originally written by esthetician natalie barnett

updated in 2026 by kimberly tan

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i often have to deal a heartbreaking blow to new clients when it comes to hair products. after checking the ingredients of what seems like hundreds of products, the sad news is that most of them are comedogenic and will complicate acne-prone skin. for example, that smoothing serum? the one that tames the frizz and makes your hair look awesome? it’s totally breaking you out. as are the leave-in conditioners, moroccan hair oils, and most of your styling products too.

before getting clear myself, i used to use all kinds of hair potions and serums for my curly locks. i also had cystic nodules on my jawline and acne on the sides my face where my hair would hit or from sleeping on pillows covered in hair product residue . my hair always looked on point but i was broken out all over. i felt like i had to make a choice. do i want clear skin or good hair? i chose clear skin, obviously. but then after a while of being completely clear i started to get antsy about my hair. and so began the search for acne-safe hair products. which, by the way, is far from over. so here you have it. the information i have gathered thus far. hope it helps!

the super basic.
when i started working at sS, i poo-pood at the thought of using a shower gel as hair shampoo. i was a disbeliever, until i actually tried it. i found out that the shikai stuff works surprisingly well! i now use it about once a week as both a shampoo and conditioner (it has oatmeal and aloe which i find moisturizing enough for non-color-treated hair). it’s an easy and efficient option, one product, all over.

fragrance free shampoo & conditioners.

• earthscience fragrance free shampoo is one that's also acne-safe. it’s a nice, unscented shampoo for normal to oily hair that will not break you out. it can, however, be a bit drying for some folks, so it's probably best for oilier scalps (though you can try adding a few drops of acne-safe oils to add moisture).
• seen haircare brand is also purported to be acne-safe, some clients have successfully used their fragrance-free shampoo and conditioner with good results.
• phillip adam apple cider vinegar shampoo looks acne-safe (we have yet to try).
• cleure sls-free shampoo and fragrance-free conditioner look acne-safe (we have yet to try)

salon style.
there were some fancy salon brands that used to be acne-safe (like AG haircare, RIP) but they've since been reformulated and/or discontinued. we'll do some research though and update this post when we find some worthy of trying! 

others to try.
a winning combo can be found at trader joe’s: the tea tree tingle shampoo and conditioner are both acne-safe, and great if you have oily hair. the tea tree will give you a little zing!

dandruff
if you’re battling with dry scalp or dandruff, you should know that the beloved head and shoulders is cloggy (as is most other conventional dandruff shampoos, that contain fragrance, foaming agents like sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate and fd&c colors). happy cappy is a great shampoo that has helped so many of our clients, is fragrance-free and brown-doctor owned out of the USA! and is pretty affordable at $15 a bottle. 

a word about fragrance.
it’s such a tricky thing. unfortunately, the beauty industry, by law, does not need to disclose the ingredients belonging to a fragrance - and “fragrance” is in almost everything. it's an umbrella term that can be used for over 3000 ingredients (you can read more here), and since it’s also considered a trade secret in the united states, most companies do not provide information to the consumer as to what in fact a particular fragrance contains. that means we can’t exactly trust products to be acne-safe, or non-toxic for that matter, when the word fragrance is included in their ingredients list.

often times our clients will experiment with products in hopes that the fragrance doesn’t break them out, sometimes it works out and sometimes they are disappointed. proceed with caution if you choose to try products that contain an unchecked fragrance. and if you’re still trying to get clear it’s probably best to not use anything questionable for now. 

to poo or not to poo.
for some folks, going the no poo route is the best option. now, not everyone will have good luck with this kind of hair management or lack thereof (ahem, kim's blog post ), but for the true minimalist it can be a saving grace. honorable mention to the dry shampoos we have experimented with, and have thus far passed our standards. there are so many on the market and with manufacturer's often changing ingredients, a good guideline to go by is to stick with the powder versus spray (and often sticky) versions. 

styling products
are the hardest to come by for sSers, but we do have a few standbys to recommend trying. giovanni hair products are genrally acne-safe - clients have successfully used their wicked wax (for pomade-like texture) and their LA hold hair spray.

some of our more crafty clients have made their own products. one even made this recipe for flax-seed gel. if you’re looking for texture or a summertime look, you can do one one savvy client did and diy a seaweed-free salt spray (but be sure not to add coconut oil, ever!).  

some of our clients have used our conditioner in both the shower and as a leave-in to define curls, you can always add a few drops of essential oil for a fresh and acne-safe scent. 

heat styling
and let’s not forget the importance of using a high quality flat iron or heat styling tool, which can make all the difference. with using one of these, it’s likely you won’t need any product at all! but do exercise caution when using heat styling tools (especially hair dryers), as these can dry out and sensitize the skin, particularly ones that blow hot air. 

this is by no means a comprehensive list but, it’s what we’ve come up with so far. if any of you dear clients have been using a product for some time that doesn’t break you out, please do share with us so that we may pass it on to others. :)