Unlike earlier, long gone are the days when colour treatment was meant only for older adults with grey hair. Today, people colour their hair to experiment with their looks. Getting hair color-treated has become one of the most adopted and appreciated trends. However, switching things has never been easy. Caring for colour-treated hair is quite different from caring for normal hair.
Shampoo is one of the most essential hair care products to choose wisely for colour-treated hair. So, if your hair is colour-treated, continue reading below, as it will introduce you to the science behind finding the best shampoo for coloured hair.
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What to see while buying the best shampoo for coloured hair?
Getting your hair coloured is an uplifting experience that enhances your confidence. However, the dyes contain certain chemicals that can drain out the moisture from your hair. Hence, to lock the moisture in your tresses and ensure that your dye stays intact for a longer time, it is essential to take care of your hair with the best shampoo for fine colour-treated hair.
Below are some points to consider when selecting the right shampoo for your color-treated hair.
Look for a shampoo specially formulated for coloured hair.
The first thing to see while buying shampoo and even conditioner for colour-treated hair is if they are formulated especially for coloured hair. These shampoos and conditioners ensure the maintenance of the look and lustre of the hair and avoid early colour-fading.
Moisture is the key requirement.
Dying hair chemically alters the hair to change its appearance. As a result, the chemicals in the dyes can make the hair frizzy, dry and coarse. Look for hydrating shampoos and conditioners to regain the lost moisture and lock it in your tresses. These products will moisturize your scalp and hair strands to give you healthy, shiny hair.
Say NO to Sulphate-based shampoos.
One of the ingredients you must say a big NO to when buying a shampoo for colour-treated hair is Sulphate. It acts against the chemicals found in the hair dyes. So, when you use Sulphate-based shampoos and conditioners, they can fade away your hair colour faster. To avoid this, use Sulphate-free products with lower pH levels and prevent the quick opening of hair cuticles, eventually locking colour inside.
Select shampoos with colour-preserving ingredients.
Another factor to look for is if your shampoo contains colour-preserving ingredients. Ingredients such as sunflower extracts, amino acids and soy extracts preserve hair colour and prevent it from fading.
So, to keep your hair colour intact for longer, buy a shampoo containing any colour-preserving ingredients.
Try involving damage repair shampoos.
Hair cuticles are often damaged by the dye chemicals resulting in rough edges, rough hair, and split ends. To ensure good hair health even after getting your hair colour treated, look for repair shampoos that can help you regain your healthy hair by repairing the damage caused by dye chemicals.
Look for shampoos that prevent the harmful effects of hard water on hair.
Another major issue for people with colour-treated hair is hard water. Natural hair oils are affected by hard water, opening up the hair cuticles. As a result, the hair cuticle opening caused by hard water causes colour fading. To avoid this, choose a shampoo that reverses the harmful effects of hard water and prevents colour fading.
As you know the key points to consider while buying the best shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair, jump on to the next section of this post that will brief you about the ingredients you must avoid using in colour-treated hair.
What ingredients should you avoid?
Certain chemicals cause hair thinning, hair loss, scalp irritation, and increase the brittle nature of colour-treated hair. But what are these ingredients that must be avoided? To help you know about these, below is a list of chemicals you must look out for and avoid when choosing a shampoo for coloured hair.
Alcohol
You might be surprised after knowing that numerous shampoos contain alcohol as an ingredient for preservation or sometimes as an emollient. But is alcohol good for your hair? The answer is not all alcohol is formed the same way, and the harmful forms can cause frizziness and dryness to hair. Therefore, while choosing the best shampoo for your colour-treated tresses, look for the one that does not contain alcohol.
Companies might not clearly mention ‘alcohol’ in their ingredients list. So, avoid shampoos and conditioners with harmful forms of alcohol like ‘propanol’, ‘ethanol’ and ‘isopropyl alcohol’.
Parabens
Parabens are included in shampoos and conditioners to preserve and prevent the spread of bacteria and other microorganisms in hair care products. However, parabens can hurt your health.
The effect of Parabens is not associated directly with your hair health but with your general health. Parabens have recently been known to mimic estrogen and eventually disrupt endocrine functions. Therefore, avoid shampoos and conditioners with methylparaben or propylparaben on their ingredient list.
Petrochemicals
Petroleum-based ingredients can irritate your scalp and skin. Evidence shows that petrochemical ingredients such as Polyethylene glycol act as endocrine disruptors. Hence, never buy shampoos and conditioners with Petrochemicals.
Petrochemicals are numerous. Therefore, you must be extra cautious while purchasing shampoo for colour-treated hair. Some ingredient names denoting Petrochemicals are butanol, mineral oil, benzene, parfum and paraffin wax.
Sodium chloride
Yes, your table salt, Sodium chloride, also gets included in your shampoos to make it thicker. However, shampoos with Sodium chloride must ring alarm bells in your ears.
Salt and hair are not a good combination, and there is no surprise to believe this. Sodium chloride can make natural oils from your hair strip away, make them dry, or cause irritation on your scalp, so avoid such shampoos.
SLS or SLES
These terms might sound unfamiliar to most of you. To be precise, SLS is an acronym for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, and SLES is short for Sodium Laureth Sulphate. The redeeming features of these chemicals are negligible.
SLS or SLES is added to shampoos only for the bubbly lather. However, they go too far with their job and remove essential oils from your hair necessary for hydration. This results in increased dryness and fizz. So, say no to shampoos with SLS or SLES to prevent your scalp from irritation.
5 best shampoos for Colored hair
We understand how significant your tresses are for you, and you want to do everything right to maintain your hair health and, at the same time, prevent your colour from fading away. Hence, to make your selection process easier, below is a curated list of the five best shampoos for coloured hair.
Living Proof Color Care Shampoo
Color Care Shampoo by Living Proof is formulated with a unique filter to work against the three major factors that cause colour fading- damage, hard water and UV. It is free from parabens, Sulphates and Silicones.
L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo
Next on the list is L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo. It is a super nourishing and budget-friendly shampoo for colour-treated hair.
Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo
This shampoo is especially useful for blonde hair. It is formulated with a patented technology that seals the cuticles and repairs hair.
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is a gold wonder for damaged coloured hair. It is the best remedy for dry and brittle tresses.
Redken Colour Extend Magnetics Shampoo
Made with a Sulphate-free formulation, this shampoo is a perfect pick for colour-treated hair that gently cleans hair.
Bottom Line
Getting your hair colour-treated is a fun and adventurous way to enhance your look. However, it is essential to take extra care of your hair when you get them coloured, as the chemicals in the dyes can drain the moisture from your hair and degrade your health. So, use the above guide to choose the best shampoo for coloured hair and enjoy your new look of healthy coloured tresses.
