Amika started in Brooklyn in 2007, calls itself salon-raised and put art prints on its tools from the start, which is why its bright packaging still stands out on a shelf. The name comes from Esperanto, the language a Polish eye doctor published in 1887 in the hope that the whole world might share it. Amika means friendly, and the brand says the name stands for community and the idea that all hair is welcome.

I think that shows in how the line is built. Instead of one hero product, amika shampoo comes in collections, each with its own color and its own job: moisture, volume, frizz, repair, shine and brassiness. Once you know your hair, choosing takes about a minute.

The first grid is the shampoos, plus Perk Up, the dry shampoo for the days in between. The second is the conditioners and masks that go with them. The simplest routine is to buy the shampoo and conditioner from the same collection and add a mask once a week.

Here is a test I like: the day after you wash, notice what bothers you first. If your ends feel dry, you want Hydro Rush. If it falls flat, Big Hit. If it puffs up, Forget Frizz. If it snaps when you brush it, The Kure. And if nothing bothers you at all, Normcore is the everyday one.

Each shampoo is color-coded, and here is what each one does.

Normcore is the everyday one, a sulfate-free shampoo with sea buckthorn that removes buildup and leaves hair soft and bouncy. If you are not sure where to start, start here.

Hydro Rush is the hydrating one, for dry hair, with hyaluronic acid and squalane for long-lasting moisture. Big Hit is for fine hair that falls flat, a lightweight volumizing shampoo that does not skimp on hydration. Forget Frizz is clinically shown to reduce frizz for up to 72 hours, which makes it the one for humid summers and hair that puffs.

The Kure is the repair shampoo, clinically shown to strengthen and reduce breakage from heat, chemical treatments and everyday wear. If you bleach or use hot tools every day, this is the one. Bust Your Brass is the purple one, an ultra-violet shampoo that tones brassiness in blonde hair while strengthening it. Mirrorball is for shine, an antioxidant shampoo that washes out pollution buildup and protects color.

And then Perk Up, the talc-free dry shampoo, which amika calls the number one prestige dry shampoo in the US, citing Circana data. It soaks up oil and adds volume, so it buys you an extra day between washes.

Here is a tip: use Bust Your Brass once or twice a week in place of your regular shampoo, not every day, or blonde can start to look a little lilac.

What I would skip: dry shampoo on a scalp that already feels itchy or flaky. Wash instead.

Use the conditioner from the same collection as your shampoo. They are designed as pairs, and following a volume shampoo with a heavy conditioner undoes the point.

The conditioners follow the shampoos. Normcore's restores moisture with the same omega-rich sea buckthorn and leaves hair silky. Hydro Rush's has hyaluronic acid and squalane, and the brand says it gives three times more hydration. Big Hit's stays light so it does not flatten the volume. Forget Frizz's matches the shampoo's 72 hours of frizz control. The Kure's is moisturizing and clinically shown to strengthen and reduce breakage, the pair for damaged hair.

Then the masks, which is where I think amika is strongest. Soulfood is the rich, nourishing one, packed with vitamins to condition and soften. The Hydro Rush mask is clinically shown to keep hair hydrated for up to five days, so it is the one for very dry ends in winter. Flash is the fast one, a gloss mask that adds shine, softness and hydration in 60 seconds, which is about how long most of us actually leave a mask in.

Here is a routine I like: shampoo and conditioner from one collection every wash, a weekly Hydro Rush or Soulfood mask, and Flash when you want shine and do not have time.

What I would skip: conditioner on the roots of fine hair. Start at the ears and work down to the ends.

I think amika is at its best when you keep it simple. The collections make it easy to overthink, but most people need one shampoo, one conditioner and one mask.

For most hair, that is Normcore shampoo and conditioner. Swap in Hydro Rush if your ends feel dry or Big Hit if your hair falls flat, and keep the Hydro Rush mask for Sundays. Add Perk Up for the days you cannot wash. Give it a few weeks before you change anything, and let your hair tell you what it needs next.