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Partner Content JUNE 10, 2022

22 Best Natural Shampoos of 2022

If you’re interested in cleaning up your hair care routine, there’s no better place to start than with your shampoo.

22 Best Natural Shampoos of 2022
Natural shampoos

Natural shampoos

Sponsored Content Provided by Machines Agency

So many hair products that you find on the market today use synthetic chemicals, preservatives, and unnecessary filler ingredients that simply don’t support the overall health of your hair. Thankfully, as more customers prioritize using clean and natural products in their care routines, many companies are beginning to introduce high-performance, nature-powered formulas that are even more effective than their traditional counterparts.

If you’re interested in cleaning up your hair care routine, there’s no better place to start than with your shampoo. Here is our comprehensive guide to the absolute best natural shampoos of 2022. 

 

1. Blu Atlas Shampoo

 

Blu Atlas is a fully natural personal care company that offers high-performance products packed with science-backed ingredients. As far as the brand’s shampoo goes, it checks off all of our boxes: it’s vegan, dermatologist-tested, packed with natural ingredients, and is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.

The Blu Atlas Shampoo is suitable for all hair types and contains a blend of ingredients that nourish, strengthen, and hydrate the hair without weighing it down or leaving behind a greasy residue. Plant-derived surfactants power this shampoo, working into a creamy foam that washes away excess oil, bacteria, and dirt without drying out the hair or skin or causing any irritation.

This powerful formula features aloe barbadensis leaf juice, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also rich in vitamins and amino acids and works to soothe the skin while moisturizing and strengthening the hair and scalp. Jojoba oil—which is packed with fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins—works alongside the aloe, penetrating the hair and skin for maximum nourishment and moisturization.

 

2. ArtNaturals Argan Oil & Aloe Shampoo

 

ArtNaturals offers an excellent range of clean hair products powered by natural ingredients, including the Argan Oil & Aloe Shampoo, which treats dry, brittle, and damaged hair. This cruelty-free formula is free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and preservatives and works to improve the manageability of the hair while moisturizing the scalp. 

This ArtNaturals shampoo features argan oil, which is rich in fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Argan oil softens and hydrates the hair and boosts elasticity while preventing further damage. Since it has a small molecular size, it penetrates the hair cuticles for maximum results. This anti-inflammatory oil also nourishes, soothes, and moisturizes the scalp.

 

While the argan oil gets to work, aloe barbadensis leaf juice—another anti-inflammatory ingredient—calms the scalp and moisturizes both the skin and hair. This natural shampoo also contains keratin proteins, which strengthen and banish frizz, as well as panthenol, glycerin, and sea buckthorn extract.

 

3. 100% Pure Honey and Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo

 

100% Pure creates natural, organic, cruelty-free formulas that deliver impressive results. The sulfate-free Honey and Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo gently cleanses away dirt and debris while supporting dry and damaged hair so that it is stronger, glossier, and more hydrated. 

 

This moisturizing natural shampoo features two key ingredients: honey and coconut oil. Honey soothes the skin while providing the hair and scalp with a boost of moisture. It also acts as a natural preservative. Coconut oil joins the honey in moisturizing the hair and skin for improved softness, comfort, and manageability. 

 

The formula contains a blend of other ingredients that improve overall hair health. Panthenol locks in moisture and strengthens the hair, while vitamin E restores and protects the skin and hair against damaging environmental aggressors. Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, rose flower water, glycerin, and rosemary leaf extract further support and moisturize the hair so that it looks and feels its absolute best. 

 

4. True Botanicals Nourishing Shampoo

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True Botanicals is a luxury natural beauty brand that offers expertly-crafted formulas featuring certified organic wild-harvested ingredients. The award-winning Nourishing Shampoo—which is suitable for all hair types—brings antioxidants and other potent ingredients that hydrate and strengthen the hair and scalp. The sulfate-free formula uses coconut-derived surfactants that cleanse away debris and excess oil for a satisfying clean. 

 

This True Botanicals Shampoo contains green tea seed oil, which is packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that hydrate while fighting against damaging free radicals. It also features meadowfoam seed oil, another antioxidant-packed oil that moisturizes while preventing brittleness and tangling. 

 

Aloe leaf extract soothes the scalp while locking in moisture. Lemon peel oil, orange peel oil, sweet violet leaf extract, and ylang ylang flower oil create a refreshing citrus and floral scent that lingers on the hair long after you have showered.

 

5. Acure Curiously Clarifying Shampoo

 

The Curiously Clarifying Shampoo from Acure is one of the best natural shampoos for those looking for a more budget-friendly option. This vegan and cruelty-free drugstore shampoo washes away build-up, debris, and excess oil while nourishing to leave the hair and scalp feeling refreshed and strong. It’s also free of a variety of potentially harmful ingredients, including sulfates, parabens, and petrolatum. 

 

The Acure Seriously Clarifying Shampoo features lemongrass, which has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. It also contains fatty acid and nutrient-rich argan oil, which hydrates, boosts elasticity, and repairs the hair for optimal manageability and health. Additionally, this formula uses a wide range of plant extracts that further moisturize and strengthen the hair and scalp, including vitamin-packed blackberry fruit extract, fatty acid-rich avocado oil, soothing aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and refreshing rosemary leaf oil. 

 

6. Kick Active Tea Tree Shampoo for Men

 

If you have an active lifestyle and need a shampoo with some impressive clarifying and skin-soothing power, you’ll want to try this natural shampoo from Kick Active. The Tea Tree Shampoo features eleven high-performance botanicals that minimize scalp itchiness and irritation, balance the skin, moisturize, and support thick and healthy hair. It tackles sweat, debris, and bacteria—without irritating or drying out the scalp and hair. 

 

Of course, the star ingredient in this shampoo is tea tree oil, which has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial effects. This oil calms the skin, fights dandruff, and gets rid of excess oil and buildup. In addition to the tea tree oil, this formula features lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint oils that soothe, boost shine, and even fight hair loss. Aloe vera, lemongrass, witch hazel, and other natural ingredients further help clarify, moisturize, and strengthen the hair. 

 

7. Biolage Colorlast Shampoo

 

For those with color-treated hair, this is one of the absolute best natural shampoos. The Colorlast Shampoo from nature-inspired hair care company Biolage is formulated at a low pH balance, which ensures hair color stays vivid and lasts for a long time. It also cleanses the hair without stripping color or causing irritation or dryness. 

 

This vegan, paraben-free shampoo strengthens and hydrates the hair while protecting it against damaging environmental stressors. One of the key ingredients in this formula is orchid extract. This floral extract is super moisturizing and helps ensure the hair and scalp stay hydrated during cleansing. 

 

8. Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo

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If you’re looking to get stronger, smoother, and shinier hair, you’ll want to try this shampoo from natural beauty brand Drunk Elephant. The Cocomino Glossing Shampoo contains botanical ingredients that boost overall hair health and act as heat protectants to prevent damage from styling. This sulfate-free formula uses the power of coconut-derived surfactants to wash away debris without causing damage or irritation or stripping color-treated hair. 

 

This natural formula features fatty acid and antioxidant-rich sacha inchi seed oil, which moisturizes and soothes irritated skin while boosting hair shine and repairing damage. Argan oil, marula oil, and panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) work to further moisturize and increase smoothness while strengthening the hair. 

 

The Cocomino Glossing Shampoo also features polyquaternium-10 and polyquaternium-7, two conditioning agents that detangle, fight frizz, and add shine. Additionally, the formula has amino acids, which absorb into the hair to improve manageability and strength. 

 

9. Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Shampoo

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A super affordable and effective natural shampoo to check out is the Moisture Boosting Shampoo from Hydratherma Naturals. This paraben-free and pH-balanced shampoo contains ingredients rich in fatty acids and nutrients that hydrate and support the hair and skin for optimal health. It also regulates sebum production and minimizes symptoms of dandruff.

 

The Moisture Boosting Shampoo features algae and sea kelp extracts, which are rich in vitamins and minerals that soothe the scalp and nourish the hair. A variety of amino acids also work to strengthen the hair, while passion fruit oil, glycerin, and sodium PCA provide hydration to the hair and skin. This Hydratherma Naturals shampoo contains lavender and orange oils, which—in addition to adding to the scent—work to fight inflammation, treat dryness, and promote healthy hair growth. 

 

10. Mielle Organics Pomegranate and Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Shampoo

 

Mielle Organics made its Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Shampoo specifically for type 4 hair. This natural, sulfate-free shampoo cleanses without stripping away the skin or hair’s natural moisture and gives type 4 hair the deep moisturization that it needs.

 

The star ingredients in Mielle Organics’ shampoo are honey and pomegranate seed oil. Honey moisturizes the hair and scalp while soothing skin inflammation. Pomegranate seed oil—which is rich in vitamins and fatty acids—further moisturizes while softening and fighting frizz. 

 

In addition to these two key ingredients, this shampoo contains silk and hydrolyzed wheat proteins, which strengthen the hair and improve elasticity to reduce the risk of breakage and improve the hair’s ability to retain moisture. Murumuru seed butter, babassu oil, glycerin, and additional ingredients further nourish and moisturize. 

 

11. Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Aloe Oat Milk Ultra Soothing Shampoo

 

Briogeo has become one of the most popular clean hair care brands to hit the market, and this gentle shampoo does not disappoint. The vegan and cruelty-free Be Gentle Be Kind Aloe Oat Milk Ultra Soothing Shampoo has a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and dermatologist-approved formula that is particularly great for those with sensitive skin. This nourishing and hydrating formula contains 99% naturally-derived ingredients and is free of essential oils, gluten, sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, and artificial dyes.

 

This Briogeo shampoo features antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial green tea extract, which protects the skin and hair while soothing irritation for maximum comfort. Aloe vera—which is also an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial ingredient—joins this extract in promoting a calmer scalp. 

 

This fragrance-free shampoo features moisturizing and nourishing oat milk, which provides fatty acids, polysaccharides, and vitamin B. The formula uses other moisturizing ingredients, including meadowfoam seed oil, panthenol, and glycerin. As these powerful ingredients get to work, mild plant-derived surfactants wash away excess oil, debris, and build-up to cleanse without irritating. 

 

12. Rahua Hydration Shampoo

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This award-winning natural shampoo from Rahua is great for all hair types in need of an extra boost of hydration. The rich formula brings a variety of plant-derived ingredients that strengthen, smooth, minimize frizz, and boost shine while hydrating the scalp.

 

The Rahua Hydration Shampoo uses morete oil, which provides fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamins A, C, and E. This nourishing oil protects the hair from damage, including harm caused by UVA rays. This shampoo also contains fatty acid and antioxidant-rich sacha inchi oil, which conditions and locks in moisture, as well as rahua oil, which strengthens and fortifies weak and damaged hair. 

 

This tropical and fruit-scented shampoo contains a wide range of additional extracts that support overall hair health, including mango fruit, passion fruit, aloe barbadensis leaf, and green tea leaf extracts. 

 

13. Andalou Naturals Brilliant Shine Sunflower & Citrus Shampoo

 

This shampoo from Andalou Naturals is another excellent option for anyone looking to create a budget-friendly hair care routine. The Brilliant Shine Sunflower & Citrus Shampoo uses natural ingredients that strengthen and condition the hair so that it is left looking and feeling healthy and shiny. It’s free of sulfates and silicones and is also vegan and cruelty-free. 

 

Like other products by the company, the Andalou Naturals Brilliant Shine Sunflower & Citrus Shampoo uses the power of the brand’s innovative Fruit Stem Cell Science. Stem cells derived from apples and grapes nourish and improve the hair’s strength. Sunflower seed and jojoba seed oils also work to moisturize and fortify the hair and skin, while aloe barbadensis leaf juice soothes and provides extra hydration benefits. Panthenol and hydrolyzed rice protein lock in moisture and improve hair strength for optimal health and longevity.

 

14. tgin Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo

 

tgin—which stands for “thank god it’s natural”—is famous for creating high-performance nature-powered formulas for curly, kinky, and wavy hair types. The company’s Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo hydrates and softens the hair and skin while strengthening and protecting the hair from breakage. This sulfate-free formula is cruelty-free and made without parabens or artificial colors.

 

The Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo uses with pro-vitamin B5, which strengthens the hair to minimize breakage. It also improves the hair’s ability to retain moisture. This shampoo additionally features sugar cane extract, which conditions the hair, as well as amla oil, which increases the hair’s moisture retention while removing buildup on the skin. Coconut oil works to cleanse the hair and scalp while moisturizing, nourishing, and stimulating hair growth. 

 

15. WOW Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

 

If you’re looking for a product that will balance and purify the hair while boosting shine and smoothness, try this shampoo from WOW Skin Science. The Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo revives the hair and scalp by using plant-derived ingredients to remove build-up, excess oil, and debris. It’s vegan and cruelty-free and made without sulfates, parabens, or silicones. 

 

As you already know, this shampoo uses ethically-sourced raw apple cider vinegar from the Himalayas. This antibacterial and antifungal ingredient heals and treats the scalp while detangling, strengthening, and softening the hair. It also removes debris and build-up from the scalp to reveal shinier and healthier hair. 

 

While the ACV is the star, a variety of other ingredients boost the performance of this shampoo. Panthenol strengthens the hair, while argan and almond oils nourish and moisturize. Saw palmetto extract—which is common in hair thinning products—also works to promote the growth of healthy and full hair. 

 

16. Scotch Porter Hydrating Hair Wash

 

The Hydrating Hair Wash from men’s grooming company Scotch Porter works to refresh the hair and scalp while hydrating, moisturizing, and strengthening. It has a sophisticated scent, with notes of eucalyptus, lemon, lavender, amber, and cedarwood. This vegan and cruelty-free formula is free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, and synthetic colors.

 

This Scotch Porter shampoo uses the power of hydrolyzed kale protein to protect and strengthen the hair and scalp. The formula also features antioxidant-rich horsetail extract. It joins the kale protein in protecting against environmental damage, while also improving scalp circulation, which can boost the health of the hair follicles and promote growth. 

 

The Hydrating Hair Wash also contains mineral-rich nettle extract, which makes the hair appear shinier while improving growth, as well as moisturizing panthenol and glycerin. Another key ingredient worth noting in this natural men’s shampoo is willow bark extract. This plant-derived ingredient exfoliates, removing dead skin cells, buildup, and excess sebum to refresh the hair and scalp. 

 

17. Native Daily Clean Shampoo

 

If you’re looking for a simple yet effective daily shampoo, try out this product from Native. The cruelty-free Native Daily Clean Shampoo contains just ten clean ingredients and is free of sulfates, silicone, parabens, and dyes. This refreshing shampoo comes in the Citrus & Herbal Musk scent, which has notes of orange and lemon. 

 

The Native Daily Clean Shampoo has a super simple ingredient list. It features cellulose-derived polyquaternium-10, which detangles the hair to promote manageability. A blend of coconut oil-derived cleansers works to wash away debris, bacteria, excess oil, and other impurities from the hair and scalp without causing any dryness or irritation. 

 

18. Honeyskin Organics Gentle Moisturizing Shampoo

 

Honeyskin Organics crafts effective personal care products that partner honey with other natural and organic ingredients. The Gentle Moisturizing Shampoo formula is suitable for all hair types and is even appropriate for those with sensitive skin. This mild formula calms the scalp and moisturizes and strengthens the hair while washing away debris and impurities for a refreshing clean. It’s free of sulfates, parabens, and fragrances, and is also hypoallergenic and cruelty-free. 

 

One of the key ingredients in this natural shampoo is manuka honey, which has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The honey works as both a humectant and an emollient, helping to condition, moisturize, and soften the hair and skin. It soothes skin irritation for a more comfortable scalp. The Gentle Moisturizing Shampoo features cehami extract, which is rich in antioxidants, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice, which further calms and moisturizes. 

 

19. Avalon Organics Biotin B-Complex Thickening Therapy Shampoo

 

For those with fine and thinning hair looking to boost volume, this Avalon Organics shampoo is a great choice. The Biotin B-Complex Thickening Therapy Shampoo contains a blend of natural ingredients that strengthen hair to prevent breakage and loss while building body. It’s vegan and cruelty-free and doesn’t contain any sulfates, phthalates, or synthetic colors and fragrances. 

 

This Avalon Organics shampoo features biotin, which strengthens the hair and minimizes breakage while supporting the hair follicles for optimal hair health. It also contains saw palmetto extract to promote the growth of healthy hair and quinoa protein, which further fortifies the existing hair strands. Vitamin E also provides protection against damaging environmental aggressors. 

 

In addition to these powerful thickening and strengthening ingredients, the formula features a range of botanicals that moisturize and nourish to support overall hair health. This includes aloe barbadensis leaf juice, argan oil, sunflower seed oil, and jojoba seed oil. 

 

20. Malin+Goetz Moisturizing Shampoo

 

Like other Malin+Goetz products, the Moisturizing Shampoo combines high-performance natural ingredients with their innovative technology to deliver the best possible results. This creamy shampoo—which has a fresh and natural neroli and basil scent—strengthens and hydrates the hair while providing a thorough cleanse. This vegan, cruelty-free, and sulfate-free formula is great for dry, damaged, and chemically processed hair. 

 

The Malin+Goetz Moisturizing Shampoo contains panthenol, which locks in moisture and strengthens the hair strands. This formula also features sodium PCA that traps in water to improve softness and manageability. A blend of amino acids also strengthens the hair to repair and prevent future breakage. As all of these ingredients treat dry hair, surfactants derived from coconuts work into a rich and creamy lather, washing away debris and impurities without stripping away the hair or skin’s natural moisture. 

 

21. Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath

 

The Pure Harmony Hairbath from clean and organic beauty company Innersense is an ideal daily shampoo for anyone with fine or medium hair. It works to increase volume while boosting hair vibrancy, strength, and nourishment. This formula is vegan and cruelty-free and made without sulfates, parabens, silicones, or synthetic fragrances. 

 

This citrus-scented shampoo features vitamin-packed pumpkin seed oil as well as zinc. This oil boosts shine and nourishes the hair and scalp for optimal growth. Another star ingredient is antioxidant-rich green tea extract, which fights against damaging environmental aggressors that can cause stress to the hair and skin. Shea butter and avocado oil provide extra nourishment so that the hair looks and feels its best. To cleanse, the Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath also contains coconut and rice bran, which gently wash the hair and scalp. 

 

22. OKAY Pure Naturals Black Jamaican Castor Oil Moisture Growth Shampoo

 

The Black Jamaican Castor Oil Moisture Growth Shampoo from OKAY Pure Naturals gives dry, stressed, and damaged hair the deep moisturization and nourishment that it needs to look and feel great. It also promotes healthy growth for fuller and more voluminous hair. 

 

This daily shampoo uses castor seed oil, which provides fatty acids and antioxidants. This oil moisturizes the hair and scalp while promoting hair growth. The formula also contains nourishing argan oil—which is also introduces antioxidants and fatty acids to the hair—as well as vitamin E. Both of these ingredients soften and strengthen, boost elasticity, and prevent breakage and further damage. They also work to protect the hair from harmful environmental aggressors. 

 

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Studio S OCTOBER 22, 2026

Milan Design + Build Helps San Diegans Remodel With Confidence

The San Diego home remodeling company works on full homes, kitchens, bathrooms, home additions, ADUs, garages, landscapes, and hardscapes.

Milan Design + Build Helps San Diegans Remodel With Confidence
Courtesy of Milan Design

Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.

“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”

Courtesy of Milan Design

Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.

The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.

At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.

Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.

Courtesy of Milan Design

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 10, 2026

La Jolla Institute for Immunology Announces $55 Million Fundraising Campaign

The Campaign for La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) will fuel scientific innovation and medical advances

La Jolla Institute for Immunology Announces $55 Million Fundraising Campaign
Courtesy of La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Philanthropists and Scientists Join Forces for a Bold $55 Million Campaign

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is going public with a bold bet: a $55 million campaign to propel medical research into a new era. The Campaign for LJI will fuel discovery, empower scientific innovation, and expand the impact of immunology on human health. 

The Institute quietly kicked things off in 2023, guided by its Board, campaign volunteers, and early believers. Nearly 80% of the $55 million goal is already in hand. Now LJI is opening the doors and inviting the whole community to carry their visions across the finish line and back discoveries that change how LJI researchers understand, treat, and prevent disease. 

And there’s a bonus. To mark the public launch, LJI Board member and Campaign Honorary Chair Anthony R. Carr is offering a special matching gift so new donors can double their impact. Full details are here. 

The Promise of Immunology

Immunology has already rewritten human history. Advances in immune science helped wipe out smallpox, pushed polio to the brink of elimination, and revolutionized how we prevent and treat infectious disease. Today, immune-based therapies are opening doors for patients with cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious illnesses once considered untreatable. 

For nearly four decades, LJI scientists have stood on the front lines, driven by one insight: the immune system shapes disease in virtually every organ in the body. By decoding how the immune system works and how to harness it to prevent and treat disease, LJI researchers are chasing the Institute’s ultimate mission: Life Without Disease®. 

To make that mission real, the Institute pairs world-class scientists with cutting-edge technology, speeding up breakthroughs and turning discoveries into transformative new therapies that ease suffering worldwide. 

The Campaign for LJI supercharges that momentum, uniting the vision of the Institute’s scientists with a community that believes in research. Focused on advancing LJI’s most promising areas of study, the campaign aims to help build a future free from the burden of disease, a goal that demands bold ideas, lasting partnerships, and generous philanthropic support.

The Campaign for LJI will advance research across three critical pillars: 

1. President’s Priority Fund. Flexible, unrestricted dollars let big ideas move now, not later. Scientists can launch high-risk, high-reward projects, bring experts together across disciplines, build transformative technologies, and train tomorrow’s scientific leaders. 

2. Center for Sex-Based Differences in the Immune System. Male and female immune systems don’t respond the same way, and LJI researchers are tracing the fundamental differences down to individual cells and molecular pathways. The Campaign will speed up this pioneering work, revealing hidden drivers of disease and paving the way for more precise, biologically informed therapies for autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, and beyond. 

3. Center for Vaccine Innovation. Immunologists, bioengineers, and vaccine experts are teaming up to design the next generation of vaccines and immune-based therapies. With donor support, LJI scientists can engineer longer-lasting and more personalized vaccines, pinpoint the cellular mechanisms driving protective immunity, and refine delivery methods to prevent autoimmune disease and treat cancer. 

A Lasting Impact

As the campaign enters its public phase, LJI welcomes new partners and supporters to join this landmark initiative. Community support is essential to accelerating scientific discovery, and there are many meaningful ways to help shape the future of immunology. Donors may direct their gifts to any campaign priority or other area of interest. As a comprehensive campaign, all gifts to LJI count toward the campaign goal, regardless of designation. Join the campaign, and multiply your impact with our limited-time matching opportunity. 

To explore the campaign, visit imagine.lji.org.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 9, 2026

Paving the Way for New Knee Treatments

Scripps orthopedic surgeons are investigating stem cells as an alternative to joint replacement

Paving the Way for New Knee Treatments
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education at Scripps Clinic recently received a $12.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to investigate whether they can transform stem cells into tissue that can repair some types of knee injuries. Currently, if a patient has lost most, if not all, of the cartilage in their knee, then their doctor will recommend a total joint replacement. Joint replacement is safe and effective, but patients who’ve only lost part of their cartilage often don’t qualify. A stem cell-based treatment would provide these patients an option that doesn’t involve donor tissue. Click here for more on the preclinical trial process. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 9, 2026

Healing by Design

Artwork throughout the Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas promotes hope and healing

Healing by Design
Courtesy of Scripps Health

The recently opened Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is a state-of-the-art addition to the hospital staffed by dedicated team members who’ve helped make Scripps one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems. Complementary to that medical excellence, the Lusardi Tower also represents the latest expansion of the Scripps Arts for Healing Program. The philanthropic initiative strategically places nature- and community-based artwork throughout the hospital to support health and well-being. Both Scripps Encinitas and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla have healing arts programs as part of new building projects and growth on the campuses. Click here to read more about the Healing Arts Program and how residents from a nearby retirement community showed their support. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content NOVEMBER 4, 2026

A Guide to South Park

From century-old Craftsman homes to vegan fantasy bars, dive bars, and a tiki room built for exactly two people, this is one of San Diego’s great little neighborhoods

You may not realize it, but Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park (in fact, 1.5 times larger). Pressed right up against its southeastern edge is a little architecture farm built on old trolley bones, where houses look like someone was collecting architectural styles and local businesses are still run by people who seem personally invested in keeping this place interesting.

This is South Park. 

To understand why it feels the way it does today—less like one commercial strip and more like a handful of tiny villages—you have to go back to the trolley.

How the Trolley Built South Park

The land that became the original South Park Addition (the subdivision’s original name) was surveyed in 1870 and officially filed in 1890, but the neighborhood really started becoming a neighborhood in the early 1900s. The Bartlett Estate Company began developing and marketing the tract in earnest around 1906, pairing lots and new homes with something extremely useful if you lived outside Downtown in the horse-and-buggy era: an electric streetcar.

On May 1, 1906, the South Park and East Side Railway made its first trip. Developers didn’t just build near transportation; they helped pay for the transportation, then used it to sell the dream. Downtown had industry, noise, and congestion. Out here were palms, sidewalks, utilities, room to breathe and a four-cent ride back to the city.

It worked. Homes began filling in around the streetcar route, and little commercial clusters grew around the places where people got on and off. That transportation pattern is still written into South Park’s geography. Some of the neighborhood’s odd street geometry is also due in part to the trolley—the old line cut across parcels instead of politely obeying the grid, leaving behind pieces of land that later businesses learned to build around. Places like Station Tavern sit on the former easement and station site of San Diego’s No. 2 trolley line.

Then San Diego went big for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in neighboring Balboa Park. The exposition transformed much of the park and helped push the city through another burst of building and growth. South Park was right there to absorb some of that momentum.

And the people building houses here had taste.

Walk the residential streets now and it can feel like somebody planted an architectural sample garden: Craftsman, Prairie, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival. Creedence Clearwater Revival. All the revivals. The neighborhood includes work by Irving Gill, one of the defining architects of early modern California; Gill-designed Prairie homes still stand along Granada Avenue.

The city formally designated the South Park Historic District in 2017, recognizing roughly 400 properties and a period of significance stretching from 1906 through 1949. In other words, a lot of what makes the place feel old is actually old.

South Park Today

While the trolley eventually disappeared, the basic idea behind it didn’t. South Park is still a neighborhood organized around little pockets of human activity: a couple blocks where you can buy a record, drink a beer, find a 60-year-old lamp, eat a vegan burger beneath gothic beasts, browse a bookstore, and walk home past a century-old Craftsman.

The 30th-and-Fern area may be the clearest example. Several surviving buildings there date to South Park’s early development, including the old Fire Station No. 9, Rose Grocery building, and Burlingame Garage. What began as infrastructure for a young streetcar suburb became the neighborhood’s commercial heart.

That history is also partly why buying a house here can be competitive. There isn’t some endless supply of vacant land waiting around the corner for another subdivision. Much of the neighborhood filled in generations ago, and the architecture itself is part of the appeal.

San Diego Mag’s been documenting the city for 78 years. And we’ve been looking for a partner who loved the city enough to help us tell its stories. Redfin is that partner. They’re helping us tell the story of some of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. They launched Redfin Early Access this year to get their people in first and to see certain coming-soon and exclusive listings on Redfin before they appear on other major real-estate sites.

First up: South Park.

Here are some of the people and places worth knowing here:

Whistle Stop Bar

Big Kitchen Cafe

Start with Judy “the Beauty” Forman, because it’s difficult to explain South Park without her. The former social worker bought Big Kitchen in 1980 and turned a neighborhood breakfast joint into a gathering place for artists, musicians, activists, politicians, eccentrics, and pretty much anyone who needed somewhere to belong. As Judy puts it, “I built this for people who others passed over.”

One of those people was a young single mom named Whoopi Goldberg, who worked as a dishwasher here before the Whoopi Goldberg part of her career happened. Today Big Kitchen still serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Monday.

3003 Grape Street

Whistle Stop Bar

Whistle Stop reopened in 2001, right as South Park’s little independent-business ecosystem was finding a new generation. Owner Sam Chammas—also connected to Live Wire and, later, Station Tavern—helped turn it into the kind of neighborhood bar where the calendar can jump from a DJ night to live bands to some strange communal event nobody at a normal sports bar would propose.

The room still has that laid-back, slightly sweaty house-party quality. Check what’s happening before you go, because Whistle Stop changes personality depending on the night: sometimes neighborhood beer, sometimes everyone dancing beneath the disco ball like work tomorrow was canceled.

2236 Fern Street

Station Tavern

Station Tavern may be the most literal example of old South Park becoming new South Park. It opened in 2009 on land once crossed diagonally by the No. 2 trolley line, and architect Lloyd Russell incorporated that history into the design rather than pretending the weirdly shaped lot wasn’t weirdly shaped. The project won the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Grand Orchid Award the same year it opened.

Sam Chammas built the place as an open-air burger-and-beer spot with big communal tables, a backyard, room for kids, and room for dogs. It still works exactly that way: get a burger, get the tots, let everybody spread out, stay awhile.

2204 Fern Street

Kindred + Throne Room

Kindred arrived in late 2015 looking nothing like the beige-and-leafy vegan restaurant stereotype. The place went full gothic fever dream—heavy music, wild cocktails, decadent plant-based food—and eventually collected national vegan accolades plus local Restaurant of the Year and design honors.

And in 2026, it got even weirder. Hidden behind a chain-mail passage inside Kindred is Throne Room, a medieval-fantasy cocktail chamber whose mythology grew out of a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired map the Kindred team created for a 2017 Coachella pop-up. The 90-minute experience has scroll menus, plant-based mezze, cocktails and zero interest in pretending restaurants need to behave normally.

1503 30th Street

Bad Madge & Co.

Vinyl Junkies Record Shack

Vinyl Junkies has good music-scene DNA. Founder Eric Howarth previously ran indie label Hi-Speed Soul, whose roster included acts like Nada Surf and Swervedriver, then teamed with Casbah owner Tim Mays after the pair had spent years putting on Vinyl Junkies record swaps.

They opened the South Park brick-and-mortar shop in 2017, and it remains a buy-sell-trade temple for people who understand that owning music on a physical object is irrational in exactly the right way. Go flip through the new arrivals. Leave holding something you had absolutely no intention of buying.

2235 Fern Street

Bad Madge & Co.

Bad Madge is what happens when “vintage store” doesn’t quite explain the situation. Owner Tanya McAnear and her team fill the shop with furniture, clothing, barware, records, art, jewelry, collectibles, and various objects that seem like they may know things about their previous owners. The shop opened in 2011 and has made reuse and upcycling part of its identity ever since. Go in without looking for anything specific—specificity will only slow you down.

2205 Fern Street

Thread + Seed

Across the neighborhood’s vintage-and-vinyl universe sits Thread + Seed, a local boutique built around clothing, denim, gifts, and personal styling. Its South Park shop has an especially deep denim program—petite, tall, wide-leg, straight, flare—and the store also offers one-on-one styling built around color and body type. In other words, this is where you go after deciding the jeans currently on your body have betrayed you. South Park understands that sometimes personal renewal begins with pants.

2220 Fern Street

The Book Catapult

Seth Marko started The Book Catapult as a book blog in 2006. In 2017, he and his wife, Jennifer Powell, turned it into an actual bookstore in South Park, specializing loosely in fiction, local interest, and children’s books while maintaining the more important bookseller skill: putting something into your hands that you didn’t know you needed.

There are staff picks, author events, signed books, and the dangerous possibility of walking in for one title and emerging with four. Because no one ever died thinking, “I shoulda read less.”

3010-B Juniper Street

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Tastemakers Fall 2026: Valle

Chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and craft mixers - meet our 2026 Tastemakers, the minds behind the magic.

Tastemakers Fall 2026: Valle
E-SDM—Valle-2026—Tastemakers_WEB

Roberto Alcocer, Chef

Chef Roberto Alcocer showcases all that Mexican cuisine and culture has to offer at Oceanside’s Valle. The Michelin-guide recommended restaurant takes inspiration and techniques from all over Mexico—with a heavy Baja influence—and blends them with local San Diego ingredients to create original and delectable contemporary Mexican cuisine. The seasonal tasting menu allows Chef Alcocer to experiment with the freshest available ingredients, creating dishes that defy guests’ expectations, while the wine list features more than 100 labels from Mexican artisans. Even the restaurant’s walls are a celebration of Mexican culture, all decorated with work from artists of Baja.

“My favorite part of being a chef of Valle is being able to showcase the Mexico that I know to everyone who visits,” Chef Alococer says. “Not only through the food, but with the design, culture, and welcoming service.”  

Try This!

Lobster Taco: Flour sourdough tortilla with lobster shell bisque and local red spiny lobster

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866-723-8906  | valleoceanside.com

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