Best Aveda Shampoo and Conditioner

The best Aveda shampoo and conditioner for you is a pair picked for two different jobs: the shampoo for your scalp, the conditioner for your lengths. Get that split right and the rest is easy. Here is how we would choose, what to skip, and where to start.

Start with the scalp

Shampoo cleans the scalp, so your scalp decides which one you need. If your roots look oily by day two, go for a lighter wash, not a rich one. If your scalp feels dry or tight, a gentler, more moisturising wash suits you better. If your scalp is fine either way, pick by what your lengths need.

Lather on the scalp only and let the suds run through the lengths when you rinse. Your ends rarely need scrubbing. If you want to compare the washes on their own, look through the best aveda shampoo.

Then the lengths

Conditioner is for the mid-lengths and ends, where hair is oldest and driest. How heavy it feels is the first thing to check. Fine hair goes flat under a rich conditioner, so keep it light and keep it off the roots. Thick, coarse or coloured hair can take more. If your ends feel rough after drying, change the conditioner before you change the shampoo. The conditioners are grouped on their own under aveda conditioner.

Same range, or mix and match?

Buying both from the same Aveda range is the simple option. It keeps the choice short. It is not a rule, though. If your scalp is oily but your ends are dry, a lighter shampoo with a richer conditioner from another range makes more sense than a matched pair that only suits half your head. Stylists mix ranges on clients all the time.

Pick by hair type

• Dry hair: a gentle shampoo, a richer conditioner, and a mask once a week if the ends stay rough. Start with our best aveda products for dry hair.
• Fine hair: lighter formulas for both, and condition from the ears down only. See the best aveda products for fine hair.
• Curly hair: curls lose moisture fast, so wash less often and condition every time. Browse aveda products for curly hair.
• Coloured hair: wash less often, rinse with cooler water, and choose a shampoo made for coloured hair.

When to change one

If your hair feels coated or heavy after a few weeks, the conditioner is too rich or you are using too much. Use less first. If your hair tangles and feels rough, the conditioner is too light. If your roots get greasy faster than they used to, look at the shampoo. Change one product at a time, so you know which one made the difference.

Where to start

Pick the shampoo for your scalp, then the conditioner for your lengths, and buy them together so they run out around the same time. Everything we stock from the brand sits in all Aveda, so you can compare shampoos, conditioners and treatments side by side before you choose.

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