9 Best Straightening Shampoos: Your Buyer’s Guide

1. 1. Editor’s Choice: Kerastase Discipline Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner

   

   Price: $56.86

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Hair is smoother & softer for days after use
   • Leaves hair squeaky clean with no residue
   • Easy to use, spread & rinse

   Cons:

   • May not suit very fine hair
   • Conditioner is meant for towel-dried hair
   • Nice scent but doesn't last long

   Kerastase’s sulfate-free Discipline Bain Fluidealiste and Fondant Fluidealiste is a hydrating, cleansing, frizz-fighting, hair straightening shampoo and conditioning duo designed to create smoother, sleeker, softer, lighter, and more radiant tresses in fine or normal hair. It does this by sealing the hair fiber in its creamy, thick formula.

   If you’ve got curly, wavy, or just unruly, stubborn hair, this is for you. Softening agents and surface protectors help to make hair easier and more manageable to work with and leave you with softer, smoother, silkier strands. What’s also nice is how easily the shampoo lathers into thick, creamy suds, while the conditioner controls frizz and leaves hair looking sleek and lovely.

   Find more KERASTASE Discipline Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner information and reviews here.

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2. 2. Tec Italy Metamorfosi Temporary Hair Straightening Shampoo and Conditioner

   

   Price: $43.88

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Gives natural, healthy, strong shine
   • Works well to help straighten hair
   • Won't weigh hair down

   Cons:

   • Some had better results with others
   • Formula changed
   • Some found it pricey

   Metamorfosi Shampoo and Conditioner is a unique combination of Italian, American, and mesoamerican technology rolled into one. The temporary relaxing shampoo is perfect if you’ve got lots of curls and need more control over them or that annoying frizz, or if you’d simply love a break, with simple, straight locks instead. It also works to pre-treat less curly hair before being straightened, as the formula is meant to work well with flat irons or other heated styling tools to safely and effectively straighten hair, and it provides both resistance to moisture and thermal protection.

   Sunscreen-enriched with botanical proteins and silicones, the formula uses cystine complex W-S to clean, protect, strengthen, and fortify hair. The essential oil and mineral combination of tricone tricoerba, tricel-R, and tricosil protects the hair against heat, offering beautiful softness, texture, and shine.

   To use, wash hair with shampoo to start the relaxing process by massaging small amounts in evenly for 2-3 minutes and rinsing out. Follow with conditioner.

   Find more Tec Italy Metamorfosi Hair Straightening Shampoo information and reviews here.

3. 3. Agave Healing Oil Smoothing Shampoo

   

   Price: $25.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Makes hair smooth, silky & soft
   • Gentle, cleansing & nourishing
   • Feels and smells luxurious

   Cons:

   • May not cleanse oilier hair enough
   • Some found the serum smoothed more
   • Didn't lather enough for some

   If you absolutely love the results you get from the salon but just can’t seem to replicate them at home, you should try Agave Healing Oil’s Smoothing Shampoo. Ideal for hair that’s curly, damaged, coarse, curly, frizzy, dry, split, and just about anything else, the rich formula gently nourishes, hydrates, moisturizes, smoothes, and cleanses to remove dirt, debris, and buildup with moisturizing emollients and a great lather.

   The ph-balanced shampoo is safe for color-treated hair, has zero sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, and contains plant-based ingredients like agave sugars that help to heal and hydrate while maintaining hair’s color and making it shine. It tames, smoothes, controls curl, and polishes dull hair, so you’ll look and feel your best.

   Find more Agave Healing Oil Smoothing Shampoo information and reviews here.

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4. 4. UNITE Hair LAZER Straight Shampoo

   

   Price: $30.50

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Smoothes & tames hair very well
   • Leaves hair shiny and soft
   • Amazing scent

   Cons:

   • Didn't work as well for some as others
   • A bit pricey
   • May tint natural greys

   UNITE’s Hair LAZER Straight Shampoo is a straightening shampoo that smoothes out hair without weighing it down, plus it leaves you with tons of gorgeous shine. UNITE is an American brand created in 2003 by a celebrity hairstylist who knows his stuff. And this cruelty-free formula is vegan and made free of sulfates, sodium chloride, harsh chemicals, residues, and parabens (as is the entire 45-product line).

   If you’re needing to tame those tresses and all the frizz, curl, and tangle that comes with them, you’ll want to try it out. To use, apply to wet hair, lather, rinse and, if necessary, repeat.

   Find more UNITE Hair LAZER Straight Shampoo information and reviews here.

5. 5. OGX Ever-straightening + Brazillian Keratin Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

   

   Price: $21.08

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Reduces frizz and straightens hair nicely
   • Leaves hair healthy & shiny, with no residue
   • Makes hair strong and soft

   Cons:

   • Small quantity, but a little goes a long way
   • Cap doesn't lay flat to get all product out
   • Some didn't see dramatic change

   If you’re looking for a duo that does it all, give the OGX Ever-straightening + Brazillian Keratin Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner set a try.

   Ideal for curly and color-treated hair, the products have an amazing coconut scent that will transport you to a tropical island as you wash! The formula is designed to strengthen and soften hair, along with smooth the hair cuticle for strength, thanks to a powerful blend of coconut oils, keratin proteins, avocado oil, and cocoa butter that restores life back to your mane. Plus, the ingredients help to leave your hair absolutely shining.

   To use, apply shampoo to wet hair, massage into a lather, and rinse thoroughly. Follow with conditioner.

   Find more OGX Ever-straightening Shampoo and Conditioner information and reviews here.

6. 6. John Frieda Frizz Ease Flawlessly Straight Shampoo

   

   Price: $14.76

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Nourishes, softens & smoothes
   • Loosens curls well over time
   • Rinses easily with no residue or tangles

   Cons:

   • Thick, but lathers well
   • Doesn't add much volume
   • Pricey for the quantity

   John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Flawlessly Straight Shampoo is a keratin oil-infused formula that makes it easy and quick to style your waves, curls, or frizz out for gorgeous, straight strands.

   Ideal for wavy, curly, and medium-thick hair types and any frizz level, it cleanses, smoothes, softens, nourishes, and fights frizz, making hair healthier, more manageable, and easier to style. The best part is it’s safe for color-treated hair, so you can maintain that vibrant hue and get sleek, elegant locks at the same time.

   You can use this shampoo regularly, anytime you wash your hair, and it works even better with John Frieda’s complementary Frizz Ease serums.

   Find more John Frieda Frizz Ease Flawlessly Straight Shampoo information and reviews here.

7. 7. Virtue Smooth Shampoo for Coarse or Textured Hair

   

   Price: $40.00

   Shop now at Ulta Beauty
   Pros:

   • Leaves hair soft, smooth & frizz-free
   • Hair quickly becomes healthier & shinier
   • Cleans & rinses well with no residue

   Cons:

   • Scent not for everyone
   • Some didn't see dramatic change
   • Can be drying

   Virtue’s vegan, cruelty-free Smooth Shampoo for Coarse or Textured Hair helps to turn that dreaded frizz into smooth-as-silk strands. With the help of healing protein alpha keratin 60ku (the same as keratin), not only does it work to de-frizz dry, flyaway hair, but it also replenishes keratin (which comprises the majority of our hair), repairs, hydrates, and soothes, leaving hair in a much softer, silkier state. And, the shampoo is ideal for any hair type, including fine, medium, thick, straight, wavy, curly, coarse, or coiled.

   To use, massage a quarter-size amount of shampoo in your palms until it forms a lather. Work through wet hair, massage further, and rinse.

   Find more Virtue Smooth Shampoo for Coarse or Textured Hair information and reviews here.

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8. 8. Fanola Smooth Care Straightening Shampoo

   

   Price: $19.57

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Makes hair incredibly smooth, straight & soft
   • Very nourishing and hydrating
   • Lightweight and non-greasy

   Cons:

   • Scent not for everyone
   • May not suit overly oily hair
   • Can cause color to fade

   Fanola’s Smooth Care salon-sized straightening shampoo contains cotton oil, which makes straightening hair and reducing frizz a breeze. It also helps tame curls, waves, and otherwise unruly locks. Even after you style your hair, the shampoo keeps working to control hair and eliminate frizz.

   The gentle, lightweight, super nourishing, and hydrating formula is not only very effective at straightening hair, but it deep cleans and leaves it soft, smooth, free-flowing, controlled, and more manageable. You won’t be dealing with dull, dry, and frizzy hair that can sometimes come with straighter locks – rather, your ‘do will be stronger and shinier.

   To use, apply to wet hair, then massage through and rinse off.

   Find more Fanola Smooth Care Straightening Shampoo information and reviews here.

9. 9. Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo

   

   Price: $18.00

   Shop now at Ulta Beauty
   Pros:

   • Adds shine and smoothness
   • Cleans hair well
   • Leaves hair stronger and healthier

   Cons:

   • Some found it drying
   • Scent not for everyone
   • May not suit very oily hair

   If your hair feels frizzy, rough, dry, coarse, or otherwise in need of some smooth, shiny, sleek love, check out Matrix’s Total Results Mega Sleek clarifying shampoo. It tames and controls those unruly tresses and helps to manage and smooth out frizz, in even the most humid of climates. Ideal for both color-treated, natural, along with damaged hair, the formula is made with shea butter that seals the hair’s cuticle and boosts manageability.

   Use as often as desired, depending on your hair type, by applying and lathering into damp hair. Rinse, and follow with Mega Sleek Conditioner which helps to magnify the straight, sleek look you’re going for.

   Find more Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo information and reviews here.

Can Shampoo Straighten Hair?

Hair straightening shampoos help to prep your hair for straight styling. If you have coarse, frizzy hair, this is an important step to make things easier before reaching for your flat iron or other styling tools.

What Shampoo Straightens Hair The Best?

Each shampoo will affect everyone and their hair differently, so it's best to look for one that suits your specific hair type. Brands like Kerastase, Agave Healing Oil, Unite, and Virtue make some great hair straightening shampoos. 

How Can You Straighten Hair Without Heat?

There are several things you can do to get straighter hair without the drying, damaging effects of blow dryers or heated styling tools:

1. Blow dry with cold air
2. Sleep with wet hair
3. Use hair straightening shampoo and other straightening products
4. Apply a hair mask
5. Use plastic or velcro rollers
6. Wrap your hair with roller pins and a scarf