Best CBD Hair Care Products: CBD Shampoos & Conditioners

What is CBD Shampoo? Does it Really Work?

A CBD shampoo is any shampoo formula that contains CBD.

There are a lot of “CBD shampoo” products formulated with so little CBD it’s unreasonable to suggest the shampoo can offer any direct benefits from the CBD itself.

I’d classify a true CBD shampoo as any product containing at least 0.2 mg of CBD per mL. The higher the CBD content, the better, but most CBD shampoos contain only small amounts of CBD.

The formula used in CBD shampoos relies primarily on other ingredients, with CBD offering adjunctive benefits for alleviating inflammation or itchiness.

CBD Conditioners vs. Shampoos

A few companies are making CBD conditioners as well — which makes a little more sense in my opinion since conditioners go on last and are designed to leave a hydrating coating to the hair. Shampoos contain soaps that end up stripping most of the active ingredients of the follicles.

By using a CBD conditioner, the active ingredients in the formula (including the CBD) remain in contact with the hair and scalp for longer periods of time.

For maximum benefits, CBD should remain in contact with the hair and scalp for as long as possible.

Do CBD Hair Products Really Work?

When I first heard about adding CBD to shampoo, I’ll admit my eyes rolled a little bit. There are so many CBD products on the market these days it’s hard to know which types of products can actually benefit from CBD.

Looking closer at the idea, there are actually a few reasons why adding CBD to a shampoo or conditioner actually makes a lot of sense.

The major benefits CBD has to offer in terms of hair and scalp health come from its anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, and sebum control benefits. CBD shampoos are great for people with dry, itchy, or irritated scalps. The hydrating qualities make it great for people with dry or lackluster hair as well.

The Benefits of CBD Shampoo & Conditioner

• Gives the hair a thicker, fuller look
• Resists the formation of split ends
• Alleviates itchiness or irritation of the scalp
• Hydrates the hair and scalp without making the hair greasy
• Supports the production of collagen in the hair

CBD For Hair Health: When to Use CBD Shampoo & Conditioner vs. CBD Oils

CBD has several prominent benefits to offer to the health of the hair and scalp. Topically, CBD shampoo and conditioner can improve conditions like dandruff and dry scalp, dry or brittle hair, inflammation, and irritation.

For other issues with the hair, such as hair loss, CBD oil may be a better option because it helps address some of the underlying causes of the problem (like a hormone imbalance or chronic stress).

Comparing CBD Oil vs. CBD Shampoo & Conditioners

CBD For Dandruff: Use CBD Shampoos & Conditioners

Dandruff is a common problem — some estimates suggest up to 50% of adults experience dandruff at some point in their lives. This condition can be uncomfortable — leaving flakes on your clothing and leaving your scalp feeling itchy or painful.

CBD can help with dandruff in two ways — it alleviates the pain and itchiness caused by the condition and helps restore hydration in the scalp by regulating the production of sebum in the scalp.

Sebum is an oily substance produced in the sebaceous glands spread evenly throughout the skin and scalp. The oil produced by these glands coats the skin and hair to lock in moisture and keep the skin healthy.

CBD For Psoriasis

Psoriasis is very difficult to treat. Most of the current medications only work to manage symptoms of the condition — rather than providing actual treatment.

CBD offers some valuable benefits for this condition when applied topically. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory that works to block one of the key drivers of psoriasis patches in the skin — an inflammatory marker called nuclear-factor kappa B (NFkB).

Psoriasis is characterized by a proliferation (excessive growth) of keratinocytes in the skin. CBD has been shown to block this — effectively slowing the progression of psoriasis patches in the skin.

Most people who use CBD for psoriasis find greater relief from topical products compared to CBD oils or capsules. It’s more difficult to apply topicals behind the hairline without making the hair too oily or greasy.

CBD shampoos and conditioners offer many benefits here because they’re designed specifically for use on the hair and scalp.

You should look for something with the highest CBD content possible for psoriasis — we recommend the CBD Skincare Co. Conditioner.

CBD For Hair Loss: Use CBD Oils

Most of the heavy lifting done by CBD in terms of its health benefits is leveraged through the endocannabinoid system (ECS) — which is a series of receptors found throughout the body.

The ECS plays a major role in regulating homeostasis (a fancy word for balance). Endocannabinoid receptors are found in our nerve cells, hair follicles, skin cells, and throughout the brain. CBD works by interacting with these receptors, as well as the hormones the body makes that activate them.

Depending on what’s causing the hair loss, CBD may be able to help by supporting the ECS or through secondary mechanisms such as alleviating inflammation or controlling sebum production.

Best CBD shampoo for hair loss: The CBD Skincare Co. — CBD Infused Shampoo 

What Are The Causes of Hair Loss?

• Androgen dysfunction
• Thyroid disease
• A traumatic or stressful event
• Fungal infection
• Nutritional deficiencies

CBD For Hormones & Hairloss

One of the most common causes of hair loss is hormone imbalance.

In both men and women, excessive conversion of free testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone) can cause the hair follicles’ lifecycle to be cut short — leading to increased hair loss. This is more common in men (called male pattern baldness), but it can happen to women as well (female pattern hair loss).

CBD is thought to benefit both forms of hormone-related hair loss by regulating hormone homeostasis and slowing the conversion of free testosterone into DHT.

The best way to use CBD for this benefit is in the form of an oil, capsule, or another internal type of CBD.

CBD For Stress & Trauma

Another common cause of hair loss is a condition called telogen effluvium.

A severe trauma, such as hospitalization, loss of a loved one, or other traumatic events, can interfere with the hair follicles’ ability to transition from the telogen phase (resting phase) into the anagen phase (regrowth phase). When this happens, the hair follicle can reach the end of the cycle and fall out but doesn’t start to regrow like it normally would. Over time this can appear as bald spots or overall thinning of the hair.

One of the strongest benefits of CBD products overall is in the form of stress reduction — including severe forms of stress like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A recent case series exploring CBD’s effects for alleviating the symptoms of PTSD concluded that CBD supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms [1].

How To Determine Quality in CBD Shampoos & Conditioners

It’s easy to get deceived with CBD products these days. There are a lot of manufacturers adding trace amounts of CBD to products purely for the sake of using it in their marketing materials.

The best CBD shampoos and conditioners feature relatively high concentrations of CBD. The products you should avoid contain only trace amounts of CBD or include harmful or irritating ingredients in the formula.

The value of CBD shampoos and conditioners can also be a bit of a problem. Many companies mark up the cost of their shampoo purely because of the CBD content.

Here are four steps to assess a CBD shampoo or conditioner before you buy to ensure it’s worth the money and provides the level of benefit you’re expecting.

1. Check the Ingredients List

CBD isn’t the only ingredient in a CBD shampoo or conditioner. In fact, it’s almost always included as an adjunct to the base formula rather than the main active ingredient.

It’s wise to check the ingredients list before you buy to see what else is included in the formula. Look for both good additions — like other herbs and nutrients, as well as bad ingredients — like parabens sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium chloride, polyethylene glycol, synthetic fragrance, alcohol, and formaldehyde.

2. How Potent Is It?

The CBD potency in the hair product matters a lot. If the concentration is too low, it’s unlikely for the CBD to offer any of its associated benefits.

This is a common issue with CBD hair products. The vase majority contain doses that are much too low to provide any real benefit.

Think about it like this:

When using CBD in the form of a shampoo or conditioner, the CBD only remains in contact with the hair and scalp for a brief period of time. After working the shampoo into your hair and scalp, it’s rinsed away completely just a few seconds later — taking all the active CBD along with it.

This means the concentration of CBD has to be relatively high for enough of it to absorb into the hair and scalp.

In general, the higher the CBD content, the better. Most CBD shampoos contain a concentration of CBD between 0.2 and 0.5 mg for every mL of shampoo.

Most people use about 10 mL of shampoo at a time — which would deliver a dose of about 2 to 5 mg of CBD.

Some shampoos only contain something like 20 mg of CBD per 10 oz bottle. This works out to 0.07 mg of CBD per mL or 0.7 mg per shower — which isn’t anywhere near enough CBD to offer any benefit.

3. How to Assess the Value of CBD Shampoo

It’s easy to get caught up on the upfront cost of the CBD shampoo, but a better metric for assessing value is to look at the “cost per milligram of CBD.” This will tell you exactly how much you’re paying for every milligram of the active ingredient. It allows you to compare the cost of CBD shampoos and conditioners irrelevant of the potency or volume of the bottle.

To find the cost per milligram, divide the total cost of the shampoo by the total CBD content.

The average cost for CBD shampoos and conditioners is between $0.25 and $0.50 per milligram.

More luxurious hair products that include other premium ingredients can cost between $0.35 and $0.60 per mg.

CBD shampoos may be considered low value if the cost per mg of CBD is higher than $0.40 — as long as there’s no other reason to justify the higher cost (such as the inclusion of other expensive ingredients in the formula).

4. Check Third-Party Lab Tests

Third-party lab testing is a standard practice in the CBD space these days. It’s done to provide the ultimate level of transparency for the products you’re buying to ensure the claims the manufacturer is making are accurate.

While third-party testing isn’t as important with shampoos and conditioners as it is with CBD oils or other ingestible forms of CBD, it’s still important that a CBD brand is taking this step to prove the quality of its products.

I consider third-party testing essential because it combats the problems with manufacturers claiming their products have a higher concentration of CBD than what’s actually contained in the bottle.

Key Takeaways: CBD Shampoo & Hair Products

There are a few interesting ways CBD may be able to improve your hair and scalp’s health. The biggest benefit comes from the anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD.

Shampoos & conditioners infused with CBD and other soothing or restorative ingredients can go a long way in fighting frustrating scalp itch and dandruff and may even offer hair loss support.

In general, both CBD and shampoo will offer a mild improvement in the overall look and vibrancy of your hair, but conditioners are going to have the greatest impact overall. A conditioner stays in your hair for longer periods of time, allowing the CBD to soak in and do its magic more effectively.

Always look for CBD hair products that come with third-party testing, offer relatively high doses of CBD, and don’t contain any irritants or harsh chemicals.

If you’re looking for a simple recommendation to get started, check out the hair products offered by Emera or The CBD Skincare Company. 

Best CBD Shampoos & Conditioners: 2022 Roundup

Number	Product	Total CBD	Potency	Cost per mg CBD	Link
1	The CBD Skincare Co. CBD-Infused Conditioner	100 mg	0.42 mg/mL	$0.38	Get a Deal
2	Emera Nourishing CBD Shampoo	50 mg	0.23 mg/mL	$0.50	Get a Deal
3	CBD For Life Pure CBD Conditioner	100 mg	0.34 mg/mL	$0.25	Get a Deal

References Cited in this Article

1. Elms, L., Shannon, S., Hughes, S., & Lewis, N. (2019). Cannabidiol in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a case series. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 25(4), 392-397.
2. Wilkinson, J. D., & Williamson, E. M. (2007). Cannabinoids inhibit human keratinocyte proliferation through a non-CB1/CB2 mechanism and have a potential therapeutic value in the treatment of psoriasis. Journal of dermatological science, 45(2), 87-92.