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Washing your hair can be challenging when you have folliculitis and don’t have the right shampoo to reduce inflammation. Fortunately, we know the ins and outs of choosing the best folliculitis shampoo for long-term treatment.
What’s the Best Shampoo for Folliculitis?
If you’re curious about what we think the best shampoo for folliculitis is, we chose CLn 2-in-1 Gentle Wash & Shampoo. It has excellent cleansing properties, is safe for all hair types, and is fragrance-free.
Are you interested in testing other options for managing your folliculitis? Then, check out our summary of our top options for the best shampoo for folliculitis.
Our Top Picks for the Best Folliculitis Shampoo:
- Best Overall: CLn 2-in-1 Gentle Wash & Shampoo
- Best for Curly Hair: Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Shampoo
- Best for Dry Hair: LivSo Moisturizing Shampoo for Dry Hair & Scalp
- Best Cruelty-Free Option: Avalon Organics Scalp Treatment Tea Tree Shampoo
- Best for Sensitive Scalps: Thera Neem Scalp Therapy Shampoo
- Best Sulfate-Free Formula: Puriya Scalp-Clarifying Shampoo
Our top options have their share of strengths and weaknesses, but many work well against mild and severe cases of folliculitis while keeping your hair fresh and clean. Some of their formulas are flexible for different hair types and textures if you can’t find one that matches your needs.
Why You Need a Special Shampoo for Folliculitis
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If your scalp feels lumpy and itchy around your hair follicles, you might have a case of folliculitis. If you don’t want to spend the next few weeks scratching your irritated scalp, you’ll need the best shampoo to relieve inflammation.
Shampoos that treat folliculitis manage your scalp’s flakiness from excessive itching around your hair follicles with a deep-cleansing formula that soothes your pores while removing oils and debris from your hair.
Most folliculitis shampoos are also ideal for treating other scalp conditions, including dandruff and dryness. Finding the most effective formula can be time-consuming. Thankfully, several shampoos can help you manage your folliculitis until it goes away.
Best Shampoo for Folliculitis: Top 6 Picks
We compiled this list of our top options for the best shampoo for folliculitis to help simplify your search for effective formulas that meet your scalp and hair’s needs. So, let’s delve into what makes each option worth trying.
1. Best Overall: CLn 2-in-1
- Suitable for all hair types
- Gentle cleansing properties
- Fragrance-free
- Expensive
- Contains sulfates
First up is our best overall pick for the top shampoo for folliculitis, CLn 2-in-1. This gentle formula is ideal for all hair types and those with sensitive, dry, or itchy scalps.
This fragrance-free formula makes it the perfect solution for anyone who prefers shampoo without overbearing, artificial aromas. It doesn’t contain harsh parabens and triclosan, an antibacterial agent. However, it contains a few sulfates that enhance its lathering properties.
It might be expensive for some users, but it’s worth the price if you want quality treatment for your folliculitis.
2. Best for Curly Hair: Max Green Alchemy Shampoo
- Contains plant-based ingredients
- Paraben and sulfate-free
- Ideal for dry, itchy scalps
- Not ideal for daily use
- Expensive
Finding folliculitis shampoo for curly hair can be challenging, so we recommend Max Green Alchemy Shampoo as an excellent alternative. It’s ideal for all hair types, including curly and wavy hair, making it one of the most flexible formulas for treating your scalp.
This formula doesn’t contain harsh sulfates or parabens, making it the perfect solution if you prefer organic shampoo. Its ingredients include botanical extracts and essential oils that treat dry, flaky scalps and keep your hair soft and shiny.
However, these quality ingredients make it a bit expensive on some budgets, regardless of the bottle size you choose.
3. Best for Dry Hair: LivSo Moisturizing Shampoo
- Coconut-scented fragrance
- Excellent moisturizing properties
- Contains natural ingredients
- Increases sensitivity to the sun
- Only available in one scent
The best shampoo for folliculitis we recommend for combatting hair and scalp dryness is LivSo Moisturizing Shampoo. Its moisturizing properties are the perfect solution to relax your pores, reduce scalp irritation, and keep your hair fresh and soft.
It has natural ingredients for unclogging pores, reducing follicle breakage, and strengthening your scalp’s skin, including coconut oil, xylitol, shea butter, and glycolic acid. It also has a fresh coconut fragrance, but it might not resonate with some users who prefer other scents.
Although this moisturizing shampoo is great for keeping your hair and scalp healthy, increased use of this formula can increase your scalp’s sensitivity to the sun because of its alpha-hydroxy acid. Therefore, we recommend using this sparingly if you enjoy the outdoors.
4. Best Cruelty-Free Option: Avalon Organics Scalp Shampoo
- Contains vegan-friendly, plant-based ingredients
- Gentle cleansing sensation
- Subtle tea tree fragrance
- Subpar lathering capabilities
- Poor packaging quality
Avalon Organics Scalp Shampoo is a cruelty-free folliculitis shampoo you should try if you prefer vegan-friendly formulas. Its ingredients include several botanical extracts and essential oils, such as tea tree leaf oil, peppermint oil, organic Matricaria flower extract, and rosemary oil.
It doesn’t contain parabens, synthetic colors or fragrances, and GMOs, making it one of the more environmentally-friendly shampoos you should add to your hair care collection. It has a subtle tea tree fragrance, so you don’t have to worry about cleansing your scalp and hair with something too intense.
However, it has a watery texture that impacts its lathering ability. This shampoo’s packaging can sometimes have defects, such as leaks or a pump that’s hard to unclog.
5. Best for Sensitive Scalps: Thera Neem Scalp Shampoo
- Affordable
- Deep-cleansing capabilities
- Removes excess buildup
- Faulty packaging
- Too watery
If you’re having trouble searching for the best shampoo for folliculitis and have a sensitive scalp, look no further than Thera Neem Scalp Shampoo. This shampoo cleanses the buildup from your scalp’s follicles with neem oil to reduce soreness and itchiness, regardless of hair type.
This Thera Neem shampoo’s formula is gluten-free, paraben-free, and vegan-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about harsh ingredients causing more inflammation or itchiness on your scalp.
This shampoo is prone to packaging damage, such as a broken cap or leaking before you open it. Its texture is also watery, giving it a weaker lathering ability that prompts you to use extra shampoo per wash.
6. Best Sulfate-Free Formula: Puriya Scalp-Clarifying Shampoo
- Hydrates damaged hair
- Gentle sensation
- Safe for color-treated hair
- Overbearing fragrance
- Leaves a sticky residue
Puriya Scalp-Clarifying Shampoo lacks harsh surfactants that can cause more irritation to your scalp, making it one of the best additions to any hair care routine for folliculitis.
It hydrates your scalp and hair with an excellent blend of rosemary, tea tree oil, sage, and arnica. It also lacks sulfates, parabens, and artificial coloring, making it ideal for anyone with sensitive scalps, regardless of hair type.
It has a natural rosemary fragrance, but it might smell too intense for some users. The formula can also make your hair or scalp sticky if you don’t thoroughly rinse it.
Shampoo for Folliculitis Buying Guide
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You’ll need to consider several factors when choosing the best shampoo for folliculitis. We compiled a few features below to help you simplify the process.
Ingredients
Before narrowing down your top shampoo options, check their labels for ingredients that might cause allergic reactions, such as redness and itchiness, that might impact your folliculitis management.
Avoid shampoos with parabens, sulfates, or artificial fragrances, and look for ones with antifungal essential oils, like tea tree oil or neem oil.
Hair Type or Scalp Condition
Another factor to consider when choosing folliculitis shampoo is your hair type or scalp’s condition. Some formulas are suitable for all hair types, while others are more suited for specific conditions, like dry, coarse, or color-treated hair.
If you have severe or mild folliculitis, consider choosing a formula designed explicitly for inflamed or itchy scalps.
Bottle Size
If you have a severe case of folliculitis, you’ll need enough shampoo to make it go away within a few weeks. So, you should consider choosing a bottle size that matches how often you’ll need to wash your hair and scalp.
Some folliculitis shampoo formulas come in multiple bottle size options, while other brands offer only one.
Lathering Ability
A shampoo’s lathering ability is essential for reaching every area of your scalp and cleansing irritated hair follicles, so you should consider getting one that lathers well.
If a shampoo formula is too watery, you’ll need to use extra and spend more time measuring it to ensure you don’t use too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you still have questions about choosing the best shampoo for folliculitis, here are a few answers to some popular questions.
How often should I shampoo if I have folliculitis?
It depends on the severity of your folliculitis. We recommend shampooing your hair with your ideal formula once or thrice a week if you have mild folliculitis.
How long does it take for folliculitis to go away?
Folliculitis usually takes about one to two weeks to go away if you use the right shampoo. Consider looking at your shampoo’s label and rearranging your hair care regimen for more effective results.
Can I use folliculitis shampoos daily?
Some folliculitis shampoo formulas are ideal for daily usage. Consider checking each shampoo’s label if you need help determining whether you can use it for daily treatments.
Can shampoo for folliculitis cause allergic reactions?
Some ingredients can trigger allergic reactions in some users, from natural ones to artificial sulfates. Check the shampoo’s label before purchasing it to ensure it’s safe, and look out for swelling, burning, or itchiness if you use it.
Is folliculitis shampoo expensive?
The price for shampoo for folliculitis varies from brand to brand. If a specific brand offers more than one size option, you can expect the larger one to cost more than the smaller ones. Another factor that affects a shampoo’s pricing is the ingredients incorporated into its formula.
So, What’s the Best Shampoo for Folliculitis?
We consider CLn 2-in-1 Gentle Wash & Shampoo our top pick in our rundown for the best shampoo for folliculitis. Its fragrance-free formula, gentle cleansing properties, and compatibility with multiple hair types make it the perfect solution for treating scalps irritated by folliculitis.
- Suitable for all hair types
- Gentle cleansing properties
- Fragrance-free
- Expensive
- Contains sulfates
You should also consider checking out the other alternatives we listed if you’re looking for a formula with specific ingredients or one suitable for specific hair conditions.