7 Best Shampoos For Hair Extensions, Cosmetologist-Approved (2025)
Bring dull, lifeless locks back to life without breaking the bank.
Lindsay Loo is a cosmetologist who has spent 10 years behind the chair in a storied salon in Chelsea. She is a certified Wella Master Color Expert and also has experience backstage at New York Fashion Week.
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Experience: 3 yearsKrati is an associate commerce editor, a certified skin care coach, and a beauty enthusiast. She has a master’s degree in advertising and publishing relations from DAVV University and three years of experience in writing and editing for different niches.
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Experience: 5 yearsMedha Deb is a commerce editor with a master's degree in applied linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. She specializes in the areas of beauty, health, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is of the highest quality.
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Experience: 4 yearsShiboli 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 editor, she guides her team members on the best practices to create crisp and authentic content.
Read full bio of Shiboli Chakraborti
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
If you have recently tried or are planning to wear hair extensions, make sure you invest in the right products to maintain them. Hair extensions make styling easier and add length and volume to your hair in a natural-looking way. However, extensions require special care and maintenance to last long and appear healthy, especially if they are Remy or human hair extensions. Using the best shampoo for hair extensions followed by a good hair care routine can help you maintain your locks. A good-quality shampoo for extensions helps moisturize the hair, prevents frizz, and keeps the hair soft and silky. Check out our list of the 7 best shampoos for hair extensions with multiple positive reviews to protect the hair from damage. Scroll down.
In This Article
7 Best Shampoos For Hair Extensions To Moisturize & Protect Them – 2025
1. Best For Detangling:Matrix Total Results Length Goals Shampoo
The Matrix Total Results Length Goals Shampoo allows your extensions to remain soft and shiny for an extended period. It is specially formulated to offer professional-quality care to your natural hair, wigs, and hair extensions. The phyto-peptides ensure the longevity of the extensions and enhance their appearance. This sulfate-free shampoo gently cleanses and keeps your hair extensions tangle-free, leaving them smoother, more conditioned, and easier to style.
Check out this video of a tester’s experience to learn more about the benefits and uses of the product.
Pros
- Provides color protection
- Sulfate-free
- Anti-frizz
- Moisturizes the hair
- Long-lasting
- Detangles the hair
Cons
- None
ProTipTry not to flip the hair over while washing, as the hair extensions may get tangled.
2. Best For Processed And Brittle Hair:Davines NOUNOU Shampoo
The Davines NOUNOU Shampoo works like magic to repair damaged hair. It helps in nourishing the hair extensions, provides moisturization, and offers gentle cleansing. This hair extension shampoo helps in softening the hair. It also helps restore the health and natural strength of chemically treated natural hair and extensions. The key ingredient includes Fiaschetto tomato extract, which keeps the hair hydrated and conditioned. The rich extension-friendly formula is suitable for bleached, permed, and relaxed hair. It repairs hair damage to reveal healthy and smooth hair. Reviewers are impressed by this shine-enhancing product’s ability to make your processed, brittle locks healthy and more manageable.
Pros
- Restores shine
- Conditions the hair
- Hydrates the hair
- Suitable for processed and brittle hair
- Safe for colored hair
Cons
- None
ProTipConditioners on the hair roots may cause the hair extension to slip away. Yet, ensure that you condition them once a week, keeping it away from the root.
3. Best Moisturizing Formula:SheaMoisture Residue Remover Shampoo
The SheaMoisture Residue Remover Shampoo deep cleanses and nourishes human and synthetic hair. It makes the hair extensions feel softer and look glossy and well-nourished without stripping their natural moisture. This shampoo is enriched with tea tree oil, borage seed oil, and aloe that leave the hair shiny, soft, and easy to manage. It helps remove product buildup and residue from bonding glue after removing your wig or weave, leaving your scalp healthy and hair clean and residue-free. This vegan product also deodorizes and refreshes your synthetic hair and hair extensions. It is cruelty-free and does not contain sulfates, parabens, and petroleum.
Pros
- Glossy finish
- Paraben-free
- Petroleum-free
- Sulfate-free
- Moisturizing
- Color-safe
- Not tested on animals
Cons
- None
RememberThe oil secreted by the scalp does not hydrate hair extensions. Therefore, choose hydrating hair care products that are gentle on the hair.
| Matrix Total Results Length Goals Shampoo Best For Detangling | Davines NOUNOU Shampoo Best For Processed And Brittle Hair | SheaMoisture Residue Remover Shampoo Best Moisturizing Formula | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair Type | All | Damaged | All |
| Dimensions | 1.95 x 1.95 x 8.16 inches | 2 x 2 x 5 inches | 2.34 x 2.34 x 7.78 inches |
| Weight | 12.2 Ounces. | 8 Ounces | 13 Ounces. |
| Rating | |||
| Reviews | 1,994 | 1,919 | - |
| Price | $37.0 | $14 | $12.99 |
4. Best For Hair Fall Control:Design Essentials Moroccan Argan Oil Sulfate-Free Conditioning Shampoo
The Design Essentials Moroccan Argan Oil Sulfate-Free Conditioning Shampoo is a gentle cleanser for your hair extensions, wigs, and weaves. It deeply conditions and detangles your wigs and extensions. The gentle formula with vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants help control hair fall. This color-safe shampoo moisturizes dull and lifeless hair and restores its natural shine. Reviewers are impressed by its ability to eliminate tangles, reduce shedding, and prevent further damage to the natural and synthetic hair texture.
Pros
- Easy detangling
- Gentle formula
- Nourishes the hair
- Controls hair fall
- Color-safe
- Sulfate-free
- Cruelty-free
- Gluten-free
- Silicone-free
Cons
- None
Quick TipLet the hair air dry after washing. If you want to use a dryer, use it at a low setting or with a diffuser for curly hair. Hair extensions are human hair and tend to damage with excessive heat exposure.
5. Best For Color-Treated Hair:NYK1 Salt & Sulfate-Free Shampoo
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The NYK1 Salt & Sulfate-Free Shampoo is a gentle cleanser that suits all hair types. One of its key ingredients is coconut oil, which helps maintain the natural shine of your hair. The gentle formula restores moisture and does not strip the natural oils of the hair cuticles. This hair product works perfectly well for keratin- and color-treated hair and extensions. It deeply conditions to maintain the luster and softness of your hair. This product helps prevent hair fall and enables effortless detangling while adding extra moisture. It protects adhesive bonds and prevents them from perishing, getting loose, and falling out. This intense treatment shampoo does not make your hair extensions dry, itchy, dull, and faded.
Pros
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Long-lasting
- Gentle formula
- Suitable for Brazilian blowout and keratin-treated hair
- Color-safe
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons
- None
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
More than 4,821 Amazon users have vouched for this amazing product.
6. Best Volumizing Formula:Big Kizzy F.A.T.T. Shampoo
The Big Kizzy F.A.T.T Shampoo helps thicken and volumize the hair. It retains natural shine and nourishes the hair extensions making them healthier and softer. This gentle shampoo contains 11 amino acids, biotin, ProVitamin B5, and two other potent vitamins that help in strengthening, repairing, and conditioning the hair. These natural ingredients make your hair look and feel fuller, thicker, and healthier. The gentle formula prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth. This shampoo adds volume and body to fine or thick hair without any stickiness or weighing down the hair.
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Lightweight
- Cruelty-free
- Pleasant scent
- Non-sticky
- Restores shine
- Silicone-free
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Oil-free
- Color-safe
Cons
- None
7. Best For Hair Mangeability:SexyHair Luxe Dry Shampoo
This dry shampoo is a highly moisturizing product that helps make the hair extensions look shiny and soft. It gently cleanses the hair and removes impurities. This liquid-based shampoo works efficiently to nourish dry hair types. It has a pleasant fragrance and adds volume and shine to the hair extensions without any whitish residue. This frizzy hair product is enriched with moringa oil and biotin that prevent product buildup and make the long, synthetic hair healthy and more manageable. Also, it prolongs the time between hair washes, prevents moisture loss, and treats dry hair from root to end.
Pros
- Moisturizes the hair
- Adds shine
- Enhances volume
- Gentle formula
- Cruelty-free
- No whitish residue
Cons
- None
It is essential to keep certain factors in mind and prioritize them while buying a good-quality shampoo. So, here’s how you can choose the best shampoo for your hair extensions. Follow the buying guide suggested below to pick the suitable shampoo for your hair type and needs.
How To Choose The Best Shampoo For Hair Extensions
Hair Type
It is essential to understand your hair type to make the right choice while choosing shampoo for your extensions. A shampoo will show the best results only if it is suitable for your hair type and needs. Shampoos for hair extensions are designed specifically for strands made from natural human hair or synthetic strands. So, choose a shampoo with gentle ingredients based on the kind of extensions you wear. Avoid shampoos that contain heavy oils or harsh chemicals as they may damage the pieces of your extensions. Lindsey Loo, a cosmetologist, says, “When maintaining your hair extensions, another main ingredient to avoid in your styling products is alcohol. This ingredient can break down the shine, hair adhesives, and overall health of your additions.”
Type Of Extensions
It is important to understand the kind of shampoo that would suit the type of hair extensions you use. Some extensions are held with the help of glue; therefore, you must ensure that the shampoo ingredients do not interfere with the formula of the glue. Other types of extensions are braided or clipped – choose shampoos that help detangle the hair and protect it from damage.
Ingredients
It is recommended to avoid shampoos that contain sulfates, parabens, silicones, or other harsh chemicals to keep your hair extensions soft and silky. Keep an eye on shampoos containing natural ingredients to help retain moisture and hydrate your hair and scalp. A gentle cleanser that removes grease without stripping the natural oils and the original texture of the extensions would work best. Also, opt for a lightweight formula, which goes a long way in hair extension maintenance by keeping them clean without being sticky.
Besides choosing the right shampoo, it is also important to know how to wash your extensions. Given below are some steps that you can follow to ensure proper cleansing.
How To Wash Your Hair Extensions Properly
Step 1
: Detangle your locks and keep them free of any knots. When your extensions are detangled before a wash, it avoids unnecessary breakage and damage.
Step 2: Wash your extensions with a shampoo that focuses more on cleansing the hair gently rather than one that focuses on cleaning the scalp. Therefore, the next step is to wet your hair and apply a moisturizing shampoo to your hair extensions.
Step 3: Spread the shampoo through the length of your synthetic hair and massage gently. This will help remove dirt, buildup, and excess oil to bring a fresh and shiny look to your extensions.
Step 4: Deep condition or use a hydrating product to make detangling easier.
Step 5: Let your hair dry out on its own. Do not comb your hair while it is wet. Also, avoid using a blow dryer as it may make your extensions dull and rough.
Infographics: Key Ingredients To Look For In The Best Shampoos For Hair Extensions
Taking care of your hair extensions can get challenging if you don’t have the right products. Among so many formulations that claim to provide the perfect nourishment, some might be secretly harmful to your hair if used for a long time. The infographic below will familiarize you with the good and bad ingredients found in shampoos for hair extensions. Check it out to make the right choice! Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
The Bottom Line
The right type of shampoo for your hair extensions can make or break the appearance of your locks. Therefore, choosing a product that caters to your hair care routine and needs is essential. The amino acids and keratin in the Matrix Total Results Length Goals Shampoo help strengthen hair and prevent breakage. If you are seeking a nourishing formula, try the Design Essentials Moroccan Argan Oil Sulfate-Free Conditioning Shampoo. With the help of the list suggested above, you can select the best shampoo for your hair extensions. The shampoos safe for extensions will prevent your hair from drying out and help make your hair look fresh, soft, and silky for an extended period. Also, it is crucial to learn how to keep your synthetic hair or wigs clean and maintain them with utmost care to flaunt healthy-looking tresses. Apart from using the right shampoo, ensure that you follow the right steps while washing your hair extensions to maintain the quality of flawless locks.
Why Trust Stylecraze?
The writer of this post, Krati Darak, is a skin care coach and hair care enthusiast. She presents research-driven content after browsing several product reviews on e-commerce manufacturer’s websites. She curated the list of best shampoos for hair extensions from expert-reviewed options to ensure that your hair gets the best of what it deserves. Also, she has presented a well-structured buying guide to help you choose the best product according to your hair type and requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What shampoo should not be used on hair extensions?
Shampoos containing sulfates, parabens, silicone, or other harsh chemicals are damaging for your hair extensions. Hence, you must avoid these ingredients in your shampoos to maintain the smooth texture of the extensions.
How do I keep my extensions soft and silky?
Avoid using heat-styling tools to maintain the soft and silkiness of your hair extensions. Learn the right way to brush your locks gently, and oil your hair regularly. Also, avoid coloring or bleaching your hair.
Why is maintenance essential for human hair extensions?
It is important to take proper care of human hair extensions to make them look healthy and more manageable. Being negligent about your hair care routine and hygiene or not using suitable aftercare products may not enable your extensions to last long.
Can we use dry shampoo with extensions?
No. It is best to limit using dry shampoos with extensions as it may result in rough, lifeless, and dull hair.
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