Your Itchy Scalp Is Asking for a Clarifying Shampoo (2024)

Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo

Ready for some fun science? Living Proof's Clarifying Detox Shampoo features activated charcoal and magnetic polymers to draw impurities (such as product and pollution buildup, excess oil, and heavy metals deposited from hard water) out of your hair and scalp. Anyone with any hair type or curl pattern can use this option, as well as those with colored or bleached hair.

Pros: Prevents color fading; Combats pollution and the effects of hard water; Hair and scalp feel oh-so clean after use

Cons: Some customers wish there was more of a lather

Kristin Ess Hair Deep Clean Clarifying Shampoo for Build Up, Dirt + Oil

There's something to be said about a super sudsy shampoo, isn't there? This one impressively works itself up into a nice lather as it removes the mineral deposits, product buildup, excess oils, and silicones that have made their home on your strands. Hair is left shiny and soft—just don't forget to throw on your leave-in conditioner (the brand boasts Marie Claire's favorite drugstore leave-in for shine) when you're out of the shower.

Pros: Affordable; Tackles buildup; Nice smell

Cons: Some customers report their hair feels dry after use (remember to use a leave-in!)

Ouai Detox Shampoo

Jen Atkin, queen of dry shampoos and style maintenance products, knows the importance of cleansing the hair of buildup. This product proves it—just ask the thousands of happy customers who’ve made it go viral on social media. Several reviewers comment on how helpful this formula is with combatting bleach damage and highlight-destroying buildup, while another calls this shampoo "the perfect 'reset' when you use the product throughout the week.” Its keratin-infused formula supports strong, shiny strands from top to bottom.

Pros: Fights buildup; Color-safe; Cruelty-free; Great for oily scalps

Cons: Some customers find the scent a bit too strong

Bumble and bumble Sunday Clarifying Shampoo

Bumble and bumble's shampoos and conditioners have long had a cult following. This luxurious-feeling, cleansing formula works quickly to get rid of buildup, leaving you with voluminous strands (starting at the root!) once dry. The vegan formula promises to cleanse excess oil from the scalp, eradicating issues like dandruff and acne. It also includes rosemary leaf extract, a popular natural ingredient that promotes healthy hair growth and smells absolutely fabulous.

Pros: Volumizing; Effective cleansing; Vegan; Made for all hair types

Cons: Contains sulfates; Not suited for color-treated hair

Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo

This is one of my favorite products from my favorite hair brand. Not only does this shampoo smell incredible (I always liken the scent of Moroccanoil’s products to that of baby powder), but reviewers also write that it's a life-saver for those who have hard water (which can be harsh on hair) running through their faucets. It’s guaranteed to work on all hair types and curl patterns, and it’s color-safe.

Pros: Combats the effects of hard water; Makes the hair feel refreshed

Cons: High price for a relatively small bottle

Acure Curiously Clarifying Shampoo

This gentle, vegan, cruelty-free shampoo is infused with natural ingredients like lemongrass and Argan oil, which effectively cleanse the scalp without ridding it of the natural oils that protect your skin and strands. Several reviews note that this option was more effective in removing product buildup than other comparable clarifying shampoos, and one person wrote that it gave them volume that "lasted for days." Plus, at under 10 dollars, it comes at a price that truly can’t be beat.

Pros: Affordable; Includes natural ingredients like Argan oil; Cruelty-free; Sulfate-free; Paraben-free

Cons: Works better in soft water than in hard water

Goldie Locks Clarifying Detox Shampoo

While the Goldie Locks Clarifying Detox Shampoo had Marie Claire's freelance beauty writer Sophia Vilensky hooked thanks to its soft pineapple and lily scent, the real draw here is its pH-balancing prowess. The 5.0-6.0 pH shampoo was designed to restore a healthy pH balance to the scalp, adding a boost of hydration along the way (and, of course, getting rid of all that buildup—we know that's the reason you're here in the first place).

Pros: Lovely scent; pH balancing; Removes buildup

Cons: Some customers find the scent too strong

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-exfoliating Scalp Scrub Shampoo

If you're dealing with dandruff or a similarly flaky/dry scalp, you're going to love what's inside this jar. Formulated for all hair types and textures, Briogeo's Scalp Revival is an exfoliating, sulfate-free scrub made to lift away buildup while soothing your itchy, irritated, oily or dry head. And when we say soothing, we mean it: it features a peppermint, spearmint, and tea tree oil complex that has a real-life cooling effect. Unlike some of its counterparts, it's also super moisturizing—it was clinically shown to increase scalp hydration up to 120 percent.

Pros: Cooling; Exfoliating; Made with 95 percent naturally derived ingredients; Works with both oily and dry hair

Cons: Doesn't lather much

Urban Alchemy Salt Scrub Cleansing Shampoo

"My top choice for a clarifying shampoo is Urban Alchemy Salt Scrub Cleansing Shampoo," says Alvarez. "It has a sea salt exfoliator, which deep cleanses the scalp as well as the hair. It also nourishes your hair while preparing it to receive the full benefits of a deep conditioning treatment and/or a conditioner. Another huge plus is that it's gentle yet effective and promotes hair growth!" According to the brand’s instructions, customers should use the scrub once a week for best results.

Pros: Exfoliating; Gentle; Made from natural ingredients

Cons: Exfoliating salt crystals can irritate especially dry or cracked skin on the scalp—proceed with caution

Pattern Cleansing Shampoo

Tracee Ellis Ross's popular natural haircare brand, Pattern, designed this shampoo specifically for low-porosity, hydration-craving hair so that it can deep clean without stripping the scalp of essential nutrients or healthy natural oils. Several reviews say that the formula doesn't smell too strongly and that it leaves hair feeling soft and moisturized even as it deeply cleanses. It’s perfect for washing hair after taking it out of a protective style, too, with soothing ingredients like matcha green tea, panthenol, and aloe vera.

Pros: Great for natural hair; Moisturizing

Cons: Not as well-suited for straight or greasy hair

It's A 10 Scalp Restore Miracle Charcoal Shampoo

It's A 10 knows there are so many reasons your scalp might be irritated and itchy: excess oils, residues, environmental contaminants, heat styling. This shampoo is enriched with kaolin clay to gently lift these irritants and exfoliate the scalp. After all that's taken care of, it adds some moisture back in to soothe and moisturize.

Pros: Thoroughly cleanses without drying; Color-safe

Cons: Some customers report itchiness, meanwhile, others say it's the only thing that stops their itching—every scalp is unique!

Virtue Purifying Clarifying Shampoo

If you’re struggling with frizz as a result of hard water, pollution, and product buildup, consider this shampoo from Virtue. It contains a number of healing ingredients like coconut fatty acids, hops extract, and charcoal powder, but its all star component is alpha Keratin 60ku, a healing protein identical to the keratin that makes up 90 percent of human hair. The influx of protein provided by this shampoo restores damaged strands with every use.

Pros: Suited for all hair types; Clinically tested; Free of sulfates and phthalates; Well-suited for thin hair

Cons: Not as suited for thick hair

Act+Acre Cold Processed Curl Cleanse Shampoo

Curly girls, Act+Acre has you covered. Founded on the idea that your scalp deserves skincare-level care, the trichologist-owned brand crafted this particular shampoo to gently cleanseyour scalp andhydrate your hair. In the end, with all that dirt, oil, and buildup gone, it helps define the natural pattern of your curls. One reviewer said it makes them feel the most "me" after use—the best compliment to ever receive.

Pros: Gently cleanses (while still removing buildup); Helps define your curl pattern; Supports overall scalp health

Cons: None found

Leonor Greyl Paris Balancing Shampoo

Just because you're going to town on your scalp doesn't mean your ends should suffer. This product is a cult favorite in France for both its delightful lemon-cream scent and its effectiveness. One reviewer writes that it "easily" cleanses her greasy hair and scalp. Plus, it’s color-safe and cruelty-free, with its formula free of harsh, harmful ingredients like tar, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, and talc. Just be sure that when you’re using it, you scrub thoroughly and spend enough time so that it lathers properly.

Pros: Cruelty-free; Color-safe

Cons: More expensive than other options; Contains sulfates

KERASILK Exfoliating Scalp Pre-Wash

Made to be used once every two weeks as an additional step before your favorite shampoo, Kerasilk's Exfoliating Scalp Pre-Wash features an intensely cleansing formula that removes excessive sebum and dead skin cells from your hair and scalp. Once you rinse it out, you're left with an ideal foundation for the rest of your products—and long-lasting scalp revitalization.

Pros: Made for all scalp types; Helps fight odor; Leaves your scalp feeling energized

Cons: Exfoliating jojoba beads can be hard to rinse out

Drybar On the Rocks Clarifying Charcoal Shampoo

If you love the lightweight feeling your hair has after a blowout appointment at Drybar, you'll adore this charcoal infused shampoo that the brand released for at-home use. Customer after customer writes that this vegetable protein-infused product cleanses strands from root to tip, so you can feel like you’ve just left the hair salon without ever budging from the comfort of your home. Plus, its impurity-banishing formula is free of any parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or gluten.

Pros: Free of gluten, parabens, sulfates, and phthalates

Cons: Can be very drying for curly and low-porosity hair

Davines Solu Shampoo

This product is particularly helpful for those dealing with hard water, along with those who use hair products (particularly dry shampoo, mousse, and leave-in conditioner) often and consequently deal with a lot of buildup at their roots. In one review, a woman with natural hair noted that this shampoo heals her "over processed" hair without damaging her extensions or drying out her moisture-loving coils. It’s also developed using 100 percent clean energy with packaging that's completely recyclable.

Pros: Works well on all hair types and textures; Works on extensions; Works well with hard water

Cons: High price point for a relatively small bottle

Bosley MD’s Certified Trichologist and go-to education authority on all things hair loss and hair thinning,Gretchenalways had a genuine passion for hair care and developed her expertise specifically in hair loss and hair thinning, making it her continued mission to help women and men find solutions to their hair loss concerns.

Gretchenhas over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, from being hands-on behind the chair in salons, to educating consumers on hair loss solutions and stylists about haircutting techniques. In 2016 she received a certification in Trichology/Hair Loss through the United States Trichology Institute.