Tame tangles and love your locks with the best shampoo for frizzy hair

The Cantu Avocado Hydrating Shampoo is a gentle, nourishing formula created specifically for curly, coily and wavy hair types. It's infused with pure shea butter and avocado oil, which moisturizes hair and scalp, reduces breakage and minimises frizz.

It’s designed to restore and enhance natural hair texture without weighing hair down or leaving residue behind, and we are big fans!

Our tester uses it on her son’s thick curls, and said, "After trying many different brands, we have found Cantu to be the best." She went on to explain, "It smooths his curls and minimises frizz, which he is really prone to. It cleans really well and smells lovely."

Used alongside the matching conditioner, the shampoo helps to transform unruly hair into soft, manageable curls that feel clean and refreshed. "We use it with the conditioner and I find that his thick, unruly hair becomes much softer and more manageable," she said. "It’s also bouncy – the shampoo doesn’t weigh it down or leave any build-up."

With its hydrating and curl-enhancing properties, this shampoo has become a go-to for those looking to care for textured hair while keeping frizz under control.

Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Hydrate Shampoo is a standout option for tackling frizz, thanks to its blend of hydrating ingredients like olive and oat peptides, hyaluronic acid and gentle plant extracts. It cleans without stripping natural oils, helping to maintain smoothness and manageability. The rich lather impressed our tester: “The pale honey-coloured shampoo creates a luxurious lather, so only very little is required,” she noted, praising both its effectiveness and efficiency.

Our tester described the experience as “premium from start to finish,” with a delicate scent “like a mild floral honey” and packaging that reflects the brand’s eco-conscious ethos: “I love the feel and shape of the bottle, which, incidentally, is a bio-based plastic." After use, hair felt soft, pliant, tangle-free and deeply moisturised—“wholly unique to this product,” she added.

This shampoo is part of Paul Mitchell’s Clean Beauty range, which includes other targeted treatments such as anti-frizz and colour-protecting shampoos. All are cruelty-free and eco-friendly, offering salon-quality results with a conscience. The product is available in a salon-size bottle, with a 250ml version also on offer for first-time users.

Philip Kingsley’s Moisture Balancing Shampoo is designed to hydrate and protect the mid-lengths and ends your hair, where most breakage and dryness happens. Its lightweight formula smooths and strengthens while keeping hair soft and manageable. “I have a halo of dry, sun-damaged hair that frizzes despite my best efforts with stylers and serums. This shampoo promised to hydrate that difficult top layer, and it delivered,” said our tester.

The shampoo has a pale honey hue and a delicate fragrance, producing a moderate lather that rinses easily, leaving hair feeling clean, soft and completely tangle-free. “I let my hair dry naturally, and it formed lovely waves that were soft and without tangles,” our tester noted. With ingredients like Guar to reduce static, wheat protein for hydration and strength, and antioxidants for environmental protection, it supports healthier, more resilient hair over time.

Tropic Clarifying Shampoo is a gentle, pH-balanced and biodegradable formula that effectively lifts away dirt, sweat, product build-up and pollution without drying out your hair or irritating your scalp. Blended with nourishing babassu oil, strengthening apple amino acids and hydrating aloe vera juice, it glides through the hair effortlessly, while coconut-derived cleansers create a soft, foamy lather.

Although the texture of the shampoo is quite thin, our tester noted that it “lathers nicely and does spread well through the hair,” and you’ll only need a small amount for a thorough cleanse.

The shampoo has a fresh citrus scent that left the tester's hair smelling lovely long after washing, and it’s colour-safe too: "it didn't affect the colour in my hair,” she said. While not specifically designed for frizz, it still impressed our tester who really battles with it: "It's not targeted for frizz on the bottle but made my hair very smooth,” she said, adding, “It's my favourite one I've tested.” The bottle is easy to open, though our tester did mention some leakage when travelling, so keep that in mind if you're packing it in a suitcase.

This frizz-fighting shampoo is designed to transform stubborn strands into sleek, straight styles while helping to combat humidity and smooth hair for up to 24 hours. It’s safe for colour-treated hair and ideal if you’re after a smoother, more manageable finish.

Our tester, a long-time fan of the brand, said, “It tames frizz really well, and the effects last until my next wash.” She also noted that it helps repair damaged hair and leaves her hair “smooth and easy to style.”

While the shampoo doesn’t lather quite as much as others; "you need to use a little more,” she advised, it still offers “good value for money.” With a sweet but not overpowering scent that lingers in the hair and packaging that’s “easy to open and doesn’t leak,” this is a reliable pick for anyone looking to tame frizz and boost manageability.

Fudge Damage Rewind Shampoo is a great pick for colour-treated or over-styled hair that needs a some frizz control. The Opti-PLEX technology helps repair damage from heat, bleach and pollution and reduce frizz.

Our tester said, “After excessive heat styling, my colour-treated hair was in need of an SOS treatment. This shampoo left it feeling moisturised, full and fortified… my hair’s condition was definitely improved.”

The lightweight formula lathers up well, rinses easily and leaves hair soft, though our tester did say "It didn't leave it as smooth as the Tropic shampoo. However, she added she’s “keen to continue using it and see the long-term results.”

Our tester's only gripe was the smell, as she personally likes shampoo with a longer lasting and more noticeable scents whereas the Fudge isn't overly strong - she said it "just smells of shampoo rather than any noticeable fragrance."

For best results, pair it with the matching conditioner to boost hair strength.

MONDAY Haircare’s SMOOTH Shampoo is designed to soften and add shine to frizzy, coarse, curly and coily hair types, with a gentle, creamy formula free parabens. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in a fully recyclable bottle, including the pump.

Infused with coconut oil, vitamin E and shea butter, it helps hydrate, smooth and nourish the hair and scalp. Our tester used it on her “very long, thick, wavy hair” and was pleasantly surprised by the results. “If I use normal shampoo, it goes very frizzy." Despite initial doubts about the price point of the shampoo: "I wasn’t sure that a bottle of shampoo for less than £5 would be that great," she found it “really worked well at smoothing her frizz and adding shine," leaving her waves lovely and smooth.

The only downside was that "the pump action bottle is tricky when your hands are wet in the shower,” she noted, adding, “it’s frustrating as the pump stops working when there’s still product in the bottom, so make sure to unscrew it and tip that last bit out!”

Vita Coco’s Nourishing Coconut Shampoo is for dry, frizzy hair. Packed with over 95% natural ingredients, including coconut water and coconut oil, it delivers deep hydration to moisturise, tame frizz and leave hair soft, smooth and shiny, all with a subtle coconut scent.

“I found it did an excellent job of combating frizz, which is why I like it so much,” said our tester. “It moisturised my hair nicely without causing build-up and left a lovely soft shine.” She did stress not to use too much: “I did find it made my hair look greasy if I used too much” but the right amount worked beautifully. “I suffer with frizz and flyaways around my hairline, and the Vita Coco tamed these brilliantly.”

She added, "It softened my waves a little so they weren’t as noticeable, but the trade-off was worth it because when I wore my hair up, there was no halo of frizz.” Ideal if you’re planning on tying your hair back and want a sleek, smooth finish, this nourishing shampoo is a great frizz-taming option with a feel-good backstory, supporting farmers through the Vita Coco Project.