Christine Zier Klosedt: We wanted to ensure that we covered as many different hair types as possible. So, we had both men and women. We wanted it to be gender inclusive, all sorts of hair lengths from short to medium to long, color-treated hair, chemically processed hair, natural hair, gray hair, dyed hair. In doing so, we hoped that we were able to get as many different hair types as possible.

Kyra Blackwell: I'm Kyra Blackwell.

Rosie Garen: I'm Rosie Garen, and you're listening to the Wirecutter Show.

Rosie Garen: What a treat. I both my pals in the room.

Kyra Blackwell: Hey there.

Christine Siracusa: Hey there, stranger. It's like have the three of us been in the same room on an episode in a while? I don't think so.

Rosie Garen: It's been a minute. Um, today we're going to talk about shampoo.

Kyra Blackwell: Love shampoo.

Rosie Garen: The first step in many people's hair care routine, and actually it can play an outsized role in how your hair ends up looking, how your scalp feels, and generally how you're feeling about your hair.

Kyra Blackwell: And the way that you look in your and the way that you look in general, yeah.

Rosie Garen: Just it can really set a vibe, a tone for the day. We have quite an over-rotation of curly hair in this room. All of us have curly hair, different curl patterns, but because of that we end up talking a lot about hair care, and Kyra, we're talking

Christine Siracusa: like who should you get your hair cut by? I think Rosie, you're asking Kyra a lot of questions. I think we're both actually asking

Rosie Garen: Kyra just, yeah. But no, it's true. I really do feel like your hair can really set the tone for your day. If you're having a bad hair day, you're probably having a bad day.

Rosie Garen: But what's funny is that we we all, even though we have curly hair, we also have very different routines still, and our products vary a lot. But we all swear by our own different things. So, it's really a testament to just how unique everyone to hair really is.

Rosie Garen: And so therefore, our guest is Amanda Rosenthal today. Amanda is a staff writer here on the beauty team, and she wrote Wirecutter's guide to shampoos. And so she's going to break down everything we should know about our own hair, to find the right shampoo for it, and things you should be considering for your hair in general, and then the things that of course aren't so important.

Kyra Blackwell: After the break, we'll be back with Amanda to talk about shampoos, how she tested, and what you should look for. We'll be right back.

Rosie Garen: Welcome back. With us now is Amanda Rosenthal, who's a staff writer on the beauty team, who's covered everything from shampoo to lip liners. Some fun facts about her, she sat in a sauna with a full face of makeup just to test setting sprays, and she purchased a scalp camera to determine whether shampoo really cleans her scalp or not, which is dedication.

Christine Siracusa: That sounds terrifying.

Amanda Rosenthal: It absolutely was.

Rosie Garen: Well, welcome. It's so great to have you on the show. We're talking all about shampoo today. I think that this is a product that some people think a lot about, some people don't think much about. I want to ask what might seem like a dumb question, but it's a very foundational, and I think that it might be surprising to some people. So, what is shampoo actually supposed to do? What is the real purpose of shampoo? Why should we be using it?

Amanda Rosenthal: Not a dumb question at all. Shampoo is a cleanser, and essentially its main job is to remove any dirt, debris, oil, product buildup. It's supposed to create a cleaner and healthier environment for both your scalp and your hair.

Rosie Garen: And so, what are some maybe indications that your shampoo is not suiting you? Is there anything that you should be aware of around how your hair is feeling, how your scalp is feeling?

Amanda Rosenthal: Oh, absolutely. The first thing that comes to mind is how your scalp and hair actually feel. Are you experiencing any itchiness? Is your hair dry? Do you notice that your scalp is flaking? I think those are some key indicators, as well as also feeling your hair. Do you feel like your hair is super coated with product? Those are ultimately great ways to decide if you're using the right shampoo.

Rosie Garen: And so then, how do you pick the right shampoo for you?

Amanda Rosenthal: That is the tough question because hair is so personal and I think there's so many different concerns that come up with hair. Some general advice is figuring out what your biggest concern is. So, is your hair super dry? Are you looking to add more moisture and hydration? Are you looking for curl definition? Do you have super fine hair and you're looking to add more volume? Once you figure out your concern, you should also look at what your hair type is.

Rosie Garen: How do you figure out what your hair type is? That's the real question.

Amanda Rosenthal: When I spoke with my dermatologist, I also spoke with the trichologist.

Rosie Garen: What is a trichologist?

Amanda Rosenthal: A trichologist is kind of between a cosmetic dermatologist and an actual dermatologist, and they specialize specifically in hair and hair growth and scalp care.

Rosie Garen: So, what did they recommend in terms of figuring out what your hair type is?

Amanda Rosenthal: There's multiple ways to do it. So, starting off first with the actual diameter of the hair, looking at each individual strand and determining whether you have fine, medium, or thick hair is a great way to start.

Amanda Rosenthal: There's also another way to look at density, which is the number of hairs per square inch, and that could mean that someone who has super fine hair also has super dense hair. Another way of looking at it is the Andre Walker hair typing system, and essentially there's four different hair types from straight to curly and coily and within those there's three variations. So, there's a lot of different ways to look at it and because your hair is so different from person to person, but also different within your hair, you know, you could have super fine hair on top, but then towards the bottom it's a lot thicker. I think it it's very personal.

Rosie Garen: Are people supposed to know how to tell the diameter of a hair follicle?

Amanda Rosenthal: If you're unsure, I highly recommend going to your hair stylist. They work with your hair, they'll know your hair type or any hair stylist. You could probably walk in and ask and they'll be able to tell you if it's super thin, if it's medium, or if it's thick. But essentially, if you look at one strand of hair, that's what you're identifying.

Rosie Garen: My hack is ask Kyra

Kyra Blackwell: what my hair type is. Love it. I'm not a professional, but yeah, this all does seem very complicated, Amanda. So, if you're trying to break it down for a loved one, maybe like your mom or your grandmother or something, um what is the simplest, most straightforward advice that you would give to somebody who's just trying to pick a good shampoo for themselves?

Amanda Rosenthal: Tackle your biggest concern first.

Kyra Blackwell: Meaning, oh, like my hair gets super oily quickly or my hair is too dry, like stuff like that.

Amanda Rosenthal: Or if you're looking for curl definition or volume. I think looking at what you're lacking currently is a great way to determine what shampoo to use.

Kyra Blackwell: Got it.

Rosie Garen: I have a super overly simplistic question. I'm sort of embarrassed to put this out there, but I assume that shampoo, you put your shampoo in, you sort of get it in there, you wash, wash, wash, you rinse it out. I wouldn't assume, even though I know, like when you go to the drugstore, you see 50 different types of things for different whatever. I have been less discerning in the past about picking shampoo because I assume it just needs to cleanse. Like you get it in there, you wash it out. Versus a conditioner where like I'm letting it sit in and I'm hoping it's going to detangle my curls. How is shampoo doing any of these things? Like when you think about problem areas, like what you want to address, how is shampoo like going to give you volume or something?

Amanda Rosenthal: I definitely think it's a two-part system. So, shampoo is great for helping your hair health. So, for example, if you're looking to add volume, but your scalp is super clogged with dry skin, debris, product build-up, you're never going to be able to achieve that because there's so much heaviness there that your hair naturally won't be able to lift.

Rosie Garen: So, it's like clear the slate and then let the conditioner help with these other things that you're trying to achieve.

Amanda Rosenthal: of shampoos also do contain conditioning agents. Not so much for those with fine hair. That's also why I don't know if any of you have fine hair, but if you notice that fine hair shampoos tend to be clear, whereas more medium and thick hair types, those shampoos tend to have those conditioning agents.

Christine Siracusa: Interesting. I didn't know that. I'm going to have to go back and look at my shampoo cuz I have fine hair and I use a fine hair shampoo.

Rosie Garen: Amanda, we tend to do some pretty elaborate testing here at Wirecutter just in terms of scope and getting a lot of people involved. So, I want to hear about what did you do for this guide? You must have looked at a lot of shampoos because any of us can go into a store and see just like 100 options on this on the shelves.

Amanda Rosenthal: Oh, and that is exactly where I started. I went into numerous Targets, CVS, Sally Beauty Salons, Sephoras, Ulta's, alongside also looking online at, you know, usual online retailers such as Amazon and CVS and Target. And originally I spoke with my sources and I asked dermatologists, what should we be looking for in a good shampoo? What makes a good cleanser? Are there any ingredients we should avoid? And after speaking with them, I went to my trichologist and talked to her about hair health and understanding the scalp's microbiome.

Kyra Blackwell: We're all looking at you in amazement right now. It's just you just named a whole bunch of things I have never thought to think about when thinking about shampoo.

Amanda Rosenthal: I mean it's a lot more complicated and for some people they're looking for a good just easy everyday shampoo, but you want it to be effective and work.

Kyra Blackwell: And cheap.

Amanda Rosenthal: Exactly. So, after talking with them, I compiled a list of 92 different shampoos, which is a whole lot. And within those 92, we separated them by hair type because we wanted to ensure that this guide encompassed as many hair types as possible. So, once that was done, I went back, I asked Wirecutter staffers for their recommendations, friends, family, along with my expert recommendations, so from hair stylists, derms, and that I was able to sort through and land on 32.

Rosie Garen: Ooh. Wow, that's still a lot to test.

Amanda Rosenthal: Absolutely. And within those 32, we sent them to preliminary round of testers. Kyra, you've actually tested for me, so thank you.

Kyra Blackwell: welcome. I have thoughts.

Amanda Rosenthal: And from that, we were able to get a sense of which ones were the top picks. And we sent those to a group of a whole new panel of testers, and we were able to then find our picks.

Rosie Garen: And tell me a little bit about your testers because everybody I mean, we all have such different hair even in this room. Three of us have curly hair, but totally different curl patterns. Amanda, you have straight hair, but it's not totally straight. It's got some body. Were you covering all these different hair types, I guess?

Amanda Rosenthal: Covering hair is very difficult, and we wanted to ensure that we covered as many different hair types as possible. So, all of our panelists, we had both men and women. We wanted it to be gender inclusive, all sorts of hair lengths from short to medium to long. We also wanted to ensure that we had color treated hair, chemically processed hair, natural hair, gray hair, dyed hair. In doing so, we hoped that we were able to get as many different hair types as possible for the most amount of people.

Rosie Garen: Right. And then so also probably pattern too from the straight to the super curly.

Amanda Rosenthal: Absolutely. We ended up having testers from 1A to 4B hair.

Rosie Garen: That's like a description of the curl pattern, right?

Amanda Rosenthal: Correct. So it's the Andre Walker hair typing system and 1A is super super straight hair and then 4B is coily hair.

Rosie Garen: Okay, great. And how many different categories did you break down?

Amanda Rosenthal: So originally we had a category for fine hair, a category for medium hair, a category for thick hair. All of those are based on the diameter. And then we broke it up into a curly coily category for curl definition. We also wanted to target dry and damaged hair because we know that's a super big concern. And then on the flip side, we also wanted to ensure that we had a shampoo for super sensitive hair and scalp because that's super important as well.

Rosie Garen: And so what were you actually testing for?

Amanda Rosenthal: We wanted to ensure cleansing ability. How clean does your hair actually feel? A lot of times people will use a shampoo and notice that it overly strips their hair. You get that squeaky clean feeling. So we wanted to avoid that. We also tested for sensorial experiences. For some people, like myself, I love an indulgent shower. We want to see what does the shampoo smell like? Does it have a good foam? Is the texture good? So we evaluated for that and then we also evaluated for compatibility within hair type because we wanted to ensure if someone was testing a fine hair shampoo but they had curls, it would still work for their hair.

Christine Siracusa: Oh, interesting. That's my category actually. I think me and Christina

Christine Siracusa: Yeah, we're the same. I always thought that I needed curly girl products and it turns out that that is not the right fit for me. It's usually too heavy and so I go for fine hair.

Amanda Rosenthal: That does not surprise me at all. A lot of curl defining shampoos tend to have super heavy moisturizers just because of the natural pattern, so I'm not surprised.

Rosie Garen: How did you figure that out?

Christine Siracusa: We recommend in this guide, we recommend one of the shampoos I think from Pattern, which is a great brand. I like the smell. I think Tracy Ellis Ross is the founder of that company and it's specifically for curly hair and I tried it and I was really disappointed because it didn't work for my hair. And then that's when I kind of clicked in that like maybe the curly hair products are not what I need cuz every hairdresser has always told me that I have super super fine hair. A lot of hair, but super super fine hair. And so that's when I started using fine hair products and and it solved the problem.

Kyra Blackwell: Yeah, that's interesting.

Kyra Blackwell: stylist kind of told me the same thing. She was like, "Your hair is just too thin." And like a lot of the curly shampoos and conditioners, like the ones aimed towards curly hair, had a lot of shea butter and like, you know, really thick, what do you call them, conditioning agents?

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes.

Kyra Blackwell: And those just ended up making my hair so weighed down. And like, Christine, I just noticed as soon as I lightened load, my curls seemed much happier.

Amanda Rosenthal: I'm so glad to hear that.

Rosie Garen: That's really interesting and and it goes back to your point, Amanda, about like figuring out what it is that you want to target.

Amanda Rosenthal: Exactly. I think that's the way to actually find a shampoo that really works for you and your goals.

Rosie Garen: So, after all of this testing, do you think the pricier the better? Like pricier shampoos, the ones you're going to see at a hair salon, are significantly better than the Walgreens, name your drugstore option?

Amanda Rosenthal: No, not at all. You do not necessarily need to spend a ton of money to get a good shampoo.

Rosie Garen: What's the cheapest shampoo that you recommend in the guide right now?

Amanda Rosenthal: I believe it's the L'Oreal.

Rosie Garen: Okay, there's a lot to digest here, but to quickly recap, it sounds like when you're looking for a shampoo, you really want something that just gets your hair and your scalp health right. You want to make sure that your hair is healthy so that when you put on that conditioner, it's like really doing its job the best that it can do. Before you go shopping for a new shampoo though, take a look at your own hair and figure out what hair type you have and what your hair really needs and that'll help you narrow down.

Kyra Blackwell: When you actually go and try these shampoos, if your scalp is feeling itchy or if you feel like your hair is still too dry or it's just way too squeaky clean, probably means it's not the right one for you and you should continue testing. The right shampoo will make your hair feel healthy and clean without being stripped of its natural oils. Am I missing anything?

Amanda Rosenthal: I think that's it.

Christine Siracusa: I think you covered it.

Rosie Garen: After the break, we're going to dispel some of the biggest myths about shampoos. Plus, Amanda, you are going to give us some specific wrecks for different hair types and problems. We'll be right back.

Rosie Garen: Welcome back. Now that we have a general idea of how to pick a good shampoo for your specific hair type, we want to debunk some common myths about shampoos. Amanda, the most common label I see on a lot of shampoo bottles says something along the lines of like sulfate free and I know like hairdressers have recommended this to me. What are sulfates? Are they actually something that people should be avoiding in shampoo?

Amanda Rosenthal: It's funny that you mention this because going into this guide, I also thought sulfates had such a bad reputation. I obviously went to my dermatologist and was like, "What's up? What's the deal with sulfates?" Essentially, sulfates are cleansing agents that are responsible for helping remove any dirt, any sebum, which is natural oils on your scalp, and they have this bad reputation because they are a bit of a harsher cleanser. However, nowadays, most shampoos are formulated with lower concentrations, so they're not actually bad for your hair. In fact, a lot of dermatologists recommended them because they provide a really good and thorough clean.

Rosie Garen: And so, if you're using, let's say, if you're really sticking hard to the sulfate-free options, is there a risk that it actually isn't cleaning your hair all that well?

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, definitely. You could not be removing, especially if you're someone who uses a ton of product, whether that's dry shampoo or hairspray, or you you're super active in your lifestyle, you're going to have a lot of oil build-up.

Rosie Garen: So, conversely, does that mean if a shampoo has sulfates, you might be able to use it less frequently?

Amanda Rosenthal: Potentially. I think ultimately it depends on your lifestyle, how many products you use, your natural hair type.

Rosie Garen: But if it's sulfate-free, you might actually need to use it more frequently. Again, depending on your lifestyle.

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, depending on your lifestyle.

Rosie Garen: So, why do they still all have those labels that say sulfate-free on them? I don't think I've seen a shampoo with sulfates in it recently.

Amanda Rosenthal: A lot of it is marketing jargon. People love to look at shampoos and say, "Okay, this is sulfate-free. I'm not going to overly strip my hair." But the concentrations nowadays are so much lower, and they've also added in conditioning agents that you're not going to get that.

Rosie Garen: Okay, so what about shampoos that have ingredients that are supposed to make your hair softer? Like, especially the ones again for curly hair, they always tout like argan oil, and it's supposed to be super moisturizing. What is the deal with that?

Amanda Rosenthal: A lot of curl-focused and curl-defining shampoos tend to have a bunch of conditioning agents in them due to the hair type's natural structure. So, if you look at it, curly hair structure, it has that S pattern. It it it more difficult for your natural oils to travel down the path, which is typically why a lot of people with curly hair will experience more oils on their roots, but then from their mid-to-end lengths, it's a lot drier.

Rosie Garen: But those oils are actually doing something and working?

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, they actually provide a lot more hydration and nourish your curls.

Rosie Garen: Got it. How about clarifying shampoos? This is another thing I've seen on labels, and I actually don't really know what they're meant to be or do.

Amanda Rosenthal: Clarifying shampoos are meant to be used on occasion. They are a harsher cleanser, and they use harsher cleansing agents to thoroughly remove debris, product build-up, oil.

Rosie Garen: So this is like a heavy hitter type thing.

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, and meant to be used on occasion.

Rosie Garen: So this isn't supposed to be your primary shampoo.

Amanda Rosenthal: No.

Rosie Garen: Would a an anti-dandruff shampoo count as a clarifying shampoo?

Amanda Rosenthal: Completely different. Because an anti-dandruff shampoo can be used every single time you wash your hair, whereas a clarifying shampoo you wouldn't want to use every time.

Rosie Garen: What makes an anti-dandruff shampoo anti-dandruff? What is in it that's making your scalp itch less or have less flaking?

Amanda Rosenthal: There's all these other additives that are meant to help treat the scalp and create a healthy microbiome, so that your hair is less itchy, less irritated, less red, and also less flaky. It helps soothe that dryness. A lot of it has to do with fragrance. There's a lot of fragrance in a bunch of shampoos, which is why we specifically wanted to have a sensitive shampoo category.

Rosie Garen: Okay, so that's what's in the anti-dandruff shampoo.

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes.

Kyra Blackwell: I mean, I don't have dandruff, but I do use an anti-dandruff shampoo, and I love it.

Rosie Garen: Do what you love, Kyra.

Rosie Garen: What about these new shampoos that I've seen that look like bars of soap? What is that? Is that a trend? Is it going to stick around? Are they actually good?

Amanda Rosenthal: Shampoo bars are definitely trending and I understand the appeal. They're great for someone who's looking for an environmentally friendly option, but they are really effective and we actually were able to find three shampoo bars that thoroughly cleanse hair and are even better than some gel and lotion type options.

Rosie Garen: So we should all be washing our hair with Irish Spring? Is that what I'm hearing?

Amanda Rosenthal: That's what some listeners would think, but no. These are very specific for hair, right? Yes, correct. The reason people like them is because they are environmentally conscious and I think because they come in that bar format, you end up using less over time.

Rosie Garen: So is it essentially the same ingredients, but just in a different form?

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, and they contain waxes in order to hold their shape.

Rosie Garen: And that wax doesn't get on your hair?

Amanda Rosenthal: No.

Rosie Garen: This is a question I think probably that has a different answer for each one of us in this room, but I'm curious your thoughts, Amanda, how often should people be washing their hair?

Amanda Rosenthal: You're not going to like this, but it definitely depends on your hair type and your lifestyle choices. If you're super active, if you use a lot of gels and pomades and mousses, you want to be shampooing at least twice a month. My dermatologist recommended twice a month to ensure that your scalp microbiome is staying healthy.

Christine Siracusa: That's a lot less a month. than I would imagine.

Amanda Rosenthal: That's I was shocked, too, but first

Rosie Garen: if you're like, you need to shower at least twice a month?

Kyra Blackwell: Oh, please. I shower morning and night. I'm

Amanda Rosenthal: I didn't realize that.

Christine Siracusa: Well, I wash my hair once a week because I have curly hair and I find that it gets frizzy and doesn't feel right if I wash it more than that.

Rosie Garen: Wait, so twice a month though, that's really that's the general

Amanda Rosenthal: That is the bare minimum. Yes.

Rosie Garen: Oh, okay. How often do you wash your hair?

Amanda Rosenthal: I wash my hair typically every 3 days.

Kyra Blackwell: Okay. I do once or twice a week depending on how much I'm styling my hair with gels.

Kyra Blackwell: What about you, Rosie?

Rosie Garen: I It's jazz, baby.

Rosie Garen: I don't know. I just wash. I wash it when it needs to be washed.

Kyra Blackwell: HERE WE GO.

Rosie Garen: OKAY, AMANDA, LET'S SWITCH GEARS HERE and do a fun little lightning round for some hyper-specific hair concerns. We're going to describe someone's situation, and we want you to give your best recommendation. First up, you have thin hair that's always flat.

Amanda Rosenthal: Wave fine hair shampoo. That is my hair type to a T. I love this shampoo. Let me just say that. And it's funny because I didn't discover it until testing. So, I am very pleased. The ingredients in that shampoo actually swell your hair, giving the appearance of fuller hair, while also giving you that lightweight cleanse, but it makes your hair more voluminous.

Rosie Garen: I mean, your hair looks fab, so

Kyra Blackwell: does. It's shiny and gorgeous.

Amanda Rosenthal: Thank you.

Rosie Garen: Okay, super coily curly hair.

Amanda Rosenthal: The Pattern Beauty Hydrating Shampoo.

Kyra Blackwell: That's what I use.

Amanda Rosenthal: Really? Do you like it?

Kyra Blackwell: Yeah, I do. I really do. Frizz bomb.

Amanda Rosenthal: I would go with the L'Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluron and Plump Hydrating Shampoo. It's going to give you a great cleanse, but it's also going to heal your hair by adding in back that moisture. A lot of times frizz can be a result Yes, of humidity and environmental factors, but also of damage, whether that's dryness, overheat styling, or just your wear and tear of, you know, sleeping on a pillow that's not silk.

Rosie Garen: Are people still not sleeping on a silk pillowcase?

Christine Siracusa: I sleep on a linen pillowcase, so yes, I am admitting it. I am admitting it. I know. We'll We'll have to discuss this separately.

Rosie Garen: We need an intervention.

Christine Siracusa: Off mic.

Rosie Garen: Okay, what if somebody has really long hair with loose curls?

Amanda Rosenthal: I would go with the California Naturals Classic Clean because it provides a really good cleanse for medium and thick hair types. I would say if they have super fine hair, I would opt for the way, but overall generally I would go with the classic clean.

Rosie Garen: Okay, so how about someone whose hair they their hair is now gray and it's gotten a little coarser?

Amanda Rosenthal: I would also go with the L'Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluron and Plump Hydrating Shampoo because it's going to add moisture. It cleanses well, but it doesn't strip the hair, which I think is super important with coarse hair types.

Rosie Garen: Okay, so what about chemically treated hair, especially if you want to preserve that color?

Amanda Rosenthal: I think the California Naturals Classic Clean is a great option. We actually had numerous testers who had chemically dyed and treated hair and they loved this shampoo because not only did it preserve their color, it is a color safe shampoo, but it also brightened their highlights.

Rosie Garen: And all of the shampoos in your guide are technically color safe, correct?

Amanda Rosenthal: Correct. We wanted to make sure they worked for everyone.

Rosie Garen: What if somebody shares shampoo with a partner and their kids, but they all have different hair types? Christine, is this you?

Christine Siracusa: This is me. This is my question.

Amanda Rosenthal: I would opt for the Vanicream Shampoo. It's your classic shampoo. It's going to be non-irritating. It's fragrance and dye-free. It works across various hair types and it's just a good standard cleanser.

Rosie Garen: I was so surprised that I did not know that Vanicream and CeraVe make hair care products.

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes.

Rosie Garen: I always think of them as skin care products and so based on your guide, I did get the Vanicream and we've been using it and it's a little early for me to say, but I've not been offended by it at all. I like it. I feel I feel like I could be liking it. Yes.

Amanda Rosenthal: Early days, early days. Okay, how about someone with major dandruff?

Amanda Rosenthal: Head and Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo, which is specifically targeted for dandruff.

Rosie Garen: That is like the classic. That's just you're going to find that anywhere, right?

Amanda Rosenthal: Exactly.

Rosie Garen: What about someone, Amanda, with a super sensitive scalp?

Amanda Rosenthal: The Vanicream shampoo because

Rosie Garen: chill.

Amanda Rosenthal: Yes, exactly.

Rosie Garen: And something I learned from you, Amanda, is that if you have eczema, you can also have eczema on your scalp, and I didn't really realize that. So, that is also why I got the Vanicream.

Amanda Rosenthal: People forget that the skin on your scalp is still skin. You know, they see hair and they're like, "Oh, I need to look for a shampoo that caters just specifically towards my hair." But, if you don't have a healthy scalp, you're not going to have healthy hair.

Rosie Garen: All right, last one. What if somebody has super oily hair?

Amanda Rosenthal: I would go with the Necessaire Rosemary shampoo. It's an amazing clean. It has rosemary in it, which can be super helpful for balancing out the scalp, and overall, it does a good job of cleaning without stripping of all the oils.

Rosie Garen: We made it to our final question. What's the last thing you bought that you really loved?

Amanda Rosenthal: A bit underwhelming, but the last thing I bought was the Repel umbrella, and it actually saved me yesterday because I was not expecting rain.

Rosie Garen: Why is it a good umbrella?

Amanda Rosenthal: Well, first, it is extremely sturdy. I've been a victim of walking across the street, and my umbrella has flipped multiple times, and that embarrassment, I just will not do that anymore.

Rosie Garen: You're like, "I don't care about being drenched. It's the humiliation."

Amanda Rosenthal: Right? And then trying to fix it, and you're like fuddling with it's it's a disaster. For rain and wind, super sturdy. I love the button that you just click, and it essentially bounces open. It's a little scary, but you know, could be a great for your self-protection. You never know.

Rosie Garen: we go.

Amanda Rosenthal: Exactly.

Rosie Garen: Well, thank you so much, Amanda. Thank you for joining us, and thank you for imparting all of this wisdom. It's really helpful.

Amanda Rosenthal: Thank you all for having me.

Kyra Blackwell: Amanda was a delight.

Christine Siracusa: Can't wait to have her back on the show.

Rosie Garen: So much good information from that guide and so much that she was able to impart with us today. One of the things I'm taking away is so simple, but it's that you don't necessarily have to be paying more to get more when we're talking about shampoo.

Kyra Blackwell: Yeah, that's music to my ears.

Christine Siracusa: Yeah. My takeaway is that I am not going to default anymore to buying the same shampoo and conditioner. I'm going to think a little bit more about what I'm trying to treat with the shampoo and what I'm trying to treat with the conditioner and they don't need to be matching. I can go with different brands.

Kyra Blackwell: Yeah, that's a great one. I think my takeaway is definitely that sulfates are not the enemy anymore.

Rosie Garen: Yeah, technology has changed a bit. Now we have conditioning agents and they're not as concentrated anymore.

Kyra Blackwell: So maybe a shampoo with actually better for a lot of people's hair. It's just good to know.

Christine Siracusa: Yeah. I think not all of the picks that we have in our guide have sulfates in them, but some of them do.

Rosie Garen: Some of them do, yeah. And if you actually want to check out Amanda's guide to shampoo, any of our other coverage including conditioners, check out our website and we will link in our show notes as ever. Christine and Kyra, a three-fer. This was a This was a real treat. See you next week.

Kyra Blackwell: Bye.

Rosie Garen: The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Garen and produced by Abigail Kiehl. Engineering support from Maddie Massielo and Nick [music] Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Catherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marian [music] Lozano, Elisabeth Eitu, Catherine Anderson, Rowan Nemiasto, and Diane Wong. Cliff Leavy is Wirecutter's deputy publisher and general manager. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's [music] editor-in-chief. I'm Kira Blackwell.

Christine Siracusa: I'm Christine Seracusa.

Rosie Garen: And I'm Rosie Garen. Thanks for listening.

Rosie Garen: Yeah, so you just want you want a shampoo that makes you feel happy and healthy and like not not too drying or whatever. I'm sorry.

Kyra Blackwell: No, I think you got it.

Christine Siracusa: You got it. Got it. Yeah.

Rosie Garen: All right.

Kyra Blackwell: And another thing.

Christine Siracusa: And another thing.

Rosie Garen: And another.