A conventional shampoo is filled with a host of toxic chemicals that are bad for your hair, skin, scalp, and body as a whole. With artificial surfactants, preservatives, colors, fragrances, and other fillers, using conventional shampoo can wreak havoc on the body.
Shampoo is something many people use every day, and if not every day, at least a few times per week. With a personal care product that is used too frequently, you need to make sure the shampoo you are using is safe for your hair, skin, and body.
With repeated use, the toxic ingredients in the shampoo can begin to build up in your body and your bloodstream. Your skin is a highly absorbent organ. Anything you put on your skin can leach directly into your bloodstream. Do you really want parabens, artificial dyes, and synthetic fragrances flowing through your body in your blood?
The 10 Best Natural and Organic Shampoos:
1. Tree to Tub Organic Moroccan Oil Shampoo
Although this is technically a psoriasis shampoo, it is still an awesome natural and extremely gentle shampoo that is great for all types of people to use, even if you do not suffer from psoriasis.
This shampoo will make your hair super soft while at the time same making sure your scalp is not stripped of oils, left irritated, or itchy. The soapberry provides a rich and creamy lather that feels luxurious and rich in your hands. The shampoo is scent-free, so there is nothing artificial that leaves your head feeling irritated.
Because it is formulated to be gentle on the scalp while providing tons of moisture it is also a good shampoo if you struggle with dry scalp and dandruff. It will leave your hair looking shiny and totally free-free, which is what most people are looking for when they step out of the shower and let their hair dry.
2. Laritelle Organic Shampoo
Easily the most expensive shampoo on this list, its high ratings may just be worth the price for some buyers. The ingredients in this shampoo are organic and wildcrafted, ensuring you are getting a product with the best and highest quality ingredients available. This shampoo is formulated for those who have thin hair, facing hair loss, or want to increase the growth and length of hair.
There are no harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients in this shampoo. All ingredients are derived from natural sources. Since it is so pure, the shampoo is gentle on your hair and scalp. It lathers into a rich and creamy soap that is meant to nourish your skin and hair. The formula is highly concentrated, so although this is a very pricy shampoo a little bit goes a very long way so you can make this product stretch for quite a long time.
3. Majestic Pure Organic Argon Oil Shampoo
Majestic Argon Oil Shampoo is the ultimate super hydrating shampoo for the most damaged hair. They use a special blend of Moroccan argan oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, camellia seed oil, botanical keratin, almond oil, and coconut oil. There are no sulfates, parabens, scary chemicals, and the ingredient list is surprisingly short for a shampoo.
This shampoo is extremely gentle on the skin and hair, so if you have particularly sensitive skin, you will really enjoy how gentle this will feel on your skin. We love the fact this shampoo will leave your hair looking and feeling soft, frizz-free, and incredibly shiny.
If you happen to suffer from a dry and itchy scalp, this shampoo is also a great option to remedy those issues. Flakes showing up in your hair can be embarrassing, so this is an awesome natural way to eliminate such a stubborn problem.
4. 100% Pure Glossy Locks Organic Repair Shampoo
Glossy Locks Repair Shampoo will have you running to the shower to wash your hair! The base of this shampoo is sweet natural honey. It creates a luxe foam when you wash your hair, but that foaming is not coming from chemical surfactants. The shampoo is rich, so it hydrates even the driest and most distressed hair.
This shampoo has a very high concentration of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that is meant to help restore the hair all the way to the scalp and roots. Healthy hair starts at the roots, not within the visual appearance of your hair.
Aloe vera, coconut oil, honey, royal jelly, provide insane amounts of natural moisture, while green tea extract is a powerful antioxidant that helps repair damaged hair and skin. This shampoo will never strip your hair of its precious natural oils but works to enhance those natural oils. We also love the fact you can get the same stuff in a conditioner as well for even stronger and glossier hair!
5. 100% Pure Grow More Organic Shampoo
100% Pure is at it again with their awesome Grow More Shampoo. They only use the highest quality natural and organic ingredients and never any chemicals. Mint soothes the scalp and refreshes the hair, vitamin B3 helps promote healthy hair and hair growth, biotin does the same magic, and caffeine and green coffee help with hair growth stimulation, reducing and redness and scalp irritation, and helps with blood flow.
The other ingredients in this growth shampoo are natural as well and many of them are certified organic. There are no artificial surfactants, dyes, and all of the fragrance comes from fruits, veggies, herbs, and organic essential oils.
There is never any propylene glycol, parabens, or any other nasties as well. Users swear that this shampoo makes their hair healthy and strong, but it also makes it grow like crazy. So, if you are on the hunt for a hair growth shampoo that is gentle enough to use every day without fear, this is the best option for you.
6. Ethique Eco-Friendly Solid Organic Shampoo Bar
You may be unfamiliar with this type of shampoo, but this type actually comes in the form of a bar! This shampoo bar is soap-free but is equal to a whopping three full bottles of shampoo, making it very budget-friendly. This bar is specifically formulated for very dry and frizzy hair. If you have curly hair that is hard to smooth and control, this bar would do wonders for your locks. Cocoa butter smooths frizzy and tough hair so once your hair is dry it appears silky, shiny, and completely smooth.
This shampoo bar is also great if you are looking to reduce waste, specifically with plastic bottles. Since this is a solid bar, there is no wasteful plastic bottles leftover once you finish your shampoo bottle. The bar is also compostable, cruelty-free, and you can easily take this bar with you through carry-on at the airport.
7. Love This Hair Restorative Organic Shampoo
This fantastic shampoo is ideal for the whole family and all different types of hair! The shampoo is very gentle on your scalp and hair but provides a ton of moisture for hair that is dry, damaged, and brittle. We love that although it is meant to give a lot of hydration, it does not weigh down the hair and leaves it light, bouncy, and voluminous.
Their formula consists of peppermint and rosemary extract that is known to be relaxing for your scenes, but also great for a healthy and fresh scalp. Like we have said, healthy hair begins with a healthy and well-balanced scalp.
8. Christina Moss Naturals Organic Shampoo
This shampoo is made by a small, family-owned business that is fully committed to making some of the best and healthiest natural personal care products on the market. In their shampoo, they use essential oils, fatty acids, and wholesome plant extracts to make your hair as healthy as possible.
This shampoo is perfect for all types of hair, from dry to oily to normal hair. It even works well for small children and people who have color-treated hair as well. There are never any parabens, SLS, SLES, sulfates, dyes, synthetic fragrances, silicones, and more. But they do put in hydrating coconut oil moisturizing aloe vera, olive fruit oil, and creamy shea butter for an ultimate hydration combination.
We love the fact the rest of the ingredients are wholesome and recognizable as well. There are no weird chemical ingredients, surfactants, or anything else! This is one of the best natural and organic shampoos you can find.
9. Bubble & Bee Really Good Organic Shampoo
Bubble & Bee products are always amazing, natural, and completely free of chemicals and toxins and their Really Good Shampoo is no different. This shampoo contains no SLS, synthetic detergents, water, gluten, or GMOs. The ingredients of this shampoo are as follows:
“Saponified oils of organic coconut, olive, and jojoba, vegetable glycerin, organic sweet almond oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic jojoba oil, organic aloe vera, organic peppermint essential oil, organic tea tree essential oil, organic spearmint essential oil, organic guar gum, rosemary extract.”
The bubbles and foam from the shampoo come from natural soaps, and tea tree oil and peppermint oil soothe the scalp and provide a healthy scalp for healthy hair that is shiny, hydrated, and well taken care of. If you are truly looking for a shampoo that has zero chemicals or harmful ingredients, this is the best option for you. You can use this product every day without any fear it will hard your hair, skin, and body.
10. Living Libations Organic/Wildcrafted Seabuckthorn Shampoo
Living Libations organic and wildcrafted shampoo is quite pricy for a small bottle, but it is made with extremely high-quality ingredients without absolutely no added chemicals or harsh toxic ingredients. In fact, the ingredients for this shampoo are as follows: “Pure Spring Water, Herbal Infusions Of Calendula, Red Clover, Oats, Coltsfoot, Horsetail, Comfrey, Nettles, Chamomile, And Bladderwrack Seaweed In Golden Jojoba Oil; Yucca And Coco-Protein; Orange Wax; Extracts Of Seabuckthorn Berry, Sage, And Rosemary; And Essential Oils Of Grapefruit, Peppermint, Vetiver, And Lime.”
As you can see, all of the ingredients are things that we know and recognize. All of the ingredients used in this product are meant to hydrate, soften, and cleanse hair in the gentlest and most powerful way possible. One unique ingredient in this shampoo is the Bladderwrack seaweed.
This seaweed is “extraordinarily rich and vital oil that is perfectly balanced in omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 oils. Seabuckthorn is also potent in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, carotenoids like beta carotene, and phytosterols that reduce redness and help heal mucous membranes.”
Toxic Ingredients in Shampoo
Although this is not an exhaustive list of toxic ingredients that can be found in shampoo, the following ingredients are some of the worst offenders and the most common harmful ingredients in shampoo.
Surfactants
Surfactants are chemicals that make soaps, like shampoo, all foamy and sudsy. Most of the time in conventional brands, and even some natural brands, these chemicals are loaded up in the shampoo so it suds when you lather it up in your hair. This is what most people associate with cleaning hair.
However, surfactants can cause bad skin irritations, allergic reactions, are manmade in a lab, and are harmful to aquatic life. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), SLES, and Sodium Coco-Sulfate are the most common surfactants found in shampoo. It is a known human carcinogen, is neurotoxic, toxic to the organ, can cause cancer, and is an endocrine disruptor.
Parabens
You have most likely heard of parabens before and the dangers they hold parabens are put into many beauty products as a preservative. When you look at the label of a product, they can be listed as any of the following names: “methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutyl paraben or E216.”
Parabens can cause breast cancer, neurological disorders, developmental issues, and can even make your body hold onto more fat than it normally would. Parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen in the human body.
Propylene Glycol
Another harmful ingredient to avoid is propylene glycol. This ingredient is much harder to avoid than the other ingredients on this list and it is still used in the most organic and natural shampoo options.
This ingredient can sauce allergic reactions, issues with the liver and kidney, neurological issues, respiratory issues, cardiovascular problems, and more. To read more about this ingredient, click here.
Fragrance and Dyes
We have written so many articles on the issues and dangers of artificial dyes and fragrances. Again, these two ingredients are included in most conventional shampoo. When looking for a better shampoo, look for fragrance-free options and brands that only use essential oils and extracts for yummy smells!
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing an organic and natural shampoo that is actually safe, the job may be a bit more challenging than you think. Since so many brands claim they are natural, but actually are not, it is confusing sifting through what companies are honest about their labels and what companies are not.
The best thing you can do when trying to decipher labels and picking the best shampoo option is to read the ingredient list on the back of the bottle. If there are heaps of ingredients, ingredients that sound like chemical concoctions, or you simply cannot recognize most of the ingredients, you need to put that bottle back on the shelf and look for another option.
Essentially, you just want to keep things as simple as possible. You want options that have a small number on ingredients, do not contain any of the main toxic chemicals we discussed at the beginning of the article, and you want ingredients you know and are comfortable with.
If you need help figuring out what ingredients and products are safe and what are not, use the incredibly useful EWG Skin Deep website and database. There, you can either look up products by their name to see how they ran for safety or you can look up individual ingredients if you want to learn more about a particular ingredient. If you are on the go you can also use their handy app!
Overall, there are lots and lots of natural and organic shampoos on the market that are healthy, safe, and will not damage your skin, scalp, hair, and body overall. You just need to be willing to do a little homework to actually find the best options.
Thankfully, all of the top 10 organic and natural shampoos above are wonderful and safe options you can use on a daily basis without fear they are harming your body. So, choose one of the options above and start taking charge of your health!
This article was last updated on May 15, 2024 .
Really love the article. I’m pretty sure we all make a better world if we use more natural shampoos