5 Best Shampoo For Hair Extensions In 2023

Hair extensions are a blessing. You can instantly add length using them and they are the perfect scapegoat for your hair experiments. 

But these extensions too need attention, especially if they are remy or human hair extensions.

If you want to keep your extensions looking healthy, soft, and frizz-free, I always suggest using the best shampoo for hair extensions instead of a regular shampoo.

Related: Best Shampoo for Weaves

Constant styling, coloring, and use of heat tools can damage your hair extensions just the way they damage your real hair. 

Plus, a lot of people neglect their wigs and extensions leading to product and dirt build-up. 

A lot of sweaty, humid days means these extensions can start to smell as well.

A good shampoo for hair extensions will keep all these issues at bay 

Shampoos For Hair Extensions	Best For	Chief Ingredients
Videri Lemon and Tea Tree Shampoo	Oily, Greasy Hair Extensions	Lemon, Tea Tree Oil, Aloe
Shea Moisture Raw Shea Retention Shampoo	African American Hair Extensions	Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Sea Kelp
Ogx Shampoo Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo	Brazilian, Indian Hair Extensions	Egg Whites, Coconut Milk, Coconut Oil
Pureology Hydrate Shampoo	Color Treated Hair Extensions	Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Sunflower Seed Oil
Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 2 Complete Nutrition Shampoo	Damaged Hair Extensions	Iris Florentina Root Extract, Polyquaternium-7, Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
The Big Kizzy F.A.T.T Biotin Shampoo & Conditioner Set	Thin, Fine Hair Extensions	Biotin & ProVitamin B5

How to choose the best shampoo for hair extensions?

If you want to select the right shampoo for your hair extensions, these are some things you need to keep in mind. 

Type of Extensions –  Some hair extensions use glue to stick themselves onto your hair. Others come with a tape of adhesive strips that help it stay put on your hair. You need to look for shampoos that won’t interfere with this glue. 

Other hair extensions either need to be braided or crocheted into hair or they come with clips, so you cannot choose shampoos that will leave them too tangled and coarse to be properly braided on to hair.  

Ingredients you Need – Always look for shampoos for hair extensions with hydrating ingredients such as argan oil, jojoba oils, and sweet almond oil. 

If you’re buying extensions with a type 4a, 4b, or 4c textures, you might need more nourishing products with shea butter, Jamaican castor oil, cocoa butter and other rich ingredients.

Ingredients to Avoid – Hair extensions made of human hair need just the same care as your natural hair. So avoid harsh ingredients like sulfates, short-chain alcohols (ethanol, propanol), and added perfumes. 

These can leave your hair extensions dry and frizzy. Silicones are okay to add shine but they can cause build-up, so you need to be careful with that as well. 

How I tested the best shampoo for hair extensions?

After using the best shampoos for hair extensions available today, I tested them on the basis of the following criteria. Then, I rated them on a scale of 1-5. 

Detangling – Our hair extensions often undergo several styling procedures that make it coarse and tangled, so a good shampoo for hair extensions should soften and detangle them.

Damage Repair – Even the best human hair extensions can undergo damage due to constant straightening, coloring, perming, etc. 

Cleansing – Your hair extensions gather a lot of sweat, product residue, grease, etc. So the shampoo needs to be clarifying as well. 

You can check out our reviews for the best shampoo for hair extensions below:

Top Shampoo For Hair Extensions 2022

Videri Lemon Sage & Tea Tree Shampoo 

Best Shampoo For Tape-In Extensions

The main reason why I tried out this shampoo for my hair extensions is because it’s versatile. The formula which contains glycerin and aloe is just nourishing enough to help moisturize dry hair.

But at the same time, the shampoo contains lemon oil which, I noticed, helped gently remove the dirt and grease from my hair extensions.

And yes, before you ask, let me tell you that this shampoo is indeed sulfate-free. I use it on my color-treated extensions all the time and it doesn’t strip hair color at all. Now this is a huge plus for me as I often use temporary colors on my extensions.

Also I’ve noticed that the most gentlest of shampoos also has some amount of fragrance in them. So this shampoo was a nice change as it didn’t contain any added, artificial perfume.

The citrusy scent of the shampoo (that I adore, by the way) is a result of the natural essential oils.

To sum it up, in my opinion this shampoo is one of the best out there for hair extensions, especially if you want something that is clarifying without being harsh.

Pros:

• Does not contain any sulfates so it won’t strip hair color from colored hair extensions
• The gentle, surfactant-free formula won’t dry out hair extensions
• Cleansing lemon oil formula that removes dirt and grease
• Contains tea tree oil that helps keep hair extensions bacteria-free

Cons:

• None that I could see

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 4.5/5
• Damage Control– 4/5
• Cleansing – 5/5

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Retention Shampoo

Best Shampoo For Curly Hair Extensions

Human hair extensions need care the same way you would do for your natural hair. 

If you have type 4 extensions you should go for this Shea Moisture shampoo as it’s one of the best brands for African American hair.

It also suits Brazilian and Indian hair (straighter hair types) but only if you need to add that extra dose of moisture. 

The chief ingredients here are shea butter, which is super moisturizing, argan oil, and sea kelp. 

These are not only good at making your hair extensions soft and silky but they also repair damage on over processed hair. 

So if your clip-ons or weaves feel dry, frizzy, and tangled due to constant straightening and curling, this shampoo can breathe new life into them. 

The best part about this shampoo for hair extensions is its natural, sulfate free formula. So there are no harsh chemicals that shorten the lifespan of your hair. 

A lot of users seemed to be complaining about the change in formula. And I found the addition of soybean oil in it as filler. 

But as you’ll be using it on hair extensions and not on your scalp, there shouldn’t be a risk of allergy or hair troubles.

Still, this shampoo (new formula or old) is too rich for straight, fine hair types. So avoid it if you have poker straight hair extensions. 

Pros: 

• Very nourishing for curly extensions as it contains argan oil
• Helps detangle your extensions
• Repairs damage on human hair extensions

Cons:

• Not for straight hair extensions as it can leave it greasy
• New formula contains fillers

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 4.5/5
• Damage Repair – 4/5
• Cleansing – 3/5

Ogx Shampoo Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo

Best Drugstore Shampoo For Hair Extensions

Wigs and extensions cost a bomb. So it’s understandable if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a seperate shampoo for hair extensions.

Don’t worry. I found a great drugstore alternative in this OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo. 

The major ingredients here are whipped egg whites and you guessed it… coconut milk!

Now these I love for two reasons. One they are super nourishing for hair. And two, these are lightweight unlike the buttery formulation of Shea Moisture Shampoos.

This shampoo helps control frizz by smoothing down the cuticles on your extensions. They also soften and detangle the hair, making it easier to braid or style. 

There’s also an amazing fragrance, which I adored. Now if this was a shampoo for your head, I’d have warned against using something with artificial perfumes as these can irritate your scalp. 

But there’s no reason to be afraid of a little scent in a shampoo for hair extensions. 

You can use it on Brazilian or Indian hair with straighter, smoother textures. The shampoo doesn’t weigh them down. 

Pros: 

• Moisturizing yet lightweight so it suits a lot of hair textures
• Good for fine, straight hair
• Affordable so you can use it for a lot of extensions
• Nice coconut scent

Cons:

• Not for type 4 curls
• Can prevent curly hair from becoming frizzy

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 4/5
• Damage Repair – 4/5
• Cleansing – 4/5

Pureology Hydrate Shampoo

Best Professional Shampoo For Hair Extensions

Extensions and wigs are often drenched with hair spray, smeared with gels and pomades, and a hundred other styling products.. 

In time, these can cause build-up on your extensions leaving them limp and taking away their lustre and softness.

So a shampoo for hair extensions that can thoroughly cleanse this build-up is very necessary. 

Like this Pureology Hydrate Shampoo. What I liked about this shampoo is that there are no sulfates here. It uses a milder form of surfactants called Sulfosuccinate which are not as harsh.

If you have colored hair extensions, then this is a great pick too. It contains sunflower seed oil and vitamin E that coat your hair cuticle, smoothening it and protecting hair color from fading. 

The anti-fade formula and UV filters also help your color-treated extensions from losing their vibrance and shine. 

This shampoo also contains a lovely perfume with mint, bergamot, and lavender notes. It gives your extensions a fresh smell and keeps the sweaty, musty odor at bay.  

I had one little issue with this Pureology shampoo for hair extensions. It contains dimethicone, a form of silicones.  

While this ingredient leaves your extensions very smooth and shiny, it can cause product build-up in the future with regular use. 

Pros: 

• Protects hair color from your extensions from fading
• Adds softness and shine thanks to vitamin E
• Good for fine, straight extensions as it contains silicones

Cons:

• Not for African American hair as it contains surfactants
• Can cause curly hair to frizz
• Contains silicone that can cause product buildup

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 4/5
• Damage Repair – 3/5
• Cleansing – 4.5/5

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 2 Complete Nutrition Shampoo

Best Kerastase Shampoo For Hair Extensions

We all want to buy the best quality, 100 percent virgin Remy hair extensions, and we also spend a lot of money on them. 

But what about their maintenance? It’s pointless to use a cheap shampoo on such expensive extensions.

So if you want to increase the longevity of your Remy hair, I suggest getting a shampoo for hair extensions to match.  

Such as this one by Kerastase. The Nutritive Bain Satin 2 Shampoo is just the thing to maintain your extensions, especially when you’re constantly straightening, processing or coloring them.

The shampoo contains a blend of proteins and lipids that fill in the gaps on your damaged hair cuticle, increasing hair elasticity and strength. 

And it also works wonders on frizzy, giving your extensions a smooth, silky appearance.

But this shampoo isn’t without its disadvantages. The biggest one is the presence of sulfates. 

You would think a shampoo this expensive would be sulfate-free, but unfortunately it’s not.

It’s a good choice regardless if you want something with more cleansing powers. Or if the damage repair aspects interest you more.

Pros: 

• Repairs damaged hair extensions as it contains keratin
• Controls frizz

Cons:

• Expensive to use on just extensions
• Contains sulfates so it can strip dye from colored extensions

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 3/5/5
• Damage Repair – 4.5/5
• Cleansing – 5/5

The Big Kizzy F.A.T.T Biotin Shampoo & Conditioner Set

Best Shampoo For Keratin Bond Extensions

If you want a shampoo that is truly sulfate-free and helps repair damaged hair extensions, you can try this Big Kizzy F.A.T.T. shampoo. 

It’s around the same price range as the Kerastase one and is free of both sulfates and silicones.  

The shampoo is lightly scented to keep your extensions smelling fresh. And there’s also biotin and pro-vitamin B5 to nourish your damaged locks.

So this product adds that much needed softness and plumpness to your extensions after they undergo rounds of keratin treatments, blowouts, perming, and whatnot. 

Another reason why I liked this product is because it’s vegan and cruelty free. 

My extensions were looking dull, greasy, and lifeless after being treated to countless hair sprays and gels. But this shampoo cleaned them thoroughly, returning their bounce and volume.

The Big Kizzy Shampoo was clearly made for extensions, so far this has been my favorite in this list.  

But I don’t think it’ll be nourishing enough for type 4 hair. I suggest you stick to Shea Moisture for African American hair extensions.

Pros: 

• No sulfates or harsh chemicals so it’s suited for colored hair
• Light clove scent that is very pleasant
• Vegan and cruelty free
• Adds volume to hair as it contains biotin

Cons:

• Not for African American hair as it’s not very nourishing
• Expensive 

My Ratings:

• Detangling – 4/5
• Damage Repair – 4.5/5
• Cleansing – 4.5/5

These were my picks for the best shampoo for hair extensions. I have reviewed them based on performance, ingredients, price and more. 

You can select the right products for hair extensions according to your needs.

Make sure to keep in mind the texture and type of hair extensions before deciding on a shampoo. 

Also Read:

Best shampoo for relaxed hair

Best shampoo for permed hair

Best shampoo for ombre color hair

Best dry shampoo for oily hair