9 gentle shampoos for damaged strands

Level up your hair game with this weightless shampoo that’s positively swimming with potent, shine-infusing goodies. Just like it says on the bottle, it's full of vitamin C and B3 to reduce scalp inflammation and improve the health of the hair follicle, giving your overall ‘do a delicious boost. It contains no nasties, and is infused with all the good stuff to help bring your hair back from the brink.

$39.55 at Unwritten

Jurlique Sandalwood Shampoo is a gentle clarifier formulated with sandalwood, burdock, horsetail, lavender and birch extracts that help to soothe, hydrate and balance the scalp. Wheat amino acids, soy protein, jojoba oil, honey, glycerine and aloe support a clean scalp and oil-free lengths. 

$34 at Jurlique

Remedy the damage caused by sun, colour treatments and heat styling with this sulphate-free shampoo. Its formula utilises pro vitamin B5 to deeply hydrate strands, while prickly pear stem extract helps to maintain an optimum pH-balance for scalp health, humectant glycerin draws in moisture, and nettle extract tackles frizz and imbues shine. 

$49 at Adore Beauty

Need a naturally nourishing (AKA impressively gentle) shampoo that'll actually make strides in the damage-repair realm? This hydrating wash is definitely worth adding to your shower shelf. Designed to deeply moisturise, while also protecting the hair against breakage and frizz, it's a vitamin E, argan and jojoba oil combo your hair will be thrilled to meet.

$16.50 at Woolworths

The OGs of saving our hair from the brink, Olaplex’s bond repairing shampoo gently cleanses hair and the scalp, helping to repair and maintain bonds within the hair, while simultaneously smoothing frizz and flyaways. Shiny, healthy strands here we come!

$54 at Sephora

As the name indicates, this replenishing formula is here to rehabilitate your hair pronto. We’re talking about gently cleansing away product build-up, while revolutionary Alpha Keratin 60ku® (a super nifty keratin protein) helps to reinforce and strengthen the hair shaft by filling in cracks in the hair cuticle caused by heat, colour or chemical damage. 

$60 at Sephora

This shampoo formula utilises a pretty special VITA-CIMENT® ADVANCE complex that combines the hair strengthening powers of pro-keratin (a protein that fulfils the purpose of keratin in reinforcing hair bonds) and ceramide (which is full of amino acids that act like cement), to strengthen hair on a cellular level. Wash your hair and watch as it goes from strength to strength, becoming more manageable, soft, healthy and flexible. 

$55 at Adore Beauty

Gentle on hair and on the ol’ wallet, this pH-balanced, fragrance-free, sensitive skin-friendly and dermatologist-approved pick cleanses and purifies the scalp while instilling much-needed moisture back into hair, promoting a healthy scalp and strands.

$15.99 at Chemist Warehouse

Glyco-Shield 2.0 technology is the genius ingredient inclusion that’s going to take your damaged, thinning hair to new heights as it removes sebum, fatty acids and product build-up for cleansed strands and knock-out volume. 

$44 at Adore Beauty