The 9 Best Shampoos for Colored Hair to Keep It Vibrant

After spending all that time and money at the salon, you don't want to see your hair color disappear just because you shampooed with a product that stripped it of its shiny new hue. Using a color-safe shampoo that's intended for dyed hair is key to keeping your look fresh, vibrant, and healthy. Our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts share why using a special shampoo for colored hair is so important to keep that fresh color intact.

Why does my hair color fade?

“Every time you shower, your hair loses a little bit of color,” explains GH Beauty Lab senior chemist, Sabina Wizemann. “As soon as the dyes in your hair get exposed to water and shampoo, they resolubilize and start slipping from the fiber.” As for what color fades the most, redheads, we’re sorry to say, this process happens even faster for you. Red hair dyes are the first ones to slide away due to their size — they’re made of bigger molecules and don’t penetrate the hair shaft as deep as other shades, says Wizemann.

How can I prevent my hair color from fading?

The only way to keep your color 100% intact? Never wash it or even get it wet (yes, water alone will remove hair dye over time!). And while we support dry shampoo as much as the next person, not washing your hair just isn't realistic. You can cut down on how often you wash your hair, but using specially-formulated products is the real way help slow the fading process. That’s where shampoos for colored hair come in.

How do shampoos for colored hair work?

Shampoos of any kind are designed to clean away oil and dirt, while conditioners make sure your hair is manageable when you step out of the shower. Color-protecting formulas use the same general techniques, but also aim to minimize the amount of dye that washes down the drain.

How? “Shampoos for colored hair usually have lower concentrations of cleansing surfactants,” explains 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.

Do I need a sulfate-free shampoo to protect my color?

Not necessarily. Even though “milder” sulfate-free shampoos claim to slow the fading rate even more than other color-protecting formulas, according to our Beauty Lab’s findings, that's not always the case. (In fact, our Lab's top performer, TRESemmé, contains sulfates!). What really matters is how well a product is formulated, not just what it contains.

A product’s effectiveness isn’t dependent on just one ingredient: All other components of the formula, like its concentration, the included surfactants and/or emulsifiers, and more have to work in perfect synergy for the product to be color-safe and deliver results. We don’t recommend anything based on just one ingredient or the lack of one ingredient — we want to make sure the product actually performs.

Is a shampoo for colored hair the only product I need?

Nope. At the very least, you should use also use your color-protecting shampoo's matching conditioner. These products are designed to work together, so to get the best results you’ll need to use them as a pair.

How we tested shampoo for colored hair

Our Beauty Lab tests shampoos for colored hair with the matching conditioners, putting the pairs through a number of rigorous evaluations to see how well they perform. In their most recent test, they prescreened over 160 shampoo and conditioner duos, narrowing it down to the ten top formulas.

Our chemists performed repeated fade-resistance testing on hair swatches to mimic real-world conditions. We shampooed, conditioned, blow-dried, and exposed the swatches to UV light over and over again and assessed the color fading after all this wear and tear. To boot, we asked consumers to use the products for two weeks and share their honest feedback.

Now that you have the lowdown on color-protecting shampoos, check out the GH Lab experts' (and real-world beauty pros') top picks for the best shampoo for colored hair:

BONUS: Check out BOND Hair Regrowth Kit 

BEST COLOR PROTECTING SHAMPOO

TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo

TRESEMMÉ

This Tresemmé shampoo (and conditioner combo) helped retain color the best in Lab evaluations and was also the consumer favorite. Hair samples showed the least color change after 20 washes and 10 hours of UV exposure in Lab evaluations. Not to mention, this shampoo for colored hair was the most affordable! “The formulas felt creamy and rich like expensive salon-quality products,” said one tester.

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RUNNER-UP

OGX Fade-Defying Orchid Oil Shampoo

OGX

This formula from OGX (with the matching conditioner) came in as a close second in Lab tests. It earned high marks for conditioning and color retention, and testers said it left hair shiny.”I loved the scent of both shampoo and conditioner,” said one. “The shampoo lathered very easily and seemed to make my color last longer.”

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BEST VALUE

TRESemmé Color Revitalize Shampoo

TRESEMMÉ

Using a color-protecting shampoo is important because they're specifically formulated to be both gentle and protective, says Redken haircolor consultant David Stanko. This shampoo from TRESemmé promises to keep your hair color vibrant while still getting your strands clean.

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BEST FOR DEEP CLEANING

Nexxus Color Assure Radiant Color Care Shampoo

NEXXUS

This reasonably priced pick wins the praises of color pros thanks to its ability to remove product buildup without stripping color. "It prevents fading on any color-treated hair and maintains hair health," says New York City colorist Patrick Kyle.

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BEST FOR THICK HAIR

Hair Food Color Protect Shampoo with White Nectarine & Pear

HAIR FOOD

Hair Food's shampoo for colored hair proved the best at conditioning hair in our Lab tests, making it ideal for people with thick, unmanageable hair. It also earned a perfect score for being non-irritating. But since it’s packed with so many conditioners, it may not be right for everyone — some testers said it weighed their hair down.

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BEST FOR SUN PROTECTION

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo

ALTERNA

This anti-aging moisturizing shampoo comes highly recommended from Raboh, who explains that its most essential ingredients are caviar and vitamin C. He adds, "This shampoo will keep color on as well as make hair look and feel younger." Plus, it features UVA and UVB protection to help guard hair from the sun's harmful rays.

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BEST FOR SMOOTHING HAIR

Goldwell Kerasilk Color Shampoo

GOLDWELL

To keep hair color from fading, Eva Scrivo Salons senior colorist and educator Meri Kate O'Connor turns to Goldwell's Kerasilk Color Shampoo. If you want shiny strands, she says its formula is infused with keratin to add extra shine and smoothness.

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BEST FOR FINE HAIR

Christophe Robin Antioxidant Cleansing Milk

NORDSTROM

This gentle, plant-oil-packed formula is ideal for freshly highlighted hair. "It's super-emollient and can be used on any hair that's dry or sensitive without weighing it down," says celebrity colorist Nikki Ferrara of Serge Normant at John Frieda. She says it's especially helpful for blonde shades and over-processed hair.

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BEST SULFATE-FREE FORMULA

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Color Lustre Sulfate-Free Brilliant Glaze Shampoo

SHU UEMURA

For a sulfate-free option, check out Shu Uemura's color-protecting shampoo, recommended by O'Connor. "It has refining lipids in it that help to protect the cortex, in other words where the color goes, so your color lasts longer — and hair is left shiny and soft," she explains.

SOURCE: goodhousekeeping