Whether you colour your hair yourself or have it done in the salon, the best shampoo for coloured hair is an absolute must in your haircare regime (as any hairdresser will tell you). Dying your hair can be a costly and timely pursuit, meaning protecting it should be considered a top priority.
While many shampoos are suitable for coloured hair, it’s crucial to spy out the ones that will specifically look after your new hue, from scalp to ends. Not only do you want to protect colour from fading or being stripped; you can also enhance what you already have in terms of potency and shine. Your hair routine starts in the shower, so there’s no better place than there to protect and boost.
“It is so important to make sure you’re using the correct hair shampoo to keep your colour looking fresh and vibrant while also cleansing the scalp,” renowned colourist and Wella Professionals UK colour trend expert Zoë Irwin stresses.
The best shampoos for coloured hair at a glance:
- Best shampoo for dry, coloured hair: Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo 250ml
- Best affordable shampoo for coloured hair: L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo 400ml
- Best for preventing fade: Aveda Colour Conserve Shampoo 250ml
- Best for blonde coloured hair: Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo 200ml
Meet the experts:
What to look for in a shampoo for coloured hair:
We know that the best shampoo is one of the foundation blocks of a good hair routine, so what should you look for on the bottle to ensure your formulation will provide colour protection specifically? “You want to make sure that the product clearly states that it’s a colour protecting or colour-safe formula, ideally without parabens or sulphates,” says Justin Anderson, colourist to the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Margot Robbie and co-founder of new-to-the-UK dpHUE.
“Keep an eye out and try to avoid products with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), which are likely to cause colour wash out and leave you with faded strands.”
Toning shampoos are another great option to maintain your blonde hair colour and neutralise any brassy or yellow tones, or to keep your shade warm or cool depending on your tone of choice. Plex systems are also a good sign, as they work to improve the condition of your hair. But avoid clarifying shampoos, which are designed to remove build-up in the hair. “They are great for cleansing the scalp, but they are also most likely to remove colour molecules from hair strands,” Zoë warns.
How to take care of colour-treated hair
Just before we dive into the top shampoo buys for colour-treated hair, our hair experts have a couple of other tips for prolonging your colour: “Rule number one, shampoo less often,” says Justin. “Over-shampooing is one of the number one ways to cause that beautiful new hair colour of yours to fade more quickly. It’s like washing your favourite black T-shirt repeatedly to the point of the colour dulling and fading out!”
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