Best shampoo and conditioner for dyed black hair

You've landed on this page because you've either dyed your hair just about every color on the spectrum, or you've been thinking about finally coloring your hair and want to be prepared. Whether you frequent a professional stylist for color jobs or you're a DIY babe, investing in a proper shampoo for colored hair is as important as the color you choose.

Blonde, brunette, black or red, excessive coloring can weaken the hair's bonds, which can cause breakage and lessen the life of your new dye. This is where color-safe shampoos come in—shampoos formulated to work as armor to fight against any threats to your hair while strengthening it before, during, and after you've received a new color. Once you've settled on your hair dye, scroll down for the 15 best shampoos to preserve your color.

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• 2

  

  Best Purple Shampoo

  Custom Purple Shampoo Function of Beauty

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• 3

  

• 4

  

  Best for Severely Damaged Hair

  Bond Maintenance Shampoo OLAPLEX

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• 5

  

  Best Drugstore Purple Shampoo

  Shimmer Lights Hair Shampoo Clairol Professional

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2

Best Purple Shampoo

Function of Beauty

Custom Purple Shampoo

4

Best for Severely Damaged Hair

Bond Maintenance Shampoo

5

Best Drugstore Purple Shampoo

Clairol Professional

Shimmer Lights Hair Shampoo

6

Best Lightweight Feel

Fekkai

Technician Color Shampoo

7

Best for Fighting Frizz

Smoothing Anti-Frizz™

Shampoo

8

Best Scent

Blooming Color Sulfate-Free Shampoo

9

Best for Softness

Elvive Color Vibrancy Protecting Shampoo

10

Best for Frequent Washers

Gemstone Color Shampoo

11

Best Blue Shampoo

Shop all TPH

No Brass Vitamin E Hydrating Blue Toner Shampoo

12

Best Keratin-Infused Shampoo

TRESemmé

Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo

13

Best for a Quick Refresh

Color Assure Shampoo for Color Treated Hair

14

Best for Extra Protection

Fade-Defying Orchid Oil Shampoo with UVA/UVB Sun Filters

15

Best for Nourishment

Nutrient Blends Shampoo

What should you look for in shampoo when you have color-treated hair?

Celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein says to "look for a shampoo that hydrates and moisturizes." Color-treated hair tends to oxidize more than non-processed hair, so you want to make sure your hair is moisturized and nourished to prevent oxidization.

Licensed trichologist Amanda Buescher adds that paying attention to pH-balanced products helps strengthen the hair."As long as the shampoo is between 4.5-5.5 on the pH scale, it is a color-safe shampoo no matter how it's marketed. Hair is naturally at a 4.5-5.5 on the pH scale, so shopping for products that are pH-balanced and formulated for your hair type and structure is more beneficial to lasting color," she adds. If your hair's pH is balanced, the color is locked in longer. "If your shampoo is not pH-balanced, the cuticle won't seal down and allows for artificial color pigments to wash out of the hair. Products, like Function of Beauty's Purple toning products, are not only specially formulated for your hair type and structure, but also keep orange and yellow pigments neutralized so the color stays bright and brass-free while at the same time hydrating and nourishing hair.

What ingredients should you avoid?

"Avoid products with sulfates in the ingredients. Surfactants are common in shampoos to properly cleanse the hair but sulfates are the harshest surfactant, as it strips out natural oils and artificial color pigments," Buescher adds. "When too many strong surfactants or sulfates are in the shampoo, it can fade color-treated hair by lifting the cuticle layer too aggressively."

According to Rubenstein, avoid shampoos with sodium listed in the ingredients, including "sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureate sulfate, sodium chloride, and petrochemicals," she says. Buescher agrees and explains that since sodium is the scientific fancy name for salt, it doesn't agree with color-treated hair. "Salt is an absorption agent and acts like a magnet to color molecules, pulling them out of the hair, she adds.

How often should you wash color-treated hair?

You shouldn't be washing your hair too much, but how often you wash your hair depends on the color. "Hair tinted red will fade no matter what you do. This is because red color molecules are the largest in size and don't penetrate into the hair as well as other color molecules. To prolong the red-tinted hair color, I recommend washing the hair every 4-5 days. Hair that has been tinted brown or black will fade the least because the color molecules are the smallest. I recommend washing dark color-treated hair every 2-3 days or as needed. For blonde or lightened hair, I recommend shampooing every 2-3 days. Blondes should be treating their hair with a purple shampoo to maintain a bright blonde color," Buescher explains. However, if your hair is blonde, avoid using purple shampoos daily as purple shampoos can fade the blonde hue to an ashy or grey color.

Also, be sure to keep a deep conditioner on hand. "Deep conditioners and masks are made to add intense moisture. Using a mask or deep conditioner too often can compromise the hair structure making it become stretchy and increasing the risk of breakage. Deep conditioners and masks should not be used more often than every 5 shampoos no matter what color the hair is tinted," Buescher says.

Nerisha Penrose Beauty Commerce Editor Nerisha is the beauty commerce editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty (and fashion and music).

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