Davines has long occupied a unique space in the haircare world, marrying salon-grade formulas with a strong commitment to sustainability.
This year, the Italian brand refreshed its cult essential haircare range – which boasts shampoos and conditioners, alongside a myriad of styling products – updating the packaging and further spotlighting the regenerative organic farming projects that sit at the heart of the collection.
Each shampoo, from minu to volu, is built around an ingredient grown by small-scale Italian producers, with the aim of supporting biodiversity while targeting specific hair concerns, such as colour fading, heat damage, flat roots and dehydration.
Of course, good intentions only get a brand so far. With price tags that sit somewhere between mid-range and aspirational, together with a devoted following, I wanted to find out whether the range could deliver on performance as well as credentials.
To put it through its paces, myself and IndyBest’s expert team of testers (spanning men and women with fine, thick, coloured, damaged, dry and oily hair types) spent weeks washing, styling and reviewing the shampoos in everyday life. From lather and cleansing power to hydration, shine and long-term results, this is how the Davines essential haircare formulas stacked up in real life.
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The best Davines shampoos and conditioners for 2026 are:
- Best for coloured hair – Davines minu duo: £50, Davines.com
- Best for frizz – Davines love smoothing duo: £50, Davines.com
- Best for damage – Davines nounou duo: £50, Davines.com
- Best for long hair – Davines melu duo: £50, Davines.com
- Best for build-up – Davines solu shampoo: £24, Davines.com
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Davines momo shampoo
Rating: 4/5
Best: Davines shampoo for dry hair
Why we love it
- Leaves hair super soft
- Hydrating
Take note
- Hard to lather up
- Gentle cleanse doesn’t feel as clarifying
I often struggle to find products that hydrate my dry hair without leaving it greasy and limp, so I was curious to see how Davines’s shampoo for dehydrated hair would fare. The brand says it delivers up to 11 times more hydrated hair, which I can't attest to, but my hair felt much softer and smoother from wash one.
The matching momo conditioner felt hydrating without adding extra weight, but the momo serum (£29.50, Davines.com) was the gamechanger. Applied to towel dried hair, it made my hair l far silkier – my hair drank it up, so it wasn’t greasy and flat like I worried it might be.
The shampoo takes a bit of work to lather up and as a gentle cleanser for dry hair it didn’t give my scalp the squeaky clean feeling I normally look for in a shampoo, though this is probably doing my hair good. Still, personally, I can see myself using a clarifying shampoo every once in a while. But I love the fresh scent that lingers on the hair for days.
Key specifications
Buy now £24, Davines.com
Davines minu shampoo
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: Davines shampoo for coloured hair
Why we love it
- Velvety lather that got through my thick hair with ease
- Left my hair thoroughly cleansed and bright
Take note
- On the pricey side
As dying my hair doesn’t come cheap, maintaining the colour is high up on my priority list when it comes to haircare, so I was intrigued by Davines’s illuminating and colour protective minu shampoo.
I was impressed by how easily the bold blue glossy shampoo lathered up and got through my thick hair, which was only easier on the second shampoo. As someone prone to tangles, I loved how smooth yet well cleansed my strands felt even before applying conditioner or the minu mask (£30, Davines.com). In terms of that clean feeling, this shampoo is second to none.
When it comes to its illuminating properties, I tested the shampoo just before my bi-annual hair colouring and after. While there was nothing bringing back my blonde hair other than dye, after colouring, the shampoo has helped to keep the brightness to my hair thanks to the green coffee extract and new chelating feature which removes dulling residues, like hard water metals and minerals – a huge contributing factor living in London. I also enjoyed that its nourishing qualities didn’t put my thick hair down, on the contrary, it was left far more lightweight than other shampoos I’ve tried.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Alice Reynolds
Buy now £24, Davines.com
Davines love smoothing duo
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: Davines shampoo and conditioner for frizz-prone hair
Why we love it
- Lingering scent
- Smooths but keeps the hair’s body
- Softens and adds shine
Take note
- Doesn’t tame frizz or flyaways in excessive heat
My hair is annoyingly unruly: I have a lot of it, but strands are fine and frizz-prone. When it comes to shampoos and conditioners, I favour deeply hydrating formulas packed with smoothing proteins that work to seal my hair’s cuticle, lock out humidity and restore moisture. Davines’s love smoothing duo claims to do exactly that. My first impressions of the shampoo and conditioner duo was the delightful scent. A blend of citrus, florals and a hint of musk, it’s a sweet but not overpowering fragrance – and lingered long after application. Both products are a distinctive purple shade and work in tandem with the heat protectant milk (£31, Davines.com).
After two weeks of washing, styling and drying my hair using the three products, around three times a week, my hair has reaped the benefits. The shampoo and conditioner feel thorough on application, but wash out easily with rinsing (there’s no sticky residual feeling), with the conditioner feeling particularly nice and softening on my ends. The heat protectant helps to smooth fly aways and enhances shine, without making my hair feel heavy or lose its natural body. My frizz is noticeably calmed after each wash, with the shine-boost enhancing the look of my balayage. During the recent heatwave, the Davines trio was no match for drying in humid conditions – but this, alongside the premium price, is my own gripe. Even with double shampooing and a generous scoop out of the conditioner tub, the products haven’t depleted too much in two weeks of testing, either.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Daisy Lester
Buy now £50, Davines.com
Davines nounou shampoo
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: Davines shampoo for highly processed, damaged hair
Why we love it
- Doesn’t strip natural oils
- Hair feels stronger and more nourished
Take note
- Requires using more shampoo than usual
- Highly fragranced
My hair is naturally full of beachy waves, which sounds ideal in theory, but between the constant frizz and years of colour damage, it’s also become prone to dryness and snapping. Davines’s nounou range is designed specifically for dry and chemically treated hair, so I was particularly interested to see how these products would perform. My first impressions were positive: the products have a rich, salon-quality texture and a strong but pleasant scent that lingers after washing.
The shampoo was the standout product for me. It’s more hydrating than most shampoos I’ve tried, and after a few washes my hair already felt smoother and noticeably less brittle. I did need to use a little more product than usual to get a satisfying lather, but it left my hair feeling genuinely clean without that stripped or squeaky finish that often makes damaged hair feel worse.
The conditioner (£26, Davines.com) is extremely rich, so it’s best used sparingly, particularly if, like me, you have fine strands alongside a lot of texture. Used in moderation, though, it left the lengths feeling silky and deeply hydrated without weighing my hair down. The hair oil (£30, Davines.com) also impressed me, only a couple of drops are needed to smooth frizz and add shine, otherwise it can lean towards greasy. This does mean the small bottle will last a surprisingly long time, which, given the premium price, is a plus.
Overall, my hair looked healthier, and my waves were more defined with far less frizz and flyaways. Most importantly, the deeply nourishing formulas meant it felt stronger and less prone to snapping when brushing or heat styling.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Danielle Attwater
Buy now £24, Davines.com
Davines solu shampoo
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: Davines shampoo for removing build-up
Why we love it
- Effectively removes styling product, hard water and general build-up
- Leaves hair feeling clean without feeling stripped or dry
- Helps hair look smoother and less weighed down
- Ideal weekly reset for bleached, heat-styled or product-heavy hair
Take note
- Herbal scent may not appeal to everyone initially
- No dedicated matching conditioner in the solu range
I recently cut my hair short after noticing some thinning, and because it's bleached and naturally prone to frizz, it takes a fair amount of styling to get it looking the way I like. Between daily heat styling to create waves, hairspray to tame baby hairs, and texture spray for that beachy finish, product build-up is inevitable. Living in a hard water area doesn't help either, as mineral deposits can accumulate on the hair over time, leaving it feeling dull, heavy and harder to manage. That's exactly why I was interested in trying the Davines solu shampoo, a clarifying product designed to remove residue and impurities without stripping the hair. It uses buckwheat extract, which is rich in antioxidants and claims to help cleanse while supporting hair health.
My first impression was the scent. It has a very herbal aroma that I wasn't completely sold on at first, but I've genuinely grown to love it – it feels like stepping into a natural spa. I've been testing it for several weeks, using it once a week alongside my usual Kérastase blond absolu shampoo as a deep-clean reset. Clarifying shampoos are best used occasionally to avoid over-cleansing, and once a week has worked perfectly for me.
It lathers beautifully, so you don't need much product, and even after the first wash my hair felt noticeably cleaner without feeling dry. In fact, it looked smoother and had more body, to the point that I've been able to skip texture spray on wash day. While solu doesn't have a matching conditioner, I paired it with the Davines dede conditioner. The tub packaging is a little inconvenient as you have to twist the lid off, but the product itself is excellent. It left my hair instantly silky and I could feel the difference as I rinsed it out. One tip: a little really does go a long way, especially on shorter hair. When I used too much, I found it harder to rinse completely.
Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with solu shampoo and look forward to using it weekly for that fresh, deep-clean feeling that leaves my hair looking fuller, smoother and healthier.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Sarah Jones
Buy now £24, Davines.com
Davines volu duo
Rating: 4/5
Best: Davines shampoo for fine, limp hair
Why we love it
- Conditioner lasts a long time and tub means you can use every drop
- Hair feels light and fluffy after washing and doesn’t lay flat against scalp
- Eco-friendly formula with regenerative farming roots
Take note
- Requires a rinse and repeat to achieve good lather
- Volume doesn’t last through several days
Davines’s volu shampoo and conditioner are undoubtedly a good pick for fine hair types. If, like me, you’re someone who suffers an oily scalp and the limpness that accompanies it, you’ll enjoy the immediate lift this wash duo offers. After cleansing (twice) and conditioning, my blow-dried strands had more height at the root and felt thicker on the whole.
In my experience, volumising products often bulk out the hair at the expense of smoothness, and this was somewhat true of the volu duo. While my locks appeared slightly more frizzy through the mid-lengths and ends, the volu conditioner ensured they maintained an attractive shine – and the frizz was easily fixed with a light hair oil.
As a beauty expert, I’m well aware that a non-lathering shampoo is often the result of excess oil and build-up, and not the shampoo itself. That said, this shampoo proved particularly hard to lather and sometimes required a third cleanse. Given the 250ml size (versus competitors like Redken and Ouai, who offer 300ml bottles), this was slightly disappointing. Thankfully, the conditioner made up for it and I found my hair needed less than a shot’s worth of product to feel adequately nourished.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Lucy Smith
Buy now £50, Davines.com
Davines melu shampoo
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: Davines shampoo for long, heat-damaged hair
Why we love it
- Hair feels clean but not stripped after washing
- Softens hair and reduces frizz
- Smells luxurious
Take note
- Conditioner can be hard to wash out of thick hair
Davines’s melu shampoo is designed to strengthen damaged hair from root to tip, so I was hopeful that it could mend my frazzled locks that are put through heat styling every few days. Even after the first wash, combined with the melu conditioner, my hair felt softer, more nourished and had less frizz. I often get a crown of frizz at the top of my scalp, but I was pleased to see this reduced after using the shampoo.
After weeks of use, signs of heat damage on my hair have visibly reduced and it feels far healthier. The conditioner from the range adds a nice hit of hydration, but keep in mind that a little goes a long way. When I’ve been a bit heavy handed with it, it’s been hard to wash out my long, thick hair and I can still feel some of it in my roots after blow drying. The melu serum has become a regular part of my hair washing routine too, and adds another boost of nourishment before heat styling.
Davines’s melu haircare products don’t come cheap but they’ve genuinely transformed my heat damaged locks into strands that are smooth, nourished and with visibly less frizz.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Sabrina Sahota
Buy now £24, Davines.com
Davines Dede shampoo
Rating: 4/5
Best: Davines shampoo for everyday use
Why we love it
- Suitable for everyday use
- Feels nourishing and softening
Take note
- Polarising scent
I have dry hair and scalp and also wash my hair every day so when choosing shampoos I want something gentle that won’t take away moisture. The dede shampoo claims to be suitable for all hair types and for daily use. After a couple of weeks of use, I find this shampoo gentle and softening on my dry hair, it doesn’t feel like it strips like some harsh shampoos.
The matching conditioner makes sure to add back in any lost moisture, and a little goes a long way. My hair feels soft and refreshed and looks shiny when I combine the shampoo and conditioner. My only gripe is the scent: it’s not terrible but there’s a slight sickly edge to it, which others have noted online.
Key specifications
Reviewed by Samuel Mathewson
Buy now £24, Davines.com
What is the best Davines shampoo?
There wasn't a poor performer among the shampoos and conditioners tested, but several formulas proved particularly impressive after repeat use. Minu helped Alice’s bleached hair to retain its brightness between salon visits, Melu noticeably softened Sabrina’s heat-damaged lengths and Solu provided the kind of deep clean that left Sarah’s hair feeling lighter and fresher for days.
What’s more, these results come with the reassurance that Davines is committed to regenerative farming and biodiversity projects, giving the range credentials that extend beyond the bathroom shelf.
The best formula will ultimately depend on your hair type, but it's no surprise this collection's fans are so loyal.
How we tested Davines haircare
In order to properly gauge the effectiveness of the new Davines essential haircare range, I recruited testers with a broad mix of hair types, textures and concerns, including dry, oily, coloured, damaged, fine, thick, curly and heat-treated hair.
Over several weeks, each shampoo was used as directed, alongside (where possible) its matching conditioner and treatment products. Specifically, myself and the team assessed the following factors:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Here at IndyBest we spend every day testing and reviewing the latest in beauty, lifestyle and beyond, be it a guide to the best leave-in conditioners or a round-up of the best anti-frizz products. For instance, while senior shopping writer Lucy Smith penned The Independent’s piece on the best shampoos and conditioners, writer and production journalist Alice Reynolds recently consulted industry experts while researching the best treatments for dry hair. Elsewhere, our panel included testers with a variety of hair types and concerns, ensuring every Davines shampoo and conditioner was assessed by someone representative of its target user. Combined, our team spent weeks putting the range through its paces before putting pen to paper (or rather, fingertips to keys) to run you through their thoughts.
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