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Keep your color from fading.
By Aly Walansky — Written on Nov 18, 2019
If you dye your hair, you know it's hard to keep the color looking fresh. Everything from UV rays to product residue and styling can lead to hair becoming dull, and fast. And that means another trip to the salon, which can be costly.
Luckily, there is a solution aside from getting touch-ups from your hairdresser. Using the best shampoo for color-treated hair is essential to locking in the color, and keeping your look fresh, vibrant, and healthy. And these are the best products to get you started.
1. PHYTO Phytocolor Protecting Shampoo
This shampoo gently cleanses hair while preserving color and shine. Its gel texture works up into a soft lather to protect color. A high concentration of Hibiscus flowers, Tara tannins, and Sunflower sprout extracts stops oxidation in hair color.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
2. Crazy Color No Yellow Shampoo in Ultraviolet
An intense, sulfate-free shampoo specifically formulated for use on super lightened, grey or bleached hair, this product returns hair to a more even color. Keeps your colored hair conditioned and on tone, leaving it clean, soft and smooth.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
3. Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture + Shine Sulfate-Free Shampoo
“This is a great over the counter option for those with dehydrated, color treated, textured, curly, or coarse hair. It's sulfate-free, which means it's color-safe. It's also free of parabens, mineral oils, petroleum, and artificial coloring. It works wonderfully to cleanse the scalp of excess oils and debris while moisturizing and smoothing the hair,” says Savannah Fincher, a licensed hairstylist and corporate educator at Blo Blow Dry Bar.
(Ulta, $11.49)
4. CHI Rosehip Oil Color Nurture Protecting Shampoo
Gently cleanse color-treated hair while preserving tone and intensity. A scientifically formulated color maintenance system, RoseHip Oil naturally moisturizes hair while keeping the cuticle closed and locking in hair color. Naturally high in antioxidants and Vitamin C, CHI Rose Hip Oil Color Nurture boosts color’s vibrancy and shine for long-lasting, salon-fresh color maintenance.
(Target, $17.69)
5. BioSilk Color Therapy Shampoo
This sulfate-free shampoo cleanses with gentle surfactants and rids hair of impurities without stripping color. Infused with rooibos, bamboo extract and silk protein, this formula offers natural protection while cleansing.
(Ulta, $15.50)
6. Keracare Hydrating Shampoo
"This product creates longevity with color due to its little-to-no alcohol content. Alcohol strips color, so most clarifying shampoos are not idea for color retention,” recommends Darrius Peace of Hayah Beauty.
(Walmart, $9.24)
7. Rich Hair Care CC Shampoo
A complete care shampoo with red grape extract, it's enriched with algae extract, argan oil, hydrolyzed wheat, soy and corn proteins. It restores hair, fights signs of aging, nourishes hair, and brightens color.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
8. Sumbody SuperNatural Head First Restoring Shampoo
This shampoo protects your hair from breakage, damage, and frizz while amino acid-rich bamboo reduces and repairs split ends. Loaded with antioxidants, acai protects hair and balsam keeps scalp healthy and balanced.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
9. Color Wow Color Security Shampoo
This advanced, Japanese amino-acid based sulfate-free shampoo has no ingredients found in typical “color-safe” shampoos (no conditioning agents, thickening agents, pearlizing ingredients) that don’t rinse out, leaving a film on hair that dulls, darkens and warps color.
(Macy's, $23)
10. Unwash Anti-Residue Cleanse
A mild formula that is gentle on hair, it lifts away build-up without stripping away natural oils and moisture. Helps remove product and oil build-up while maintaining hair's natural bacteria and oils.
(Ulta, $24)
11. Oway Color Protection Hair Bath Shampoo
“I strongly suggest using Color Protection Hair Bath Shampoo from Oway. This hair bath is rich in antioxidants that preserve and protect the hair from free radical damage and fading from UV rays. This shampoo is free from parabens, GMOs, phthalates, sulfates and synthetic fragrances,” advises John Blue, master hair colorist and owner of Chicago salon, Boss Hair Group.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
12. Guy Tang #Mydentity #MyConfidant Color Securing Shampoo
Developed by one of the world’s most iconic colorists, Guy Tang launched #MyConfidant Color Securing Shampoo to provide consumers and professionals with a shampoo that prolongs hair color. With a pH of 5.7, this shampoo removes the most oil first, minimizing color wash out.
(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)
13. Davines Oi Shampoo
The milky-smooth Oi Shampoo is infused with nourishing Roucou Oil, and is the perfect daily shampoo to maintain soft, shiny and voluminous hair.
(Walmart, $23)
14. Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo
Professional-quality formula is specially designed for color treated hair. The system nourishes and protects your colored hair while smoothing from root to tip.
(CVS, $6.79)
15. Goldwell Kerasilk Color Shampoo
Helps gently cleanse hair and prevent against premature color. Contains Keratin and Taman Oil to actively interact with hair's structure, and provides long-lasting color depth and brilliance.
(Walmart, $22.89)
16. Shu Uemura Color Lustre Brilliant Glaze Shampoo
A sulfate-free shampoo for color-treated hair that cleanses delicately to preserve hair color and helps maintain pristine condition.
(Sephora, $48)
17. Rene Furterer Okara Protect Color Radiance Enhancing Shampoo
With natural Okara and Hamamelis extracts, this gentle, sulfate-free shampoo for color-treated hair enhances vibrancy, helps retain color intensity and instantly restores softness and shine.
(Rene Furterer, $12)
18. Living Proof Restore Shampoo
A shampoo that helps make dry, damaged hair feel and look visibly healthier. It also helps repel dirt and oil to keep hair cleaner, longer.
(Sephora, $29)
19. Oribe Shampoo For Beautiful Color
An ultra-gentle cleanser for ultra-beautiful hair color, it works great great to extend the life of a style (less washing is better for color!).
(Nordstrom, $46)
20. Bumble And Bumble Color Minded Shampoo
An ultra-mild, sulfate-free shampoo that protects color integrity, prevents color fading, and helps to eliminate color washout.
(Sephora, $31)
21. Redken Color Extend Shampoo
This sulfate-free formula gently cleanses color treated hair for four weeks of vibrancy and radiance. With its new smart, multi-targeted delivery system, soy protein adds structure at the root of the hair, while arginine helps maintain health at the core, and sepicap helps restore the look of the ends.
(Ulta, $17)
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Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer who focuses on health, wellness, and relationships. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her.
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