Dealing with dry, brittle gray hair?

With the right products and techniques, you can get your gray hair looking its absolute best.

The Best Shampoo & Conditioners for Gray Hair

With hundreds of products on the market, choosing the best shampoo and conditioner for your gray hair isn’t easy. There are many things to consider when purchasing the best products to suit your hair condition.

I’ve done the research (for my own use too!) and found some of the best shampoos and conditioners to up your hair care game.

Here are 10 of the best shampoos and conditioners for mature hair.

Just Nutritive Gray Hair Shampoo

This is one of the best shampoos for mature hair. It promises to remove yellow and brassy tones from your graying hair. It also softens and instantly restores the vitality and youthful looks of your mature hair.

For color-treated hair, it contains a color-safe formula and is sulfate-free to prevent dryness of the scalp. The formula is effective for strengthening and softening dry and brittle hair over time.

The manufacturers claim that the shampoo is all-natural and free of artificial colors and fragrances. It contains geranium, rosemary lavender, and other essential oils to reinvigorate the hair follicles to make your hair look fuller.

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Fanola No Yellow Purple Shampoo

Fanola No Yellow Purple Shampoo is made for gray hair that has started to turn yellow or brassy. It’s also made for blonde and bleached hair, and it’s formulated for both women and men.

The purple color comes from an extra violet pigment. Purple sits opposite yellow, so it cancels out the brassy tones and leaves gray and white hair looking cooler and brighter.

Purple shampoos can be drying, but this one is described as leaving hair shinier, softer and silkier.

To use it, massage it into the scalp and leave it on for 1 to 5 minutes before rinsing. The longer you leave it, the stronger the toning effect. If you want more of the effect, reapply.

The maker suggests following up with a moisturizing conditioner or hair mask, and I agree. Gray hair tends to run dry, so it’s a good habit with any toning shampoo.

It isn’t for everyone. If your hair is already a cool silver and you like it that way, you may not need it. Leaving it on too long can also tint hair more than you want, so start at the short end of that time range and work up.

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Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Purple Conditioner

This is one of the best conditioners for mature hair. It instantly neutralizes the brassy and yellow tones of your hair. The conditioner will leave your gray hair looking bright and vibrant after some time.

It is a purple conditioner with a violet dye to balance out the coppery tones in gray hair. While the conditioner is great for making your gray hair look brighter, some have complained that getting it out of your hands can be difficult at times.

So, you might want to consider wearing disposable gloves when applying the conditioner.

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ArtNaturals Argan Oil Shampoo And Conditioner

The Moroccan argan oil shampoo from Artnaturals is another great shampoo for mature hair. It is a completely natural and organic shampoo for your hair. The product will promote hair regrowth and prevent hair from falling out.

It is a sulfate-free product with DHT-blockers to prevent hair fall over time. Artnaturals argan oil shampoo also contains volumizing ingredients to moisturize and thicken your hair. It is great for all types of mature hair including colored hair. 

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Redken All Soft Conditioner

This conditioner from Redken Nature Science is specially designed for mature hair. It has specialized ingredients to reduce hair breakage and improve its condition.

The product is ideal for all types of mature hair including damaged, dry, and colored hair. It contains natural birch sap & amino acids to soften and strengthen your mature hair.

The conditioner is sulfate and paraben-free and is ideal for fragile hair.

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Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo

This is another great product for mature hair from Carol’s Daughter Store – a minority-owned small business that started in Brooklyn, NY. It is an all-natural organic shampoo designed to care for your mature hair.

This is a great product for dry and brittle mature hair since the product will strengthen your brittle hair in the long run. The product also smooths frizzy and curly hair while conditioning it at the same time.

The Black Vanilla moisture shampoo is 100% sulfate-free and made from all-natural ingredients. 

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L'Oreal Paris EverPure Purple Conditioner

L’Oreal Paris EverPure is a great conditioner for your mature hair. The product contains purple pigments to neutralize yellowish and copper tones while brightening your gray hair.

The formula of the conditioner contains hibiscus extracts to better condition your mature hair. The product doesn’t have sulfates, harsh salts, silicones, and allergy-causing gluten.

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Keracolor Silver Hair Color Clenditioner

This is a great color-depositing conditioner for mature hair. There are several color options for you to choose from depending on your personal preferences including three shades of gray and silver. Users report significant color changes after two uses.

This is a great product to use while transitioning back to your natural gray hair if you’ve been coloring it in the past.

This is a 3-in-1 product that helps cleanse your hair as well. The formula contains shea butter, jojoba oils, rosehip oil, and keratin complex to control frizzy hair and untangle knots. It smoothes the hair and adds shine to it over time.

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L'Oreal Paris EverPure Thickening Shampoo

Challenges to Overcome When Maintaining Your Gray Hair

Caring for gray hair has its own challenges since there are so many factors involved. The most important thing is to understand these factors and how they apply to your specific gray hair.

Here are some of the challenges that you need to overcome to up your hair care game:

Heat

Heat is the #1 culprit that causes damage to mature hair. The heat from the sun and styling tools cause the most damage to mature hair. You need a good shampoo and conditioner to protect the hair from heat damage.

Scalp Dryness

A dry or itchy scalp is another challenge that you need to overcome to maintain your elderly hair. When a person ages, his/her body produces fewer oils that result in a dry or itchy scalp. Regular exposure to heat and wind also can dry the scalp. 

Thinning Hair

Most people start to experience this condition from the age of 45 and up. Stress, disease, trauma, certain medications, and thyroid issues are the other causes of this condition.

You should use a good shampoo and conditioner to get a volumizing boost and care for your gray hair.

Hair Breakage

Scalp dryness leads to hair breakage. To prevent hair breakage, you need to rely on a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Don’t forget to throw in a hair treatment once in a while to prevent hair breakage.

Coloring the Hair

Even though coloring the hair is quite natural as a person grows older, some hair colorings can further damage your hair. Conditioning shampoo and color protection treatment will help improve the condition over time.

How to Not Look Washed Out With Gray Hair

Gray hair does not have to make you look pale or tired. A few habits, some of them about hair and some not, keep you looking vibrant.

Gray hairs are weaker and break more easily because they have lost some strength and elasticity. Go easy on styling and heat, since your hair is not as strong as it was in your 20s.

If your hair has turned fragile and brittle, try a collagen or protein treatment for a few weeks. It helps make hair stronger.

Gray hair is also more prone to dryness. Use treatments and moisturizing creams more often, and use essential oils to seal in the moisture. Leave-in conditioner can be used as often as your hair needs it, depending on how dry it is.

Check the ingredients before you buy a shampoo or conditioner, and skip anything with mineral oils. Research says mineral oils can cause scalp irritation and allergic reactions, which can leave your scalp itchy and your hair dry and weak.

What you wear matters too. Dark colors, bold colors, and navy make gray hair stand out, whatever shade of gray you have. If you wear white, pick pure white over ivory or cream, which helps you look brighter.

A little makeup helps as well. An eyebrow pencil covers gray brows, and dark eyeliner or a bright lipstick finishes the look.

Last, accept your gray. You can use every product on the shelf, but if you don’t like the person in the mirror, you will still look pale. To look good, you have to feel good.

The trade-off is that none of this is a quick fix. Reading labels and keeping up the extra moisture takes steady attention, and the confidence part is something only you can give yourself.

Features to Look for When Buying Hair Care Products for Gray Hair

Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner for your specific hair type is the first step in caring for your gray hair. The list of tongue-twisting ingredients on shampoo bottles can confuse many people.

Sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are some of the most common ingredients in shampoos. These ingredients give the shampoo that lather factor that most people equate with cleansing.

But these foaming agents can irritate your scalp and strip the hair of its natural oils. Look for a sulfate-free shampoo to prevent the scalp from drying out and the hair thinning out as a result.

The shampoo you choose should either contain argan oil, Biotin, or proteins to build up the structure of your gray hair. Look for natural shampoos and conditioners that are approved by the FDA for the best results in caring for your gray hair. 

If you have thin hair, avoid creamy shampoos since thin hair tends to get oily fast. Look for a shampoo with a clear formula for thin hair.

Frizzy hair is another condition that affects mature people. A good conditioner is ideal for frizzy hair rather than shampoo. On the other hand, if you have dry, coarse hair, you should opt for a creamy moisturizing shampoo and a conditioner to treat your hair.

There are shampoos and conditioners that are specially designed for color-treated hair. Look for a protein-based shampoo with ingredients like wheat and soy extracts or silk amino acids for such hair.

This product is ideal for thickening and restoring mature hair. It guarantees the youthful vibrancy and vitality of your gray hair in the long run. It is available as a shampoo, conditioner, or a set of shampoo and conditioner.

This shampoo for gray hair is sulfate-free and contains anti-breakage and strengthening ingredients. It helps fortify thinning hair while preventing breakage and fragile hair. The product is gentle and moisturizing without harsh sulfates.

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How to Make Gray Hair Smooth and Shiny: Simple Washing and Styling Habits

Gray hair can still be healthy, and it usually responds well to the same methods that help any dry hair. The same changes that turn hair gray also slow down the oil-producing glands in your scalp. That is why gray hair can turn frizzy, wiry, brittle, and dry. If your strands feel especially parched, take a look at these oil-based products for dry gray hair that can add back some of that missing moisture.

Years of blow-drying, curling, coloring, or straightening add to it. The good news is that a few small habits can bring back smoothness and shine without a trip to the salon.

Wash twice, and aim at the roots

Start with a shampoo made for dry hair. Use it twice, and focus on your roots rather than your ends.

The first wash cleans your scalp. The second removes any build-up left behind. The foam rinsing down will take care of the rest of your hair.

Match your conditioner to your hair

If your hair is fine, skip the heavy conditioner. If it is coarse and thick, choose a heavier one.

Apply it from the middle of your hair to the ends, not at the roots, and use a comb to work out knots. Rinse well, then apply it a second time and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing again.

Add a leave-in conditioner and a heat protector

A leave-in conditioner for your ends improves moisture and shine, and it leaves hair feeling silkier and softer.

If you style with heat, it dries hair out and makes it coarse and dull. Use a heat protector along with your leave-in conditioner to cut down on that damage.

If you can’t give up your flat iron, here is how to pick a flat iron for gray hair that limits heat damage and still keep frizz under control.

Use fewer styling products, and try a natural oil

Mousse, gel, and hairspray contain alcohol, which dries hair out. They also leave a matte finish that hides your natural shine.

Now and then, you can use an oil in place of your regular conditioner. Lavender, tea tree, rosemary, coconut, jojoba, and castor oil are the ones that work best.

The trade-off is a bit more time in the bathroom. Washing twice and conditioning twice adds a few minutes, and you will want to keep your leave-in and heat protector on hand.

Hair Masks for Gray Hair: What to Buy, How Often to Use Them, and a DIY Option

Gray hair tends to run dry, turn brassy, and take on a wiry texture. A hair mask is a deep treatment you use in place of your regular conditioner, and it helps put moisture back.

Don’t grab just any mask off the shelf. Pick one made for gray hair, because gray hair is more sensitive and a poorly made mask can do it harm.

What to look for

Look for a mask made for gray and silver hair that deals with dryness, brassiness, and brittle texture. Butters and oils (shea, mango, avocado, almond, coconut) do the moisturizing.

If yellow or orange tones bother you, pick one with a violet pigment, which keeps those tones from taking hold. If your hair is fragile or damaged, look for plant oils and proteins meant to strengthen it. If you spend time in the sun, a mask with lightweight oils is meant to protect against sun and frequent washing.

How to use one

Shampoo first, then work the mask through your hair with your fingers. How long you leave it on depends on the product:

• Moisturizing butter masks: at least 2 minutes, 1 to 3 times a week.
• Violet-pigment masks: 3 to 5 minutes, or up to 30 if yellow tones are stubborn.
• Strengthening masks: at least 10 minutes, once a week. When your hair improves, cut back to every other week.

Rinse well, with lukewarm water for the sun-protecting kind.

A DIY coconut oil mask

Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer, and its fatty acids soak deep into the hair. You need 2 tablespoons of all-natural coconut oil and 10 curry leaves.

Warm the oil in a clean bowl, add the curry leaves, stir well, then take the leaves out. Let it sit at least 20 minutes, until it’s cool to the touch.

Massage it into your scalp and hair, then cover with a shower cap. Leave it on overnight if you can, or at least 2 to 3 hours. Wash it out with your usual shampoo and a deep conditioner.

The trade-off is time. The homemade version needs hours on your head, while the store-bought masks are done in minutes.

Better Not Younger Purple Hair Mask

This is a purple hair mask made for gray and white hair. The purple tint (D&C Violet 2, an optical colorant) is there to soften the yellow, brassy tones that gray hair tends to pick up.

You use it in place of your regular conditioner. It contains mango, macadamia, cupuaçu, murumuru and avocado butters, which are meant to soften dry, wiry strands. It is made without sulfates and parabens and is vegan, which matters if your scalp is sensitive or you avoid those ingredients.

It is aimed at women 40 and older who want their gray to look brighter rather than covered up. The maker also says it adds lift and volume without weighing hair down.

One trade-off: a purple product only helps if yellowing is your problem. If your hair is dry but not brassy, you are paying for a tint you don’t need. Leave it on too long and the purple can leave a faint cast on very light or white hair, so follow the directions on the jar and start with a shorter time.

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Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Hair Mask

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! is a deep conditioning mask you use once a week in place of your regular conditioner. It’s made for hair that has gone brittle, frizzy, or hard to manage, which describes a lot of gray hair.

The formula pairs plant proteins and biotin with rosehip, sweet almond, and argan oils. The idea is to strengthen the hair while putting moisture back. The maker says it reduces breakage in 10 minutes and gives up to 2x stronger hair after three uses.

It’s free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and silicones, and it’s vegan. It’s also safe for color-treated or chemically processed hair, which helps if you still touch up your color or have a perm.

The trade-off is that it’s a once-a-week treatment, not an everyday conditioner. You’ll still need your regular shampoo and your usual routine the rest of the week. If your hair is fine and you want something to use every day, this isn’t it.

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Christophe Robin Purple Baby Blonde Mask

Gray hair can pick up a yellow, brassy cast over time, and this is a purple mask made to cancel that out. The Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask in Purple Baby Blonde is meant for bright, cool blonde hair, and it also revives highlights.

It does two jobs at once. The iris fiorentina root extract works on the yellow tones and helps restore brightness, while shea butter, sweet almond oil, and buriti oil moisturize and nourish the hair. If your gray has gone a bit dingy and dry, that pairing makes sense. It’s also vegan and cruelty free, if that matters to you.

The trade-off: this is a tinting product, built for blonde hair. If your hair is dark or you like a warm tone, it isn’t the right pick. And if you have a lot of gray you want to keep looking natural, a purple mask is worth using with some care, since the goal is to take out yellow, not to change your color.

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Tips to Maintain Mature Hair

Here are some quick tips to keep your gray hair happy and healthy:

• Wear a hat when you are outside to protect the hair from sun and wind damage.
• Keep heat-styling and blow-drying to a minimum and use a pre-treatment when styling your hair.
• Limit coloring or processing your hair to prevent drying out and damaging your gray hair.
• Use a good detangling brush to brush your hair when it’s dry. It will prevent damaging and breaking the hair.
• If your scalp is too dry, don’t wash your hair every day. Instead, wash the hair once or twice a week to allow natural oils to stimulate the hair.
• Hydration is important for your hair. Consider using a moisturizing mask on your hair for extra hydration.
• Use only suitable shampoos and conditioners to fit the needs of your mature hair.
• Balance your diet and add vitamin supplements for gray hair to improve the looks and feel of your aging hair.
• On the other hand, stress is the #1 culprit of hair thinning and balding. Reduce your exposure to stressful situations or practice meditation or mindfulness to control your stress levels. 

RELATED: Best Hair Brushes for Seniors & the Elderly

Foods and Habits That Help Your Hair From the Inside

What you eat, drink, and do all day shows up in your hair. Shampoo only does part of the job.

Start with water. Getting the recommended 8 glasses a day is not always easy, but it matters if you want shiny, healthy hair. Alcohol and sugary drinks can also damage your hair, so one more reason to reach for water.

Vitamin E is one of the best vitamins for gray hair. It helps hair look shiny and encourages growth. It is also believed to slow down aging, which could keep your hair smoother and shinier for longer. You can find it in capsule form online or in most health shops.

If you already like fish and seafood, good news. Many types of fish contain omega-3, which is known for improving scalp hydration and stopping hair loss. Some fish are high in vitamin E and protein, which help strengthen hair. Others contain zinc and iron, which improve shine.

Stress is hard on hair, like it is on most of the body. Regular exercise, yoga, and head massages can help keep stress down and your hair silky and shiny.

The trade-off is patience. These changes work from the inside, so they are slower than a mask or an oil, and they work best alongside the products you already use.

Wrapping Up

Purchasing the best shampoos and conditioners for gray hair isn’t easy. With hundreds of such products in the market, selecting the right one should be done with utmost care.

Look for a shampoo and conditioner that meets the needs of your personal, unique gray hair. If your hair is dry and brittle, look for deep moisturizing options.

If your hair could use a little pampering and repair, products with argan oil are a great choice. And, if you really want to enhance your gray, choose one of the purple-tinted products.

To give you some options to consider, I’ve researched many of these shampoos and conditioners for gray hair and found some of the best so that you can up your gray hair care game.

Hey, if you got it, flaunt it, right? Embrace your grayness – it doesn’t have to make you feel old!

Sources:

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/hair-turn-gray-2017091812226