Best Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Colored Hair

Washing your hair of sweat, oil, and grime is essential for keeping your hair sparkling clean and shiny so that your stunning color can really pop. But not every shampoo is formulated to be friendly to colored tresses. If you use the wrong one—aka a shampoo with sulfates—your beautiful shade could end up swirling down your shower drain.

If you want to keep your colored mane looking salon-fresh for as long as possible, a high-quality shampoo with no sulfates is non-negotiable. Today, we’re looking into the best sulfate-free shampoo for colored hair, depending on what your hair needs.

Why Does Colored Hair Need Sulfate-Free Shampoo?

There’s an ongoing debate in the beauty world about whether sulfates are bad for hair. They’re terrific for getting stubborn gunk and grime out of your locks, especially if you have particularly oily hair. But for colored, chemically treated locks, sulfates are always a no-no.

Sulfates are notorious for stripping away dye pigments in the hair. So, if you wash your hair with sulfated shampoos regularly, you’re pretty much kissing your color goodbye and allowing it to fade fast. They’re also known to dry out hair, making it feel rough and brittle. And you don’t want that for your colored tresses!

Because sulfates have such harsh effects on colored hair, a shampoo that is truly color-safe should never have them. Check out these contenders for the best sulfate-free shampoo for colored hair.

1.  Best Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Colored Hair: COLORLOMO Ultra Color Safe Shampoo

When you want to keep your bold hue as dramatic and vivid as possible, it’s not enough to use a sulfate-free shampoo. Your shampoo should work to enhance your hair color, too. And that’s exactly what the COLORLOMO Ultra Color Safe Shampoo does.

Our sulfate-free formula is powered by Chroma Balance Technology, which replenishes lost pigments in your hair without staining it or changing its hue. It’s perfect for maintaining your color vibrancy without the product buildup!

The COLORLOMO is also formulated with nourishing ingredients. It contains sweet almond oil and lotus flower extracts for a boost of hydration, while an amino acid complex strengthens your strands. It’s perfect not just for locking in your color but also for keeping your tresses healthy and happy.

Pros:

• Chroma Balance Tech protects hair color and prevents fading.

• Sweet almond oil and flower extracts hydrate your hair.

• The amino acid complex strengthens damaged strands.

• Has a wide range of shades to choose from.

• Doesn’t change the color of your hair, just enhances it.

Cons:

• Absolutely nothing!

2.  For Clarifying: K18 Peptide Prep Detox Clarifying Shampoo

Hate how oily your scalp and hair get after a long day? Try the K18 Peptide Prep Detox Clarifying Shampoo once a week. This sulfate-free shampoo is formulated with salicylic acid and charcoal that breaks down stubborn dirt and oil in your hair and completely eliminates them.

It’s also excellent at washing away metals and minerals in hard water, such as lead, nickel, and zinc. This is awesome for colored hair because hard water tends to make dyed hair look patchy and unkempt.

Pros:

• Eliminates sebum and dirt with charcoal and salicylic acid.

• Doesn’t strip hair of color, even if it’s a powerful clarifying formula.

• Washes away hard water minerals that can make hair color patchy.

Cons:

• Can be too drying, especially for fine hair.

• Might leave your scalp flaky if it’s sensitive to powerful formulas.

3.  For Moisture: Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo

Dehydrated, thirsty locks will love the Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Shampoo, a sulfate-free cleanser that can give your hair 72 hours of healthy moisture. It claims to make your hair three times more hydrated, especially when you follow up with the matching conditioner.

This shampoo is packed with hydrating ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid, coconut water, and blue and green algae. As a result, your hair also becomes smoother, softer, and easier to manage, allowing you to show off more of that gorgeous color!

Pros:

• Softens hair and adds shine.

• Has many botanical ingredients to hydrate dry hair.

• Your hair feels three times more hydrated for up to 72 hours.

Cons:

• It has a strong scent that not everyone might enjoy.

• Can leave fine hair feeling oily and greasy.

• A bit pricey for the size of the bottle.

4.  For Damage Repair: Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Coloring your hair deals a lot of damage to your strands since dye rips open your hair follicles to penetrate the deeper layers of your hair. To repair those hair bonds, try the Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, a shampoo that has become a cult favorite in the hair world for its ability to reduce hair breakage and strengthen damaged hair. It’s perfect for those struggling with rough, lifeless hair after coloring.

It’s made with coconut oil-derived surfactants instead of sulfates, so it’s gentler on the hair. It also has nourishing ingredients like sunflower seed oil, argan oil, rosemary, and camellia for extra softness and shine. Unlike many sulfate-free shampoos, this one creates a big, bubbly lather, making shower time extra satisfying.

Pros:

• Strengthens damaged strands.

• Reduces hair breakage.

• Botanical ingredients soften and smoothen the hair.

• Creates a bubbly lather.

Cons:

• Can leave your scalp itchy.

• Some users have reported hair thinning after using Olaplex.

5.  For Curls: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo

We can’t forget our curly-haired girls! For those with colored curls, the SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo is sure to be the perfect match. It’s filled to the brim with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, aloe, rosemary, hibiscus flower extracts, coconut, and more to boost hydration and curl definition. It also has silk protein to strengthen damaged locks.

The result? Clean, hydrated, frizz-free curls that put your dramatic color in the spotlight!

Pros:

• Packed with moisturizing botanical ingredients.

• Boosts curl definition.

• Smoothens the hair to control frizz.

Cons:

• You need to use a lot of shampoo for it to lather up well.

• Can cause hair thinning for some.

Switch to Sulfate-Free for Hair that Stays Vibrant for Longer!

Having clean, shiny hair and a bold, vibrant pop of color in your locks aren’t mutually exclusive. As long as you use a high-quality shampoo with zero sulfates, you can wash your hair at the end of the day without worrying about color fading. So, ditch those sulfated shampoos and switch to the best sulfate-free shampoo for colored hair you can find!

For more sulfate-free options, check out the COLORLOMO collection. Our products are designed with your electrifying, eye-catching hair color in mind, so our sulfate-free shampoos are made to enhance your color, never fade it.