If you’ve recently colored your hair or have made a habit of doing so, you may know that sulfate-free options are the best choice for your hair’s health. But out of all the options out there, which one is the best sulfate free shampoo for colored hair? I’m here to let you know.
Best Sulfate Free Shampoo for Colored Hair Reviews
1. Vitamins Keratin Shampoo Protein Hair Treatment [Best Choice]
This shampoo uses keratin to help reverse the effects of exposure to sun, chlorine, salt water, and any other damages that can happen on the daily. It works for all types of hair including curly, damaged, and color treated.
Herbal Optimization
It’s sulfate free and full of vitamins to help optimize the health of your hair. It’s also paraben free! Vitamins Keratin Shampoo uses essential oils and other herbal extracts to help heal and grow all hair types.
Salon Certainty
The shampoo is salon grade and formulated to rehydrate dry hair and scalp. It envelops each individual strand of hair to lock in moisture and elasticity.
Sizing and Use
The shampoo comes in an 8.5oz bottle. To use, apply a small amount of shampoo to your hair and massage into your scalp. Let sit for 2-3 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
Overall
This product really works wonders! It’s especially good for over-treated or heavily bleached hair. It cleans and lightens damaged hair and can visibly improve healthiness. No wonder it’s our favorite best sulfate free shampoo for colored hair.
2. Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
Luxe Organix Moroccan Oil Shampoo is recommended by salon stylists for all types of hair plus dandruff. It’s safe for colored and keratin-treated hair and is guaranteed not to strip color. It works for all hair types including dry and frizzy hair.
A Feel-Good Buy
This shampoo is made with premium ingredients and contains no alcohols. It’s also cruelty-free, and the business is woman-owned, and all products are made in the USA!
Safe for the Sensitive
This product is free of sodium chloride, parabens, and sulfate. This makes it perfect for treated hair and sensitive scalps and avoids any potential hair health issues such as drying.
Sizing and Use
It comes in 8oz and 16oz bottles. To use, wet your hair and massage the shampoo into your scalp. Because it has no sulfate, it may not lather or foam the way normal shampoo does. Then rinse.
Overall
This shampoo is incredible for fragile hair that tends to break or fly away. If you live in a hot, dry climate, you may want to try this shampoo to curb the effects of the climate.
3. Mixed Chicks Sulfate-Free Shampoo
This mild shampoo is designed not to strip the natural oils of your hair. This makes it perfect for wavy and curly hair as well as straight hair. Because it’s sulfate free, it’s ideal for colored and treated hair.
All-Natural Ingredients
It uses avocado oil, sweet almond oil, and aloe vera juice in addition to other natural oils to strengthen and keep your hair and scalp healthy. It also uses B vitamins to heal cracked and split hairs.
Made for Frizz
Mixed Chicks is a woman-owned business started to help women of mixed race find shampoos that fit their hair. This product works best to address dandruff and hair damage in curly and frizzy hair as well as weaves.
Sizing and Use
This product comes in a 10oz bottle. To use, wet hair and lather shampoo in. Rinse thoroughly.
Overall
This is a great product if you have natural hair or a weave. It cleans curly and frizzy hair great without stripping any natural oils or drying hair out!
4. Argan Oil Shampoo and Hair Conditioner Set
This product is formulated to help add shine and volume to dry and brittle hair. It’s also hypoallergenic and has no fragrance or artificial colors to go easy on sensitive skin. It’s also safe for colored and treated hair.
Healthy Ingredients
This set of shampoo and conditioner is made with jojoba oil, Morrocan argan oil, green tea, and sea buckthorn, so both are full of vitamins and minerals that are great for your hair. These oils nourish your hair and soothe your skin for soft, shiny skin and hair.
Whole-Picture Beauty
The set is made by Maple Holistics, who guarantee that their product is paraben free, silicone free, and sulfate free. They source all their ingredients naturally and commit to a holistic approach to beauty and wellness.
Sizing and Use
You can get the set in 8oz bottles or just the shampoo in 8oz and 16oz bottles. To use, wet your hair and then lather in the shampoo. Rinse thoroughly. To condition, smooth conditioner into wet hair and let sit for a few minutes before rinsing.
Overall
This set doesn’t stand out much. If you have heavily treated hair, it’s possible this will cause breakage and damage. This is a step up from drug store shampoos but doesn’t compare to a shampoo formulated for colored hair.
5. Natural Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Set
This set of shampoo and conditioner contains 100% pure Moroccan Argan oil and is enriched with vitamins and minerals to help fortify and heal your hair. It’s also anti-frizz, and it’s designed to repair the damage that comes from frequently bleaching or coloring hair!
Tons of Nutrients
Moroccan Argan oil is chock full of antioxidants, fatty acids, and tons of vitamin E. All these come together to heal dry, brittle hair and return volume and elasticity. It also contains Fibroin to help replenish the nutrients in your hair.
Italian Protection
The set is formulated in Italy and is SLS free and cruelty-free, and works with nanotechnology to shield your hair from dryness and breakage. It provides UV protection for your hair and your skin, which prevents color from fading.
Sizing and Use
It comes in a set of two 14oz bottles with pump tops. To use, massage the shampoo into your scalp and then rinse thoroughly. Follow up by working the conditioner into your hair and letting it sit for a minute or two before rinsing.
Overall
This product is excellent for keratin treated hair and very fine hair of all textures. It will return volume and shine to hair that may be depleted after treatment without making your hair heavy or greasy!
6. MAJESTIC PURE Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner
This set contains both shampoo and conditioner and works for both men and women. It’s formulated to heal dry scalps and promote hair growth using Tea Tree oil and other natural essences. It’s great for colored hair.
Great Ingredients, Great Smell
The Majestic Pure Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Conditioner both contain pure Tea Tree oil, which has antiseptic and antifungal properties to help fight dandruff. They also contain Argan oil, turmeric root extract, hibiscus rosa-sinesis extract, and ginseng root extract.
Good for Everyone
The set is sulfate and paraben free and is not tested on animals. It’s designed to protect color and works with all hair types to heal dry, itchy scalps.
Sizing and Use
The set comes in two 16oz bottles with pump tops. Use by lathering shampoo into wet hair and then rinsing thoroughly. Follow by working conditioner into hair and letting sit for a minute or two before rinsing.
Overall
This set works great for an itchy scalp and leaves your hair shiny and clean. The smell is pretty strong, which can be a good thing if you enjoy it. It’s gentle on colored hair and works well on curly and frizzy hair too.
7. ArtNaturals Purple Shampoo and Conditioner Set
This set is formulated specifically for bleached and silver hair to help balance the colors and tone and protect your hair from damage. The conditioner doesn’t strip and locks in color as it moisturizes.
Purple Wonder
The shampoo and conditioner contain coconut oil and are infused with vitamin E to revitalize and repair hair follicles. It also contains a violet pigment that interacts with bleached and silver hair to counteract strong yellow colors that may cause hair to look brassy or faded.
Color-Friendly
The shampoo is surfactant-free, which means it won’t strip color the way some drug store shampoos will. Instead, it helps maintain healthy color and texture and heals breakage and dry hair.
Sizing and Use
The set comes in two 16oz bottles. To use, wet your hair thoroughly and apply the shampoo, lathering from roots to ends. Leave in for 1-2 minutes and then rinse and follow with conditioner, using the same method.
Overall
This shampoo is amazing for bleach blonde and platinum hair. If left in too long, it may leave a purple hint, but it will supplement your color and bring out the shine. Be careful! This shampoo may stain showers or clothes due to the purple pigment.
8. Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste
Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste contains morpho-keratin, a high-protein compound that claims to revitalize your hair after treatment or coloring. It should also smooth your hair to make it easy to brush and restore lightness and weightlessness.
Surface Care
Kerastase’s claim to fame is the morpho-keratin, which is supposed to nourish the fiber of your hair to restore bounce and shine. After using, your hair should be smooth and easy to brush.
False Promises
Beware! This shampoo claims to be sulfate free but does contain sodium lauryl sulfoacetate and disodium laureth sulfosuccinate.
Sizing and Use
The shampoo comes in an 8.5oz bottle. To use, wet hair and apply a quarter-sized amount. Massage into your scalp to a lather and then rinse thoroughly.
Overall
Definitely not a great choice, as this appears to be a fake product that doesn’t contain keratin. Most users reported that the smell was off and the product didn’t perform like it claimed it would.
9. Luseta Color Brightening Purple Shampoo and Conditioner Set
This set of shampoo and conditioner is made especially for blonde and gray hair to balance color and eliminate yellow notes. The conditioner gives your hair a glossy note and also protects from environmental damages.
Free and Clear
This product is pH balanced as well as phosphate, paraben, and sulfate free. They don’t use any synthetic ingredients, and the formula is inspired by the high standard of salon grade shampoos.
Coco-nuts for Oil
The key ingredient in this set of shampoo and conditioner is coconut oil, which contains vitamins and antioxidants as well as fatty acids, all of which help nourish and heal your hair. It also repairs split ends and gives a glossy appearance.
Sizing and Use
The set comes in 1.01oz, 16.9oz, and 33.8oz bottles. Use by wetting hair and massaging the shampoo into your hair, then rinsing thoroughly. Follow with the conditioner by squeezing any extra water out of your hair and then applying the conditioner evenly into your hair. Massage and rinse.
Overall
This product is ideal for platinum and gray/white hair! It supplements the color wonderfully and doesn’t leave a tint or any residue. It’s a bit on the expensive side but definitely worth it!
10. Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
This set is designed for colored and keratin-treated hair. It contains thermal and UV protectors to hold in color and prevent damage. It softens your hair with Moroccan Argan oil and restores moisture to dry hair.
Positively Perfect
These products use Morrocan Argan oil because it contains so many vitamins and antioxidants that help nourish and repair your hair. It works exceptionally well with curly and frizzy hair, as well as particularly fine hair.
No Harmful Chemicals
Neither product contains parabens, sulfates, gluten, photholates, or sodium chloride. This prevents drying, color loss, and potential health side effects.
Sizing and Use
The set comes in two 16.9oz bottles. To use, brush your hair before wetting it completely. Massage shampoo into your hair and then rinse thoroughly, then follow with shampoo.
Overall
This product is pretty awesome and can repair even the most treated and bleached hair after only a couple uses. It smells great, too!
11. L’Oreal Paris EverPure DUO set shampoo + conditioner
This set is formulated with rosemary and juniper botanicals to hydrate and protect your hair. It’s designed to help keep your hair from fading and preserve color purity.
Filters for Good
The shampoo and conditioner contain UV filters to help protect your color from fading due to sunlight and the protective formulas are designed to preserve the brilliance of freshly dyed hair.
Keep Colors Bright
This product is sulfate free and is not tested on animals. It can be used on any color hair, but it’s best used with cold water to preserve the integrity of bright colors.
Sizing and Use
The set comes in two 8.5oz bottles. To use, wet hair completely and massage the shampoo in. Rinse thoroughly. Follow with conditioner by massaging in from scalp to ends and letting sit for 1-2 minutes before rinsing.
Overall
This is great for colored hair, especially hair that is naturally oilier. For the most part, it does an excellent job of preserving the color, although some people saw color degradation over a period of a few months.
Best Sulfate Free Shampoo for Colored Hair – The Winner
So who did we like best? Definitely Vitamins Keratin Shampoo Protein Hair Treatment. It does a great job of repairing hair damaged due to coloring, and the protein strengthens your hair as you apply. It worked wonders for our hair and visibly made hair healthier within a few days of using.
What is the Difference Between Regular and Sulfate-Free Shampoo?
To understand the difference, you should know what sulfates are. In the simplest terms, sulfates are responsible for creating suds.
“Sulfates” is a term that refers to a variety of surfactants, such as detergents and emulsifiers, which attract oil and water for a thorough cleansing.
Regular shampoos, face washes, toothpastes, and body washes will contain sulfates. This is why they bubble up so well and so effectively clean away oils on skin and hair.
What Does it Mean for a Shampoo to be Sulfate-Free?
The 3 most common sulfates found in cosmetic products like shampoo are:
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
- Ammonium laureth sulfate (ALES)
A true sulfate-free shampoo will not contain these additives, which can strip hair of artificial color, dry out hair follicles and even irritate the scalp.
One downside of regular shampoos is that the sulfates present in them are really good cleansers – so good that they strip hair of its natural oils. This is why even your healthy, untreated hair can feel brittle and coarse after a shower.
Sulfates sap oils away from the scalp and hair follicles so that, even when paired with a great conditioning product, hair can feel lifeless and straw-like.
When Should You Choose Sulfate-Free Shampoo Over Regular Shampoo?
In most cases, regular shampoos are completely fine to use. If you’ve got oily hair, especially if it is fine in texture, a regular shampoo could actually produce better results than a sulfate-free alternative.
Dry, thick and color-treated hair benefit from sulfate-free shampooing. You may also want to switch to sulfate-free alternatives if you have very sensitive skin on your scalp.
The 3 sulfates listed above can be very aggravating to sensitive skin, potentially even causing redness and itching.
What Hair Types Benefit the Most from Sulfate-Free Shampoo?
One of the biggest groups of people to use sulfate-free products are those with color-treated hair.
Semi-permanent and permanent hair colors alike can be stripped away and made to look faded by sulfates. Going sulfate-free helps to keep a person’s hair color lustrous and vibrant for longer.
If you have hair that is dry and difficult to moisturize, such as kinky or very thick hair, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners could help restore the quality of your hair tremendously.
With these hair types, their textures make it more difficult for natural, hydrating oils to make their way down from the scalp to the lengths of the follicles.
Because sulfate-free shampoos don’t aggressively absorb and whisk away these oils, the entirety of the person’s mane can receive the oils from the scalp.
Q&A
Why is Sulfate Bad for Your Hair?
Sulfate strips your hair of its natural oils in order to remove grease and dirt. This weakens your hair and can dry it out as well. It can also cause hair loss due to damages.
Does Sulfate-Free Shampoo Make Your Hair Greasy?
Sulfate-free shampoo may not remove as much oil as SLS shampoos, but this doesn’t mean it will make your hair greasy. Avoid moisturizing shampoos as these often will make your hair heavier and may leave a residue.
Does Sulfate-Free Shampoo Stop Hair Loss?
It will definitely stop any hair loss caused by sulfate shampoos. It may not stop natural hair loss due to age or sickness, but it will prevent and reverse the effects of sulfate shampoos.
Can I Wash My Hair Every Day with Sulfate-Free Shampoo?
Yes, most sulfate-free shampoos are safe to use every day. Look for pH balanced shampoos with natural ingredients to avoid damaging your hair with acids or chemicals. Sulfate-free shampoos are actually better to use every day because they’re less damaging than sulfate shampoos.
How Do You Wash Your Hair With Sulfate-Free Shampoo?
Use it the same way you would use regular shampoo, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t lather. Sulfate-free shampoos typically don’t foam the same way sulfate shampoos do, but this doesn’t mean they’re not working.
Should Fine Hair Be Washed Every Day?
If you are using a sulfate-free shampoo that is gentle on your hair, it may help to wash fine hair every day to maintain volume and cleanliness.
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