We’re very ready to say goodbye to flaky scalps and product buildup. If it’s not salon hair, we don’t want it! The solution? A clarifying shampoo, used sporadically in your haircare routine.

These special types of shampoos can easily be forgotten in the beauty milieu of leave-in conditioners, volume-giving mousses and hair sprays — but they shouldn’t be. After all, they’re a hair palate cleanser of sorts.

“A clarifying shampoo is a potent cleanser with stronger surfactants compared to regular shampoos, designed to remove grease, product buildup and scalp impurities,” Mahogany Grace, salon owner and hair stylist specializing in textured hair, keratin treatments and extensions, told the New York Post. “It’s essentially a heavy-duty option for occasional hair resetting and should not be used often.”

The difference between your go-to shampoo bottle and one of these? According to Grace, traditional shampoos “are gentler and can be used daily or multiple times a week.”

Because clarifying shampoo can be drying, our expert recommends using a hydrating deep conditioner to aid in repairing and moisturizing the hair’s cuticle.

Ahead, Grace highlights more than a dozen of the best clarifying shampoos on the market. Plus, since they’re supposed to be used monthly (as a best practice), we’ve been long-term testing to provide some testing notes for some of the most popular brands.

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According to Grace, the Living Proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) Triple Detox Shampoo has “activated charcoal [that] absorbs excessive oils and impurities while soothing and hydrating the scalp.”

This particular clarifying shampoo also helps reinforce your hair’s natural balance and barrier. We love how it gently and effectively removes product from your scalp, too, and the brand is one of our favorites for its Full Thickening Blow-Dry Cream ($32).

The reason why Grace loves the SheaMoisture Low Porosity Weightless Hydrating Shampoo? Simply put, she says it “gently purifies while hydrating” — a heaven-sent product for dry hair, especially.

The brand’s formulation contains grapeseed, tea tee and sunflower oils, — aside from its fair-trade shea butter — and you’ll appreciate its sulfate-free, nourishing feel to hydrate and refreshen.

Meet our all-time favorite clarifying shampoo: the adwoa beauty Blue Tansy Clarifying Gel Shampoo. It’s the one we’ve been using the longest, and we adore it in rotation with the Baomint Moisturizing Shampoo ($24).

“This is excellent for curly, kinky, wavy or straight hair,” Grace says, recommending the product. “This gel shampoo detoxes and removes build up from the hair and scalp while sustaining the hair’s moisture levels. It also assists in minimizing breakage.”

Another favorite of ours is the OUAI Detox Shampoo. It feels like you just stepped out of a spa (the best feeling, TBH) and you can spot the quality right from its first use.

“This product gently removes build up while softening the hair,” Grace says, vetting the product. Additionally, the brand’s scent is dubbed a” ticket to L.A.,” with ‘Melrose Place’ featuring a “velvety-rich rose scent infused with a swoon-worthy blend of bergamot, lychee, white musk, champagne and more,” per the product description.

If you color treat your hair, consider the K18 Biometric Hairscience PEPTIDE PREP Clarifying Detox Shampoo. Though a splurge, its thoughtful ingredients — including salicylic acid, which is an A+ addition for oily hair, like it is for oily skin — is second to none.

“It’s color safe, gently cleanses while maintaining hair health and PH balance, reduces frizz and enhances shine.”

“The Kenra Clarifying Shampoo is color safe, deep cleanses without drying, brightens highlighted and bleached hair and restores radiance.” If that doesn’t sell you, we don’t know what does.

Not only is this shampoo a wonderful less-than-$25 Amazon buy, but it holds more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon alone for its efficacy on color-treated hair, especially for gray hair.

Shop the Aquableu Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying & Restorative Shampoo to use every so often on your color-treated hair, according to Grace. With a blend of oils — including argan, coconut, jojoba, keratin, avocado and almond — it couldn’t be more nourishing, either.

“This shampoo is color safe and aids in restoring shine and preventing hair loss for both men and women by rebalancing your scalp’s pH and removing build-up,” she notes.

“Offering crucial moisture and strength, its sulfate-free formulation ensures color retention, maintaining its true tone and boosting its brilliance and luminosity,” Grace said, recommending the L’ANZA Healing ColorCare Clarifying Shampoo.

More, it’s said to extend color longevity and boasts a sulfate-free, paraben-free and gluten-free formula.

All hail the Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo — one of our favorites and a brand that’s a show-stopper for all-things smoothing.

“The shampoo removes buildup and restores healthy hair and scalp balance,” Grace notes. Oh, and we recommend styling your hair with the brand’s 4-in-1 Blow-Dryer Brush ($120) — our best overall blow dryer brush we tested.

Why the Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo? According to Grace, the shampoo “preserves the natural moisture levels of your curls while providing a deep cleansing effect.”

The brand is also trusted in the curly hair space, with this product just shy of $25 and having a formula that’s “gentle on curls,” per one Amazon reviewer.

With supreme packaging (and just as supreme of products), PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross continues to be a brand that impresses the New York Post Shopping team. Its Cleansing Shampoo is a fairly priced option for the quality, too.

“This shampoo promotes strong hair, removes hair and scalp impurities and prepares hair for hydration,” she said. “It’s also great for low porosity hair [meaning, it doesn’t readily absorb water and treatments].”

Shop the Carol’s Daughter Wsah Day Delight Water-to-Foam Shampoo — one of the most affordable options on this list and an expert-recommended option for curly hair, especially.

“Aloe and micellar water help reduce detangling and provides tons of moister for softness and shine,” Grace explains, naming the product as one on her hit-list.  

For a full-detox option, grab the Creme of Nature Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse. Oh, and you can’t shy away from the refreshing, clean feel of apple cider vinegar.

“This unique deep cleanser removes build up, refreshes the scalp, helps to protect against breakage and revives the hairs natural pH balance,” Grace said.

Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content.