Dermatologist-Approved: The 10 Best Shampoos for Winter

• 10 Best Shampoos
• Types of Shampoos
• Choose the best Shampoo
• FAQs

Winters are coming! 

And, what are they bringing? Dry Air & Low Moisture.

That’s the reason behind many hair damage conditions, such as dryness & brittleness, hair breakage & split ends, and many more. Wearing a cap/blankets might help? No, it will not!

A Proper hair care plan is what can save you from all these hair conditions. Most of us might have started surfing the internet for the best shampoos in winter. Because we all know the very first step of your winter hair care guide is Shampoo. And thus, in this blog or guide, we’re going to talk about some of the best shampoos for winter, recommended by leading dermatologists.

Let’s begin the discussion with a brief on what shampoo does, why it’s important, and what its types are.

10 Best Shampoos in Winter

In this section, we’re going to talk about some of the best recommended winter shampoos directly from dermatologists. Let’s quickly have a look at the table with our top products, and then, we’ll learn about each product in detail.

Now, let’s have a look at each product in detail.

1. Scalpe Plus Expert Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Scalpe Plus Expert Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is a strong antifungal solution designed to combat stubborn dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and fungal scalp infections. It’s ketoconazole shampoo, designed to be gentle enough for frequent usage while offering long-term relief from flaking and itching. Let’s have a look at:

• Ketoconazole: An antifungal agent that inhibits the growth of Malassezia fungus, the primary cause of dandruff.

• Zinc Pyrithione (ZPTO): A broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that controls fungal and bacterial growth, reducing flaking and irritation.

• Piroctone Olamine & Climbazole: It’s a complementary antifungal agent that enhances the shampoo’s efficacy against dandruff recurrence and improves hair shaft thickness.

This is an effective shampoo for itchy, flaky scalp and is highly effective against dandruff. It prevents the recurrence of itchy scalp and reduces hair fall caused by dandruff, strengthening hair follicles.

As the indoor heating creates a dry environment, we often witness dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis that irritate the scalp. This ketoconazole shampoo’s potent combination of antifungal agents directly targets the root cause, providing immediate and lasting relief from winter-related scalp issues.

Best Suitable For: It’s one of the best shampoos for hair fall and dandruff, and thus highly effective against recurring dandruff, and persons experiencing hair fall, especially due to scalp fungal infections.

2. Mildly AHF (Anti Hair Fall) Shampoo

Mildy AHF (Anti Hair Fall) Shampoo is a gentle and mild cleansing formula, designed to reduce hair fall while nourishing the hair and scalp. Enriched with moisturizing agents and peptides, this sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo ensures soft, hydrated, and manageable hair, even with frequent use. It cleanses the hair effectively without stripping the hair’s natural oils. Let’s have a look at its composition and benefits:

• Aloe Vera: It soothes the scalp, reduces inflammation, and hydrates the hair shaft.

• Hair Growth Peptides: These peptides work at the follicular level to stimulate growth factors, promoting the hair growth phase (anagen), strengthening the hair bulb to prevent premature hair loss.

• Glycerin: It’s a powerful humectant that draws moisture into the hair.

This is one of the best shampoos for hair growth, preventing hair loss and breakage, and strengthening the hair strands. It nourishes the hair internally, relieving dry and itchy scalp, providing silky and smooth hair texture. This shampoo for an itchy, flaky scalp can be used daily and is highly effective against hair fall.

Best Suitable For: This is suitable for all hair types, especially for dry or fragile hair. It is one of the best anti-dandruff shampoos suggested by dermatologists, especially for individuals with an itchy scalp prone to hair fall.

3. Imxia Plus Hair Strengthening Shampoo

Imxia Plus Hair Strengthening Shampoo is a specialized, modern hair-strengthening shampoo. It’s a sulfate-free shampoo, designed to reduce hair loss caused by the hormone DHT, nourishing and repairing the hair shaft, reducing frizz and dryness. It’s one of the best shampoos for winter, providing a complete solution for healthier, stronger, and more resilient hair. Let’s have a look at its key compositions and benefits:

• Caffeine (Liposome Caffeine): It counteracts the effects of dihydrotestosterone (that causes hair loss) by stimulating the hair follicle, promoting blood circulation.

• Argan Oil & Ceramide: It forms a protective fatty layer on the hair shaft, sealing the cuticle, preventing moisture loss, reducing frizz, and boosting shine.

• Niacinamide & Glycerin: It nourishes the scalp, maintaining the hydration balance, supporting overall skin barrier health.

It’s one of the best shampoos for hair fall and dandruff that strengthens hair roots, stimulates hair growth, and reduces hair fall. It’s also an effective shampoo for dry hair and frizzy hair, and safe for color/chemically treated hair.

The combination of ceramide and Argan oil is highly effective in winter, which helps in repairing the damaged hair cuticle, providing deep emollient protection against harsh, dry air, preventing the structural damage and static, common during colder months.

Best Suitable For: It’s one of the best shampoos for itchy, flaky scalp, providing effective results against weak, breakage-prone hair. It’s a highly recommended product for individuals experiencing frizz/dryness, and for those with chemically damaged or color-treated hair.

4. Xgain Shampoo

Xgain Shampoo is a pH-balanced, 2-in-1 volumizing and conditioning formula. This sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo is infused with natural oils and vital proteins that nourish and strengthen the hair fiber from the inside out. It’s designed to impart volume and shine while acting as a protectant against environmental damage and hair color fading. Let’s have a look at some of the ingredients and their benefits:

• Almond & Jojoba Oils: They deeply moisturize the scalp and hair, controlling dryness and providing relief from flakiness. Jojoba oils mimic natural sebum, balancing oil production.

• Soy Protein & Wheat Germ Oil: It hydrolyzes proteins, penetrating the hair shaft, strengthening the internal structure, improving elasticity, and preventing breakage.

• Dexpanthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5): It enhances the moisture retention, smoothes the cuticle, and adds flexibility.

It’s one of the best shampoos for hair growth, nourishing and strengthening hair, reducing breakage, adding volume and shine. It’s very helpful in managing itchy/scalp conditions.

Best Suitable For: It’s one of the most recommended shampoos for itchy, flaky scalp, and suitable for all hair types, especially dull, thin, and brittle hair. It’s also helpful to those who need extra nourishment and volume.

5. CosmoQ Shampoo

CosmoQ Shampoo is a deeply hydrating and moisturizing shampoo, formulated for daily usage. This shampoo for dry hair and frizzy hair focuses on restoring moisture balance, managing frizz, and promoting scalp health through a blend of powerful humectants and nourishing oils. It’s very gentle and cleanses the hair without stripping natural protective oils. Let’s have a look at some of its key compositions and their benefits:

• Sodium Hyaluronate: It’s an intense moisture-binding ingredient that deeply hydrates the hair shaft, improving elasticity and reducing brittleness.

• Glycerin: It’s a potent humectant that attracts and locks environmental moisture into hair, maintaining hydration.

• Avocado Oil: This oil is rich in vitamins and fatty acids (A, D, E). It nourishes, strengthens, and adds shine without thinning the hair.

• Wheat Amino Acids: It strengthens and repairs damaged hair, and improves the elasticity and volume of hair.

It’s a dermatologist-recommended shampoo for dry hair and frizzy hair, providing deep hydration and moisture retention. It effectively manages the frizz, strengthening hair, repairing damage, and promoting softness and shine, suitable for daily usage.

Best Suitable For: It’s best suitable for dry, frizzy, damaged, and normal hair types. It’s highly recommended for deep hydration needs.

6. Densita Everyday Clarifying Shampoo

Densita Everyday Clarifying Shampoo is a gentle, sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo designed for daily usage. Its paraben-free formula focuses on deep cleansing and scalp health without stripping away essential moisture. This is one of the best shampoos for winter, containing strengthening proteins with anti-hair loss complex Procapil, promoting thicker, healthier-looking hair. Let’s have a look at its key composition and its benefits:

• Procapil: It’s a patented peptide complex that strengthens the hair roots, reduces hair thinning, and promotes hair regrowth.

• Hydrolyzed Keratin: Rebuilds the hair’s natural protective layer, reducing frizz, shedding, and breakage.

• Argan Oil & Jojoba Oil: It offers deep nourishment, hydration, and UV protection, while maintaining scalp balance.

Its advanced formulation prevents the over-drying of the hair, especially in winter. It’s a highly recommended product & one of the best shampoos for winter that nourishes and protects the hair from cold, dry air.

Best Suitable For: It’s a highly recommended shampoo for all hair types. It is often recommended to individuals with sensitive scalps, chemically treated hair, and those with hair thinning/shedding that requires daily washing.

7. Ducray Anaphase+ Anti-Hair Loss Complement Shampoo

Ducray Anaphase+ is one of the best shampoos for hair fall and dandruff, formulated as a complement to anti-hair loss treatments (such as lotions or supplements). This shampoo for itchy, flaky scalp, prepares the scalp for treatment absorption, while its rich, creamy texture and ingredients revitalize the hair, adding volume and resistance. Let’s have a look at its key composition and ingredients:

• Monalaurin: It helps in controlling hair loss by acting on the active linked enzymes that cause chronic hair fall.

• Biotin & Vitamin Complex: It provides essential nutrients to the hair bulb, supporting the growth of stronger, healthier hair.

• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein: It adds strength and thickness to the hair strands, increasing the hair volume.

• Glycerin & Panthenol: This hydrates the hair and scalp, improving the manageability.

It’s a highly recommended shampoo in winters that works effectively by restoring the strength and resistance of the hair, adding volume, and weakening the hair fall associated factors.

Best Suitable For: This shampoo for itchy, flaky scalp is often recommended to individuals with anti-hair loss treatments, and to people with fragile, tired, and low-volume hair.

8. Hairizer Shampoo

Hairizer Shampoo is one of the best anti-dandruff shampoos suggested by dermatologists. It’s formulated to stimulate hair growth and to nourish the scalp, reducing hair thinning. This anti-dandruff shampoo works at the root level to revitalize the hair follicles, strengthening the hair shaft, and restoring shine and smoothness. Let’s have a look at its key composition and its benefits:

• Caffeine & Biotin: It stimulates the hair follicle’s blood circulation, promoting new hair growth, strengthening the hair’s keratin infrastructure, and preventing breakage.

• Keratin & Soya Protein: The structural proteins in this keratin shampoo repair damaged hair, smooth the cuticle, add strength, and improve elasticity.

• Pentavitin: It’s a highly effective plant-based hydrating agent that provides deep moisture and locks in hydration for up to 72 hrs, improving scalp comfort and texture.

This anti-dandruff shampoo binds moisture to the hair and scalp, preventing it from some common winter hair issues, such as severe dryness, flakiness, and static charge.

Best Suitable For: This anti-dandruff shampoo for men and women is often recommended to individuals experiencing hair thinning, dullness, and breakage. It’s also completely safe for color-treated hair.

9. Zycafy Shampoo

Zycafy Shampoo is one of the best shampoos for hair fall and dandruff, formulated with an aim to energize the hair, preventing hair loss, especially in androgenetic alopecia cases. It utilizes active ingredients, boosting scalp circulation, providing vital nutrients for stronger, healthier hair growth. Let’s have a look at its key compositions and their benefits:

• Caffeine: It energizes the hair roots, stimulating hair growth, and helps to inhibit the hair loss mechanisms.

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): It enhances the scalp’s skin barrier function, improving the blood flow and providing anti-inflammatory effects, leading to healthy follicles.

• Wheat Protein & Glycerin: It repairs the damaged hair structure, improving the texture, providing deep conditioning and moisture.

• Menthol: It provides a refreshing, invigorating sensation on the scalp.

It’s one of the most recommended shampoos in winter that prevents hair loss and thinning, energizes hair follicles, and improves blood circulation to the scalp. The gentle shampoo base ensures deep hydration, offsetting dryness.

Best Suitable For: It’s a highly recommended shampoo to individuals dealing with chronic hair fall and thinning, especially to those with androgenetic alopecia, seeking a stimulating, sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo.

10. Renocia Hair Revitalizing Shampoo

Renocia Hair Revitalizing Shampoo is one of the dermatologists’ most recommended shampoos, designed to nourish hair from the roots. It’s one of the best shampoos for hair fall and dandruff that reduces hair loss, and transforms dull strands into silky, manageable locks. It uses a blend of peptides, vitamins, and natural oils that revitalize hair growth and provide deep moisturization. Let’s have a look at its key compositions and their benefits:

• Pea Peptide & Biotin: It works by enhancing cell proliferation, supporting the hair life cycle, and strengthening the hair’s natural structure.

• Jojoba Seed Oil: It closely resembles natural sebum, providing a protective, conditioning layer that hydrates and adds shine.

• Hydrolyzed Keratin & Panthenol: Adding this into the shampoo base helps in repairing damage, sealing the hair cuticle, and ensuring deep moisturization for smoothness and elasticity.

The formulation of this sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo is rich in hair-lubricating and conditioning agents that reduce friction and combat dryness and static, especially in cold, dry winter environments.

Best Suitable For: It’s one of the best shampoos in winter that is often recommended to individuals seeking comprehensive hair revitalization, deep conditioning, and noticeable reduction in hair fall and dullness.

Role of Shampoos in Hair Care & Its Types

As we told earlier, shampoo is the primary step of any hair care routine. Its major role is to cleanse the hair and scalp. Consistent hair washing is a vital requirement, recommended to maintain overall hair health. Let’s see why shampoos are becoming an essential part of every hair care routine, even in winter:

• Cleaning & Debris Removal: Shampoos cleanse and remove all the unwanted build-up, impurities, contaminants, and product residues that build up on the hair. It also removes the excess oils produced by the hair (sebum) and maintains hygiene.

• Scalp Health & Environment: It removes the dirt and sebum from the clogged hair follicles, ensuring a conducive environment for hair growth, reducing scalp-related issues such as dandruff & itching.

• Hair Fiber Preservation: Shampoos not only cleanse the scalp, but also act on the hair shaft. They minimize friction & preserve the softness, comparability, and shine of the hair shaft.

What are the types of Shampoos?

There is no exact categorization, but shampoos are generally classified into four main categories. The four categories are medicated, professional, baby, and regular shampoo for everyday use. Let’s have a look at the basis of their categories and their usage:

1. Medicated Shampoos

Medicated shampoos are shampoos often containing high concentrations of anti-dandruff agents to manage conditions like seborrheic dermatitis. They work by slowing down scalp flaking and preventing the growth of fungus or bacteria on the scalp.

2. Baby Shampoos

These shampoos are formulated to be less irritating to the eyes (often known as tear-free shampoo). Such shampoos use a specific type of detergent that numbs the eye tissues, adjusting pH close to non-stress tears (approx. 7.0) using less detergent overall. As babies produce limited sebum, these shampoos also contain mild cleansers. While these shampoos are non-irritating to the eyes, dermatologists often advise that adults with dyes or bleached hair should avoid using them for cleansing and conditioning.

3. Regular Shampoos for Everyday Use

These shampoos are “regular” or “everyday” shampoos, having minimal detergency and conditioning, often similar in formulation to dry hair shampoos. These are designed for frequent usage and aim to thoroughly cleanse the hair and scalp of persons with virgin hair and moderate sebum production.

4. Professional Shampoos (Salon Products)

These shampoos are widely used in hair salons, formulated to protect the hair fibers. They often have a pH of 5.5 or lower, beneficial for minimizing friction, frizz, and hair breakage. These shampoos are further categorized based on their chemical treatment needs, such as:

• Hair Dyeing Shampoos: These shampoos often have cationic surfactants (Hair/Fabric Softeners) and have an acidic pH to neutralise residual alkalinity from hair dyeing chemicals, helping hair cuticles remain tightly adherent to the cortex.

• Clarifying Shampoos (Deep Cleansing): These shampoos are used in salons prior to treatments like coloring to ensure even color absorption by removing residue.

What are the Key Ingredients of Winter Shampoo?

There are a variety of shampoos available in the market, and each has its own composition and ingredients. In this section, we’ll see some of the common ingredients, grouped into three categories:

1. Conditioning and Moisturizing Agents

These ingredients are added to improve the manageability, gloss, softness, anti-static properties, and moisture retention, providing effective results in dry winter air.

• Silicones: They form a lightweight film over the hair shaft, reducing friction, minimizing tangles, and imparting shine. Common examples found in winter care shampoos are Dimethicone, Simethicone, Amodimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclotetrasiloxane, etc. Silicones are very crucial for reducing static electricity and are very helpful for dry and frizzy hair.

• Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: They neutralize the negative charge on the hair shaft, decreasing the static electricity. Common compounds found in winter haircare shampoo include Polyquaternium, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, etc. Using these compounds improves the manageability of the shampoo.

• Humectants and Glycols: They attract and retain moisture, hydrating dry hair. Common ingredients found in winter hair care products include Glycerin, Propylene glycol, Butylene Glycol, Capryl Glycol, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitol, etc.

• Proteins and Amino Acids: It temporarily mends damage like split ends (trichoptilosis) and increases hair shaft strength, helping fragile, brittle hair. Common ingredients include hydrolyzed protein (such as hydrolyzed animal protein and hydrolyzed wheat protein), Glutamic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Histidine, isoleucine, Threonine, Valine, etc.

• Oils and Emollients: They lubricate the hair shaft, preventing moisture loss, decreasing combing friction, and adding shine. Common ingredients found in winter hair care shampoos include Argan Oil, Mineral Oil, Vegetable Oils (Lanolin, Coconut, Olive, Jojoba), Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, etc.

• Fatty Alcohols: They function as conditioners and emollients, used widely in creams or lotion-based shampoo formulations. Common ingredients include Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, etc.
  
  

2. Milder Surfactants (Cleansing Agents)

To prevent stripping the hair of its natural protective sebum (functioning as a natural conditioner, minimizing static electricity), top shampoo brands in India use milder surfactants. Let’s have a look at some of the common surfactants used in winter hair care products:

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): It’s a highly effective cleanser and foaming agent widely used in shampoos. It works by emulsifying oily dirt from the hair and scalp, allowing it to rinsed away with water. It’s often considered milder than its close counterpart, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate: It’s also known as a mild, high-lathering cleanser, derived from coconut oil. Its working mechanism involves creating a creamy lather that removes oils and dirt without stripping the hair’s natural moisture barrier. It’s one of the most commonly used shampoo bases for gentle or conditioning shampoos.

• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: It’s a very mild co-surfactant that reduces the irritation, expected from stronger cleansers. It also thickens the product, imparting manageability and conditioning by having both positive and negative charges that interact gently with hair’s protein structure.

• Polyoxyethylene Sorbitol Esters: It functions primarily as emulsifiers and solubilizers, helping to blend oil-based ingredients (like fragrances or conditioning oils) into the water-based product. They offer very mild or no cleansing action and primarily aid product stability and conditioning.
  
  

3. General Ingredients

These ingredients are commonly present in most shampoos and are highly critical for maintaining the stability and safety of the conditioning formula. Let’s have a quick look at them:

• pH Adjusters: They are used to balance the pH, ideally 5.5 or lower, to keep the hair cuticle sealed, preventing moisture loss, tame frizziness, and reduce static charge. Some of the commonly found pH adjusters in winter shampoos are citric acid, lactic acid, and sodium citrate.

• Thickeners: These shampoos improve the viscosity of the shampoo base. Some of the most commonly used thickeners are sodium chloride, guar gum, Xanthan gum, Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), etc.

• Pearlescent Agents: They add an aesthetic appeal, providing shampoo a rich, opaque appearance. Some of the common compositions used are Glycol Monostearate, Glycol Disterate.

• Fragrances: These add an aesthetic appeal and mask the odor of other ingredients in the shampoo base.

• Preservatives: These ingredients inhibit microbial growth, decomposition, and contamination of the shampoo. Some of the commonly used preservatives are Formaldehyde, Methyl, and Propyl Paraben.

Now that we know why shampoos are so essential in winter, it’s time to check out some of the best shampoos recommended by dermatologists.

Final Thought: Tips & Tricks to Choose the Best Shampoo in Winter

There are a variety of hair types, such as dry, frizzy, thin, and dense hair.

Thus, you must choose a hair care routine that suits your specific hair type & offers the best results.

And what is the best method for it?

Taking a consultation with a dermatologist.

Your dermatologist will analyze your hair issues and suggest the best shampoos for winter, according to them.

The list provided to you is some of the best shampoos that dermatologists recommend to their patients.

Use these sulfate-free shampoos effectively and accurately in winter, and say goodbye to all your hair issues.

You can purchase all the products directly from the Clinikally website.

We wish you thick, dense, dandruff-free hair in winter!