After spending time and money on your hair color, you don’t want to see it disappear down the drain. Using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner pair hat’s intended for dyed hair is key to keeping your shade fresh and vibrant, whether it’s brunette, black, blonde, red, or beyond (hello, purple and rose gold!).
Shampoos of any kind are designed to clean away oil and dirt, and color-protecting formulas use the same general techniques, but also aim to minimize the amount of dye that washes down the drain. “Shampoos for colored hair usually have lower concentrations of cleansing surfactants,” explains Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann. “The formulas also use special conditioning agents that coat your hair’s surface to prevent dye molecules from escaping.” Not only do they work to preserve your color, they help mask any damage by making strands feel soft and smoother, too.
And yes, the conditioner matters, too: Since color can cause damage and strip strands’ natural moisture, many conditioners for color-treated hair contain extra softening ingredients to help protect and nourish strands. They can also be made with UV protectant ingredients to help shield from color fade and shine and color enhancers.