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I’ve personally tested the best natural and organic shampoos and conditioners on the market — these are my top 12 picks with clean, organic ingredients.

One of my best friends in middle school had gorgeous, straight, shiny hair. I remember envying her. Mine was textured, wavy, voluminous, and reacted to every bit of humidity. All things I’ve learned to love now, but when I was 12, I thought I had a shampoo problem. I insisted on switching to the $3 Suave shampoo my friend used, thinking that would change my texture.

Much to my chagrin, my hair didn’t get any straighter. And when I insisted my babysitter straighten my hair with a clothing iron, my mom was seriously unhappy. I had to learn to accept the texture and shape of my own hair.

“These days, I’m not straightening or scrunching my hair anymore; I am embracing my natural texture.”

In high school, I found a new hair idol — a girl with waves who religiously “scrunched” her hair. I followed her lead: Sleep with my hair in a messy bun, take it out in the morning, flip my head over, and spray loads of Aussie Sprunch Spray in my hair while crunching it with my hands to create gelled waves for school. A style that actually worked with my natural texture. And I remember people started giving me compliments. They liked my natural waves — and over time, I did too.

These days, I’m not straightening or scrunching my hair anymore; I am embracing my natural texture. I like to wear my hair product-free, so what I’m really focused on is shampoo and conditioner that don’t weigh my hair down and actually hydrate my waves.

“I like to wear my hair product-free, so what I’m really focused on is shampoo and conditioner that don’t weigh my hair down and actually hydrate my waves.”

I live in a dry climate now, so my hair doesn’t get as frizzy as it did growing up on the East Coast. But I’m still thinking about protecting it with nourishing ingredients — not stripping or drying it with harsh chemicals. Before this guide, I’d been religiously using Nécessaire’s shampoo, which I’ve ranked in the guide below (and still love). But I hadn’t expanded my shampoo horizons in a while, so when it came time to test these brands, I was excited to see what else was out there.

Our criteria and methodology:

Over the last month, I’ve tested 11 shampoo brands — and called in a guest tester from our team, Silsila, to review one of the brands designed for hair that’s more textured than mine, so you could get the best firsthand perspective.

My process was simple: Wash my hair, let it air dry, document how it affected my texture and waves, and then live with it for a few days. I also paid special attention to scent — I’ve grown to prefer unscented products over strong perfumes and synthetic fragrances, so I’ve noted the intensity of scent and whether it lingered in the guide below.

And I considered how the products foam. Most shampoos and soaps foam because of SLS — a harsh chemical foaming agent. We associate foam with efficacy, but it really doesn’t have much to do with how clean our hair gets. We’ve made sure all the products in this guide are SLS-free — but clean products have come so far. I was surprised that a lot of these lathered beautifully, giving that satisfying wash feel!

Beyond clean ingredients, I’m looking for hydration, bounce, shine, and minimal frizz. So here’s how these 12 brands stacked up.

The criteria for our selections fall into the below categories, and we regularly update this list with emerging favorites.