What’s the Best Shampoo for Colored Hair?

There’s nothing like getting your hair freshly colored, but how do you keep that straight-from-the-salon look in between visits to your hairstylist? It turns out that the right shampoo formula can protect your hair color and help avoid issues like fading and brassiness. Read on to learn more about the shampoo ingredients you should look for and avoid as well as the best shampoo for colored hair.

Hair Shampoo Ingredients to Look For & to Avoid

When you’re looking for the best shampoo for color treated hair, you need to pay close attention to the ingredients in the hair product you’re considering. A color safe shampoo with the right ingredients can do wonders for colored hair by offering everything from protection from UV rays to hard water.

Many shampoos contain natural ingredients that pack a punch. For example, goji berry provides antioxidant protection to maintain your color, and lycopene is an antioxidant that fights against free radicals that can fade your color. Additionally, olive extract is rich in vitamin E and can help tame frizz. Because there are so many different types of natural ingredients that support the growth of healthy hair, you should do your research to determine what you need a color safe shampoo to do for you.

However, not all ingredients are winners. Many shampoos (and conditioners) contain ones that can loosen the color molecules in the hair strand, while also removing natural oils, sweat, and product residue. The result is clean hair but faded color.

Say No to Sulfates and Parabens

To avoid this problematic fading and help your hair dye last longer, you’ll want to avoid sulfates and parabens. These chemicals can be abrasive and lighten your hair color. Many drugstore shampoos, and even some high-end hair care products, include these chemicals, so you should pay close attention to hair product labels.

Be Careful of Products With Alcohol

When browsing through hair products online, you will want to note whether alcohol is an ingredient within the formula. Alcohol, which often appears in hair products that contribute to hair volume and body, is another ingredient to avoid in your shampoo. The prolonged use of shampoo that contains alcohol can strip away your hair color. It can also contribute to dry hair that is brittle and dull. However, don’t confuse alcohol with cetearyl and benzyl alcohol, which can be natural and help with product penetration on each hair strand.

What is the Best Shampoo for Colored Hair?

Our breakthrough Color Care system uses science to make hair color last 2x longer for both blondes and brunettes. Our Color Care Shampoo and Color Care Conditioner for color treated hair are free of all the ingredients that can be harmful to color treated hair, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and silicone. Our scientists developed this color safe shampoo and conditioner to address color washout, fading, damage, UV rays, and hard water. And as an added bonus for animal lovers, the product is PETA certified cruelty-free.

Wondering how we do it? Our Color Care products embrace the good ingredients for your hair while banishing the bad ones. The shampoo and conditioner also include a special molecule that forms a protective layer to lock in your color and improve the health of your hair. Not only that, this molecular powerhouse replenishes the outer layer of your hair, which often sustains damage during the color treatment process.

To complete your hair care routine and keep your color looking fresh (and free of brassiness), you should also check out our Color Care Whipped Glaze Light for blondes and Color Care Whipped Glaze Dark for brunettes. This whipped glaze deposits temporary dyes to instantly boost vibrancy, keep your color strong and keep the brassy out of your locks.

Tips to Make Your Hair Color Last Longer

Even when you’re using the best shampoo for dyed hair, it’s still important to take a few other steps to make your color last longer.‌

1. Wait to wash your hair right after dying it. The longer you wait to cleanse with shampoo, the better the color will get settled into your hair. If you feel the need to wash your hair, remember that dry shampoo can do wonders.

2. Avoid washing your hair in hot water. When you use hot water, your hair strands relax and the color washes away more easily. Washing colored treated in cool water is best, but lukewarm water is also a great option if cool water is just too cold for you.‌

These haircare products and colored hair tips can help maintain your color without leading to dry, damaged hair. Try them for yourself and be the living proof.