It’s the golden rule you simply must follow if you dye your hair or enhance it with another type of chemical treatment…you must maintain it! Particularly when it comes to coloring your hair, that color fades out from UV exposure, mineral deposits, and toxins in the water you use to wash your hair, styling procedures, and pollution.
That’s why it’s important to step up your hair care game with the right shampoo to pamper your color-treated hair. These are formulated specifically to help prolong the color, infuse deep-down hydration to soothe it after all those chemicals, and to leave it bright and shiny.
Even the best brand of shampoo won’t do you any favors if you’re not choosing one that is designed to enhance color-treated hair. In fact, not following these essential hair care rules will mean you lose those natural oils your hair needs along with that color.
Whether you dye it at home or religiously head to the salon, or even some combination of the 2, don’t you want that color to last? Sure, you do! Especially if you’re covering up grays! Gasp!
It makes all the difference in the world when you use shampoos formulated for color-treated hair. They moisturize without stripping. They protect from UV rays. They also protect your color, though some formulas may also deposit color to prolong your dye job.
Dermatologists recommend selecting the right shampoo for your hair needs, doing this will clean your hair while keeping it healthy and shiny. Shampoos for color-treated hair are different than regular shampoos, since they contain mild detergents that allow clearing up your hair without causing further damage.
So, here’s a list of the best shampoos for color treated hair:
- Pureology Hydrate Sheer Moisturizing Shampoo
- Bold Uniq purple shampoo
- Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner
- Tigi Bed Head Colour Goddess
- Luseta Color Brightening Complete Haircare Set for Blonde and Gray Hair
- Moroccan oil Shampoo And Conditioner
- Luseta Curl Enhancing Coconut Oil Shampoo & Conditioner Set
- Ovation Color Protection Cell Therapy System
- Puracy Natural Daily Shampoo
One key tip though, no matter how awesome your color-treated shampoo is: wash your hair less! The more often you wash it, the more the color will fade away.
Today, I’m going to talk about the best shampoos for your color-treated hair so that whether it’s your first time getting your hair colored or your millionth time, you’ll be able to protect it and keep it looking as amazing as it did on the first day you colored it!
10 best shampoos for color-treated hair
My master list includes shampoos for all types and colors of dyed hair. Some will work for any of you, while others will be best depending on your color. Read on to find out which one you should choose!
1. Pureology Hydrate Sheer Moisturizing Shampoo
- For Fine, Dry & Color Treated Hair
- Sulfate and Silicone Free
- Vegan
As the name of ‘Pureology’ suggests, it is a pure formula. Anything that is free of sulfates and silicone is always a step in the right direction. If you have color-treated hair that is especially fine or dry, you will love it.
What Pureology has going for it is a special advanced hydration technology that works in tandem with an anti-fade complex. Together, the boost dry hair while maintaining true color.
As a side bonus, free radicals are deterred from leaving hair looking luminous while UVA and UVB full-spectrum sunscreens protect it from future damage.
And look, I know it doesn’t really matter how it smells, but oh wow! It’s a pleasurable experience every time you wash your hair. Think aromatherapy every time you shampoo. The scents are a mixture of bergamot, ylang-ylang, and patchouli.
This entirely vegan formula blends botanicals of coconut, corn, and sugar for a fresh cleanse that leaves your hair feeling refreshed without feeling stripped.
And if you’re keen on caring for the planet, you’ll love that it comes in fully recyclable bottles that are crafted from 95% post-consumer recycled materials. You can feel good about your hair and the environment all at once!
2. Bold Uniq purple shampoo
- For Blonde Hair
- Eliminates Brassy Yellow Tones
- Paraben & Sulfate Free
Ok, blondes! You REALLY need to keep up that expensive dye job even more so than anyone else. Bleaching takes so much out of your hair, excuse the pun.
It’s not just that it depletes the color, but it also dries it out. You’ll minimize that damage by having your colorist fix you up, but between visits, you need to take good care of your hair.
That’s where Bold Uniq comes in. This is a very intense blonde shampoo that neutralizes brassiness to keep your color looking glorious. You can also use it on silver hair too if you’re going natural with grays or if you’ve elected to color your hair in that violet-silver color.
You can use this with peace of mind, for it’s never been tested on animals and contains no harmful chemicals. So, that’s no sulfates, no SLS, and no parabens. What’s in it? Good ol’ vitamin B5 helps soften hair, lock in shine, and keep your color looking blonde and beautiful.
Speaking of that, the UV filters protect your hair color and hair quality from environmental damage.
But the real revolution in this formula is that you can work with it to suit your needs. By that, I mean it’s for all kinds of color-treated blonde hues, bleached hair, gals with highlights, and even natural hair to soothe out yellow tones.
For gray hair, you can make it look brighter, and if you leave it on for different intervals, you will find it enhances your shade.
For blondes, use it 2 or 3 times each week to keep hair vibrant and shiny. If you want to get rid of brassiness, leave it on for up to 5 minutes and watch the magic.
The product itself comes with a handy guide to help you determine how long you should leave it on your hair. It advises you to do a little test on the under portion of your hair first to ensure you like the way it turns out.
3. Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- For All Hair Types
- Improves Hair Texture
- Eliminates Frizz
One of my friends from high school became a stylist. I’d go to her in a heartbeat if we weren’t thousands of miles apart. Though I recall in my blonde phase, she urged me to try Olaplex and I couldn’t thank her enough.
Olaplex uses a unique bond-building chemistry to repair the internal strength of your hair, boost moisture levels, and leave it shiny and manageable. It truly improves the texture of your hair.
With a roster of ingredients that include botanical extracts like sunflower seed oil, rosemary leaf extract, and apricot oil, to name a few, you won’t believe how amazing your hair feels.
I’d made the mistake of getting my hair to a straw-like texture, and Olaplex breathed new life into it. My stylist friend says it is great for all hair types whether you have straight hair, curly, wavy, fine, or even tight coils.
The whole Olaplex line will save your stressed-out tresses. Using it with the No. 3 first, then using No. 4, and finally finish with the No.5, the conditioner to really seal the deal.
My ends had been a bit fried and split and it corrected that damage and soothed my frizz away. It’s absolutely worth it, especially for bleached hair.
4. Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner
- For Color-Treated Hair
- Protects Hair Color From Fading
- Adds Shine
Redken is another great option for color-treated hair. The brand has been at it for years, using a special RCT protein complex that’s exclusive to Redken to care for your hair from top to bottom.
No sulfates here either! You’ll want to start using this from the first wash you give your hair post-dye to get your hair to hold vibrant color with exceptional shine.
The formula contains soy protein that goes into the core of each strand. It’s particularly helpful for helping your ends look smoothed and restored without any signs of damage.
5. Tigi Bed Head Colour Goddess
- Optimizes Color Vibrancy
- With Almond & Coconut Oil & Keratin
- Hair is more Resistant to Breakage
If you’ve colored your hair an especially bright shade, Tigi Bed Head has you covered. It uses an oil-infused formula to revive color to a bold state. A favorite of hairdressers everywhere, it’s ideal for keeping build-up at bay and cleansing without drying your hair out.
Hair feels smoother and looks shinier and full of life. Plus, it protects your hair so that when you brush it, you’ll experience less breakage.
While it’s not completely free of sulfates, it touts itself as ‘low-sulfate’ and is infused with a bounty of nourishing ingredients. Keratin, the crucial protein in hair, is one of them. There’s also sweet almond oil and coconut oil.
To effectively remove pollutants, styling products, and even sweat from that hardcore Zumba class, you will love this no-fuss shampoo for color-treated hair.
6. Luseta Color Brightening Complete Haircare Set for Blonde and Gray Hair
- For Blond & Gray Hair
- Hydrates with Cocos Nucifera Oil Curly and Damaged Hair
- Sulfate Free Paraben Free
Sometimes, you hair needs all the help it can get. That’s when you’ll want Luseta. This set for blonde and gray hair colors includes 4 items – a purple shampoo, color brightening conditioning, protecting spray, and a brightening hair mask.
What it does is neutralize yellow tones while removing any brassiness while nourishing hair with impeccable strength. For dry hair that is either dry from chemicals and heat styling or simply by the hands of time, Luseta does a brilliant job in repairing and protecting hair.
This purple collection goes the extra mile to give you everything you need to help challenged hair. If you feel like your hair is getting worse by the day, this formula is devoted to severely damaged and color-treated hair, especially if your strands feel delicate and weak.
It repairs split end damage and leaves hair looking glossy and full of life. And if you’re hesitant to take a chance, you will love the empty bottle guarantee the brand offers. Even if you use all of the shampoo and conditioner and you’re not happy, they offer a full refund. You can’t lose!
7. Moroccan oil Shampoo And Conditioner
- For Wavy, Curly, Dry, Fine, and Chemically-Treated-Hair
- Hight Quality Ingredients for a Healthier Hair
- Sulfate & Sodium Chloride & Parabens Free
If you’re committed to avoiding sulfates in your hair care products, LuxeOrganix is one of the best shampoos for color-treated hair care. This formulation is ideal not just for dyed hair but also for those who have had keratin treatments.
Basically, if you have very dry and brittle hair, you’ll want this Moroccan argan oil shampoo and conditioner waiting for you in the shower. I see you over there, over-styling and overheating your hair. We all do it, but we have to show our strands more love.
The brand designed this formula for all hair types, though if you have very frizzy, thick, or curly hair, in particular, you will benefit the most. There are no nasty chemicals in the shampoo or conditioner, either.
No parabens, no sulfates, no phthalates, no drying alcohols, no sodium chloride, and even no gluten! It’s cruelty-free too and made in the USA.
Kicking harmful chemicals out of your life, especially when it comes to skin and hair products, is so important. These things can cause irritation and hair loss as well as lead to damage on the cellular level, so it’s best to go natural.
The formula moisturizes and restores control back to unruly hair that is too tired of being blasted with the blow dryer, tugged at with the flat iron, and penetrated with chemicals.
Fight frizz away even on hot and humid days with this vitamin B5-rich set that invigorates hair right down to its core. You’ll find your hair looks and feels more rejuvenated with every use!
8. Luseta Curl Enhancing Coconut Oil Shampoo & Conditioner Set
- For All Hair Types
- Promotes Hair Growth
- Paraben, Sulfate, and Gluten-Free
Do you have curly hair either naturally or by way of chemical? Luseta has a formulation made just for curly-haired girls of all kinds. It’s very lightweight in feel, which is surprising considering it has coconut oil, which tends to feel heavy most of the time. It really moisturizes strands, even those that are super-dry and dull.
If your curls have been looking a bit dismal, this formula perks them up with more volume. Nourishing vitamins and beneficial fats also help hair grow in strong while penetrating deep into the core of every hair on your head to leave it soft and conditioned.
Some of the key ingredients here are the previously-mentioned coconut oil, which is full of all kinds of good things. You’ve got your vitamins C and E plus B vitamins, good fats, and fatty acids.
Then there’s rosemary leaf oil, which helps boost hair growth, so it’s thicker and more luscious. It also slows down the graying process to keep hair youthful while soothing the scalp to keep from flaking.
With this curl-enhancing shampoo and conditioner set, you will find hair that’s bouncy, full of life, soft, and renewed. No more tangles or breakage, just gorgeous hair.
And as with the other Luseta shampoo I mentioned earlier on, this one also has the empty bottle guarantee where you can use up all of it and if you aren’t satisfied with the results, you’ll get a refund. This particular formulation bodes best for oily hair and scalp conditions, so if you fall into this boat, it’s definitely worth a try.
9. Ovation Color Protection Cell Therapy System
- For Natural or Color Treated Hair
- Hydrates and Repairs Split Ends
- Cruelty-Free
Ovation has this interesting Cell Therapy Treatment System designed to cleanse, protect, maintain color, and nourish with moisturization. With key proteins, potent vitamins, amino acids, and botanical extracts, the hair and scalp are infused with essential nutrients to help it grow stronger where it matters.
The focus of Ovation tackles the inner workings of hair strands to give you hair that is stronger, thicker, and grows in longer while halting breakage. Proud to be free of sulfates, parabens, and gluten, it’s a cruelty-free product you can feel good about.
But don’t just take my word for it. In clinical trials, it had over 80% reduction in hair breakage. With science behind it, this formulation is ideal for those of your with overworked and overstressed hair that needs a helping hand.
And it’s not just with repeated use too, though that helps. With one use, it mends over 70% of your split ends, according to the results of an independent clinical study. Every woman in the study had healthier hair, and almost all of them had more shine, bounce, and volume to boot.
Also, if you prefer products made in the USA, Ovation is an all-American product and has a full satisfaction guarantee. Definitely look for it if your hair has lost all its cares and needs a reboot fast!
10. Puracy Natural Daily Shampoo
- For All Hair Types
- Hydrates with Vitamins E & B5, Squalene, and Beet Sugar Extract
- Vegan & Cruelty Free
For a pure yet foamy experience, Puracy is it. This formula foams up so nicely yet doesn’t have those nasty sulfates that usually do the trick. Instead, it uses coconut-based cleansers to give you that indulgent cleanse you’re looking for.
It could take about 2 weeks for you to fully notice the differences Puracy brings to your hair. But notice them you will, for your hair will be stronger and healthier. Your scalp will be calmer. And your hair overall will seem more full of life.
The formula infuses hair with vitamins E and B5, beet sugar extract, and squalene made from an olive-oil base. These components give hair a hydration boost while taming frizz for gorgeous hair.
While many of the best shampoos for color-treated hair stand out on their own accord, Puracy was developed by doctors and extensively tested to ensure it would be effective for all kinds of hair.
There are no nasty chemicals in it either. None. Not that dimethicone or formaldehyde. No parabens, no phosphates, no perfumes, no dyes. No animal byproducts either, making it a vegan-friendly option. The list of no’s goes on and on.
Prized for creating frictionless hair, the natural oils used to create the aroma coupled with the foaming experience that leads to stunning style, this shampoo is purely exceptional!
Conclusion
And there you have it…10 of the best shampoos for color-treated hair. I included something for every type and color that will help you give your hair the TLC it needs.
Your stylist can surely make you look like you fell right out of Vogue, but if you want to keep up that look, you’ve got to love your locks. That means every time you wash your hair, you should only use the best shampoo formulas.
Of course, don’t forget to follow up with that conditioner too. It adds that perfect softness and seals the deal. Try your best not to wash your hair daily after coloring it. It will help keep the color from fading faster. Even with the best color-treated shampoos, all hair dye will fade at some point, so make it last!