Garnier Fructis Aloe Hydra Bomb Hydrating Shampoo 400ml

The difficulty with dry normal hair is that most of the products aimed at it are far too heavy. Oil-based shampoos are built for coarse, thick hair, and on finer hair they flatten it against the scalp and it looks greasy by the next morning. This is the lighter answer.

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice does the hydrating, supported by vegetal glycerine, which is a humectant, meaning it draws water in and holds it there. Vitamins B3 and B6 are in the formula too. Garnier claims 72 hours of hydration from it.

It is both paraben-free and silicone-free, and that second one is the meaningful part. Silicones make hair feel instantly smooth by coating it, then build up over weeks until it looks dull and lifeless. Without them the improvement is slower and it is real.

Which Fructis do you need? Flaking and an itchy scalp: Anti-Dandruff 2-in-1. Hair snapping and breaking: Grow Strong. Damage from colour, heat or the sun: Goodbye Damage. Normal hair that just feels dry: Aloe Hydra Bomb. Very dry, thick or coarse hair: Oil Repair 3 Butter.

Worth knowing: 400ml. Being silicone-free, hair may feel slightly less slippery in the shower than you are used to. That is the absence of coating, not a lack of conditioning. Give it three or four washes before deciding.