and build-ups, they also remove the much-needed hair oils, affecting the health of the hair. The harsh detergent like texture in a few products can ruin your scalp health. 
• Hair Porosity Type: Before buying a shampoo for 4C hair, it is essential to know the type of porosity your hair has. The ability to absorb and retain moisture depends mainly on your hair porosity. Hair with low porosity is the most difficult to absorb moisture. As the cuticles are tightly packed, moisture cannot seep in. Using heavy formulas will result in product build-up which will weigh down the curls. High porosity hair has open cuticles that absorb moisture like a sponge but has difficulty retaining it, leading to dryness and breakage. For low-porosity curls, opt for lightweight and oil-free hydrating shampoos, and for high-porosity curls, choose shampoos loaded with natural oils like castor or coconut to lock in the moisture. Also keep your curl pattern in mind. 
• Customer Reviews: Customer reviews play an important role in choosing te best shampoo for 4C hair. The right shampoo will depend on the porosity of the curls. By going through the reviews, you can get an idea which shampoo works best for which type of hair porosity.

Speaking of conditioning 4C hair, Our contributor Dr. Harikiran Chekuri, says, “If the shampoo you are using is too harsh, daily conditioning of the scalp and hair may be necessary. This is especially true for those with a tight curl pattern, such as 4C hair. However, if your shampoo is gentle enough to retain natural oils and not strip away moisture from your strands then you may not need to condition your hair every day. It is best to stick to a routine that works for you and your individual hair type, as everyone's needs can vary depending on their unique scalp and curl pattern. If you find that daily conditioning leaves your strands feeling dry or brittle, then try alternating with a light moisturizing spray instead of daily conditioning.”

To maintain the health of your 4C curly hair, look for shampoos with these key ingredients in them:

1. Coconut Oil: The most popular and nourishing choice for 4C hair, coconut oil penetrates deep inside the hair shafts to moisturize and strengthen the curls. Enriched with vitamins and fatty acids, it encourages hair growth and thickness. 
2. Castor Oil: It acts as a natural barrier against moisture loss, keeping the hair strands hydrated for a longer period. The powerful natural oil restores damaged and dry hair to its healthy glow.
3. Shea Butter: Rich in fatty acids, and vitamins A and E, it helps in boosting moisture, specially in 4C hair, as the characterisitics of this type of curls don’t allow the sebum to travel from the scalp to the ends. The soothing element makes the coils hydrated and shiny. 
4. Honey: A potent humectant that encourages moisture to stay locked in, honey also has healing properties beneficial for damaged hair. It is an emollient that smoothens rough cuticles to promote better absorption of moisture.
5. Essential Oils: Essential oils like peppermint and rosemary have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties  that keep the scalp healthy and moisturized, preventing it from flaking and accumulating leftover residues. 
6.  Aloe Vera: It is made of 99.5 % water which is extremely hydrating for dryness-prone 4C hair. Loaded with vitamins A, C, and E, it helps in the cell turnover process on the scalp.

Conclusion 

Wash day doesn't have to be tormenting anymore. With your favorite shampoo and your hair health in mind, you will defintiely enjoy hair thickness from root to tip. Proper moisturizing, cleansing, and conditioning of your 4C hair can make the curls thrive. Our findings show that the best shampoos for 4C hair have clean formulas without sulfate, paraben, artificial fragrance, or artificial color. These cruelty-free cleansing shampoos are formulated with moisturizing agents that provide extreme moisture and are infused with natural oils and butter that lock in the moisture to keep the curls soft and shiny. 

The delicate hair strands, as well as wet hair are susceptible to damage, need fatty acids and vitamins to keep them healthy and nourished. These type of shampoos, loaded with all the necessary natural ingredients, are some of the best 4C hair products that make your curls stronger, protecting them from hair fall and hair breakage. Moreover, they guarantee to keep your hair hydrated and maintain the beautiful curl pattern intact. 

Contributor: Dr. Harikiran Chekuri, Medical Head - ClinicSpots