10 Nontoxic Shampoos Without Harmful Chemicals (2025)
The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
I’ve personally used the top natural and nontoxic shampoos and conditioners on the market — these are my top 10 picks with clean, organic ingredients.
Soft and clean hair is one of my favorite feelings, right up there with clean sheets day and that first breath of fresh mountain air. And when it comes to personal care products, I feel even cleaner when I avoid shampoos and conditioners with sulfates or other harsh chemicals. But, with my oily hair, it isn’t easy to strike the right balance. I want something that isn’t stripping but still gets my hair clean enough to not necessitate another way on day two. So, I tested these shampoos and conditioners with natural and organic ingredients to make sure they’re gentle yet powerful for any hair type.
What are the benefits of nontoxic shampoos and conditioners?
Nontoxic shampoos and conditioners are great because they leave out harsh chemicals like sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, making them gentle on your scalp and hair (while reducing the risk of irritation or allergic reactions). They’re often packed with natural, nourishing ingredients like plant-based oils, botanical extracts, and vitamins that help strengthen and hydrate your hair, leaving it softer, shinier, and healthier over time. Plus, they’re eco-friendly, often coming in biodegradable packaging and made without harmful toxins that can negatively impact the environment. Many nontoxic formulas are also cruelty-free, so you can feel good knowing your hair care routine aligns with ethical and sustainable values.
What ingredients should you avoid in your haircare?
Our editors are big fans of shampoos that are free of harmful sulfates — sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), to be precise. These harsh surfactants can strip color from color-treated hair, along with your hair’s natural moisture, leaving it drier and more prone to breakage. Sulfates also have the potential to disrupt our hormones, too.
We also like to avoid parabens and endocrine-disrupting phthalates, which none of the products on this list have. In general, we like to look for formulations with simple, natural ingredients and no synthetic fragrances. A brand’s ethos and sustainability practices are incredibly important to us, too, which is why you’ll find B-Corps throughout this list, along with brands that are plastic-free or even certified climate-neutral.
How to choose the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair:
Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner comes down to understanding your hair type and its specific needs. If you have dry or damaged hair, look for hydrating formulas with ingredients like argan oil or shea butter to restore moisture and strengthen strands. For oily hair, a lightweight, clarifying shampoo with tea tree oil or charcoal can help balance excess oil without stripping your scalp. Curly, textured, or dyed hair thrives with sulfate-free, deeply nourishing formulas that enhance definition, fight frizz, and keep your locks vibrant. And if you have a sensitive scalp, a gentle, fragrance-free option with soothing ingredients like aloe vera or chamomile is a great choice. Ultimately, picking the right shampoo and conditioner is all about listening to your hair and giving it the care it needs!
To those ends, here are a few of our favorite natural shampoos without toxic chemicals on the market right now, each of which has been editor-tested and approved. Read on for more details about these natural shampoos and their conditioner counterparts, and find out which one might be right for you.
Our criteria and methodology:
Our team drew on a decade of experience researching, testing, and corresponding with organic haircare brands to select which were tested for this guide. Our editors have also scoured thousands of online reviews for different hair types to ensure there’s something for everyone on this list.
I have thin, fine, shoulder-length straight hair that gets super greasy. [UPDATE: I have a lot of hair, but I also have breakage from years of bleaching that I’m currently reversing — I’m growing out my natural color so my hair is dyed brown on the ends and natural brown at the roots.] So when I reviewed the below nontoxic shampoos, each was tested with a double shampoo, because that’s always what my oily hair needs! I’ve noted brands that are geared to different textures and types.
The criteria for our selections fall into the below categories, and we regularly update this list with emerging favorites.
- NATURAL/ORGANIC | Each shampoo is free of sodium lauryl sulfate and other harsh ingredients, many with certifications to back them up like B-Corp or EWG verified.
- EFFICACY | I personally tested each product for efficacy, and you’ll find more details about exactly how each one left my hair feeling.
- AFFORDABLE | Cost is a number-one factor for a lot of folks, so we’ve included a range of price points here. They go for over $4 per ounce at the high end to less than $1 per ounce at the low end.
- SCENT | I’m a sucker for a good scent! I’ve described the scent of each shampoo below, and noted which ones might be a bit too strong for folks who are sensitive to smell. We’ve only chosen brands that can ensure their fragrance compositions are also nontoxic.
To learn more about natural, clean beauty, check out our lists of natural skincare, aluminum-free natural deodorants, and plastic-free shampoo bars.
Table of Contents:
- Best Overall: Prose ($34)
- Most Affordable: Attitude ($13)
- Best Scent: Ceremonia ($22)
- Best Lather: Sienna Naturals ($28)
- Most Natural Ingredients: Ethique ($17)
- Best For All Hair Types: Ursa Major ($26)
- Best For Hair Growth: Vegamour ($38)
- Best For Dry Hair: Alaffia ($16)
- Best For Sensitive/Oily Scalps: SEEN ($29)
- Best Plant-Based Formula: 100% PURE ($24)
1. Sienna Naturals
Best For | Textured hair
Natural & Organic | Vegan, no sulfates, silicone, parabens, fillers, or synthetic fragrance
Price Range | $28 (discounted subscriptions available); $2.80/ounce
Vegan hair care line Sienna Naturals made waves when it relaunched in 2020 with a new co-owner, Issa Rae. The brand creates products for textured and curly hair that focus on hair and scalp health and that don’t include harsh chemicals. Their H.A.P.I. Shampoo is a foaming cleanser that deeply cleans while delivering moisture that helps detangle and restore natural curl patterns. The product wins award after award, including a Byrdie 2022 Eco Award and a Cosmopolitan 2023 Holy Grail Beauty Award. The brand’s matching Untangled Conditioner helps with hydration and easy detangling.
My Review | They weren’t lying when they called this a “moisture-rich foaming cleanser.” It produces a beautiful thick, rich, silky lather that feels cleansing but not at all stripping. While my hair is pretty much the opposite of this product’s target hair type, it still worked beautifully on my thin, straight locks — but its rich, velvety lather would be especially great for someone with thick, curly, or coily hair. Its spa-like lavender and geranium scent was subtle and calming.
2. Prose
Best For | Personalized formulations
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients, no parabens, sulfates, or GMOs
Price Range | $34 (discounted subscriptions available); $4/ounce
Since everyone’s hair is different, Prose believes everyone’s shampoo should be, too. The hair care brand crafts custom formulations depending on your hair type, hair concerns, and even the environmental factors where you live, like UV exposure and humidity. The result is a formula that’s 100% yours, with your name on the label. You can opt for individual shampoos or conditioners, or invest in the complete systems, which also come with a treatment mask and oral supplements. Prose is a certified B Corp and Climate Neutral, they formulate with no harsh chemicals, and they bottle everything in their Brooklyn factory.
My Review | After I took Prose’s test, my hair care system came beautifully packaged, with literature that told me about my customized products. Based on my test results, the shampoo they sent me focuses on volumizing, fiber repair, and color protection. I chose the scent Aura, a limited edition summer 2023 fragrance that I’ve unfortunately fallen in love with for its breezy, gender-neutral scent with notes of musk and florals. The shampoo lathered well and left my hair feeling freshly clean just like Ceremonia below, but its formulation was a bit thicker. And in the days after, I definitely noticed my hair looking more voluminous than usual! The brand isn’t cheap by any means, but it’s so worth it — I love how elevated it feels while still staying moderately priced.
3. Ceremonia
Best For | Plant-based ingredients sourced from Latin America
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients, no parabens, sulfates, or silicones
Price Range | $22 (discounted subscriptions available); $2.60/ounce
“Growing up as a Latin American immigrant in a homogenous country like Sweden, I never found myself represented in mainstream media and the products I consumed,” says Ceremonia founder Babba Riviera on their website, so she set out to make a hair care brand that focuses on Latinx heritage. They source ingredients from Central and South America, and the brand offers three different shampoo/conditioner sets for different hair types — one for thick and dry hair, one for fine and thin hair, and one for damage repair and color protection. All products come in beautifully chic packaging with pumps.
My Review | I opted for the Champú de Yucca for Fine/Thin Hair. The formula was surprisingly runny compared to other shampoos I’ve used, but it lathered up well. And despite not having the most intense lather ever, it made my hair feel super clean, literally — as I washed out my second shampoo, my fingers could feel how clean my strands were, leaving my hair feeling super lightweight. I especially loved the scent on this one: Citrusy, musky, floral, and expensive-smelling, with a touch of eucalyptus. This is the brand I’ve stuck with for the long haul. I love their fine hair product, and it’s one of the most affordable on the list. Plus, it’s easily available at Sephora.
4. Ursa Major
Best For | A shampoo for the whole family
Natural & Organic | Vegan, certified plastic-negative
Price Range | $26 (discounted subscriptions available); $3.25/ounce
A Good Trade fave, Ursa Major is a B-Corp based in Vermont that specializes in no-frills skincare. They have a tight lineup of bodycare products, too, including deodorant, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The brand calls its products, infused with natural ingredients, “super refreshing,” and “wildly effective.” They’re super transparent about sustainability, too — they’re certified plastic negative, they use FSC-certified paper for most of their secondary packaging, and they produce 90% of their cartons at a carbon neutral facility.
My Review | Another beautifully scented product, Ursa Major’s shampoo smells like Christmas trees. It worked into a fairly rich lather that didn’t feel too stripping — lots of shampoos make this claim, but I think this “Go Easy” shampoo is truly designed for all hair types. It was lathery enough to remove product buildup, yet gentle enough on my fine hair, leaving it feeling bouncy and hydrated. The balsam scent was the cherry on top, making this stuff a shower staple for everyone in the family, no matter their hair type.
5. Attitude
Best For | Most affordable
Natural & Organic | Vegan, EWG-verified
Price Range | $13; $0.81/ounce
Known for their EWG-verified laundry detergents, Attitude has ventured into the space of cleaning your hair, too. The brand creates high-performance cleaning products and personal care products that run the gamut from air purifiers to toothpaste to face serums, and much of their packaging is designed to reduce plastic. The most affordable products on this list (by far!), their shampoos are still made with 98% naturally sourced ingredients, and you can usually find their products at places like Whole Foods and Walmart.
My Review | This is pretty much your standard drugstore shampoo, but with a fresh, invigorating orange scent and 98% natural ingredients for peace of mind. It has a thick formula that was easy to apply (unlike those runnier ones) and it foamed up a ton. Note that it’s not sulfate-free — it uses sodium coco-sulfate, which is a milder alternative to the common sodium lauryl sulfate, but it’s still not a product I would use on my hair every day. This is a great affordable, basic option, as long as you don’t use it every day or have super dry or damaged hair.
6. Ethique
Best For | Shampoo bar, minimal packaging
Natural & Organic | B-Corp certified, plastic-free, cruelty-free, palm oil-free
Price Range | $17
New Zealand-based B-Corp Ethique is revolutionizing the haircare space with a full lineup of plastic-free bar shampoos and conditioners, and their sustainability initiatives don’t stop there — they plant a tree for every online order, and they donate 2% of their sales to charity. They offer shampoo bars for all sorts of concerns, from frizz to oil to curls, and they carry some face and body products, too, like deodorant, body wash, moisturizers, and lip balm.
My Review | This was my first-ever shampoo bar experience, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve always been worried a shampoo bar wouldn’t give me enough lather to thoroughly cleanse my oily hair, but this one absolutely did. It took a minute or two of rubbing between my hands, but it was all worth it when it worked up a rich, citrus-smelling lather that fully refreshed my hair — a little too well, actually, since it left that extremely clean feeling some hard bar soaps leave on your body. A little goes a long way with this one, and note that it also has sodium coco-sulfate. But some of their other bars don’t have sulfates, giving you a more balanced, moisturizing cleanse at a super affordable price and with no plastic.
7. 100% PURE
Best For | Plant-forward formulations
Natural & Organic | Certified organic ingredients, no chemical preservatives, artificial colors, or fragrances
Price Range | $24; $3/ounce
California-based 100% Pure is cruelty-free and uses all-natural ingredients in their hair care formulations. They offer a range of different shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments targeting different hair types and concerns, all with botanical-forward ingredients like a “restorative” system with honey and a “healthy scalp” set with neem. The company is Green Business Certified and offers skincare, body care, and makeup products, too.
My Review | I tested the Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo, a hydrating, gently purifying formula. I loved its fresh, minty scent, and its ingredient list is super clean — it’s made almost exclusively of plant extracts and oils. It didn’t foam up as much as most cleansers, so while that made it super gentle on my hair and dye job, it might not be the best option when your hair has a ton of product in it. But I loved how invigorating its scent was in the morning, and it comes in huge, cost-effective sizes.
8. SEEN
Best For | Sensitive skin types
Natural & Organic | Fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free, no pore-clogging oils, free of sulfates, silicones, phthalates, dyes, and parabens
Price Range | $29 (discounted subscriptions available); starting at $3.09/ounce
Created by a dermatologist, SEEN targets their products to folks with sensitive or acne-prone skin, treating hair care like part of your skincare (because shampoo can kind of get everywhere). They carry two shampoos — one with scent and one without — both of which were clinically proven to be non-comedogenic. In a study, 70% of participants with acne saw an improvement in body acne and 52% saw a reduction of face acne, while 93% of participants with flaky scalps saw improvement. Combine those stats with a formulation that’s designed to reduce frizz and deeply clean without stripping, and you’re left with both healthier hair and skin. Their fragrance-free option is even backed by the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.
My Review | This one lathered up just as well as a clarifying shampoo — perfect for my fine, oily hair — leaving my hair feeling clean but not dry or brittle. I loved it! I tested out the fragrance-free version, and while I’ll admit I am prone to the occasional eczema flare-up along with acne on my face and body, I did miss the scent. The scented version is supposed to be just as effective for treating acne, so I think it’d be a perfect shampoo for me. And the next time I have an eczema flare-up, I’ll reach for my unscented sample!
9. Alaffia
Best For | Dry hair types
Natural & Organic | Fragrance-free, Fair Trade, cruelty-free, free of sulfates, silicones, phthalates, dyes, and parabens
Price Range | $16 (discounted subscriptions available); starting at $2.01/ounce
Another unscented option, Alaffia’s EveryDay Shea shampoo is handcrafted with Fair Trade, unrefined shea butter. Formulated for dry hair types, the shampoo also has shea leaf and virgin coconut oil, and it comes in a few different scent options, too, including lavender and vanilla mint. And Alaffia has some impressive ethical specs, believing that it’s their “moral responsibility to ensure African resources empower African communities.” They use exclusively fairly traded shea and coconut products to ensure trade partners are paid equitably, and they’re partnered with the Global Alliance for Community Empowerment to execute projects in West Africa aimed at women and the environment. Their shampoos are some of the most affordable on this list, made with a small list of simple ingredients. The brand also makes goods like cleansers, balms, and curl products.
My Review | While the price point and company ethics of this brand make it a fantastic product in my opinion, my hair is just too fine and straight! The shampoo had a subtle lather — great for folks with super dry hair, but not cleansing enough for mine. While it’s not the right fit for my hair, especially in comparison with other products on this list, it still left my hair clean, soft, and silky.
Also available at: Thrive Market
10. Vegamour
Best For | Stimulating hair growth
Natural & Organic | Vegan
Price Range | $38 (discounted subscriptions available); $4.75/ounce
A holistic haircare brand, Vegamour uses only the highest quality ingredients in their shampoos, conditioners, and serums. Their products are not cheap, but they formulate with a science-driven approach, using ingredients that can be effectively absorbed and synthesized by the body. The products are 100% vegan, and they often use Karmatin, a vegan alternative to keratin. All products are clinically tested, so you know they really work, and they target different concerns like hair growth, hair damage, and dandruff. Don’t just take my word for it — our other editor also reviewed and loved Vegamour for hair regrowth.
My Review | I was pleasantly shocked at how much this one lathered up! The bubbles were silky and smooth, and it has a gorgeous floral scent that’s powdery and jasmine-y — not everyone will love it, but I definitely do. It had a funky screw cap that did make dispensing a tiny bit difficult, but they’ve updated that in more recent versions. It also gave a little too much lather for comfort, which checked out when I realized it uses the same cleansing agent as the clarifying shampoo I use every few weeks to reduce buildup. As much as I loved this one, it’ll be a special occasion-only product for when I want a luxurious scent and clean-feeling locks — or to treat specific concerns around hair loss.
Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. Since 2022, she has been reviewing the top sustainable home, wellness, fashion, and beauty products, sharing her honest opinion on the best finds. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!
