10 Best Shampoos for Men by Scalp Type: A Barber’s Picks

American Crew is a brand built around barbershops, and this is its everyday shampoo. It’s made for normal to oily hair and scalps, and it’s gentle enough to use every day if you work out or style your hair.

It cleans properly without leaving short hair stiff or squeaky, which matters if you use pomade, clay or paste most mornings. The scent is clean and fairly neutral, so it won’t clash with your cologne.

Most men use too much and rinse too fast. This is the routine I’d suggest for short to medium hair:

On short hair, that’s all most men need. Longer hair benefits from a light conditioner on the ends.

Who Should Pick Something Else

If your hair is dry, curly or colour-treated, this is a little too cleansing for daily use. Men with very fine hair may also prefer the brand’s Fortifying Shampoo (#6) for more body.

Nizoral is one of the best-known anti-dandruff shampoos because of its active ingredient, ketoconazole. It’s an antifungal that targets the yeast linked to most dandruff, which is why it often works when zinc-based shampoos haven’t.

It isn’t a daily shampoo. The label directions are to use it every three to four days for up to eight weeks, then as needed to keep flakes under control.

Between Nizoral washes, use a gentle everyday shampoo, since ketoconazole can feel drying on the lengths. If flaking is severe, bleeds or spreads to your face and eyebrows, see a doctor or dermatologist.

For it to work, lather it into the scalp and leave it on for about three to five minutes before rinsing. Washing it straight out gives the ketoconazole almost no time to act.

Some men also see Nizoral recommended for thinning hair online. There’s some early research on ketoconazole and the scalp, but it isn’t a proven hair-loss treatment, so buy it for dandruff.

Head & Shoulders Classic Clean is the most widely available anti-dandruff shampoo there is. It uses zinc pyrithione, a mild active that’s gentle enough to use every day, which makes it easy to stick with.

It suits men with light to moderate flaking and an itchy scalp. If you’ve never tried an anti-dandruff shampoo, this is the sensible place to start before moving to something stronger like Nizoral.

If flakes are still there after a month, switch to a shampoo with a different active, like ketoconazole. Dandruff often responds better to a change of ingredient than a change of brand.

A 2-in-1 cleans and lightly conditions in one step, and Dove Men+Care’s version is one of the easiest to find. It’s a practical choice for short hair, busy mornings and the gym bag.

On short, healthy hair, it leaves things soft enough that a separate conditioner isn’t missed. The scent is fresh and light, in line with the rest of the Men+Care range.

Skip the 2-in-1 If Your Hair Is Long or Dry

On hair longer than a few centimetres, or hair that’s dry or curly, a 2-in-1 rarely conditions enough. A separate shampoo and conditioner will leave it smoother.

Some men find 2-in-1s leave hair slightly heavy after a few weeks. A wash with a regular shampoo once a week clears that up.

Pureology Hydrate is a salon shampoo made for dry, colour-treated hair. It’s sulphate-free, so it cleans with gentler cleansers that are less likely to strip moisture or fade colour.

The brand says it includes jojoba and green tea for softness. It suits men whose hair feels rough, frizzy or dull, and anyone who colours, bleaches or tones their hair.

It costs more than a supermarket shampoo, and men with oily scalps may find it too rich. Use it two to three times a week rather than daily.

American Crew’s Fortifying Shampoo is designed for fine and thinning hair. The brand markets it as adding body and fullness, which makes thin hair look denser and easier to style.

It works by cleaning thoroughly and leaving hair lighter, so it holds more lift. Like every thickening shampoo, the effect is cosmetic; it makes the hair you have look fuller rather than growing new hair.

If your hairline is receding or your crown is thinning, see a doctor early. Proven hair-loss treatments work best when started sooner, and no shampoo can replace them.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special is a long-running salon favourite. It combines tea tree oil with peppermint and lavender, which gives it a strong cooling tingle that many men like after the gym or on hot days.

It suits slightly oily, itchy scalps and men with mild flaking who want something gentler than a medicated shampoo. Some research suggests tea tree oil shampoo can help with mild dandruff.

Avoid it if your scalp is broken, very dry or sensitive, since tea tree and mint can irritate. Dry hair may also need a richer conditioner afterwards.

A clarifying shampoo deep-cleans hair that’s coated in styling product, hard-water minerals or chlorine. Neutrogena Anti-Residue is an affordable, gentle option that’s easy to keep in the shower for a weekly reset.

If you use wax, clay, pomade or dry shampoo most days, you’ll notice the difference after one wash. Hair feels lighter, holds a style better and looks less dull.

Swimmers can use it after pool days to remove chlorine. On other days, go back to your regular shampoo.

Grey and silver hair often turns yellow from sun, hard water and styling products. Shimmer Lights is a long-standing purple shampoo whose violet pigments cancel out those yellow tones, so grey looks brighter and cleaner.

It’s also popular with men who bleach their hair blond or platinum. Used once a week, it keeps the colour cool instead of brassy.

Leave it on for one to five minutes, then rinse. On very light or porous hair, leaving it too long can leave a faint lilac tint, so start short.

Curly and coily hair is naturally drier, because the scalp’s oils struggle to travel down each twist. This SheaMoisture shampoo is made for curls, with coconut oil, hibiscus and shea butter, and the brand markets it as sulphate-free.

It cleans the scalp without leaving curls rough or puffy. Most men with tight curls wash once or twice a week, which keeps the hair soft and defined.

Men with fine, straight hair may find it too rich and heavy. It’s best kept for curls, coils and thick, dry waves.