# Shampoo for thick hair

Source: HiveTried, https://hivetried.com/beauty/shampoo/for-thick-hair/
Category: Beauty > Shampoo. Updated 2026-10-08. Based on 246 counted first-hand reports from Ulta and Sephora shopper reviews, May 2018 to Sep 2026.

**Question:** Which shampoo is good for thick hair?

**Short answer:** OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo has the best record for thick hair: 37 of 41 shoppers said it cleaned their hair well, leaving it soft and manageable. Each record counts just shoppers who said they have thick hair. The leader is sold on Amazon by a third-party seller, not an official one, so the best pick from official Amazon sellers is Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo at 18 of 20.

**What stands out:** Scent draws praise for all six shampoos, from 17% of Olaplex reviews to 58% of Pureology reviews. Some Pureology and OUAI Thick Hair reviews find the scent bad or too strong.

## Ranking (buyers who said whether it worked)

| Rank | Product | Soft and manageable | Share | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo | 37 of 41 | 90% | yes |
| 2 | Bondi Boost Hair Thickening Therapy Shampoo | 9 of 9 | 100% | yes |
| 3 | Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo | 18 of 20 | 90% | yes |
| 4 | OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo | 23 of 28 | 82% | no |
| 5 | Bondi Boost HG Shampoo for Thinning Hair | 10 of 13 | 77% | yes |
| 6 | Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo | 14 of 21 | 67% | yes |

Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% Wilson confidence interval, so a product needs a high share and enough reports to rank high. An Amazon link is shown only when at least 60% say it works.

## Product notes

### 1. OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo

More shoppers with thick hair weighed in on this shampoo than on any other here, and 37 of 41 said it worked. Of its 57 reviews, 25% praise the scent and 18% say hair stays clean longer, while 5% call it drying.

- Praised for: Nice scent (25%), Hair stays clean longer (18%), Leaves hair soft (14%)
- Complaints: Drying or stripping (5%), Hair gets greasy fast (5%), Too expensive (4%)
- Reports counted: 57

### 2. Bondi Boost Hair Thickening Therapy Shampoo

All 9 shoppers with thick hair who gave a verdict said it worked, the highest share here (100%), but that is a small group. Of its 20 reviews, 60% say hair looks fuller and 25% praise the scent.

- Praised for: Hair looks fuller (60%), Nice scent (25%), Hair stays clean longer (20%)
- Reports counted: 20

### 3. Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo

It is the best pick from official Amazon sellers, and 18 of 20 shoppers with thick hair said it worked. Of its 40 reviews, 58% praise the scent and 45% say hair feels soft, but 8% say it costs too much.

- Praised for: Nice scent (58%), Leaves hair soft (45%), Color lasts (10%)
- Complaints: Too expensive (8%), Hair gets greasy fast (5%), Bad or strong scent (5%)
- Reports counted: 40

### 4. OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo

23 of 28 shoppers with thick hair said it worked. Of its 35 reviews, 37% praise the scent and 23% say hair feels soft, though 9% call it drying.

- Praised for: Nice scent (37%), Leaves hair soft (23%), Good value (6%)
- Complaints: Bad or strong scent (9%), Drying or stripping (9%), Hair gets greasy fast (6%)
- Reports counted: 35

### 5. Bondi Boost HG Shampoo for Thinning Hair

A small group of shoppers with thick hair weighed in, and 10 of 13 said it worked. Of its 36 reviews, 39% say hair looks fuller and 33% praise the scent, while 8% say hair gets greasy fast.

- Praised for: Hair looks fuller (39%), Nice scent (33%), Leaves hair soft (11%)
- Complaints: Hair gets greasy fast (8%)
- Reports counted: 36

### 6. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

This is the weakest record here at 14 of 21, and 12% of its 58 reviews call it drying. Opinions on price differ: 19% of its reviews call it good value and 10% say it costs too much.

- Praised for: Good value (19%), Nice scent (17%), Leaves hair soft (17%)
- Complaints: Drying or stripping (12%), Too expensive (10%), No difference (3%)
- Reports counted: 58

## Questions

**Which shampoo works for thick hair?**

OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo has the best record (37 of 41), followed by Bondi Boost Hair Thickening Therapy Shampoo (9 of 9) and Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo (18 of 20). The runner-up rests on just 9 shoppers, so treat that record as thin. Each record counts just shoppers who said they have thick hair.

**Which shampoo for thick hair is sold on Amazon?**

Three of the six are sold on Amazon by an official seller: Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo (18 of 20), Bondi Boost HG Shampoo for Thinning Hair (10 of 13) and Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo (14 of 21). The two OUAI shampoos are sold there by a third-party seller. We could not confirm an Amazon listing for Bondi Boost Hair Thickening Therapy Shampoo. The best pick from official Amazon sellers is Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo.

**Can shampoo leave thick hair dry?**

Some reviews say so. 12% of Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo reviews call it drying, as do 9% of OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo reviews and 5% of OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo reviews. Dryness is not among the complaints that repeat for Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo, which draws price (8%) and greasy hair (5%) instead.

**Is OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo good for thick hair?**

Mostly yes: 23 of 28 shoppers with thick hair said it worked. Of its 35 reviews, 37% praise the scent and 23% say hair feels soft, while 9% call it drying. It is sold on Amazon by a third-party seller.

## Method

HiveTried counts first-hand reports only, drops reviews written for free products, shows brand-site reviews without counting them, and never accepts payment for placement. Full method: https://hivetried.com/how-we-count/