20 Best shampoos for men with thick hair (2023)

Listen up, gents. You know you could use some extra TLC and a shampoo full of nourishment for thick hair.

Thick hair can be full of problems: dryness, breakage, itchy scalps, product buildup—the list goes on. With our list of the best shampoos for men with thick hair, you’ll find the perfect product in no time.

1. Blu Atlas Shampoo

Look no further if you’re looking for the best shampoo for men with thick hair. The Shampoo from Blu Atlas is a master formulation of nature’s best minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, all combined to bring clean luscious locks. Made for all hair types and gentle enough for daily use, it’s a shampoo optimized for thick, dense hair that needs a little extra lovin’.

Hair soaks up the all-natural medicinal ingredients that indulge your hair with optimal wellbeing. Aloe leaf, one of nature’s best moisturizers, absorbs into hair to bestow it with vitamins A, C, and E. Natural coconut surfactants build up the creamy lather while keeping it free from traditional lathering ingredients that harm your hair. Jojoba oil is the hardest working of all, sending fatty acids, antioxidants, and enough vitamins to penetrate and nourish your whole scalp.

2. OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo

Guys with thick hair deserve luxury too. OUAI’s Thick Hair Shampoo is formulated for mega-thick hair and locks that need extreme hydration. An all-in-one cleanser can smooth flyaways, tame frizz, eliminate dryness, heal and prevent breakage, and detangle, all while removing dirt, buildup, and oil.

It’s bursting with the best natural ingredients, including Shea butter and avocado oil to prevent moisture loss, hydrolyzed keratin to repair breakage, and marshmallow root to detangle. Don’t be scared away by this shampoo’s floral scent and its light blend of floral aromas.

3. Pureology Hydrate Colour Care Shampoo

Unruly, thick hair has met its match in Pureology’s Hydrate Colour Care Shampoo. This shampoo is specially formulated for folks who have dyed and color-treated hair and have thick, full hair. This delightful shampoo washes hair without stealing its natural oils and keeps hydration locked in. With a luxurious lather and creamy texture, it’s a lavish option for rough, thick hair. The shampoo uses gentle ingredients that are careful not to strip color or hydration.

Men love the scent of peppermint with a hint of green tea and note its refreshing fragrance. The hydrating ingredients include jojoba oil, green tea, and sage—the best options for hair that is thick and color-treated.

4. R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo

Perfect hair is hard to come by, but R+Co’s Television Perfect Shampoo aims to change that. Free from all the harmful chemicals that thick hair hates, such as parabens and gluten, it features a cast of all-star natural ingredients for all hair types, but especially coarse, thick hair.

Babassu seed oil nourishes and hydrates the scalp and hair. Glycerin coats the hair with extra moisture and keeps it locked in. Juniper berry extract is a lightweight moisturizer that absorbs impurities and helps the scalp balance oil production. A quarter-sized amount of product is all you’ll need to get your hair TV ready.

5. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

A brand trusted by haircare professionals, Olaplex’s No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is a high-quality shampoo that works at the molecular level to clean while restoring damaged and broken hair. Their patented system uses Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate to reconnect any broken or damaged areas.

Instead of just treating common hair concerns, this shampoo works to restore hair from the inside out. The science-backed formula is free from all toxic chemicals such as paraben, sulfate, phthalate, phosphate, formaldehyde, nuts, and gluten and is pH balanced, vegan, and cruelty-free.

This unique shampoo is well-researched and comes with a price tag that matches its exceptional abilities. If you don’t mind splashing extra cash on hair care products, you can’t go wrong with Olaplex’s incredible offerings.

6. Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo

Expensive, classy, and one of the hottest hair and skincare brands, Drunk Elephants shampoo for thick hair is a tasteful choice—the liquids lift and clear dirt without the standard toxic chemicals. Drunk Elephant only adds natural substances that help hair stay healthy and are free from sulfates, silicones, artificial fragrances, and alcohols. The brand believes that by keeping out harmful and suspicious ingredients, they can help heal any user’s hair and skin.

Noteworthy natural ingredients are what make this shampoo stand out. Argan oil and marula oils are both sources of antioxidants and fatty acids that add moisture and shine to hair. Coconut amino acid blend cleans hair of dirt, grime, and excess oil without harming hair or damaging color-treated hair.

This low-foaming shampoo is a truly exceptional product perfect for men who want the best for their thick hair.

7. Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo

With Garnier Fructis’s Sleek and Shine Shampoo, you can keep the cash in your wallet. Trusted by consumers, this household brand has been perfecting its hair and skin care products for over one hundred years. It’s an all-in-one treatment for frizzy, dry hair, protection against UV, and a detangler.

They loaded this shampoo with natural protein and plant-based botanicals to get your hair sleek and shiny. Moroccan argan oil, vitamins B3 and B6, and citrus protein are a few of the healing ingredients in the haircare product. Sleek and Shine Shampoo is the best for men with thick hair who want to save their hard-earned money.

8. Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Moisturizing Shampoo

Lock in that moisture and let your thick hair be free. Raw Shea Butter Deep Moisturizing Shampoo is a winning hair care product from Shea Moisture. A brand well known for its curly hair products, they hit it out of the park with this perfect shampoo for coils, kinks, and curls. Sulfate-free and full of hearty natural ingredients, it’s ideal for 3A to 4C hair types. If you need serious moisture and don’t want to compromise on quality, this shampoo may be perfect for your locks.

Savvy shea butter is the heart of this shampoo for thick hair. It nourishes hair, starting at the roots, and ensures your hair won’t stay thirsty—the ideal shampoo for thick, curly, kinky hair that needs ultra hydration.

9. Redken All Soft Shampoo

Like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, Redken’s All Soft Shampoo is hard to believe. If you’ve never had the luxury of trying this shampoo, trust us, your hair has never felt this soft. Created for brittle, dry hair, it’s the perfect product for men with thick hair. If you can’t take our word for it, ask your hairstylist or barber to hear how amazing this product is.

Restorative ingredients olive oil, avocado oil, and silk amino acids replace protein loss and add extra moisture. The haircare brand has two unrivaled systems, a Silk-Luxe Complex and Interbond Conditioning System. They’re both treatment methods that restore shine, increase hydration, and help hair feel soft and smooth. It’s the best softening shampoo for thick hair.

10. Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo

Shiny, soft hair and a stress-free clean is what Bumble and Bumble’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo offers to your hair. Made specifically for brittle, dry, coarse, and thick hair, it comes laden with ingredients your hair loves. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and grape seed oil are some of the nutrient-rich, plant-based oils that can tame frizz, care for split ends, and deeply hydrate hair. It’s a shampoo rich with natural minerals to care for thick hair.

11. Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste Smooth-in-Motion Shampoo

A lightweight, frizz-taming shampoo that can tackle all types of thick hair issues, Kerastase’s shampoo will be your new go-to product if you want to tame frizzy hair and make your locks smooth and silky. It cleanses the hair and scalp and leaves behind no residue to make hair feel heavy or weighed down.

Full of good-for-your-hair ingredients, this shampoo works well for normal to fine and wavy, thick hair. Stacked with moisturizing, hair-smoothing agents, this product can grant you a silky head of hair.

12. Baxter of California Daily Fortifying Shampoo for Men

Oftentimes, thick hair needs extra fortification. The Daily Fortifying Shampoo from Baxter of California is a masterpiece that strengthens, fortifies, and loads your unruly, thick hair with raw nutrients.

How does this formula fortify hair? The natural ingredients increase hair flexibility which reduces breakage, and hair strands naturally absorb the hearty nutrients to become stronger and thicker. The all-star ingredients are wheat protein, salicylic acid, coconut extract, and vitamin E. It’s optimized for all hair types and is a perfect option for men with thick hair.

13. Kick Active Tea Tree Shampoo for Men

Give those locks a boost of strength and rid yourself of dandruff with Kick’s Active Tea Tree Shampoo for Men. Made for men of all hair types, this shampoo treats brittle, dry hair, kicks dandruff to the curb, and offers serious moisture while it’s at it. When your hair becomes dry or brittle, it’s easy to break off strands and destroy gorgeous hair. That’s why this shampoo works to support growth while also preventing breakage.

With botanicals straight from nature, you can keep hair strong, long, and healthy. Rosemary, aloe vera, and eucalyptus are some of the nourishing natural ingredients that stimulate growth and give hydration. Tea tree oil and peppermint remove dandruff and clear unwanted buildup.

14. Brickell Men’s Daily Strengthening Shampoo

Natural, organic ingredients are what’s on the menu at Brickell’s Men’s Products. The Daily Strengthening Shampoo is a classic shampoo made from 97% natural ingredients and 73% organic ingredients that hydrate, moisturize, treat dandruff, prevent breakage, and more. It’s basically a superhero for finicky, thick hair that needs an all-over treatment. Men love the solid minty scent that helps wake them up every morning and start a brand new day.

This shampoo is for thick hair that needs seriously nourishing hair care products. The natural ingredients aloe vera, peppermint, tea tree oil, silk amino acids, and pro-vitamin B5 are only a few of the trusted substances in this powerful shampoo.

15. Manscaped 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner

While many men overlook the beauty of a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, we know you won’t. The Manscaped 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner is a seriously satisfying cleanser and a hydrating duo that tackles dirt, grime, and excess oil without a fret. Perfect for thick hair, the formula is non-greasy, so you won’t have to worry about product building, leaving your hair to look lank, drab, or dirty. It’s affordable, effective, and a perfect option for your gym bag.

Natural ingredients meld together in this liquid to cleanse the scalp and hair and leave the hair feeling fresh. Coconut water is a natural conditioner and moisturizes hair. Green tea and turmeric protect your hair and bless you with a healthy glow. Aloe and sea kelp strengthen and hydrate hair from the inside out. It is an incredible 2-in-1 shampoo option for men who want to save time washing their thick hair.

16. Mane ‘n Tail Original Shampoo

Giddy up. It’s time to replenish hair and have a lustrous mane like your favorite thick-haired horse. Like you, horses have dense, thick hair that needs extra TLC to stay happy, healthy, and shiny. It’s a weightless shampoo with a luxurious lather that combs through the hair to eliminate dirt, grime, oil, and product buildup.

The formula is gentle enough to clear hair of debris without robbing you of natural oils and hydration. Men and women with thick hair love this simple, easy-to-use formula and the fragrant scent of apple blossom.

17. Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo

If thick hair had a best friend, it would be keratin. Keratin is a protein that naturally occurs in human skin, hair, and nails but can be affected by heating and styling treatments. This means your thick, unruly hair may just need a spot of keratin to calm your frizz, dryness, or breakage.

Keraphix Shampoo by Nexxus is a gentle shampoo that gently cleanses without stealing all the moisture. Other nutrients and plant oils join keratin to treat thick hair and give your hair a luscious, shiny look—the best shampoo for thick hair with keratin and plant oils.

18. The Hair Lab Strengthening Shampoo

Support your hair with a dynamic shampoo that can cleanse the hair and stimulate hair growth. Strengthening Shampoo from The Hair Lab is a salon-recommended scrub full of organic and natural materials that give you a spa-like experience in the comfort of your home. Strengthening shampoos often overpower the hair and contribute to buildup, but this shampoo product won’t burden the hair with its nutrients and vitamins.

Clean botanicals like lemon oil, caffeine, biotin, palmarosa, organic Moroccan argan oil, and other natural essential oils unite to safeguard and nurture hair, making this an excellent strengthening shampoo for men who want a product with a slew of natural ingredients.

19. Every Man Jack 2-in-1 Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

It sounds a bit crazy. Use a thickening shampoo on hair that’s already super thick? We thought the same thing, too, at first. Thickening shampoos come loaded with natural ingredients that nourish, moisturize, and protect the hair, which is precisely what the 2-in-1 Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner can do for your stressed-out hair. This dual-purpose shampoo and conditioner won’t strip your hair of its natural oils or scrub hair clean with harmful chemicals. And it’s paraben-free, sulfate-free, dye-free, and phthalate-free, so you don’t have to worry about your hair’s health.

Plant-based ingredients team up to gently cleanse then moisturize hair with every wash. Coconut oil is the conditioning champion and ensures hair stays hydrated. Soy protein strengthens hair from root to tip, while shea butter makes hair feel silky smooth and soft—and it’s the best smelling 2-in-1 shampoo option out there.

20. Aussies Miracle Moist Shampoo

Our list of shampoos for thick hair wouldn’t be complete without another wallet-friendly option. Easily found in a grocery or drug store shampoo aisle, Aussie’s Miracle Moist Shampoo is a hair-friendly, budget-friendly product. All you need is a quarter-sized amount of product to lather up those strands and help thick hair get clean without causing damage or breakage.

This product is heaving with natural Australian ingredients that care for dehydrated hair. Macadamia nut oil is one of this shampoo’s powerful Australian ingredients. It softens hair, hydrates all over, and adds unique nutrients to each strand, making it the best drugstore shampoo for men with thick hair.

How to choose the best shampoo for thick hair

The best products for thick hair come packed with hydrating and nourishing substances for frizzy, dry, or brittle hair.

Free from harmful chemicals

Avoid harmful and toxic chemicals like the plague. Chemicals like sulfate, paraben, phthalate and other common ingredients are found in shampoos. These harmful substances are added to shampoos to create a certain feel and texture and even create a longer shelf life for products.

Sulfates create that wonderful lather, but they also strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture. Parabens are a preservative that helps products last longer—great for the longevity of products that can last longer in your bathroom cabinet, but not great for your body as it’s a harmful chemical. Phthalates are included in your hair care products to give the fragrance a more lasting scent and help gels form, but they too are detrimental to the human body!

Ingredients thick hair loves

Your hair will devour natural ingredients that add moisture, shine, strength, and luster to hair. Great ingredients include coconut oil, argan oil, keratin, olive oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, vitamin E, and plant-based essential oils.

Look for buzzwords

Thick hair needs hydration. So if you’re in a hurry and need to grab a shampoo bottle off the grocery store shelf, here’s a quick tip you can follow. Look for buzzwords like “healthy,” “strong,” “moisture,” “hydration,” “ultra-hydrating,” and other related terms. Thick hair loves moisture, so you really can’t go wrong with a shampoo packed full of ingredients that will moisturize and strengthen hair.

Get the most out of your shampoo for thick hair

You are as unique as your hair. This means your mane and tresses will need different care from others. There is no “right” way to shampoo and condition the hair, but a few guidelines and tips can help you get the most out of your shower routine.

How often should you wash thick hair?

Let’s start with the basics. How often should you wash thick hair? Well, first, examine your lifestyle. Do you go to the gym every day, live in a hot or humid climate, or live in a busy, polluted city? Your hair will need to be washed more often! Cleaning the dirt, grime, sweat, and pollution from your hair protects your strands from frizz, breakage, and other factors.

By now, you know the advantage of thick hair. You never need to break a sweat or work hard to add extra oomph and volume to your hair. Your hair is thick, which means it can stand on its own and doesn’t need to be washed every day. The disadvantage to having thick hair is that your hair is more likely to experience breakage, dryness, or feel brittle. This is why having a nutrient-rich shampoo and conditioner stocked full of plant oils, vitamins, and ingredients your hair loves is vital! You want to keep those strands strong and full of heavyweight ingredients.

Hair experts recommend washing your hair every two to three days but use conditioner as often as you need. While you may only wash your hair once every three days, you can add conditioner to the hair any day if you notice your hair is feeling dry or brittle. The rule of thumb is to shampoo about twice a week and condition as needed.

How to wash thick hair

It’s time to suds up that shampoo to get your hair squeaky clean. Pour a dollop of shampoo; usually, a quarter-sized amount is recommended, but check your bottle for specifics and rub the product into your hair. Work it into a nice frothy lather, so it is easy to spread all over your scalp and hair. Now it’s time to scrub, scrub, scrub. Clean your hair from root to tip using your fingertips.

If you want, you can let the shampoo sit in your hair for one to two minutes. This is just an extra step that allows your product to work itself into hair further. When your head feels perfectly clean, rinse off the shampoo with warm water. Be thorough when rinsing out your shampoo; you don’t want residue left behind, as that can lead to product buildup.

After washing your full, thick hair, use your conditioner or conditioning treatment. Don’t skip this step! Thick hair needs extra vitamins, nutrients, and support to remain healthy.

Avoid heat

If possible, avoid the straightener or blow dryer. Why? Applying heat directly to thick hair can rob it of its new nutrients and strength. If you do apply heat to your hair, invest in a quality protection serum or product that adds an extra layer of protection between your hair and high heat.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner for thick hair?

Yes, you can totally use a 2-in-1 wash. If you’re the type of guy who loves to save time, or you just have a busy schedule, a combination of shampoo and conditioner could be your perfect thick hair product. Don’t just grab the first 2-in-1 product you find, though. You’ll want to do your research to find the best hair care product that gives your hair the proper strength, frizz protection, and hydration.

The best products will be paraben-free, sulfate-free, and phthalate-free and include natural hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, etc. Every Man Jack makes excellent 2-in-1 shampoo options and will clean the hair without causing damage, dryness, or breakage.

What’s the best shampoo for men with thick hair?

We won’t beat around the bush. The best shampoo for men with thick hair is Blu Atlas’ Shampoo. Overflowing with vitamins, nutrients, and the best of nature’s botanicals, it’s a shampoo that thick hair loves.