Best Shampoo for Wavy Hair: 6 Picks by Weight and Oiliness

Our top pick is Maui Moisture Hibiscus Water, a light sulfate-free wash named in 13 of the threads we collected, more by name than any pick here except one, and sold by Amazon at a drugstore price. The exception is Suave Daily Clarifying, named in 26 threads with no poster against it: it costs a few dollars in stores, but Amazon carries it only through third-party sellers at several times that, so it sits second and is best bought in person. The rule behind both matters more than the bottle: wavy hair is not curly hair, so pick a shampoo that cleans fully and rinses clean, and keep heavy curl products away from your waves.

We collected 194 Reddit threads, mostly from r/Wavyhair with r/curlyhair, r/finehair and r/HaircareScience, and read 82 of them closely (up to 20 comments each). The archive search was patchy, so treat the counts as a sample. We researched and compared; we did not test any bottle. Forum counts below are threads that name a product, or most plausibly mean it, with one stance per poster per thread; threads beyond the for, against and mixed stances name it without a verdict. After our top pick and the forum favorite, the rest are sorted by job, with the premium option last.

Our six picks at a glance

Maui Moisture Hibiscus Water is our top pick, Suave Daily Clarifying is the forum favorite to buy in a store, and Aussie Miracle Moist is the budget bottle. VERB Ghost suits fine waves, CeraVe Gentle Hydrating suits daily washing, and Innersense Pure Harmony is the premium choice.

1. Maui Moisture Hibiscus Water: our top pick for wavy hair

Best Overall Budget ($)

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Maui Moisture Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo, 13 fl oz (Affiliate link)

Best for: Wavy hair that wants a sulfate-free, silicone-free drugstore shampoo without the weight of coconut-and-shea curl formulas

4.5 (6,029 reviews)

Aloe-first sulfate-free shampoo in one of Maui Moisture's two lightweight lines, marketed for waves and curls and for daily use

Pros

• + Maui Moisture's two lightweight lines (Hibiscus Water and Flaxseed) carry the praise in wavy threads; posters with fine waves steer others to them as Maui's lighter lines, and one calls Flaxseed the only Maui line they like
• + Sulfate-free, silicone-free, vegan and marketed as color-safe (brand bullets), at a drugstore price and sold by Amazon
• + Large rating pool on the shampoo listing itself (pooled over the one-pack and two-pack), sold and shipped by Amazon

Cons

• − Most of the brand's complaints of build-up, lank waves and residue name its heavier lines (Shea Butter, Vanilla Bean) or Maui sets where no line is named, and the Hibiscus set has two against of its own; buy the Hibiscus or Flaxseed bottles, not the brand
• − The matching Hibiscus conditioner left one r/Wavyhair poster's hair dry and frizzy, and several of the brand's complaints in wavy threads are about its conditioners
• − One 2a to 2c low-porosity poster found their hair dry on the Hibiscus set and went looking for a replacement, and one poster said the pink bottle did not do much for their waves and prefers the green one
• − A sulfate-free formula; some posters alternate Maui's light washes with a clarifier, and one Flaxseed user says they need a stronger shampoo every other day or once a week

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This is the one we would point you to first. The Hibiscus Water line is named in 13 threads; 16 for / 2 against / 1 mixed, more threads by name than any pick here except Suave. It is one of Maui’s two lightweight lines, aloe-first, silicone-free and sulfate-free, and it is sold by Amazon at a drugstore price. It suits waves that want light hydration; if yours are fine and get oily fast, Suave or CeraVe below is the better fit.

Why we recommend it

The praise sits on Maui’s two light lines, Hibiscus Water and Flaxseed. One r/Wavyhair poster: “my wavy hair absolutely loves” the Hibiscus Water bottle, “My hair is more defined, has some curling to it and gives me a shine, which I find hard to achieve.” (r/Wavyhair, 1). Another, with thin low-porosity hair, finds the Hibiscus set cleans well for a sulfate-free wash and pairs it with a clarifier (r/Wavyhair, 3). Six of the 16 for stances come from one r/HaircareScience thread, and four of those posters say their hair is straight, so read the count as a light-wash signal as much as a wavy one. We card Hibiscus over Maui’s Flaxseed line (named in 10 threads; 9 for / 0 against / 2 mixed) because its listing carries five times the ratings and does not put “Curls” in its name; either is a fair pick.

Potential downsides

• Most of the brand’s complaints of build-up and lank waves name its heavier lines (Shea Butter, Vanilla Bean) or sets where no line is named, and the Hibiscus set has two against of its own. The Maui Moisture shampoo and conditioner lines together are named in 23 threads; 40 for / 9 against / 9 mixed. Buy the Hibiscus or Flaxseed bottle, not the brand.
• The listing holds 4.5 stars across 6,029 ratings pooled over its one-pack and two-pack.
• Several of the brand’s complaints are about conditioners, including this set’s: “I didn’t like the Hibiscus Water conditioner. My hair ended up dry and frizzy.” (r/Wavyhair, 21).
• One 2a to 2c low-porosity poster found their hair dry on the set, and one said the pink bottle did not do much for their waves and prefers the green one.
• Some posters alternate Maui’s light washes with a clarifier; one Flaxseed user says they need a stronger shampoo every other day or once a week.

2. Suave Daily Clarifying: the forum favorite, best bought in a store

Budget ($)

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Suave Essentials Daily Clarifying Shampoo, 30 oz (Affiliate link)

Best for: Fine or oily hair that wants a pH-balanced clarifier at a drugstore price; the linked Amazon offer is a 30 oz third-party listing that costs several times the in-store price

4.6 (771 reviews)

Sold by Suave as a pH-balanced, hypoallergenic daily clarifying shampoo for normal to oily hair

Pros

• + Sold as pH-balanced, hypoallergenic and for daily use
• + Suave says it cleans deeply without stripping away moisture
• + A few dollars a bottle in stores according to forum posters; the linked Amazon offer is a 30 oz third-party listing that costs several times that

Cons

• − On Amazon it is a 30 oz listing from a third-party seller at several times the store price; forum posters pay $2.49 to $2.85 for it in stores, so buy it in person if you can
• − Suave sells it for daily use; wavy posters mostly use it every few washes as a reset and follow it with their regular shampoo or a rich conditioner, and one finds it a little drying
• − Suave doesn't market it for hard-water minerals; shampoos built for that are a separate category
• − Amazon's attribute row calls it sulfate-free, but retailer ingredient lists show a sulfate cleanser
• − Stock can be patchy; one fine-hair poster couldn't find it anywhere

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Suave Daily Clarifying is named in 26 threads; 16 for / 0 against / 1 mixed, 23 of those threads on r/Wavyhair. That is more threads than any other product in our record, with no poster against it. Several r/Wavyhair routines for fine waves start with it, and it costs a few dollars in stores. It is second here for one reason: Amazon carries it only through third-party sellers at several times the store price, and a top pick should be a fair buy at the link beside it.

Why we recommend it

Wavy posters use it to get back to clean hair after curl products pile up. One r/Wavyhair poster in a hard-water area: “I use the Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo when I do a true clarifying wash. It’s super cheap” (r/Wavyhair, 2). Another, in the thread Google shows first for this search: “my hair likes frequent clarifying so I use it every wash day (2-3x per week)” (r/Wavyhair, 3). A third, comparing it with Aveeno’s clarifier: “I notice less oil and build up after either of these two.” (r/Wavyhair, 4). Suave’s listing sells it as pH-balanced, hypoallergenic and for daily use; posters tend to use it every few washes and follow it with their regular shampoo or a rich conditioner. It contains a sulfate cleanser, which suits waves that feel coated on gentler washes. If you buy one bottle, pair it with a light regular wash such as our first or fifth pick; most posters use Suave as the reset, not the everyday shampoo. If your hair is color-treated, our clarifying shampoo roundup suggests keeping a sulfate clarifier to about once a month.

Potential downsides

• On Amazon it is a 30 oz listing from a third-party seller at several times the store price. Posters pay a few dollars for it in stores (they do not say which size), so buy it in person if you can.
• It is a clarifier: one poster finds it a little drying, and some follow it with their regular shampoo or a rich conditioner.
• Amazon’s attribute row calls it sulfate-free, but retailer ingredient lists show a sulfate cleanser.

3. Aussie Miracle Moist: best budget

Best Budget Budget ($)

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Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo with Avocado & Jojoba Oil, 26.2 fl oz (Affiliate link)

Best for: Wavy hair that went dry on silicone- and paraben-free routines and wants a cheap, big-bottle drugstore shampoo

4.7 (5,329 reviews)

Drugstore sulfate shampoo in a 26.2 oz bottle, marketed for all hair types; one r/Wavyhair poster credits the Miracle Moist set with volume, body, waves and hold, and a 225-point r/Wavyhair thread is a poster going back to Aussie after eight years of silicone- and paraben-free products

Pros

• + An in-stock Aussie line wavy posters name: one r/Wavyhair poster credits the Miracle Moist shampoo and conditioner with volume, body, waves and hold, and one of the sub's biggest switch threads (225 points) is a wavy poster returning to Aussie shampoo and conditioner after eight years of silicone- and paraben-free products
• + Around $8 for 26.2 oz is about a tenth of the per-ounce price of the Innersense bottle on this page, and it is sold and shipped by Amazon
• + Pairs with the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist conditioner that other posters call a staple

Cons

• − Contains a sulfate cleanser (sodium lauryl sulfate), two silicones (dimethicone and dimethiconol) and a citrus, floral and musk fragrance, so it is not for anyone keeping a sulfate-free, silicone-free or fragrance-free routine
• − The Amazon rating count is shared across Aussie's 26.2 oz shampoo lines (Miracle Moist and Miracle Curls show the same 5,329), so it is a brand-level number, not this bottle's own
• − Marketed for all hair types, not for waves; the Miracle Curls sibling drew one complaint on r/Wavyhair that it was way too heavy and made their hair frizz from build-up, so results across Aussie's lines are not interchangeable

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Aussie is the drugstore line wavies go back to after years of curl products. Miracle Moist by name is named in only 4 threads; 6 for / 0 against / 0 mixed, two of them bare mentions and one about a poster’s kids’ hair, and the Aussie shampoo and conditioner lines together in 16 threads; 25 for / 1 against / 2 mixed. Around $8 buys a 26.2 oz bottle sold by Amazon.

Why we recommend it

One of r/Wavyhair’s biggest switch threads (225 points) is a poster going back to Aussie shampoo and conditioner after eight years of silicone- and paraben-free products. Another poster in that thread: “My hair (and wallet) is a lot happier after I switched back to Aussie shampoo and conditioner.” (r/Wavyhair, 20). In a different r/Wavyhair thread, one poster credits the Miracle Moist shampoo-and-conditioner set with volume, body, waves and hold. The ingredient list puts sodium lauryl sulfate right after water and includes avocado oil and two silicones; the jojoba oil in the title is not in the ingredient list. Other posters call the 3 Minute Miracle conditioner a staple.

Potential downsides

• The Amazon rating count is shared across Aussie’s 26.2 oz shampoo lines (Miracle Moist and Miracle Curls show the same number), so it is a brand-level figure, not this bottle’s own.
• It contains a sulfate cleanser, two silicones (dimethicone and dimethiconol) and a citrus, floral and musk fragrance, so it is not for a sulfate-free or silicone-free routine.
• It is marketed for all hair types, not waves, and Aussie’s lines are not interchangeable: one r/Wavyhair poster found the Miracle Curls sibling too heavy.

4. VERB Ghost: best for fine wavy hair

Best for Fine Hair Mid-range ($$)

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VERB Ghost Fine Hair Shampoo (Affiliate link)

Best for: Fine to medium hair, straight or wavy, with oily roots, including colored or bleached lengths

4.5 (4,501 reviews)

A light moringa-oil cleanser the brand makes for fine to medium hair, color-safe per its listing and free of 'harmful sulfates' in the brand's words, priced between drugstore and salon

Pros

• + One fine-haired poster on Reddit says their hair doesn't get greasy as fast on it, and another says it doesn't strip their color
• + Free of 'harmful sulfates' in the brand's words, vegan and cruelty-free, with moringa oil and green tea extract
• + Mid-tier price for a salon-adjacent formula

Cons

• − One fan on Reddit calls it pricy
• − Fine-haired users' reports are mixed: some describe weigh-down and hair that looks unwashed, while two wavy posters call it lightweight
• − Its ingredient list includes a silicone (silicone quaternium-8), and its cleansers are not sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate

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For fine waves that go flat by afternoon, VERB Ghost is our pick. It is named in 11 threads; 11 for / 0 against / 2 mixed. VERB makes it for fine to medium hair, and it sits at a mid-range price between the drugstore and the salon.

Why we recommend it

Fine-haired wavies on r/Wavyhair call it lightweight: one says the shampoo, conditioner and oil never leave their hair weighted down, and another says it is gentle enough to use daily. It is a light cleanser with moringa oil and green tea extract, color-safe per its listing, and VERB’s label says free from harmful sulfates without defining the term; its list has no sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, though it uses other sulfonate and sulfosuccinate cleansers. It is also on our fine hair shampoo roundup, where it is the wavy pick.

Potential downsides

• One fine-haired poster finds it a bit drying: “It is a bit drying and I’m seeing a little bit more frizz when I air dry” (r/finehair, 2).
• Its ingredient list includes a silicone (silicone quaternium-8), and one r/Wavyhair poster says it has not been working as well lately.
• Around $22 for 12 oz, more than the drugstore bottles here.
• Our fine-hair read found some fine-haired users describing weigh-down and hair that looks unwashed on it, so start with a small amount on fine waves.

5. CeraVe Gentle Hydrating: best for daily use

Best for Daily Use Budget ($)

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CeraVe Gentle Hydrating Shampoo with Hyaluronic Acid, 12 oz (Affiliate link)

Best for: Fine or oily waves that get greasy fast and want a fragrance-free, sulfate-free shampoo gentle enough to use every wash

4.5 (6,523 reviews)

Fragrance-free, sulfate-free shampoo with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid from CeraVe's hair line, which a 2025 post calls recently launched

Pros

• + r/finehair's most-upvoted CeraVe thread calls the shampoo light and clean-rinsing, and one fine-waved poster there with roots that get greasy fast calls it the perfect shampoo for daily washing
• + Fragrance-free and free of sulfates, parabens and dyes (brand bullets), at a drugstore price
• + Sold and shipped by Amazon, around $9 for 12 oz, with 19 oz and 21 oz sizes on the same listing

Cons

• − One r/curlyhair poster says it dried their wavy hair out badly (they used no conditioner), and one r/finehair commenter, advising another poster, warns it can build up on fine hair over time; the record is 12 threads; 12 for / 2 against / 1 mixed
• − A new line (a 2025 post calls it recently launched), so the forum record is shorter than for the drugstore staples on this page
• − CeraVe's performance claims (10X smoother, 72 hours of hydration) are brand test claims we could not check

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If your waves get oily fast and you wash most days, CeraVe Gentle Hydrating fits. It is named in 12 threads; 12 for / 2 against / 1 mixed. It is fragrance-free and sulfate-free, sold by Amazon at a drugstore price.

Why we recommend it

The most-upvoted r/finehair CeraVe thread in our sample calls the shampoo light and says it leaves hair clean in a way other shampoos don’t, and a commenter there calls it a fit for daily washing. A 2c poster with thick, low-porosity waves on r/Wavyhair uses the shampoo and conditioner together, clarifies regularly with another shampoo, and says the pair leaves hair soft without product build-up. It is a fragrance-free option at around $9, with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Its “10X smoother” and 72-hour claims are brand test claims we could not check.

Potential downsides

• One r/curlyhair poster says it dried their wavy hair out badly (they used no conditioner), and one r/finehair commenter, advising another poster, warns it can build up on fine hair over time.
• It is a new line (a 2025 post calls it recently launched), so the forum record is shorter than for the drugstore staples on this page. Its 4.5 stars across 6,523 ratings are pooled over the listing’s sizes.

6. Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath: best premium

Best Premium Mid-range ($$)

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Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath Volumizing Shampoo, 10 oz (Affiliate link)

Best for: Fine to medium wavy hair that wants a salon-brand sulfate-free shampoo and does not mind paying for it

4.4 (1,548 reviews)

Concentrated sulfate- and silicone-free gel shampoo marketed for fine to medium hair; one poster calls it the lightest of the three Innersense lines they discuss

Pros

• + One r/curlyhair poster recommends Pure as Innersense's lightest line for 2b waves, another who washes every five to seven days says the large Innersense bottles (size unspecified) last six to eight months, and one r/Wavyhair fan, in a thread for fine-haired wavies, calls Pure Harmony the most cleansing but still gentle
• + Sulfate-free, silicone-free and certified B Corp (brand claims); one poster says the brand now sells refills for the larger sizes, and two posters suggest the travel sizes before a full bottle
• + Our forum record for Innersense shampoos (all three hairbath lines) shows far more praise than complaint; the complaints are about price, fragrance, dryness that one poster puts down to protein, and a grippy feel since repurchasing for one poster with thick, very curly hair. The Pure Harmony bottle by name has a thin record: one fan, one poster who found it OK but not worth the cost, one who recommends the line but calls the brand overpriced

Cons

• − Around $30 for 10 oz is the most expensive bottle on this page; two r/curlyhair posters who used it say it is not worth the price, or is pricy, next to cheaper brands
• − The fragrance divides posters across Innersense's lines: one says it smells great, one hates it, and another does not care for a sibling line's natural smell
• − Sold by a third-party seller (Carbon Beauty) and shipped by Amazon at the time of writing; check the seller before you buy
• − One r/curlyhair poster found the whole Innersense wavy range drying on their highlighted hair, which they put down to protein, and one poster with thick, coarse, very curly hair says that since repurchasing it leaves their hair grippy and hard to style, and wonders if the formula changed

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If you want a salon-brand sulfate-free wash, one r/curlyhair poster describes Pure Harmony as the lightest of the three Innersense lines they discuss. Innersense shampoos are named in 9 threads; 20 for / 1 against / 5 mixed. Pure Harmony by name has a thin record: named in 2 threads; 1 for / 0 against / 2 mixed.

Why we recommend it

The one fully positive Pure Harmony poster is on r/Wavyhair: “I like the Pure Hairbath as it’s the most cleansing but still gentle.” (r/Wavyhair, 3). For loose waves, an r/curlyhair poster (score 25) points to the same bottle: “For 2b you should get pure, because it’s the lightest (not much oils and butters).” Two of the three posters who name it say to try the travel sizes before buying a full bottle. Innersense sells it as a concentrated gel for fine to medium hair, sulfate- and silicone-free; one poster who washes every five to seven days says the large Innersense bottles (size unspecified) last them six to eight months. The premium option comes last: the price has to earn its place against five cheaper bottles.

Potential downsides

• Around $30 for 10 oz is the most expensive bottle here, and the same poster who recommends Pure says Innersense isn’t worth the price.
• The fragrance divides posters across Innersense’s lines: one says it smells great, one hates it, and another does not care for a sibling line’s natural smell.
• One poster with highlighted hair found the whole Innersense wavy range drying, which they put down to protein, and one poster with thick, coarse, very curly hair says that since repurchasing it leaves their hair grippy and hard to style, and wonders if the formula changed.
• It is sold by a third-party seller (Carbon Beauty) and shipped by Amazon at the time of writing.

Wavy hair is not curly hair: what that means for shampoo

Wavy posters, especially fine-haired ones, keep reporting the same thing: a shampoo that cleans fully and rinses clean beats the rich, buttery washes built for tight curls. The loudest finding in the wavy threads is that curly-girl rules, which posters say were written for drier, curlier hair, often leave waves flat, greasy or stringy.

By wavy hair we mean hair with a loose bend or S-shape, between straight and curly. That is our plain description, not a scientific one: a study that measured hair across several world regions notes that words like wavy and curly “remain confusing as their definitions and limits are unclear” (International Journal of Dermatology). Lab Muffin, a cosmetic chemist’s blog, notes that hair shape “makes a massive difference to how they respond to different products” (Lab Muffin).

On r/Wavyhair, the top comment in a 225-point thread puts it plainly: “CGM, silicone and sulphate free isn’t always best for wavy hair.” (255 points). The Curly Girl Method’s rules on sulfates and silicones come up again and again in the switch threads, and posters there report more body once they drop the heavy products. For tighter curls, our curly hair shampoo roundup covers the richer washes.

Choose by strand thickness and oiliness, not by wave number

Choose by how fine and how oily your hair is, not by the wave number. Fine, oily waves do well on a clarifying or light wash like Suave, VERB Ghost or CeraVe. Posters with low-porosity waves describe doing better on a light hydrating wash like Maui Hibiscus, though one low-porosity poster found that set drying.

The 2a, 2b and 2c labels come from hair-typing charts that posters use; we found no dermatology source that defines them, so treat them as shorthand. One r/Wavyhair poster argues that texture and porosity matter more than the wave label, and the threads split along those lines. Fine wavies build routines on a clarifier and light stylers, while low-porosity posters (one of them on r/curlyhair, with thick hair) look for “lightweight hydration” washes with aloe or flaxseed instead of butters and coconut oil. Thick 2c waves are the thinnest part of our record: the one thick 2c poster we can point to pairs CeraVe with regular clarifying, and no rich wash built for thick waves cleared our bar (SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus, the obvious candidate, is named in 3 threads; 0 for / 2 against / 0 mixed).

If you are not sure, start with the oiliness test the American Academy of Dermatology gives for washing: “Wash your hair based on how often it gets dirty or oily” (AAD). Hair that is greasy by day two may want washing more often; hair that still feels coated after a wash may want a stronger cleanser, and hair that feels dry after one wash a gentler one.

Sulfate or sulfate-free for waves?

Either can work, and no source tests this on wavy hair. The sulfate label alone does not decide how much a shampoo cleans or strips; the whole formula does. If your waves go greasy by day two on a sulfate-free wash, a sulfate shampoo is a fair next step. If they feel rough, go milder.

A dermatology review explains the trade-off: shampoos for oily hair use detergents with strong sebum removal, and over-cleaned hair can be “harsh, rough, dull with frizz and prone to tangling” (Indian Journal of Dermatology). The same review adds that “Frequent and regular cleaning with a well-formulated shampoo will not damage the hair.”

Lab Muffin’s verdict on the label is blunt: “Sulfate-free and sulfate-containing don’t really mean much.” (Lab Muffin) A random sulfate shampoo is likely to clean more than a random sulfate-free one, but because of how it is designed, not because sulfates strip automatically. The Beauty Brains, a cosmetic chemists’ podcast, answer the Curly Girl sulfate question with “Not really but it depends” (The Beauty Brains).

That is why we card both lanes. Suave and Aussie use sulfate cleansers; Maui, CeraVe and Innersense are sulfate-free; VERB uses cleansers that are not sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate. Drugstore brands like Pantene, Dove, VO5 and Herbal Essences also come up with praise in wavy routine lists (Pantene is named in 23 threads; 16 for / 2 against / 1 mixed), but posters name the brands rather than one bottle, so we could not place a single listing on the record.

How often should wavy hair be clarified?

There is no sourced interval for wavy hair. Posters clarify anywhere from every wash to once a month, and fine hair is said to need it more often. Clarify when your waves feel greasy, flat or coated, and scale back if your hair feels dry.

A dermatology review says deep-cleaning shampoos for people who use a lot of styling product “are typically used once weekly” (Indian Journal of Dermatology), though it is not written about waves. On r/Wavyhair, answers to “How often should I clarify my wavy hair?” range from every wash to once a month, and one commenter gives the test we would use: scale back if hair feels dry, clarify more if it feels greasy or weighed down. One low-score commenter warns that clarifying can leave fine hair brittle.

Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar is the milder clarifier wavies mention (named in 10 threads; 10 for / 3 against / 0 mixed). One r/Wavyhair poster double-washes with it every shower; one r/finehair poster found build-up stayed after several washes. For chelating washes and hard water, see our clarifying shampoo roundup.

Why we don’t pick by the wavy label

A “for waves” label does not predict how a shampoo performs on waves. The one wavy-labeled bottle still on sale has a split result, and the curl-marketed shampoos we checked range from split to mostly positive; the plainest drugstore clarifier has the largest record with no poster against it, and it sits second here only because of its Amazon price.

Matrix A Curl Can Dream’s wavy shampoo, the only in-stock shampoo we found sold specifically for wavy hair, is named in 6 threads; 6 for / 4 against / 0 mixed. One r/Wavyhair poster who needs sulfates to feel clean likes the line, another on r/Wavyhair thought it was good for a while and then found it stripped their hair and made it frizzy, and one r/curlyhair poster found the wavy set drying. Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk is named in 13 threads; 7 for / 5 against / 1 mixed, with complaints that it is heavy and hard to rinse out. OUAI Fine Hair is named in 7 threads; 6 for / 11 against / 1 mixed, and an r/finehair complaint thread opens with “By day two I am a grease truck” (r/finehair, 5).

L’Oréal EverPure, the wavy pick on our curly-hair page, is named in 6 threads; 3 for / 1 against / 2 mixed here. Giovanni shampoos are named in 15 threads; 13 for / 3 against / 1 mixed, with praise split between Tea Tree Triple Treat and 50:50. Aussie Miracle Waves was a wavy favorite (named in 7 threads; 7 for / 1 against / 0 mixed), but one r/Wavyhair poster says it has been discontinued, and we found only reseller listings.

Check your conditioner before you blame the shampoo

If your waves go limp after a light shampoo, look at the conditioner first. A shampoo that rinses clean is undone by a heavy conditioner, and several of the weigh-down complaints in the wavy threads are about conditioners rather than shampoos.

Maui is the clearest case: its shampoos get more praise than its conditioners, which posters call stringy, tangly or drying, though some complaints are about whole sets. The conditioners wavy posters do pair with these shampoos, as forum reports rather than our picks, are the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (“a staple for every wash” for a fine 2b/3a poster, r/Wavyhair, 39) and the VERB Ghost conditioner (two r/Wavyhair routines). The AAD says to use “conditioner after every shampoo” (AAD), and its healthy hair tips put it on the ends for fine or straight hair and on the full length for dry or curly hair. No source we found says where wavy hair falls, so go by which of those describes yours.

On silicones, Lab Muffin’s piece notes that weigh-down is true for some people and some silicones, not all; that article was sponsored by a silicone maker, which we note. Skipping shampoo is not the fix either. The Beauty Brains note that conditioner washing cleans less well and “can also start to build up on hair and feel heavy” (The Beauty Brains). For lighter options, see our curly hair conditioner picks and leave-in conditioner roundup, and our curly hair routine for beginners for the steps after the wash.