Best Moisturizing Shampoo for Color Treated Hair

Changing your hair color is like a rite of passage. With a visit to your hairdresser or the drugstore, you get to be the person you’ve envisioned in just a couple of hours. But wait a minute. Where is this dry hair coming from? Whether you’re going darker, adding highlights, or covering up some greys, chemically altering hair color will strip your strands of moisture; it’s just a part of the deal. That’s why when taking care of color-treated hair at home, step one is to get a great moisturizing shampoo that will also help preserve your color in between sessions. Why is this step so important? Keep reading to find out.

Why Your Color-Treated Hair Needs a Moisturizing Shampoo

For hair to go through a color change, chemicals are used to open up the protective cuticle of each hair shaft to do its thing. At the end of the process, whether you’re going light or dark, the cuticles will be back to normal. But from then on, your hair will be dryer than it once was. If you regularly get color treatments, you’re expected to take care of it so that the color lasts and your hair stays healthy. Not being good to your chemically processed hair can lead to premature fading, dull color, and, worst of all, dry, brittle hair.

Dry hair can lead to breakage, split ends, loss of curl pattern, and excessive frizz. But the question that presents itself is, why use a shampoo with moisturizing ingredients when I could just use a conditioner? Well, get ready for an analogy!

One can assume that a beauty lover like yourself uses a gentle cleanser to wash your face. That face cleanser will remove excess oil and dirt but still has soothing, hydrating ingredients to leave your skin feeling refreshed and soft. That’s important because now your skin’s natural function hasn’t been disrupted, and adding serums and moisturizers afterward is just the icing on the cake.

The same idea goes for using the best moisturizing shampoo for color-treated hair. It will:

• Effectively clean your hair and scalp.
• Prevent the scalp from drying out.
• Extend the life of your hair color.
• Leave hair feeling soft and healthy before using a more deeply penetrative conditioner or a hair mask.

Sulfates and Moisturizing Shampoo

Sulfates tend to have an iffy reputation. The truth is that sulfates aren’t necessarily a bad thing when needing a good clarifying wash or if you have a particularly oily mane. But if you want to extend the vibrancy of your hair color, look for color-safe shampoos that are formulated without sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS), sodium laureth sulfates (SLES), or ammonium laureth sulfates (ALS).

Long story short, they clean a little too well, and if misused, they can leave your hair with little moisture and force more trips to the salon.

To address the elephant in the room, there are still a few reasons to use a highly cleansing shampoo, such as having lots of hard-to-clean build-ups or having excessive oil production despite having non-virgin hair.

When you need a deep clean, Kenra’s Color Maintenance Shampoo works to get all the junk out without fading color. It supports hair health by being pH balanced and is the best shampoo for oily hair. Additionally, it has nourishing plant extracts, glycerin, and other humectants that draw in moisture and help counter its super cleansing abilities.

If your color-treated hair lives a rough lifestyle, like from being exposed to lots of pollutants, or if you just finished a mini-triathlon, turn to AG Hair Tech Two Shampoo. This sudsy yet moisturizing shampoo will cleanse hair and strengthen it with keratin and silk proteins. And extracts from plants such as sage, nettle, rosemary, and chamomile replenish nutrients and protect strands. You and your hairdresser can breathe a sigh of relief.

Sulfate-Free Moisturizing Shampoo

Those with naturally dry hair (that becomes even drier after chemical processes) or skin sensitivities to sulfates should stick to using sulfate-free formulas. Here are our favorites.

Reparative – If you haven’t properly cared for your color-treated hair, don’t worry. It’s never too late to start taking reparative steps. Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi Wild Ginger Moisturizing Lather Shampoo is not only a classic, but it is also formulated to help build structure to dry, damaged hair using its uniquely dubbed KeraTriplex® blend of proteins.

Properly hydrated, strong hair will get you on the road to hair recovery. Always follow a good shampoo with regular conditioning treatments for protective replenishment, and go easy on the heat styling.

Daily Moisture – While it’s not recommended to wash color-treated hair daily, especially after a fresh process, we understand that you need to do what works for you. So, your best bet is to use a moisturizing shampoo that is free of any potential drying sulfates or alcohols, like the Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Shampoo.

This argan oil shampoo protects hair from environmental and heat damage with its makeup of richly nourishing fatty acids and antioxidants. And it works hard to keep your tresses smooth and shiny. Throw in some strengthening keratin, and its supporting friend biotin, and you have a well-rounded daily shampoo that gives back to slow down the natural cycle of chemical treatments.

All-Purpose – If you’re the type that wants to skip the details and know which one to buy, go for a moisturizing shampoo that serves all hair types, like Biosilk Color Therapy Shampoo. Even so, you’ll love the details of this all-encompassing, color-protecting product. It’s free of sulfates and parabens and contains bamboo and gooseberry extracts to protect hair. Also, as the name implies, it’s formulated with strengthening silk proteins, so you know you’re doing right by your beautiful mane.

Next Steps for Moisturized Color Protection

Now that you’re on your way to taking care of your color-treated hair, always follow up with a quality, moisturizing conditioner. Use a weekly hair mask for especially dry or damaged hair. And limit UV exposure and the use of heat styling tools as much as it makes sense for your lifestyle because, hey, you’ve got your next appointment to get to, right? And while your hair is processing, stay informed about your favorite products to go with your moisturizing shampoo in our Beauty Resource Center. There you can load up on the latest information in beauty and haircare before the timer goes off!