19 Cheap Shampoos That Are Just as Good as Expensive Ones

While the term “normal hair” is beyond archaic, this shampoo delivers if you wash your hair daily and you want something that’ll clean an oily scalp but doesn’t dry out hair.

The aloe vera and panthenol in this formula counteract any dryness that shampoo can sometimes cause Afro-textured hair, and although it’s far from a cleansing cream, the texture is quite creamy for a shampoo.

I love this range of cleansing products. The vegan formulas are super simple, and this one focuses on smoothing hair with vitamin E and coconut oil.

Noughty formulas are free of silicones and sulphates, so you know that the soft feeling post-wash is thanks to the infusion of ingredients rather than your hair being coated in a faux-silkiness.

First, if you’re a fan of sugary-cocktail scents, you’ll love the smell of this shampoo. It’s marketed as a cleansing cream, but I would say it errs more on the side of a rich, creamy shampoo.

Just like its skincare offering, the haircare from The Ordinary is super simple and effective. This contains SLS at a gentle level so is perfect for washing oilier roots a few times a week or clarifying curly or Afro-textured hair.

This shampoo and the matching conditioner have a healthy dose of argan in them, which is known for its ability to help with shine and softness.

You’ll be pressed to find a high-street haircare brand that has as much of a focus on colour as John Frieda does. While I think the claims of this shampoo illuminating hair from within is a bit of a stretch, it does cleanse colour-treated hair without stripping colour.

I’ve found that a lot of professional hair-colour houses have amazing shampoo and conditioner formulas, but they’re all on the more expensive side of the market. Matrix is one of the most affordable and effective. This shampoo is specifically for finer hair types to cleanse, and when used with the conditioner and volumising foam in the same range, it creates an aerated fullness.

This shampoo is a part of the Toni & Guy fibre-strengthening system to help repair weaker hair. If you have hair that retains moisture well but you use heated tools multiple times a week, this is a good pick. It contains SLS and silicones, but as long as you’re using a clarifying shampoo as a refresher every so often, you won’t notice silicone build-up.

Using a shampoo bar is one of the most cost-effective ways you can wash your hair. This bar is quite clarifying, so I would avoid it if you have colour-treated or naturally dry hair, but it’s free from SLS so can be used daily for oily scalps.

Skincare ingredients in haircare have never been more prominent, and this shampoo contains hyaluronic acid, which helps to balance any dryness from the SLS in this formula.

I’m a huge fan of the Curl Jelly range, and this shampoo is great for wavy-to-curly hair to gently lift dirt without causing frizz.

The Reincarnation mask from Bleach is one I recommend all the time for dry, bleached hair, and this new shampoo pairs so well with it. (There's also a conditioner if you want something lighter.) The lather is light but effective, and the formula contains microproteins to aid with repairing weakened strands.

Straight hair that’s moisture-balanced and fuss-free? This is a good option for cleansing every couple of days thanks to the argan, Abyssinian, coconut, Tsubaki and macadamia oils littering the ingredient list.

Ultra-fine hair can be weighed down during cleansing and conditioning, but this shampoo and matching conditioner are very lightweight and help to balance oily roots and dry ends.

Looking for a fun, approachable shampoo option?  Then Carol's Daughter's rose water-infused micellar - yes, like the one you use to clean your face - shampoo is a nourishing fit. It's the perfect choice for those seeking scalp care and hair care products.

You've likely heard about Creme of Nature thanks to their ultra moisturising mousse, however, I can confirm that their sulfate free shampoo is oh-so-good too. 

Created by renowned hairdresser Adam Reed, all of Arkive's affordable hair products are salon-standard, but it's this everyday shampoo that comes highly-rated from me. It removes grease and grime with ease, but never leaves hair feeling stripped thanks to moisture-restoring Baobab protein.