Fragrance-Free Hair Products You'll Actually Enjoy Using

In the past, if you needed to avoid fragrances, you had to go past all the mainstream, multi-option, fully-featured products to the "bummer section" to the one fragrance-free option for shampoo and conditioner. Usually unreliably stocked if you're shopping on-the-ground.  

Fragrance is a common allergen, irritant, headache-inducer, asthma-trigger, blah, blah, blah - people still love fragrance. Product manufacturers know their fragranced items sell better. There is not mega-profit in fragrance-free cosmetics. However. Demand is slowly growing with fragrance-free workplaces and awareness of skin-irritation potential.

Fragrance-Free is having a glow-up! I'm listing some hair-cosmetic-benefit-forward products I feel confident sharing for their lack of scent (unless indicated). Whether you're avoiding fragrance for yourself, for somebody else, for work, to avoid attracting mosquitoes, for hunting - whatever. The days of having a fragrance-free shampoo leave your hair a matted, sticky, frizzy mess are in the rear view mirror!

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Sorted by price for the bottle-size shown. Watch those bottle-sizes, some products are a good deal because the bottle is bigger.

$5-10: $
$10-20: $$
$20-30: $$$

Hairitage By Mindy Down to the Basics Shampoo 13 oz:  $

This is a lovely, concentrated, pearly conditioning shampoo with a dense lather. It cleans well, but has a great balance of cleansing and conditioning and doesn't make hair feel tangly (it has some slip). Seems to encourage shine and volume. Doesn't have a sour or off-putting scent, but no masking fragrances are indicated.

Hairitage By Mindy Down to the Basics Conditioner 13 oz:  $

With glycerin for moisture, this concentrated conditioner also contains (somewhat) hair-penetrating Myristyl alcohol. This may be rich for hair that goes flat or becomes oily easily. 

The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Hair and Body Wash, 8 oz  $: Gentle cleansing (not too drying) gel shampoo with a light feel.

The Ordinary Behentrimonium chloride 4% Conditioner, 8 oz $:  Light and slippery but with good conditioning - my other favorite! Not very concentrated, great for Fine/Medium hair, or hair that goes flat easily, or hair that tends to show build-up. Little to no odor.

Four Reasons (No Nothing) Sensitive Moisture Shampoo 10 oz: $$$
More cleansing than conditioning, but does have mild detangling benefits.

Four Reasons (No Nothing) Sensitive Moisture Conditioner 10 oz: $$$
For slip (detangling!), smoothing, softening, anti-static. Multiple conditioning agents to address more and less damaged areas.

Both products are little to no odor - you may notice the odor of the ingredients.

Four Reasons Sensitive also makes:

A Purple shampoo for countering yellowing/brassiness in blonde or silver hair or highlights.

A Shampoo and conditioner for color-protection.

A "Repair" shampoo and conditioner.

I'm a bit lukewarm on the shampoo - but I really like their Fragrance-free mousse. Which is sold out as I write this. I hope it comes back. We need a good "FF" mousse!

Attitude Sensitive Natural Shampoo and Conditioner: 16 oz $$

Shampoo (16 oz): Gentle cleansing with a little conditioning and protein. Suitable for Fine/Thin hair (not too heavy). I could see needing to occasionally alternate with a shampoo with a little more cleaning power unless your hair is dry.

The 8 oz conditioner is softening with Capric/Caprylic triglyceride as an additional emollient and a little protein and starch for volume.

FragFree Intense Hydrating Shampoo (8 oz) $$

This is a gentle-to-moderate-cleansing gel-type shampoo, but not a conditioning shampoo. It's concentrated.

FragFree Nourishing Conditioner (12 oz) $$

This is one of my favorites. It's thick and clingy and just a little volumizing. No glycerin, not too heavy, but plenty of conditioning. If your hair needs help pulling together in waves or curls, or has a lot of flyaways - clingy products help a lot! This product occasionally has a little odor. The brand (when I emailed them) said they're not adding any masking fragrance, but one of the ingredients may have had some odor. This is not true for every batch, if you have fragrance allergy, keep an eye on it.

Seen Shampoo (8.6 oz) $$: With C13-16 Alkane (also known as "Hemisqualane") as an emollient, scalp-soothing Bisabolol, and gentle detergents. Hemisqualane is a stand-out ingredient for shine and slip! It is especially appealing for hair that doesn't get along well with oils very well.

Seen Conditioner $$: Also with C13-16 Alkane (Hemisqualane) as an emollient, a base that should be slippery as well as clingy, can be great for dry/thirsty hair. But - this is a not-so-generous 8.6 ounce bottle. 

Kristin Ess Daily Cleansing Shampoo (lightly clarifying) 10 oz $-$$: Hair-color-friendly shampoo (based on the detergent blend) with a little coconut oil for emollient and conditioner/detangling benefits.

Kristin Ess Shine Enhancing Conditioner 10 oz  $-$$. This is a moisturizing product with some "cling." Propylene glycol is featured prominently as a humectant, which is a hair-penetrating ingredient to add flexibility which can be good for dry or somewhat coarse hair - it can be heavy or dulling for some hair. Also contains a little avocado and sweet almond oil, and a little Hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein.

Philip Adam Fragrance Free Shampoo 12 oz $$: Gentle detergents, protein, herbal extracts and apple cider vinegar. Not much in the way of detangling for those who need it. Conditioner will provide detangling afterwards - but if tangles are a serious breakage issue that might be a deal-breaker for this product.

Philip Adam Fragrance Free Conditioner 10 oz $$: Clingy conditioner with Hydrolyzed pea protein and herbal extracts for volume, strength and shine.

Cleure Volumizing Shampoo 12 oz $$: This is more like a clarifying shampoo or a basic shampoo. It contains a detangler and conditioner for a little slip and has a pleasant foamy experience. Little to no odor.

Cleure Hydrating Conditioner 12 oz $$: This is an interesting product with a slightly different "base" that works quite well with Fine/Medium and also Coarse hair, also using Capris/Caprylic Triglyceride as an emollient, Panthenol for hydration. It may feel more or less slippery depending on your water - letting it sit for a moment, maybe splashing on some water can help it become a better detangler. Little to no odor.

Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo (Fragrance-free option) 8 oz $$: This gentle-cleaning, hair-color-friendly shampoo isn't just for curly hair. With lightweight emollients, Panthenol for hydration, and detangling benefits, it is a great shampoo for a wide variety of hair types.

Jessicurl makes conditioners and styling products too - the conditioners contain herbal extracts, I have not tried them so I cannot comment on whether they contribute any scent to the product.

DHS Clear Shampoo 8 oz & 16 oz are both $$: This is a pretty basic shampoo, with a conditioner for detangling. But before you skip it - DHS is really good at formulating shampoo for sensitive scalps. Unless you're sensitive to an ingredient here, or your skin or hair is extremely parched on a given day - this product isn't likely to leave your scalp dry and tight and prickly. 

Paula's Choice Hair and Body Wash 14.5 oz $$$: A basic shampoo with a some protein and detangler for thorough cleansing with less dehydration (Polyquaternium-10 here prevents some water logging that makes porous hair vulnerable during washing). This has long been a favorite of the Fragrance-free crowd with a nice large bottle-size.

Paula's Choice Smooth Finish Conditioner 14.5 oz $$$: High-slip conditioner with silicone emollients to detangle and reduce frizz, Panthenol and a little protein for hydration and strength.

CurlMix Wash and Go Shampoo (Fragrance-Free Option) 8 oz  $$$: Clarifying-type shampoo with moisturizers (glycerin, aloe), emollients to soften and detangle and Polyquaternium-10 to protect from dehydration and for light conditioning.

CurlMix Wash and Go Conditioner (Fragrance-Free Option) 8 oz $$$: With Grapeseed oil, Squalane as emollients, Glycerin and Aloe for hydration.

CurlMix also makes Fragrance-Free:

Moisturizer with Medium Hold

Moisturizer with Heavy Hold

Quinoa gel with Ultra Hold

Flaxseed Gel with Light Hold or with Medium Hold

CurlSmith Shine Shampoo 12 oz  $$$ Also not only for curly hair! Gentle detergents and lightweight conditioners. This does contain herbal extracts and citrus oil.

CurlSmith Shine Conditioner 12 oz $$$ Designed for dry or frizzy hair with oils and butters. 

CurlSmith also makes a styling Gel and Cream (Leave-in Conditioner). 8 oz $$$

As I Am Rice Water Micellar Shampoo 8 oz. $ Gentle detergents for mild cleansing, "micellar" means a liquid-to-foam texture. Full of scalp and hair-friendly ingredients, such as ceramides, rice water extract. Phytosterols, Saw palmetto and Copper tripeptide-1 may be helpful for hair-density.

As I Am Rice Water Conditioner 8 oz $

Glycerin, Betaine and Flaxseed extract for hydration. Phytosterols, Saw palmetto and Copper tripeptide-1 may be helpful for hair-density. Ceramides and Coconut oil for extra softness.

Ouidad Unbreakable Bonds:

Shampoo: 8.5 oz $$$ Overall gentle cleansing with proteins, Hyaluroic acid, Coconut, Flax, Olive, Jojoba oil and shea butter, heat-protectant, and bond-building active ingredients.

Conditioner: 8.5 oz $$$ With proteins, humetctants (moisturizers) like Hyaluronic acid, Panthenol, Glycerin and Aloe, Coconut, Macadamia and Jojoba oils, Bond-building active ingredients. This is packed with great ingredients for strong, healthy hair.

Mixing Drops: 2 oz $$$ Humectant (moisturizer) rich, with ceramides, protein, Hyaluronic acid, Bond-building and frizz-reducing active ingredients. 2-3 drops are added to a styling product (or a conditioner).