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The best protective shampoos for color-treated hair

Ouai

If you dyed your hair this summer, it’s time to care for your strands

In the spring and summer months, many people opt to dye or highlight their hair a lighter hue to embrace the season. However, dying your hair, especially if you’re going lighter than your natural color, can be quite damaging for your strands. If you dyed your hair in recent months and your tresses are starting to feel extra dry and you’re noticing split ends, it may be a good idea to invest in protective shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair. 

Shop this article: Kerastase Resistance Force Architecte Shampoo, Ouai Thick Shampoo and Conditioner Set, Living Proof Restore Shampoo

Why winter air can be tough on hair

In the colder months, the air generally becomes dry, which makes it even more difficult for your hair shafts to retain moisture. Color treatments aside, winter makes many people’s hair more prone to frizz and breakage. So if you also lightened your hair in recent months, that’s all the more reason to pay close attention to the products you’re putting into your hair to make sure they are helping and not hurting your tresses. 

What to look for in shampoos for color-treated hair

Most commonly, the negative effects of color-treating hair include dry, damaged and brittle hair. If you regularly use hot tools to blow dry, straighten or curl your hair, that can cause even more breakage. 

Look for shampoos and conditioners that aim to restore moisture loss, as well as those that help fight and reverse damage and breakage. For example, amino acids can help repair damage and build up protection to the elements by moisturizing and strengthening your hair. 

You may also want ingredients that make your hair look and feel more shiny. Keratin works to smooth the cells that overlap to form hair strands, and in turn, reduces frizz. Meadowfoam seed oil can help manage brittleness, tangles and frizz, which promotes a silk texture and sheen. 

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Best protective shampoos and conditioners

Kerastase Resistance Force Architecte Shampoo

This strengthening shampoo, which has over 4,000 glowing reviews on Amazon, is formulated with proteins and amino acids to gently cleanse, smooth and soften. It helps restore weak, brittle and damaged hair that results from color treatments. It also helps repair the effects of heat styling and prevents hair breakage in over-processed hair.

Ouai Thick Shampoo and Conditioner Set

If you have thick hair that tends to get frizzy, this luxe shampoo and conditioner set from Ouai will give your hair just what it needs. The formula is made with keratin, marshmallow root, shea butter and avocado oil, which work in tandem to cleanse your hair without stripping it. The result is a smooth and healthy finish. 

Living Proof Restore Shampoo

Fine, medium or thick hair is well-suited for this fortifying shampoo, which helps reverse damage from harsh chemicals or other environmental factors. It contains a glutamic acid-based emollient, which strengthens your strands and helps reduce breakage, along with phytantriol, which preserves your color and helps reduce damage from hot tools. You may even notice how strong and healthy your hair feels after a single wash. 

Living Proof Restore Conditioner

The perfect partner to the brand’s Restore Shampoo, this silicone-free conditioner helps to revive damaged hair by smoothing, repairing and protecting. Key ingredients include smoothing and conditioning meadowfoam seed oil and a strengthening and damage-reducing glutamic acid-based emollient. Plus, hemisqualane seals the hair cuticle, leaving it silky smooth and shiny. 

Odele Moisture Repair Shampoo

Extremely dry, damaged hair will take to this moisture-replenishing shampoo, which restores shine and enhances color in brittle hair. The deeply moisturizing product is made with amino acids and quinoa, which work to clean your hair without stripping it, protect your color and improve the overall health of your strands. 

Odele Moisture Repair Conditioner

Meant to be used alongside Odele’s Moisture Repair Shampoo, this conditioner helps infuse moisture back into damaged tresses. The quenching conditioner is vegan and color-safe, and it has the most pleasant fragrance wiith wafts of cucumber, ylang ylang and oak moss.

Milk Shake Color Maintainer Shampoo Flower

Made from plant-based ingredients, this shampoo is designed specifically to protect color-treated hair and to main the color’s vitality. It uses soy proteins, which help repair damaged hair, as well as moringa oleifera extract, which has hydrating and emollient properties with a high vitamin and mineral content. Follow it with the Milk Shake Color Maintainer Conditioner Flower.

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo & Conditioner

Vegamour is known for its shampoos, serums and dry shampoos, which are designed to help promote fuller, thicker hair. This shampoo and conditioner set contains a silk protein, which smooths damaged hair, improves the appearance of damage caused by heat and coloring, absorbs dirt and oil, locks in hydration, and protects hair color.

Monday Haircare Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner Set

The TikTok-viral shampoo and conditioner combo is said to hydrate dry, coarse and stressed hair in coily and curly hair types. Its key ingredients include coconut oil, rice protein and vitamin E, which work together to leave hair feeling nourished and strong. Plus, the adorable millennial-pink packaging doesn’t hurt either. 

SheaMoisture Shampoo Hydrate and Repair for Damaged Hair with Manuka Honey and Shea Butter

Manuka honey is a special type of honey from New Zealand that can have skin care benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. This manuka honey-based shampoo helps to cleanse and restore dry and brittle hair using the natural ingredient. 

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Talia Ergas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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