The 7 Best Shampoos & Conditioners for Black Hair Growth

Growing healthy hair is the ultimate goal of every woman with black hair. Shampoos that promote hair growth go a long way in growing strong hair and minimizing breakage. Here’s a lineup of the best shampoo and conditioners for black hair growth.

What Is the Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Black Hair Growth?

Finding the best shampoo and conditioner for black hair growth can be like finding a needle in a haystack. There are plenty of products and companies that don’t help black hair as much as they could.

That’s why we found the best of the best to help you find the perfect match for your hair. Our best pick is Shea Moisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo, but it’s essential to check out other options like:

Our Top 7 Picks:

1. Best Overall: Shea Moisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo
2. Best Budget Buy: Maui Strengthening Shampoo
3. Best Natural Shampoo: Argan Oil Shampoo by Crème of Nature
4. Best for Strengthening Hair: Camille Rose Leave-in Conditioner
5. Best for Damaged Hair: Aveda Restructuring Shampoo
6. Best for Curly Hair: SheaMoisture 2-in-1 Conditioner and Detangler
7. Best for Dry Hair: Carol’s Daughter Black Shampoo

Why Shampoo and Conditioner Is Important for Black Hair Growth

Finding shampoos formulated for black hair can be daunting. Many products have formulas that hardly cater to the unique nature of black hair, making it challenging to nurture it effectively. Black hair is categorized as type 4 hair as it’s extremely curly, coarse, and drier than other hair types.

Its curly nature makes some people believe black hair doesn’t need shampooing, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Shampooing and conditioning black hair is just as important as any other hair type. Here’s why:

Cleanses the Scalp

Shampooing removes flaky skin and product buildup that prevents hair growth. Gentle shampoos are particularly effective as they cleanse the scalp without stripping hair of its natural oils. Remember, black hair is generally dry, and using harsh shampoos makes the hair drier.

Remove Excess Oils

Shampooing removes the excess oil buildup on the scalp, which hinders hair growth. The sebaceous glands produce sebum which builds up over time, clogging the pores and preventing hair growth.

Lock in Moisture

Black hair is coarse and dry, and shampooing helps restore moisture. Hydrating shampoos are beneficial because they moisturize the hair, nourish follicles, and repair damaged hair. Following them up with conditioners goes a long way in keeping the hair hydrated and healthy.

Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Black Hair Growth

The most important thing when shampooing black hair is using the right product. Here are the seven products we found helpful for black hair growth:

1. Best Overall: Shea Moisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo

This shampoo has the perfect combination of ingredients for black hair growth. Jamaican Castor oil moisturizes the hair while promoting its growth and elasticity, while organic Shea Butter nourishes the scalp and the hair.

It also contains apple cider vinegar, which lowers the hair’s pH, leaving it smooth and easy to detangle while reducing the itchiness. The shampoo also distributes pretty well throughout the hair, so you don’t have to apply much product.

It’s also formulated to promote deep cleaning, removing any product buildup. It rinses better than regular shampoos, hardly leaving residue but a lovely scent reminiscent of vanilla notes, castor oil, and cider vinegar, and it isn’t overpowering.

2. Best Budget Buy: Maui Strengthening Shampoo

Black hair is more susceptible to frizz than any other hair type. Using the right moisturizing and conditioning products help seal the cuticles and prevents air from getting in, eliminating frizzing. Maui shampoo is an excellent example of a shampoo that removes frizz.

Its formula contains moisturizing and restorative ingredients like aloe vera, castor oil, bamboo fibers, and neem oil to strengthen, repair, and fortify hair locks. This combination of ingredients also helps soften and renew natural hair, restoring a healthy-looking glow.

3. Best Natural Shampoo: Argan Oil Shampoo by Crème of Nature

A shampoo that hydrates, detangles, and nourishes hair is an excellent buy for women with black hair. Argan Oil Shampoo by Crème of Nature is sulfate-free, so it doesn’t dry out hair after washing.

It also contains various natural ingredients, including coconut oil, argan oil, avocado, and olive oil which strengthen, moisturize and restore damaged hair shafts.

The shampoo also has adequate slip to help you detangle the stubborn hair knots on type 4 hair while washing it. Since it’s an all-natural shampoo, it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like phthalates, parabens, propylene, mineral oil, paraffin, or silicones.

4. Best for Strengthening Hair: Camille Rose Leave-in Conditioner

A conditioner is a critical component of any natural hair regimen. It hydrates the hair and smooths out frizz leaving your hair springy, hydrated, and easy to manage. This Camille Rose Leave-in Conditioner is an excellent addition to your hair products.

It’s enriched with rice milk nourishing your hair with vitamins A, B12, and D, essential for hair growth. It’s blended with macadamia seed oil, which is known for strengthening hair. The oil binds to the hair shaft, infusing it with fatty acids that prevent breakage.

Macadamia oil also has anti-oxidizing properties that help the hair to recover from exposure to harmful environmental elements like pollutants. The result is softer, smoother, and stronger black hair free of tangles.

5. Best for Damaged Hair: Aveda Restructuring Shampoo

Black hair is often susceptible to drying and thinning, which can be damaging. This shampoo from Aveda helps restructure the hair, restoring its health, shine, and glow. It contains crucial ingredients for hair repair, including coconut, quinoa protein, and babassu.

Quinoa protein contains hydrolyzed protein that penetrates the hair from the stem cells in hair follicles, promoting the growth of stronger and voluminous hair.

Quinoa also helps repair split ends by filling in the gaps of the cuticles in the hair with protein. The shampoo deep cleans the hair and the scalp, leaving it lighter, fluffier, and smoother.

6. Best for Curly Hair: SheaMoisture 2-in-1 Conditioner and Detangler

Although this 2-in-1 conditioner is designed for wigs and weaves, it makes an excellent product for women with curly hair. One or two squirts of the product on your hair will reduce your brushing time by nearly half.

The product contains borage seed oil, tea tree oil, and aloe vera, which help moisturize, detangle, and reduce frizz on curly hair. It also smells fresh, making a great quick fix if you don’t want to wash your hair.

Its spritz design makes it easy to dispense the conditioner on hair because you don’t have to apply a full-on stream of the product. This means you have more control over the amount of product you can use, making it last longer.

7. Best for Dry Hair: Carol’s Daughter Black Shampoo

Shampoos that contain harsh chemicals like silicon, parabens, and sulfates strip hair of moisture. Dry hair can’t grow effectively; instead, it breaks due to a lack of moisture. Carol’s Daughter Black Shampoo is the best for dry hair as it has a hydrating formula.

It contains aloe vera, shea butter, and rosemary, which restore moisture while removing any product buildup and dirt.

The shampoo works on all curl types — 4A, 4B, 4C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 2A, 2B, and 2C — and comes with a leave-in conditioner to complete your hair routine. Carol’s Daughter Black Shampoo is a great everyday shampoo, especially if you occasionally use a clarifying shampoo.

Finding the Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Black Hair Growth

Black hair presents a unique set of challenges, and using the wrong shampoo can worsen its condition. So, how do you choose the right shampoo and conditioner for black hair growth?

Know Your Hair Type

Although black hair is largely categorized as type 4 hair, it varies by texture and curls, and knowing your exact class goes a long way in choosing the right product. Type 4 hair is also referred to as afro hair and is the most fragile texture.

This means it needs a lot of care to keep it moisturized, detangled, and prevent breakage. Type 4 hair is further divided into three classes — 4a, 4b, and 4c and each has unique hair needs.

Type 4a hair needs intense nourishment and moisturizing using natural hair butter and essential oils, while Type 4b is prone to dryness, making it tangle and loses its shine. Type 4c hair, on the other hand, has tight, springy coils on each strand which are more prone to breakage.

It needs a hydrating shampoo containing sealing oils like olive, castor, amla, or moringa to moisturize the hair and increase elasticity. A leave-in conditioner also comes in handy.

Read Next: Take Our “What Is My Hair Type” Quiz!

Look Out for Sulfates

Most shampoos contain sulfates like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), sodium hydrochloride, and sodium Laureth Sulphate (SDS), making black hair extremely dry. Although sulfates help the product foam quickly and clean the scalp, they strip the hair of its natural oils.

Shampoos containing mild sulfate components also affect the hair’s growth and health. It’s best to look for natural shampoos because they don’t have sulfates.

Slip

The curls and coils of black hair twirl around each other, creating knots. Removing them can be challenging because you need to manipulate the strands, which can damage the hair in the process.

A shampoo or conditioner with lots of slip removes the knots without breakage by reducing friction between the strands. Such shampoos or conditioners have oil ingredients like argan and coconut oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are commonly asked questions about black shampoo for black hair growth:

What is the best way to improve black hair growth?

Besides using products that foster growth, you can:

• Apply a conditioner after every wash
• Avoid washing hair frequently
• Massage the scalp with oil to stimulate hair follicles
• Avoid using shampoos that contain parabens, sulfates, or silicon

Shampoo and Conditioner for Black Hair Growth: Final Thoughts

We found Shea Moisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo an excellent buy for black hair growth because of its rich ingredients. It contains Jamaican castor oil and shea butter, known for their hydrating benefits that foster hair growth, and apple cider oil for detangling hair.

You’ll also love that it lathers pretty well and doesn’t contain the harsh chemicals known for stripping hair of natural oils. Happy shampooing!