best herbal shampoo for dry hair

How To Choose The Best Herbal Shampoo For Dry Hair?

Does your hair feel extremely dry all the time? Especially after a hair wash, does it get worse? If you want to get rid of the dryness and achieve silky smooth hair, it is high time you change your hair care routine. And, what do you start with? The right Ayurvedic shampoo for your dry hair.

“If you have dry hair [1], your shampoo should not be confined to just cleansing action. It needs to strengthen your hair strands from inside out with deep nourishment and conditioning. Also, choosing a shampoo with incompatible formulae may worsen your hair condition,’’ says Dr. Zeel Gandhi, chief Ayurvedic doctor at Vedix.

Now, let’s tell you how you can choose the right shampoo to deal with your dry hair condition.

Why Does My Hair Get Dry When I Wash It?

Several factors like lack of moisture, chemical treatments, over-styling, humidity, etc. may disrupt your cuticles, causing dry and frizzy hair. When you wash your hair with shampoos that contain sulfates and parabens, they rip off the leftover moisture content from your scalp and hair, leaving them extremely dry and brittle.

An average woman spends almost 1 hour 53 minutes per week washing, drying, and styling hair.

How To Choose The Right Shampoo For Dry Hair?

Back in ancient times, people used to wash their hair with specific herbs suitable for their hair type, with the tridosha concept of Ayurveda. It enabled them to understand their Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energy constitution and how it is reflected in their hair.

Based on ancient Ayurvedic texts, dry hair texture is usually a characteristic of increased Vata dosha in the body. Hence, the herbal ingredients you seek in your shampoo should be Vata dosha pacifying, if you have dry hair.

If you are picking up a non-herbal shampoo for your dry hair, ensure that your shampoo is free of harmful chemicals like sulfates and parabens. It should also impart a protective hydrating layer to your damaged cuticles. Also, look for shampoos that have low pH value, in order to keep your scalp pH undisturbed [2].

What Ingredients Do You Need To Look For In A Shampoo For Dry Hair?

When you have dry hair, you can always look for shampoos that are predominantly made up of organic ingredients. Natural oils, nourishing vitamins, plant extracts, essential oils, keratin, and other proteins are some of the key ingredients that you can look for in a shampoo for dry hair.

1. Herbal Shampoos For Dry Hair

A. Aloe Vera Shampoo

Aloe vera is best known for its natural cleansing and damage repair properties. Aloe vera based shampoos provide a soothing effect on your scalp while repairing your dry hair. You can also look for other herbal ingredients like tulsi, reetha, amla, etc. in combination with aloe vera.

B. Milk Protein Shampoo

Shampoos that contain natural milk protein strengthen your hair follicles and restore the damaged cuticle layers, while preventing hair fall. These shampoos are best to control split ends.

C. Shikakai Shampoo

Shampoos with shikakai nourish your hair from the roots, while imparting visible shine to your hair. Shikakai aids in controlling hair breakage while it naturally makes your hair smoother and softer.

D. Coconut Shampoo

Shampoos with coconut extract are rich in vitamin E, which strengthens and conditions your hair exceptionally. This ingredient makes your hair bouncy and shiny while it is very gentle on your dry scalp and hair.

coconut shampoo and oil

E. Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

Shampoos with apple cider vinegar help in retaining moisture and prevent hair breakage and split ends. With extraordinary cleansing action, apple cider vinegar efficiently unclogs the dirt on your scalp while balancing your scalp pH. It is the best choice if you have a dry and itchy scalp.

2. Sulfate-Free Shampoos For Dry Hair

A. Moisture Repair Shampoo

Look for sulfate-free shampoos that are formulated with gentle cleansing agents if you have dry hair. There are sulfate-free shampoos with moisture imparting ingredients like antioxidant-rich argan oil, jojoba oil, and keratin, which can be used to repair hair damage caused by chemical treatments, styling, and dyes.

B. Gel-Based Shampoo

Gel-based sulfate-free shampoos contain deep conditioning agents like precaxi and cameline. These ingredients moisturize your hair and give it a shiny texture. Gel-based shampoos are also travel-friendly.

C. Zinc-Based Shampoo

Sulfate-free shampoos that contain 1% pyrithione zinc [3] aids in controlling dryness and hair problems like irritation, dry dandruff, brittleness, etc. It is very effective in balancing your scalp pH without stripping off your natural scalp oils.

D. Keratin Based Shampoo

Shampoos that are formulated with keratin compounds can nourish your hair from roots to the tips. These shampoos are best to eliminate frizz and tame your unruly dry hair. Keratin enhances your hair texture by making it silky, soft, and manageable.

E. Shampoo With Vitamin B5

Shampoos that contain panthenol or vitamin B5 relieve you from the harsh and drying effects of free radicals on your scalp. These antioxidant-rich shampoos are light in weight and improve your hair bounce.

3. Hydrating Shampoo For Dry Hair

A. Macadamia Oil Based Shampoo

Shampoos that contain macadamia oil are ideal for dry hair, while it moisturizes your tresses very well. These shampoos reduce frizz and define curls.

macadamia nuts and flowers

B. Bond Building Shampoo

Hydrating shampoos with cuticle bond-building ingredients like bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate is very helpful in repairing the broken hair and enhancing cuticle integrity.

C. Silicon-Based Shampoo

Hydrating shampoos with silicon and vitamin B5 composition can leave your hair super soft and silky, as silicon acts as a protective layer on your damaged hair.

D. Shampoo With Shea Butter

Shampoos containing shea butter in combination with nourishing ingredients like peppermint oil [4], tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar can instantly revamp your dry hair with deep nourishment and conditioning.

E. Fruit Based Shampoo

Some of the fruits like grape, papaya, strawberry, etc. have phytochemicals that impart extraordinary moisture to your dry hair. Shampoos with such fruit extracts boost hydration in your hair without weighing it down.

How To Use Shampoo For Dry Hair?

In general, it is recommended not to wash your hair more than twice a week if you have dry hair. If your hair is severely damaged, you can limit your hair wash to once a week if needed.

‘’Pay attention to how your hair feels after hair wash and plan your washing frequency accordingly,’’ says Dr. Zeel.

How Often Should You Change Shampoo?

According to Ayurveda, the change of seasons [5] does influence your dosha levels. Generally, Vata levels spike up at the time of late summer and deep winter. This is the period when your hair becomes more dry and brittle than any other season in the year.

During the Vata season, you may need shampoos with more hydrating and Vata pacifying ingredients. Thus, you need to change your shampoo with changing weather based on your dosha levels.

Also, if you are using silicone-based shampoos, you may end up having silicon deposits on your scalp and hair. Hence, it is better to switch and rotate between 2 or 3 different shampoos every 3-4 months.

Important Note

Please consult your doctor or Ayurvedic practitioner to check if the ingredients mentioned in the article for dry hair shampoo are suitable for you.

The Last Word

The common mistake which most people make is not understanding their hair type and their specific needs. To choose the shampoo that is just right for your dry hair, you need to start with identifying your hair problems and needs.

At Vedix, we customize an Ayurvedic hair care regimen which fulfills all your unique hair needs based on your dosha levels.

Know Your Dosha Now
Back to blog