11 Best Shampoos For Gray Hair That Make It Look Healthy And Shiny
Remove dullness from your tresses with nourishing shampoos that treat gray hair.
Tiffany YoungCertified Trichology Practitioner
Expertise: Trichology
Experience: 6 years
Tiffany Young is the CEO and founder of ThinHairThick and a certified trichology practitioner with 6 years of experience. She is also a recognized expert in the hair and beauty industry with celebrity clientele. Her own personal struggles w... more
Shiboli Chakraborti Certified Skin Care Coach
Expertise: Skin Care & Hair Care
Experience: 4 years
Shiboli has a master’s degree in English literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and is a certified skincare coach with four years of experience. As a commerce edito... more
Aditi NaskarDiploma In Health & Wellness
Expertise: Health & Wellness
Experience: 5 years
Aditi Naskar has a postgraduate degree in English literature from Presidency University, Kolkata, a bachelor’s degree in education from WBUTTEPA, Kolkata, and a diploma in health and wellness. She i... more
Arshiya SyedaDiploma In Health & Wellness
Expertise: Beauty & Lifestyle, Health & Wellness
Experience: 7 years
Arshiya Syeda is a senior editor at StyleCraze with 7 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer and combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articl... more
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
Hair graying is an inevitable thing, but to keep them looking beautiful and naturally shiny, you can use the best shampoos for gray hair. As we grow older, some disturbances in diet, high levels of stress, timely use of chemicals, and coloring your hair causes your hair to turn gray. And with time, gray hair starts to look lifeless and rough. But according to Tiffany Young, a certified trichology practitioner, “Gray hair does not have to look unkempt and dowdy. Be purposeful when choosing to wear gray hair. Going natural is a purposeful decision and there are wonderful products to enhance your hair to its’ best version. Statement-making silver strands can look polished and powerful if you use a good color-enhancing purple-based shampoo which helps reflect light and gives hair a luminous shine.” Here, we have listed the 11 best shampoos for gray hair that will remove the brittleness and yellow tones, restoring the healthy shine and appearance of your overall hair.
In This Article
Best Shampoos For Gray Hair
1. Best Overall:Fanola No Yellow Shampoo
Image: Fanola The Fanola No Yellow Shampoo is a perfect choice for gray hair. It also works well for de-colored, streaked, blonde, and super-lightened hair. This toning shampoo is made with a special violet pigment that tones down the unwanted hues on gray hair and makes it less noticeable to leave you with lusher and shinier silver/ash-toned hair. It keeps your hair color vibrant and consistent. Apply the shampoo to damp hair, massage gently for 2-3 minutes, and rinse. To get a better understanding of this softening shampoo, you can check out this video on YouTube.
Note: Wear gloves while applying the shampoo to prevent staining your hands.
Pros
- Color-safe
- Adds shine
- Smoothens and soften the hair
Cons
- Contains sulfates
- Strong unpleasant smell
Pro Tip2. Best Non-Drying Shampoo:BOLD UNIQ Purple Shampoo
Image: Bold Uniq The BOLD UNIQ Purple Shampoo helps reduce yellow tones caused by environmental pollutants. This neutralizing and toning shampoo helps in boosting the cool hair tones while adding shine to your strands. It contains UV filters that help in protecting the hair from the harmful sun rays.
This non-drying shampoo is formulated with Pro-Vitamin B5 to revive shine and provide softness. It is free of additives like sulfates and parabens that strip off the natural hair oils. It helps tame frizz and reduce split ends and breakage to leave your hair feeling soft and smooth. As this shampoo has a stronger formula, make sure you go through the instructions before applying it. Go ahead and check out this YouTuber’s video for more details about the product.
Pros
- Makes the hair soft and smooth
- Has UV filters
- Pleasant smell
- Prevents dryness
- Tames frizz
- Reduces split ends and breakage
Cons
- May dry out the hair
3. Best For Daily Use:milk_shake Silver Shine Shampoo
Image: Milk_shake The milk_shake Silver Shine Shampoo helps cut down unwanted yellow tones that arise due to frequent washing and environmental pollution. It keeps your locks healthy and vibrant.
This delicate hair cleanser contains a purple pigment that neutralizes the effect of yellow tones while restructuring your hair. It is enriched with milk protein that provides conditioning effects to the strands and helps increase their volume and elasticity. Other ingredients like raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry extracts nourish your hair with vitamins and impart shine and vitality. Check out the review of this vitamin-enriched product for more information.
Pros
- Imparts shine
- Increases hair elasticity
- Suitable for daily use
Cons
- Can stain the nails and hands
Pro Tip4. Best Moisture Balance:L’Oreal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy Purple Shampoo
Image: L’oreal Paris The L’Oreal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy Purple Shampoo eliminates brassiness and warm tones from gray hair in just a few washes. It contains purple pigments that neutralize yellow and orange hues to revive your hair color and appearance. This leave-on purple shampoo offers hair color protection by sealing the vibrancy so that your hair does not turn yellowish quickly. It is recommended to massage the shampoo into the scalp and leave it on for 1-3 minutes for the best results.
Pros
- Moisturizes the hair
- Makes the hair soft
- Amazing smell
Cons
- May dry out the hair
5. Best Conditioning Formula:Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo
The Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo is a protein-enriched shampoo meant for blonde, gray, and silver hair. It helps renew and refresh faded highlights and ash tones. The revitalizing and conditioning formula of this shampoo cuts down the brassiness from blonde or gray hair and imparts shine and vitality without any residue. This shampoo helps in enhancing the brightness and can be used on natural and color-treated hair.
Pros
- Refreshes highlights
- Gloss-boosting formula
- No residue
- Suitable for natural or color-treated hair
Cons
- Contains parabens
- May weigh the hair down
Pro Tip6. Best For Brassy Tones:Klorane Anti -Yellowing Shampoo with Centaury
Image: Klorane The Klorane Anti-Yellowing Shampoo with Centaury supplies long-lasting hydration to protect colored or naturally gray hair and eliminate brassiness. It is the right choice for platinum, gray, blonde, and white hair to reduce dullness and enhance its natural radiance.
This shampoo refreshes cool tones and neutralizes yellow tones to make your hair soft, supple, and radiant. It has a gentle cleansing base that repairs the coating of hair and maintains the integrity of the hair fibers. The botanical blue pigments obtained from Centaury flowers are gentle and do not stain the hair. This botanical-infused shampoo does not contain parabens, sulfates, silicones, and synthetic colorants.
Pros
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- No synthetic colorants
- Vegan
- Hair-repair formula
Cons
- Expensive
7. Best Color-Safe Option:Pantene Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo
Image: Pantene The Pantene Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo wraps the hair strands with nutrient-rich lather to make them healthy. It detangles the hair and reduces dullness. The purple pigmented cream shampoo controls brassiness and corrects yellow tones in gray, silver, and white hair. The luxurious lotus scent makes you feel energized. This shampoo helps remove dulling residue to make your hair soft, smooth, and luminous. It does not contain parabens and silicones and is suitable for chemical and color-treated hair.
Pros
- Paraben-free
- Pleasant lotus fragrance
- Silicone-free
- Color-safe
Cons
- Makes the hair brittle
8. Best Stain-Free Coverage:biogreen roots Herbal Natural Black Hair Shampoo
The biogreen roots Herbal Natural Black Hair shampoo is mild on the hair strands and covers gray hair without staining your skin. Apply it for 10 minutes to cover all the silver and gray hair to make it black and shiny. It can be used by men and women and is suitable for all hair types. Before applying the shampoo, make sure to do a skin allergy test and wait for 48 hours for any reactions.
Pros
- Gentle
- Imparts shine
- Suitable for men and women
Cons
- May cause the hair to fall out
9. Best Shimmer Finish:Fischer Platinum Gray Shampoo
Image: Dr. Fischer The Dr. Fischer Platinum Gray Shampoo neutralizes yellow tones to highlight the natural hair color. It brings out the natural radiance of silver, light, platinum, and white hair. The ultra-gentle and optimal composition nourishes and protects the hair fibers from the roots, locks in moisture, and softens and smoothes the hair strands.
This restorative shampoo brings out the shine, highlights shimmering shades, and maintains color clarity. It contains pro-vitamin B5 that makes the hair healthy, softer, and manageable and vitamin E that protects it from free radical damage. Chamomile extract moisturizes and softens the hair and enriches the hair color, while the almond extract strengthens the roots and promotes hair growth.
Pros
- Suitable for all light hair types
- No stains
- Enriched with vitamins
- Makes the hair soft and smooth
Cons
- May dry out the hair
10. Best For Hair Elasticity:Designline Super Silver Shampoo
Image: Designline The Designline Super Silver Shampoo is specially formulated to enhance and brighten your color-treated or natural silver, gray, and blonde hair. It is infused with aloe vera, green tea extract, and rice amino acids. They help to hydrate your hair shaft and prevent dullness and dryness. The formula neutralizes yellow brassy tones to brighten your hair color and brings out the shimmer in lighter shades. Additionally, this shampoo strengthens your hair and protects against environmental damage.
Pros
- Color-safe
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Increases hair elasticity
- Pleasant fragrance
- Brightening and moisturizing formula
Cons
None
11. Best Organic Formula:Just Nutritive Gray Hair Shampoo
Image: Just Nutritive The Just Nutritive Gray Hair Shampoo removes yellow residue from the hair and prevents it from becoming lifeless and dull. The formula is enriched with clover flower and guava extracts that gently cleanse the hair without weighing it down. The pomegranate, avocado, and black currant seed oils make the hair brighter and healthy-looking. All the organic compounds eliminate chlorine, oils, and chemical residues from the scalp. This shampoo makes your hair appear fuller, radiant, soft, and manageable.
Pros
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Lathers well
- Makes hair shiny
Cons
- Inconsistent results
If you are looking for a shampoo to help camouflage those gray hairs, here are a few things to keep in mind. Scroll down to know what they are.
Things To Look For In A Shampoos For Gray Hair
- Ingredients: While finding a shampoo specifically for gray hair, ensure that it contains ingredients that will help keep your hair looking its best. For instance, look for shampoos with antioxidants that protect your hair from damage caused by free radicals. You might also want to look for shampoos containing vitamins A, C, and E, as they help keep your hair shiny and healthy while strengthening the strands.
- UV Protection: Choose a shampoo that contains UV protection. Gray hair is more susceptible to damage from the sun, so it is important to choose a shampoo that contains sunscreen. This will help to keep your hair looking healthy and vibrant.
- Formula: A gentle, sulfate-free shampoo is ideal for mature gray hair. Many shampoos contain harsh chemicals that strip the natural oils from your hair and scalp, leaving them dry and irritated. So, choose a shampoo with mild ingredients to avoid hair damage and scalp issues.
Infographic: Dos And Don’ts Of Shampooing Gray Hair
If you want to flaunt your gorgeous gray hair, shampooing it the right way is essential. It helps clean your tresses and boost their shine without drying out the scalp. The infographic below lists the common dos and don’ts that you must remember when washing your gray hair to retain its health. Check it out.
Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
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The Bottom Line
Grey hair can look dull, dry, and lifeless and hinder your confidence levels. They can occur due to various factors like chemical dyes, pollution, stress, and aging. Invest in gray shampoos that make your hair natural and beautiful. The Fanola No Yellow Shampoo tones down yellow hues, making it perfect for those with lightened or gray hair, the BOLD UNIQ Purple Shampoo offers sun protection and prevents breakage, and if you are looking for a hair-repair formula, try the Klorane Anti-Yellowing Shampoo. These shampoos eliminate brassy hair tones and restore natural hair shine. They soften your hair. Most of the products on our list are color-safe and paraben-free. However, some gray shampoos may dry out your hair and can cause hair fall. So, go through the product reviews to choose the ideal gray shampoos for your hair type.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
The author, Shiboli Chakraborti, is a hair care enthusiast. She sifted through hundreds of user reviews and conducted thorough research into the products’ ingredients to curate this list of the best shampoos for gray hair. The shortlisted shampoos help remove the yellowish tint and restore shine and hydration to dry, dull, and aging hair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does purple shampoo do for gray hair?
Purple shampoos help in counteracting the yellow tones developed in gray hair. They contain violent pigments that adhere to the shafts while neutralizing silver hair’s brass-yellow tinge.
Is there a shampoo to cover gray hair?
Yes. The biogreen roots Herbal Natural Black Hair Shampoo covers gray hair and makes it black.
Does gray hair make you look old?
No. If supported with the right products and hairstyles, gray hair will not make you look old.
Can gray hair turn black again?
The hair turns gray from black due to the loss of melanin, a pigment responsible for the black color. It is not possible to turn the gray hair black.
How can I lighten my dull gray hair?
Gray hair has a dull and brassy tone. You can use purple-tinted shampoos that impart radiance and shine to the hair.
Why does my gray hair look yellow?
Gray hair does not contain melanin. As a result, it picks up other pigments from the environment, which turn it yellow.
What skin tone looks best with gray hair?
Gray hair looks best on olive, orange, and yellow undertones. However, if the skin has a blue undertone, gray hair may make the person look older.
How can I make my gray hair soft and shiny?
Use a hydrating shampoo for gray hair and nurture your scalp. Also, wash your hair less often, and use shampoos that protect your tresses from free radical damage.
How can I make my gray hair look good naturally?
Massage your hair and scalp with coconut oil while using a shampoo that tones your tresses and offers a shinier ash-toned look.
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