After spending precious time and good money for your hair colour at your trusted hair salon, the last thing you want is to see it disappear down the drain. That’s why using a hair colour shampoo is key to keeping your beautifully dyed locks fresh and vibrant.

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Source: Freepik

Because dyed hair requires even more TLC than regular, untreated hair, choosing the right colour-safe cleansing formula is highly crucial to give your crown all the nourishment it needs and avoid ending up with frizzy, brittle strands after all the chemicals that’s been put into your hair.

Ahead, we rounded up the best colour-safe shampoos that work hard to protect and seal in colour to preserve your ideal shade.

L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Resveratrol Vitamino Color Shampoo

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You’ve probably heard of resveratrol, a powerful polyphenol, starring in a number of skincare products but now it’s available in L’Oréal Professionnel’s best shampoo for colour treated hair that’s part of the brand’s signature colour-protecting line too.

Suitable for all hair colours, the ingredient – combined with panthenol – keeps your gorgeous hue intact up to eight weeks, and also shields hair fibre from damage.

L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Resveratrol Vitamino Color Shampoo retails for RM65.30 (300ml) and RM102.70 (500ml) at authorised hair salons nationwide.

Kérastase Reflection Bain Chroma Captive Shampoo

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Apart from safeguarding your crown from environmental aggressors and premature colour fading with advanced UV protection, this hair colour shampoo also leaves hair colour shining beautifully courtesy of linseed oil which is why many say it’s the best shampoo for colour treated hair.

Kérastase Reflection Bain Chroma Captive Shampoo retails for RM113 at authorised hair salons nationwide.

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Matcha + Apple Replenishing Superfood Shampoo

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This vegan, sulphate-free formula is touted as the best hair colour shampoo, and we’ll tell you why.

Firstly, it’s exactly what over-processed hair needs (read: a lot of TLC) because it contains a nutrient-rich blend of fruit and vegetable fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that fortifies and protects hair.

Secondly, it supports your hair’s colour vibrancy and strength without stripping your locks of moisture.

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Matcha + Apple Replenishing Superfood Shampoo retails for RM126 at sephora.my.

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

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If you ask any hairstylist to recommend the best hair colour shampoo, chances are they’ll sing the praises of this cult favourite.

Unlike your typical shampoo, this one works to repair your hair by rebuilding broken keratin bonds in your hair shaft and imparting moisture to hair strands, which means less split ends, frizz, and breakage. While it’s great for all dyed hair, we think it’s especially ideal for those with blonde or bleached hair that’s heavily compromised by chemicals.

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo retails for RM70 (100ml) and RM140 (250ml) at sephora.my.

Pureology Hydrate Shampoo

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If you’ve been looking for a hair colour shampoo shampoo that is both hydrating and colour-safe for your medium to thick hair, look no further than this best shampoo for colour treated hair.

Lightweight and 100% vegan, this formula thoroughly cleanses your hair while preserving and enhancing its colour. Thanks to a blend of jojoba oil, green tea, and sage, it replenishes, restores suppleness, and boosts colour retention so that hair stays vibrant and soft to touch.

Pureology Hydrate Shampoo retails for approx. RM107.45 (£19.95) at Cult Beauty.

Sachajuan Colour Protect Shampoo

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For added bounce and shine, look no further than this colour-protecting shampoo. Formulated with Ocean Silk technology, the formula is designed to deliver serious volume, nourishment, and shine to oily hair without weighing it down.

A super gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip off hair dye, it’s also formulated with a UV protectant to maintain colour vibrancy. Since only a small amount is needed to wash your whole head, a little goes a long way for this shampoo (translation: you’ll get a huge bang for your buck in the long run).

If you’ve got blonde or silver locks, consider reaching for the Sachajuan Silver Shampoo (RM279 for 1000ml) as it has yellow-neutralising pigments to cancel out any harsh, brassy tones.

Sachajuan Colour Protect Shampoo retails for RM95 (250ml) and RM279 (1000ml) at all KENS boutiques and authorised hair salons. You can also purchase it online.

Shikai Color Reflect Deep Shampoo

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If you’re looking for a natural yet highly effective hair cleanser, this eco-friendly, botanical-based product is certainly one you should consider.

Featuring “non-colouring” henna and black malva flower extract, it amplifies dark colour tones in a protective way whilst providing shine and enriching brown highlights. Additionally, it also contains a trademarked ingredient called heliogenol, which is a natural sunflower extract that acts as a UV filter to protect your hair colour from fading.

Other alternatives available from the brand include the Color Reflect Gold Shampoo (RM62) for light brown and blonde locks, and Color Reflect Warm Shampoo (RM62) to highlight red and auburn tones.

Shikai Color Reflect Deep Shampoo retails for RM62 at TNS Skin Lab outlets and online.

Dove Colour Radiance Shampoo

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It goes without saying that the look and feel of freshly coloured hair is what we want all the time, and this gentle and protecting shampoo is formulated with a Vibrant Colour Lock technology to seal your hair colour’s vibrancy for up to ten weeks while nourishing and smoothing your tresses.

Dove Colour Radiance Shampoo retails for RM15.40 at major supermarkets and pharmacies like Watsons and Guardian.

Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo

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Chemically treated hair tends to err on the dry side so prevent it from turning dull and drab with this sulphate-free, coconut-based nourishing shampoo that is loaded with a moisturising cocktail of multi-amino acid, panthenol, sodium PCA as well as marula, argan, and sacha inchi seed oils.

With a creamy foam that smells mildly like almond, it gets rid of daily grim and product buildup without harming your hair cuticles and colour.

Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo retails for RM110 at sephora.my.

Klorane Color Enhancing Anti-Fade Shampoo with Pomegranate

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Thanks to its gentle, sulphate-free formula that repairs hair fibre and keeps colour from fading, this hair colour shampoo works like a charm for badly damaged dyed locks. It’s also infused with pomegranate extracts to help prolong your hair colour’s intensity and radiance.

Klorane Color Enhancing Anti-Fade Shampoo with Pomegranate retails at RM59.90 at Watsons, but is currently on discount for RM41.30.

Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo

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This plant-infused shampoo is jam-packed with green tea extract, babassu betain extract as well as vitamins A, C, and E to safeguard colour-treated hair from sun damage and other external elements without washing away the pigments.

Bonus: Its incredibly invigorating scent is an organic infusion of rose geranium, peppermint, grapefruit, lavender, and ylang ylang.

Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo retails for RM125 (250ml) and RM375 (1000ml) at Aveda boutiques and authorised hair salons as well as online at Zalora.

Percy & Reed Time to Shine Colour Protect Shampoo

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In addition to UV-protecting sunflower extract and other colour-prolonging ingredients, this shampoo also features blue sea kale which boast anti-colour fade properties, soothing aloe vera, and hydrating coconut water to maintain your hair colour in all its technicolour glory.

The formula is also rated by many as the best shampoo for colour treated hair because it’s dermatologically tested and is suitable for sensitive scalp.

Percy & Reed Time to Shine Colour Protect Shampoo retails for RM39 (50ml) and RM95 (250ml) at sephora.my.

Love Beauty and Planet Blooming Colour Shampoo

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For an inexpensive solution to maintain your hair colour in between appointment, you can rely on this vegan, plant-based formula to get the job done with a handful of ethically sourced ingredients, including Bulgarian rose petals and Amazonian murumuru butter, that moisturises hair and leaves it super glossy.

Plus, it’s good for your hair and for the planet too – what’s not to like?

Love Beauty and Planet Blooming Colour Shampoo retails for RM32 at major pharmacies like Watsons and Guardian.

Mario Badescu Lecithin Nourishing Shampoo

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Overly dry, chemically damaged locks will benefit from this nutritive and healing formula, as it calls on jojoba oil and lecithin (a natural, healthy fat) to help repair and soothe by strengthening hair and retaining moisture in the follicles to alleviate dryness in the scalp.

In addition to that, the formula is also capable of creating a shiny coat of protection against environmental exposure. Expect hair to become less knotted and irritated with regular usage.

Mario Badescu Lecithin Nourishing Shampoo retails for RM60 at sephora.my.

Virtue Labs Recovery Shampoo

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Starring the brand’s signature Alpha Keratin 60ku, which is said to be identical to the keratin that naturally makes up your strands, this formula will revive your color-treated crown especially if it’s all stressed out and dehydrated from all the chemical treatments and heat styling.

Virtue Labs Recovery Shampoo retails for RM64 (60ml) and RM162 (240ml) at sephora.my.

L’Oréal Paris Elseve Color-Vive Protecting Shampoo

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Yet another affordable option for your coloured locks, this formula is powered by a Color Protect Light Reflecting System and comes with UV filter to nourish the hair and help protect hair fibres from external aggression.

L’Oréal Paris Elseve Color-Vive Protecting Shampoo retails for RM16.90 at major supermarkets and pharmacies like Watsons and Guardian.

IGK Bad & Bougie Alma Oil Deep Repair Shampoo

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For a deeply nourishing shampoo that can repair and reinforce hair without making it a greaseball, you can count on this lightweight mix of a patented vegetable protein complex as well as amla and coconut oils that hydrates, softens and improves shine while bolstering hair shaft from within for stronger, healthier tresses over time.

IGK Bad & Bougie Alma Oil Deep Repair Shampoo retails for RM120 at sephora.my.

Act+Acre Cold Processed Hair Cleanse

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This formula is truly unique, as it’s the world’s first haircare product to use the cold process method to retain the highest level of nutrients in its ingredients.

The gentle, sulphate-free hair cleanser is also rich in antioxidants to aid hair rejuvenation while fending off free radical damage. On top of that, it also contains hair growth-promoting ingredients such as rosemary and lavender. Mark our words, this may just be the next best shampoo for colour treated hair.

Act+Acre Cold Processed Hair Cleanse retails for R115 at sephora.my.

Tips for dyed hair besides using the best shampoos for colour treated hair

Good question! Including the best hair colour shampoos in your daily routine is one of the best help you can offer to your dyed locks, but here are five other ways you can practise to keep your colour in tip-top shape:

    • No hot water, please: It’s always a good idea for your hair (and skin) to use cool or lukewarm water when showering. With hair in particular, using piping hot water opens up the cuticle and creates a swift exit strategy for the colour that you dropped good money for.
    • Try to shampoo less frequently: Your colourist will likely have advised you to wait at least two days before washing your hair again once you’ve dyed it. The logic behind this tip? It helps the pigments set in well and minimises colour bleeding, since water is known to be the biggest enemy for hair colour (it causes hair dyes to fade faster than any other factor).
    • Sun protection is essential: In case you haven’t noticed, the sun bleaches colour out of everything, and that includes your hair. So if you’re going to spend quite a bit of time outdoors, be sure to protect your scalp and hair with a hat. A colour-safe hair sunscreen like the IGK Blocked Hair-Resistant Hair Shield (RM145) or Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil (RM139) will be beneficial too.
    • Dry shampoo is your new hair BFF: On days when you’re not washing your hair, try using colour-safe dry shampoos  – these will refresh even the limpest hair and make it look like you just got a fresh salon blowout!
    • Use protective leave-in treatments when styling: We’ve established that coloured and chemically treated hair needs extra hydration and protection to prevent damage and loss of nutrients. So on top of using the best shampoo for colour treated hair, be sure to add a leave-in treatment in your routine to help keep your hair smooth and moisturised.

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