So Many Shiseido Shampoos! Which One Should I Use?

When you do a search of Shiseido shampoos, you may be overwhelmed by the number of options available! Which to choose, how to choose? Trust me, I was before I settled on my Fuente Forte.

This guide is written for that reason: to help us make sense of it all! It’ll be a useful guide for anyone starting out on choosing their first Shiseido shampoo, or for when you are looking for another professional hair care series to tackle new hair types. If your friends need advice on the Shiseido shampoos, share this article! Sharing is caring, after all.

Note that nothing I say here is new, as you can find these information on Shiseido’s professional series website. This compilation was made for easy reference. In addition, not all the products will be reviewed, else it will confuse instead of being useful.

(Update January 2020: Please note, the Shiseido lineup has changed since this article was written. We are currently preparing an updated guide to Shiseido haircare products: follow us on Instagram to be notified when we publish it!)

The lineup we are covering in this article:

1) ADENOVITAL

2) SLEEKLINER

3) FUENTE FORTE

4) AQUA INTENSIVE

5) LUMINOFORCE

6) LUMINOGENIC

7) FUTURE SUBLIME

ADENOVITAL series

For promoting hair growth, preventing hair loss, create volume.

If you are looking to promote hair growth, due to current hair loss concerns, or you want to get volume out of your hair, consider using the ADENOVITAL series.

The ADENOVITAL series focuses on strengthening the cuticle, making the hair more resistant to damage.

Unique to the ADENOVITAL series is Shiseido’s recommended Scalp Essence V, which works on the hair papilla to promote hair growth conditions, and promoting a healthy environment of your scalp.

A look at some of ADENOVITAL products:

ADENOVITAL Shampoo: Gently but thoroughly cleanses the scalp.

ADENOVITAL Scalp Treatment: Gives the scalp moisture.

ADENOVITAL Scalp Essence V: After the Shampoo and Scalp Treatment has prepared the scalp, Scalp Essence works on hair growth.

Scent: “ENERGY FLOW” (love how Shiseido puts effort into these little details, including their descriptions)
“A bright, invigorating scent of sweet natural fruits that have grown strong under the sun’s life-giving power with a hint of aromatic green. (Contained only in Shampoo and Scalp Treatment)”

Shop haircare direct from Japan at Wonect!

SLEEKLINER series

For frizzy, tangled or unruly hair.

The SLEEKLINER series is recommended for people who have problem taming their hard-to-control hair, or people looking to devolumise their hair. The series also helps to keep your hair straight and smooth.

The SLEEKLINER series focuses on keeping the hair smooth through it Smoothness Retention Technology (yes, Shiseido’s R&D works hard for us). This series of hair care also supports the inner parts of the hair that may be weak against humidity.

The SLEEKLINER Treatment has two types, for different hair thickness.

A look at some of SLEEKLINER products:

SLEEKLINER Shampoo: Cleanses and controls frizziness.

SLEEKLINER Treatment I: For thin hair. Keeps hair smooth and manageable.

SLEEKLINER Treatment II: For thick hair. Keeps hair smooth and manageable.

SLEEKLINER Mask: A 3-5min leave-on-and-rinse mask for correcting the hair from within. Intensive care, used only once or twice a week.

Scent: “BLUE SPRING”
“An elegant fragrance that conjures up an image of iris flowers blossoming under the clear sky in May, with a luxurious floral note as the base and an airy fruity note as the accent.”

FUENTE FORTE series

For oily scalp, sensitive scalp, dandruff, itchiness, scalp’s lack of resilience, scalp’s lack of moisture due to aging.

The FUENTE FORTE series focuses on conditioning the scalp to make it less susceptible to stimuli. It is also the series with the most products, as it tackles many concerns that we may have. Pay attention to the different shampoos to figure out which one is suitable for you. (For me, I have an oily scalp, so I use FUENTE FORTE Shampoo.)

A look at some of FUENTE FORTE products:

FUENTE FORTE Shampoo: Eliminates sebum and impurities that are related to scalp problems.

FUENTE FORTE Shampoo (Delicate Scalp): Eases itching and any sensitivity issues.

FUENTE FORTE Shampoo (Clarifying): Keeps scalp free of irritation because of scalp oil. Also good for dandruff.

FUENTE FORTE Shampoo (Purifying): For scalps that tend to get sticky. Has a cooling effect.

FUENTE FORTE Treatment: Promotes a healthy scalp environment. Gives a airy, light feel.

FUENTE FORTE Treatment (Delicate Scalp): Eases itches and sensitivity. Gives a supple finish.

FUENTE FORTE Sebum Clear Cool: Like facial care, removes sebum, dead skin cells and impurities inside pores. Refreshing coolness to tighten the scalp.

FUENTE FORTE Sebum Clear Warm: Like facial care, removes sebum, dead skin cells and impurities inside pores. Comfortable warmth to ease the scalp stress.

Scent: “HEALING FOREST”
“A deep healing fragrance that harmoniously combines a green herbal scent evocative of clean forest air with a fresh floral note.”

AQUA INTENSIVE Series

For dry hair due to loss of moisture, damaged hair, hair exposed to repeated colouring and perming.

If your hair feels dry, lacking the required moisture due to abuse, then the AQUA INTENSIVE series is for you.

The AQUA INTENSIVE focuses on the loss of moisture from inside the hair. Their moisturising agent is a combination of royal jelly extract and a moisturising retention ingredient.

Like the SLEEKLINER, AQUA INTENSIVE also has two types of treatments and a mask.

A look at some of AQUA INTENSIVE products:

AQUA INTENSIVE Shampoo: Prevents damage and dryness, while cleansing thoroughly

AQUA INTENSIVE Treatment I: Repairs damage and moisturises. Gives an airy feel.

AQUA INTENSIVE Treatment II: Repairs damage and moisturises. Gives a moist and supple feel.

AQUA INTENSIVE Mask: A 3-5min leave-on-and-rinse mask for repairing damage and moisturising. Intensive care, used only once or twice a week.

Scent: “JUNE BRIDE”
“A clean and fresh fragrance like a bouquet of white flowers for a June bride, with an herbal green note as the accent.”

LUMINOFORCE Series

For hair gone under repeated colouring, rough/coarse hair, dull-looking hair.

The LUMINOFORCE series is for people whose hair have lost their shine, which is where the LUMNIOFORCE series focuses on: restoring texture and shine. It is also suitable for people with coarse hair as the series actively repairs the hair to get a sleek look.

The LUMINOFORCE series focuses on repairing lipids in the hair (the lack of it will cause the hair to be coarse), while making sure moisture is retained.

A look at some of LUMNIOFORCE products:

LUMNIOFORCE Shampoo: Cleanses impurities and keep hair’s colour.

LUMNIOFORCE Treatment: Gives the hair a supple and shiny finish.

LUMNIOFORCE Mask: A 3-5min leave-on-and-rinse mask for repairing damage to give suppleness and shine. Intensive care, used only once or twice a week.

Scent: “ORCHARD BREEZE”
“A refreshing, soothing fragrance inspired by an orchard breeze, featuring a floral fruity note. It is a fresh and juicy fruit fragrance imbued with the gorgeous and natural aroma of the noble rose.”

LUMINOGENIC Series

For coloured hair.

The LUMINOGENIC series is similar to the LUMINOFORCE series’s focus on coloured hair. But instead of hair quality maintenance, LUMINOGENIC focuses leans towards retaining the hair’s colour by controlling the amount of water absorbed and released by the hair, which limits the loss of the colour dye.

A look at some of LUMINOGENIC products:

LUMINOGENIC Shampoo: Cleanses impurities and keep hair’s luster.

LUMINOGENIC Treatment: Gives the hair a smooth and shiny finish.

LUMINOGENIC Mask: A 3-5min leave-on-and-rinse mask for repairing damage and retain hair colour. Intensive care, used only once or twice a week.

Scent: “SANTA ROSE”
“A glamorous fragrance featuring the scents of rare roses, Turkish Rose and Rose de Mai. The accent is a refreshing scent inspired by a bouquet of roses from Santa Claus.”

FUTURE SUBLIME Series

For people who want volume, hair strength and resilience, hair waviness.

The FUTURE SUBLIME series is about nourishment for the hair and scalp, tackling issues that may be related to aging (for example loss of moisture).

This series focuses on age-related damages of the hair and scalp, so that your hair will be strong from its foundation.

A look at some of FUTURE SUBLIME products:

FUTURE SUBLIME Shampoo: Lather is rich, gives soft and supple finish

FUTURE SUBLIME Treatment: Contains an ingredient to add resilience and strength to hair.

FUTURE SUBLIME Mask: A 3-5min leave-on-and-rinse mask that builds strength and resilience of the hair. Intensive care, used only once or twice a week.

Scent: “Graceful Serenity”
“An elegant, glamorous and luxuriously fulfilling fragrance which combines the scents of rare, noble flowers such as orchids and fruits such as sweet oranges.”

Other information

< How long can a bottle of Shiseido shampoo last? >
Depends on the length of your hair. A 500ml bottle of Shiseido shampoo can last a medium-length hair for 3-4 months.
Furthermore, most Shiseido Shampoos and Treatments can be refilled.

< Why is a shampoo “gentle”? >
Using a “harsh” shampoo will thin down the nutrients needed by your hair and scalp, which will be too harsh for cleansing. Clarifying shampoos are harsh, which can be used once a month to clean the hair of stubborn dirt (like hair wax).

< The shampoo doesn’t work like it says so! >
There are many possibilities. You could be using the wrong shampoo, your skin/hair type doesn’t react to the formulation, or other products you are using could be mitigating the benefits. Try an elimination method to pin-point the problem, or changing to another shampoo, or taking the painful decision of changing brand. 🙁

A video recap on the Shiseido shampoos

Some FAQs that we get from our customers:

Shop haircare direct from Japan at Wonect!