How to Choose the Best Shampoo for Human Hair Wigs

How to Choose the Best Shampoo for Human Hair Wigs

Human hair wigs are a fantastic way to change up your look, whether you’re experimenting with a new hairstyle or dealing with hair loss. They offer a natural appearance and can be styled just like your natural hair, making them a favorite among wig wearers.

To keep your human hair wig looking its best, it’s important to choose the right shampoo. But what is the best shampoo for human hair wigs? Here are our tips for choosing the best shampoo for human hair wigs (and our favorite picks!).

Why Proper Care for Human Hair Wigs Is Essential

Proper care helps your wig last longer and ensures it stays natural-looking and comfortable to wear. Below, we'll explore why finding the right shampoo for your wig is important and share some tips to help you do it right. Properly caring for your wig doesn't just make it last longer but keeps it looking natural and feeling soft against your skin.

Importance of Using the Right Products

When you find the best wig shampoo for human hair wigs, you give your wig the best chance to shine. These products are formulated to protect the wig’s fibers, ensuring they stay strong and vibrant. They help maintain the wig’s softness, making it easier to style and more comfortable on your head. Using the appropriate products also prevents damage, such as tangling or drying out, which can affect how natural your wig looks.

The benefits of wig care:

  • Protects the wig’s longevity and appearance
  • Ensures softness and manageability
  • Prevents damage and maintains visual appeal
  • Helps retain the wig’s natural shine and color
  • Reduces frizz and static electricity
  • Enhances the wig’s texture and movement

Choosing the best shampoo for human hair wigs means you’re investing in the beauty and longevity of your human hair wig.

Common Issues with Improper Care

Neglecting proper care routines can significantly shorten the lifespan of your human hair wig and diminish its natural appearance. When you choose anything less than the best shampoo for wigs, its fibers can become brittle, leading to breakage and loss of hair strands. Dryness and tangling are common problems that make the wig difficult to manage and style. Frizz can also occur, making the wig look less smooth and natural.

Common issues with improper care include:

  • Tangling: Knots and tangles can develop, especially if the wig isn't detangled regularly.
  • Dryness: Lack of moisture can cause the wig to feel dry and rough.
  • Frizz: Unwanted flyaways and frizzy sections can disrupt the wig's smooth appearance.
  • Breakage: Brittle fibers may break easily, reducing the wig's overall volume and density.
  • Dullness: Without proper care, the wig may lose its shine and appear lackluster over time.
  • Odor: Accumulated sweat, dirt, or product buildup can cause unpleasant odors.

These issues not only affect how your wig looks but also how comfortable it feels to wear.

How to Choose Shampoos for Human Hair Wigs

When finding the best shampoo for human hair wigs, consider these key ingredients and qualities:

What To Look For

  • Sulfate-Free Formulation: Look for sulfate-free shampoos to avoid stripping the natural oils from your wig, which can cause dryness and tangling.
  • Moisturizing Ingredients: Opt for shampoos enriched with moisturizing agents like glycerin or coconut oil to keep the wig soft and hydrated.
  • pH-Balanced: Choose pH-balanced shampoos to match the acidity level of human hair, ensuring gentleness and preventing damage.

What To Avoid

Avoid these ingredients and qualities that can be harmful to your human hair wig:

  • Sulfates: Shampoos containing sulfates can be too harsh and drying for human hair wigs, leading to frizz and dullness over time.
  • Alcohol: Avoid shampoos with high alcohol content, as they can strip moisture from the wig and cause it to become brittle.
  • Heavy Fragrances: Fragrances can sometimes contain chemicals that may cause buildup on the wig, affecting its appearance and texture.
  • Residue:  Products that leave a build up on the hair, or a filmy residue should be avoided, especially on human hair wigs, as they will weigh hair down, and require more frequent washes - something you want to avoid on wigs

Our Favorite Shampoos for Human Hair Wigs

Choosing the best shampoo for human hair wigs can make all the difference in how they look and feel. We recommend these shampoos for their ability to nourish, hydrate, and maintain the quality of human hair wigs, ensuring they stay soft, manageable, and beautiful.

Here are some of the best wig shampoos, along with why they made our list:

Essentials Ultra Hydrating Shampoo for Wigs

Why we love it: This ultra-hydrating shampoo, created for the special needs of human hair wigs, cleanses and revitalizes human hair wigs and natural hair, leaving them soft, smooth, manageable and residue-free.. Infused with Sage, Coconut, Avocado, and Sunflower extracts, it provides deep hydration and nourishment, ensuring hair stays vibrant and healthy.

Essentials Ultra Gentle Shampoo for Wigs

Why we love it: This ultra-gentle shampoo, designed specifically for human hair wigs and toppers, cleanses and nourishes human hair wigs and natural hair without causing any heaviness or residue build-up. Infused with Sage, Coconut, Avocado, and Sunflower extracts, it ensures hair remains clean, soft, and revitalized. Its vegan and cruelty-free formula is perfect for human hair wigs.

Bonus: Other Great Wig Care Products

While each item on this list isn’t technically wig shampoo for human hair, we still love them all the same. After all, why not find both the best shampoo and conditioner for wigs to give your wig its best overall shine?

Essentials Ultra Hydrating Conditioner for Wigs

Why we love it: This conditioner deeply moisturizes and detangles human hair wigs, leaving them soft, smooth, and shiny. Infused with natural extracts like Sage, Coconut, Avocado, and Sunflower, it revitalizes dry human hair wigs and restores its natural shine.  Like the other products in this line, the Essentials products are designed with human hair wigs in mind, and thus are lightweight, and residue-free.

Essentials Detangling Leave-In Mist for Wigs

Why we love it: This Detangling Leave-In Mist provides deep hydration and nourishment, ensuring human hair wigs remain silky smooth and easy to style. This lightweight, leave-in detangling conditioner is also vegan, and cruelty-free mist, helping to revitalize your wig, and keep it fresh and manageable.

How to Properly Wash Your Human Hair Wig

Knowing how to wash your human hair wig is essential to maintaining its natural beauty and prolonging its lifespan. It also ensures it stays soft, manageable, and retains its luster. Follow these steps to keep your wig in excellent condition for longer:

  • Step 1: Detangle Before Washing: Before washing, gently comb through your wig with a wide-toothed comb or wig brush to remove any tangles or knots. Start from the ends and work your way up to the roots to avoid damaging the hair fibers.
  • Step 2: Prepare the Shampoo Solution: Fill a basin or sink with lukewarm water and add a small amount of sulfate-free shampoo formulated for human hair wigs. Swirl the water gently to mix the shampoo without creating bubbles, which can cause tangling.
  • Step 3: Shampoo Your Wig: Submerge your wig in the shampoo solution and gently swish it around to distribute the shampoo evenly. Avoid rubbing or twisting the wig, which can cause tangling and damage. Let the wig soak for a few minutes to allow the shampoo to cleanse the fibers.
  • Step 4: Rinse Thoroughly: Rinse the wig under lukewarm water until all shampoo residue is removed and the water runs clear. Avoid rinsing with hot water, as this can strip the hair of moisture.
  • Step 5: Condition the Wig: Apply Refill the basin with water, and add a small amount of conditioner.  Submerge the human hair wig into the water,  and swish it around.  Leave the conditioner on for a few minutes to hydrate and soften the hair fibers.
  • Step 6: Rinse Again: Gently rinse the wig under lukewarm water to remove the conditioner. Ensure all product is thoroughly rinsed out to prevent buildup, which can weigh down the wig and affect its appearance.  Carefully and gently wring out the wig to remove excess water.
  • Step 7: Style as Desired:  Place on a wig head, and allow to air dry about 80% of the way.  Then, style as desired.  Use a hot air brush if smoothing and/or volumizing is desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

As you embark on caring for your human hair wig with the best shampoo for human hair wigs, it's natural to have questions about maintenance and products. Here are some frequently asked questions to help guide you through the process with confidence and ensure your wig stays in great condition.

How often should I wash my human hair wig?

Generally, human hair wigs should be washed every 7-10 wears or when they start to feel heavy or look dull. Washing too frequently can lead to the wig drying out, so it's best to follow a regular schedule based on your usage and environment.

Can I use regular shampoo on my human hair wig?

We recommend using shampoos specifically formulated for human hair wigs. Regular shampoos may contain harsh chemicals like sulfates that can strip the wig's natural oils and lead to dryness and damage. Opt for sulfate-free, lightweight and residue-free, gentle formulas designed for wigs to maintain their quality.

How do I choose the right shampoo for my wig?

When choosing a shampoo for your wig, look for sulfate-free formulations that won't strip the wig's fibers. Opt for shampoos enriched with moisturizing ingredients like avocado or coconut oil to keep the wig soft and hydrated. pH-balanced shampoos are also ideal as they match the acidity level of human hair, preventing damage.

What is the best shampoo for synthetic wigs?

Synthetic wigs are slightly different from human hair wigs and should be washed with shampoos specifically formulated for synthetic fibers which will cleanse the synthetic strands gently without damaging them or altering their texture.

Find Your Perfect Match with Milano

Choosing the best shampoo for human hair wigs is essential for maintaining beauty and longevity. Whether you want to enhance hydration, prevent frizz, or ensure gentle cleansing, Milano offers a range of premium hair care products tailored to your needs. Our expertly curated solutions help maintain your human hair wig's natural beauty and durability. Whether you're new to wig care or looking to upgrade your routine, we’re here to support you every step of the way!

Explore our collection of human hair wigs and hair toppers crafted with quality and style in mind. Additionally, browse through our wig care products—from hydrating shampoos to revitalizing conditioners and styling and reparative products —designed to keep your wig in pristine condition.

Need personalized advice on wig care or shopping assistance? Schedule a free consultation with our experts, who can guide you through finding the best shampoo and conditioner for human hair wigs that are tailored to your needs.