13 Best Shampoos for Hard Water, Tested and Reviewed for 2023

This sulfate-free shampoo is basically the MVP of hard-water shampoos, with more than 4,000 rave reviews on Amazon alone. It uses a mix of chelating and clarifying ingredients to break down mineral build-up and leave your hair lighter and cleaner, which is why I actually like to use it as a “reset” wash on my own curly hair every few months. Just know that even though it’s sulfate free, it’s still pretty drying (especially on already-dry or curly hair), so I always load up on a hair mask afterward to help restore some moisture.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier), disodium EDTA (chelator)
• Sulfate free: Yes* (*but still contains strong, sulfate-free cleansers that can be a bit drying)
  
  
• Size: 9 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “I have thinner flat hair and my daughter has thick, curly, dry hair and this works amazingly for both of us!” one reviewer writes. “My hair has got some body again after one use and my daughter’s is getting softer and more moisturized the longer we use it!”

Okay, I’m seriously in love with this hard-water shampoo from Mielle. The sulfate-free formula has a mix of clarifying cleansers and EDTA to strip down mineral build-up from hard water, along with five (!) moisturizing oils to keep your hair from fully drying out. If you’re looking for a moisturizing shampoo for damaged hair, curly hair, or 4c hair that also breaks through minerals, try this one.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier), disodium EDTA (chelating agent), moisturizing oils (sweet almond, argan, grapeseed, sacha inchi, and mongongo oils)
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 8 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “Loveeeee this shampoo,” writes one one reviewer. “It has made my scalp look and feel so soft, clean, and healthy! Doesn’t make my hair feel like it’s being stripped of moisture at all, but still manages to completely cleanse my hair and remove all buildup. I use it once a week on wash day and my scalp has changed so much since using this product it’s unbelievable—and I’ve only had it for two months!”

This sulfate-free shampoo from Aveeno uses sodium citrate and apple cider vinegar to gently remove build-up from minerals, hair products, and scalp oils, without making your hair feel totally stripped and straw-like. And, as an added bonus, the apple cider vinegar will help soothe itchy scalps, thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier), sodium citrate (chelating agent), apple cider vinegar
• Sulfate free: Yes* (*but still contains strong, sulfate-free cleansers that can be a bit drying)
• Size: 12 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “This stuff is just excellent,” one tester writes. “All its claims have been, for me, 100% true! My curls have never been so defined, frizz-free, bouncy and shiny! Added bonus that it smells amazing. You don’t need much of either the shampoo or conditioner. Gives a deep clean while also adding back some moisture. 10/10.”

Fun fact: This chelating shampoo is 100 percent plant-based (we <3 clean beauty), which means it’s both incredibly effective, and surprisingly gentle, all at the same time. Free of fragrance, sulfates, and parabens (if you’re not a fan), this shampoo uses coconut-based cleansers and a vegetable-based chelating agent to break down hard water build-up without destroying your hair in the process.

• Key ingredients: tetrasodium glutamate diacetate (chelating agent derived from vegetables), sodium cocoamphoacetate (surfactant from coconuts)
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 8 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “Great chelating shampoo! It does a wonderful job of removing impurities from the hair strands,” reads one tester’s review. “I’ve been using it for a few years now about once or twice a month to remove excess proteins, minerals, and chemical residue. It helps to restore moisture and vitality to the hair.”

Whether you’re dealing with build-up from hard water or well water, this cult-favorite (seriously) shampoo from Ion will get your hair clean with two chelating ingredients: EDTA and sodium gluconate. It’s also ~technically~ sulfate free (though still uses some strong clarifying cleansers), making a slightly milder choice on the spectrum of hard-water shampoos.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier); sodium gluconate and disodium EDTA (chelating agents)
• Sulfate free: Yes* (*but still contains strong, sulfate-free cleansers that can be a bit drying)
• Size: 10.5 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “I’m shocked—my hair feels amazing,” writes one tester. “I have straight hair and after the beach, no matter how much I washed it, it felt like I had conditioner or residue stuck in my hair. My hair [now] feels amazing. It has volume to it, and is extremely soft. I can’t explain how soft it is. I feel like a whole new person. I’m so in love. I can’t believe this. Pls give it a try. The price is amazing and results are fantastic I want cry lol. My hair has never felt this way.”

If your color-treated hair is basically unrecognizable from hard-water build-up, you need this product. It’s technically a pre-shampoo treatment, rather than a regular shampoo, but it works to remove the super-tough minerals (see: magnesium and calcium) without any harsh or stripping ingredients—really. Just spray it all over your dry hair before stepping into the shower, let it sit for three minutes, then hop in and rinse out with your regular shampoo.

• Key ingredients: glycerin, acrylic acid copolymer (breaks down minerals)
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 6.7 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “This product worked well on my hair with light-blonde highlights,” one tester notes. “We have very hard water and my color was looking very dull, dry, and brassy. I applied this as directed, waited about 10 minutes, and washed and conditioned. … The results were noticeable, my hair looked much better and was softer with more shine. Great product! I plan to use this weekly to keep my highlights looking fresh”

Sadly, this clarifying shampoo won’t magically turn you into Anomaly founder Priyanka Chopra (sigh), but it will help remove some of the build-up on your hair from both hard water and gunky scalp oils. A mix of sulfate-free cleansers, oil-absorbing charcoal, and mineral-destroying EDTA will leave your hair feeling lighter and “reset” after one or two uses.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier), charcoal
• Sulfate free: Yes* (*but still contains strong, sulfate-free cleansers that can be drying)
• Size: 11 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “I love this shampoo!” notes a product reviewer. “It smells wonderful and leaves my hair feeling clean and without residue. I’ve been on the search for a good clarifying shampoo for a long time and I’ve found it!”

Apple cider vinegar is truly an all-star ingredient for your hair—it helps treat dandruff, cuts down on itchiness, breaks down scalp oils and mineral build-up, and leaves your hair shinier and softer. For real. Just use this rinse in place of your shampoo once a week for an added dose of clarifying powers (though you may need to use more frequently based on your hard-water situation).

• Key ingredients: tetrasodium EDTA (chelating agent), apple cider vinegar, water-soluble castor oil
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 15.5 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “I love this stuff,” one reviewer writes. “I have dreadlocks, and this makes my scalp feel amazing after I rinse it and gives a cooling effect when I put it on my hair.”

This clarifying shampoo breaks down product build-up and hard-water residue with EDTA (the gold-standard chelator, reminder) and sulfate-free cleansers, while simultaneously hydrating curly hair types with aloe, panthenol, and green tea extract, making it the ultimate reset cleanser for tighter hair textures that need the occasional clarifying rinse.

• Key ingredients: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate (sulfate-free clarifier), disodium EDTA, and oils (sunflower, coconut, shea butter)
• Sulfate free: Yes* (*but still contains strong, sulfate-free cleansers that can be drying)
• Size: 7.8 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “This shampoo is easy to use and has helped so much with many issues that I deal with, [like] frizzy hair, dry scalp, rough hair texture,” reads a tester’s review. “Additionally, it has a long lasting longevity in protecting and setting my hair, and doesn’t have any strong fragrance.”

This clean, sulfate-free clarifying shampoo uses a chelating ingredient called EDDS that binds to and deactivates certain minerals, like calcium and copper, that are commonly found in hard water. Copper, FYI, is a big hair-color ruiner, so give this sulfate-free shampoo a try if you’re worried about your blonde or color-treated hair, or if you just want a middle-of-the-road, not-too-intense clarifying formula.

• Key ingredients: cocamidopropyl betaine (sulfate-free cleanser), trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate (chelating agent)
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 12.5 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “It feels amazing not to have to deal with oily hair anymore,” reads one tester review. “It removed the oil on my scalp without drying out my hair. This allows me to use one wash rather than two. The small is akin to fruit juice.”

The pointed nozzle on this clarifying rinse is key for anyone who’s working with super-dense or thick hair (hi, 4c folks), so you can get more on your scalp, and less on your already-dry ends. This rinse is on the gentler side of chelating formulas, with zero sulfates and just a bit of citric acid to help break down mineral build-up, so if you’re tiptoeing into the clarifying world and want to try the ~lowest potency~ first, start here.

• Key ingredients: sodium citrate and citric acid (chelating agents)
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 6 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “It’s like a little miracle in a bottle,” one tester writes. “Somehow it cleanses the scalp but also detangles and nourishes my hair. I dye my hair every 3 weeks and this is a staple for maintaining my color while conditioning.”

You can’t talk about hard-water shampoos without talking about this cult-favorite formula from Living Proof that basically annihilates all forms of build-up, whether it’s from hard water, environmental pollutants, or heavy products. It’s free of both silicones and sulfates—though it’s still pretty intense—so it’s a good pick for color-treated or curly that wants to minimize additional dryness (though, you know, DIY hair masks will still be your hair’s best friend throughout this hard-water journey).

• Key ingredients: sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate (sulfate-free cleanser), charcoal powder,
• Sulfate free: Yes
• Size: 5.4 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “Love this stuff,” reads a tester’s review. “My hair gets greasy easily, and when it’s got some shampoo build-up, this shampoo really makes it feel like new again. No strong scent which I love, and it does make my hair feel good after using it. It doesn’t strip my hair too much but it gets the job done.”

This shampoo is the very definition of clarifying: It’s filled with two major sulfates (yup, the intense, sudsy kind), plus EDTA (the hallmark of chelating ingredients), to really destroy the mineral build-up in your hair and basically reset your hair to a neutral state. It’s definitely drying, so be prepared to use sparingly, and to follow up with a super-hydrating conditioner.

• Key ingredients: ammonium laureth sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, disodium EDTA
• Sulfate free: No
• Size: 8.5 fluid onces

THE REVIEWS: “This product is a life (and time) saver!” reads one tester’s review. “After two uses, my scalp and hair feel better than ever! Highly recommend. If a water softener is not an option this is the next best solution to hard water buildup!”

Figure out which type of formula your hair needs

You’ve got two shampoo options to help you remove hard-water build-up: chelating and clarifying shampoos. Chelating shampoos (sometimes called demineralizing shampoos) tend to be harsher and more drying than clarifying shampoos, and they work by binding to the minerals stuck to your hair and then breaking them down while you suds up.

Clarifying shampoos, on the other hand, will help strip away some of the mineral build-up—along with basic product build-up—but they aren’t as effective at harder-to-remove minerals, and they may not even remove tough product build-up, like waxes and silicones.

If you’re dealing with major mineral build-up—like you just spent two weeks swimming in a chlorinated pool and showering in hard water—go for a tried-and-true chelating shampoo, like the Malibu C Hard Water Shampoo. But if you’re not quite sure what your hair needs, try the Color Wow Dream Filter Mineral Remover (which will gently break down minerals) or the Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo (which uses sulfates to strip away all product build-up).

Take a look at the ingredients

Typically, most shampoos—even the bottle you’ve got sitting in your shower right now—will contain one or two ingredients (known as chelators) to help break down minerals. But the difference between your regular shampoo and a hard-water or clarifying shampoo is the amount and strength of each chelator in the formula.

The best hard-water shampoo will be filled with a mix of chelating agents, like EDTA (the most popular and effective, which is why you’ll see it in almost every product on this list), along with vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid), apple cider vinegar, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, and/or citric acid. As long as your shampoo has a few of these chelators and also promises to breakdown build-up, you’ll be golden.

Manage your dryness expectations

Regardless of which type of hard-water shampoo you grab, know that it’s going to leave your hair feeling at least a little dry and stripped (sorry—that’s the name of the hard-water game). So if you’re super worried about dryness, look for a shampoo formulated with moisturizers, like the rich, oil-filled Mielle Mongongo Oil Shampoo or the hydrating Pattern Clarifying Shampoo.

Or, just grab the first hard-water shampoo you find, strip away the minerals, accept the dryness, and then saturate your hair with a thick and buttery hair mask (like my favorite SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Masque) or a protein-based deep conditioner (like the It’s a 10 Miracle Deep Conditioner).