The 20 Best Shampoos for Colored Hair Byrdie Editors Swear By

Best Overall

K18 Peptide Prep pH Maintenance Shampoo

$36 at Amazon $23 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: K18 peptide, cocamidopropyl betaine | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus | Size: 8.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This shampoo took the top spot because of its ability to improve everything from dryness, damage, shine, static and color vibrancy. We saw a difference after just one wash and it only got better as we continued to use it. It uses the patented K18 peptide to limit protein loss while washing and maintain each individual strand’s strength, resulting in an overall healthier and thicker looking head of hair. The pH in the formula was created to align with our own hair and scalp’s natural pH to keep the scalp’s protective barrier functioning and prevent the cuticles from swelling. We especially loved how it reversed the negative effectives of washing your hair in hard water and the toll pollution takes on our hair.

Runner-Up, Best Overall

Color Wow Color Security Shampoo

$24 at Amazon $11 at Sephora $21 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate and sodium cocoyl glycinate | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Mild | Size: 8.4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

While this shampoo works for straight and curly hair alike, the fact that it doesn’t leave any residue makes it the ideal choice for those who find their hair gets greasy quickly. Switching up your shampoo for this option means you may be able to extend the days in between washes—therefore saving you time and lessening the amount of heat styling on your hair . Suitable for all hair types, it is also safe to use on keratin treated hair and extensions. 

Best Bond Builder

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

$30 at Amazon $15 at Sephora $30 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Original | Size: 3.3 or 8.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Olaplex is a mainstay in the hair coloring world; there’s both a reparative in-salon treatment that many colorists use while coloring, as well as a beloved at-home version. The shampoo offers similar benefits, working to rebuild the hair bonds that are broken during the color process so that strands stay ultra-strong and healthy. That alone earns it top honors on this list, but we can’t fail to mention that while it’s sulfate-free—essential criteria for any type of color-safe shampoo—it still foams up nicely and rinses completely cleanly.

We tried out Olaplex’s Bond Maintenance System Kit (which includes the Bond Maintenance Shampoo along with the Bond Maintenance Conditioner and Hair Perfector mask) and gave it a perfect five-star rating. The shampoo thoroughly cleansed our hair without leaving it feeling stripped and kept our hair feeling fresher, longer.

Read Full Review: The Olaplex Bond Maintenance System Kit Transformed My Hair

Best Budget

Love Beauty And Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Blooming Color Shampoo

$15 at Amazon $9 at Target $9 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Murumuru butter and coconut oil | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Rose | Size: 32.2 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The sulfate-free formula keeps hair super shiny, so the color looks bright and fresh. It also has plant-based detangling ingredients to ward off snarls and add a glossy sheen, leaving color-treated hair soft and manageable. But honestly, the best part may be the rose fragrance that elicits tons of compliments every time we use it.

Best for Fine Hair

L'Oreal Paris Thickening Shampoo

$9 at Amazon $9 at Target $9 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Rosemary leaf oil | Hair Type: Fine, thin | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Mint | Size: 8.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For those who color their hair but are also constantly trying to bulk up and style fine strands, this pick is the best choice. Sulfate-free, it cleanses beautifully (and foams up great!), while the formula also helps to boost volume and prevent further breakage from coloring. The minty-rosemary scent is fresh and invigorating—great for sleepy mornings—and we’d be remiss not to mention the affordable price, too.

Best for Dry Hair

R+Co Gemstone Color Shampoo

$34 at Amazon $33 at Dermstore $18 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Lychee extract, vitamin E, okra seed extract, and sunflower seed extract | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Earthy | Size: 8.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

To keep your shade vibrant and your mane nice and moisturized, reach for this sudser. It boasts a litany of good-for-your-hair ingredients—namely antioxidant-rich lychee extract, okra seed extract, vitamin E, and sunflower seed extract. It will help add shine and fight static, all while conditioning and moisturizing your color-treated locks. We’ve seen a noticeable difference after only one wash, just saying.

Best for Curly Hair

Briogeo Curl Charisma Shampoo

$28 at Sephora $28 at Ulta $28 at Dermstore

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, tomato fruit ferment, shea butter, and avocado oil | Hair Type: Curly, coily | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Avocado | Size: 2 to 33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This gentle, sulfate-free formula from Briogeo was developed with waves, curls, and coiled textures in mind and is fortified with hair-loving ingredients like rice amino acids, tomato fruit ferment, shea butter, and avocado oil. The hair is left nourished and hydrated, and the natural curl pattern is more defined.

Best for Thick Hair

OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo

$32 at Amazon $32 at Sephora $32 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Marshmallow root extract, shea butter, and avocado oil | Hair Type: Thick | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Floral | Size: 10 or 32 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Those lucky enough to have been born with thick hair will know that while it’s great for creating volume, it can also be hard work come wash day. Formulated with thicker hair textures in mind, this shampoo from OUAI is rich in hydrating ingredients like marshmallow root extract, shea butter, and avocado oil. The ultra-nourishing formula works to detangle and boost shine while keeping static at bay, plus it’s sulfate-free, meaning it’s safe for color-treated hair, to boot.

Best for Natural Hair

GIRL+HAIR CLEANSE+ Moisturizing Shampoo

$14 at Amazon $14 at Target

Key Ingredients: Shea butter and tea tree oil | Hair Type: Curly, coily | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Minty | Size: 10.1 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Natural hair requires a whole different kind of washing and styling protocol, so for colored kinky, coiled hair, reach for this mega-gentle cleanser. It starts as water, turns into a rich foam, and leaves curls, which can be innately drier and more prone to damage than straight strands with plenty of moisture. In short, it doesn't strip natural oils or color. There's also shea butter and tea tree oil in the mix, and it'll help nourish both your locks and your scalp. This gentle shampoo is the perfect choice for those with sensitive scalps that find regular shampoos cause them irritation. The formula was created with delicate skin in mind, making it safe for anyone with eczema, psoriasis, or dry, flaky skin. 

Best Customizable

Function of Beauty Pro Bond Repair Custom Shampoo

$24 at Sephora

Hair Type: Straight, Color-treated | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Key Ingredients: Adaptive f3 bonding complex, glutamic acid from hydrolyzed quinoa | Scent: Floral | Size: 11 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Function of Beauty is all about customizable haircare because not all colored hair is alike. The brand's pro line features an adaptive bonding complex which directly targets each strand to repair mechanical, chemical, and heat damage. On top of that, you can buy "beauty shots" that you add to the shampoo to provide extra benefits like shine, volume, hydration, curl definition and more, depending on what your hair needs. After making her own custom formula, associate commerce editor Emily Cieslak fell in love with the shampoo. "I regularly bleach my hair, and this shampoo leaves my hair soft, tangle-free, and shiny," she says. "It also makes my blonde brighter without making it too ashy, which I love. The soft floral fragrance is amazing, too." Cieslak uses the straight hair shampoo, but there's also formulas for wavy, curly, and coily hair.

Best for Damaged Hair

Living Proof Restore Shampoo

$34 at Amazon $34 at Sephora $34 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Proprietary amino cleansing complex, glutamic acid-based emollient, and phytantriol | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Original | Size: 8 or 24 ouncs | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Living Proof relies on a “Patented Healthy Hair Molecule” created by MIT scientists, so you know it’s going to be legit. The formula aims to restore dry and damaged hair cuticles right away while helping to ward off future damage. Yes, please. Not to mention that it also repels dirt and oil so that you can stretch out washes further, always a boon when you have colored hair.

Best for Blonde Hair

Amika Bust Your Brass Shampoo

$28 at Amazon $28 at Sephora $28 at Kohls.com

Key Ingredients: Quinoa protein and plant butters | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Original | Size: 8 or 33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Blondes are more susceptible to dealing with all kinds of color fading and changes, namely unwanted brassy tones that can make cooler blonde shades appear dingy. Purple shampoo can instantly fix any brassiness, and after testing 26 different purple shampoos, Amika's is one of our favorites. This violet-based shampoo works to instantly counteract those orange and brassy undertones and leaves any cool blonde shade refreshed and revived. It’s a great choice for those with gray hair, too. While a lot of purple shampoos tend be drying and hard to wash out, this one was easy to rinse out, left our hair moisturized, and didn't stain our skin or bathroom.

Best Splurge

Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo

$53 at Amazon $21 at Sephora $53 at Dermstore

Key Ingredients: Biotin, plant collagen, and niacinamide | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Floral | Size: 2.5, 8.5, or 33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Gentle and reparative, this rejuvenating shampoo helps combat split ends, dryness, and breakage and even addresses a dry and flaky scalp. It’s splurgy, yes, but the brand’s Bio-Restorative Complex and Signature Complex—packed with ingredients like biotin, plant collagen, and niacinamide—make it well worth the investment. Plus, it smells incredible, thanks to bergamot, jasmine, and sandalwood.

Best Drugstore

Pantene Illuminating Color Care Shampoo

$50 at Amazon $9 at Target $15 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Biotin | Hair Type: Fine, thin | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Floral/citrus | Size: 9.6 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Devoted drugstore shampoo users will love this formula, but it’s so good that even those who use salon brands exclusively should give it a try. Color-safe and sulfate-free, the formula aims to strengthen and support hair health. Plus, the floral and citrus fragrance is sophisticated yet never cloying.

Best for Sensitive Scalp

Innersense Color Awakening Hairbath

$30 at Amazon $30 at Ulta $41 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, pumpkin seed oil, and shea butter | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus | Size: 10 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

There is nothing worse than an itchy scalp and if you find most shampoos leave you irritated then this hairbath could be the soothing option you have been searching for.  Formulated with organic ingredients including honey, coconut, and pumpkin seed oils to improve luster, it gently cleanses your hair without any unnecessary harsh ingredients. The creamy texture safeguards your shade and leaves your strands looking—and feeling—strong and healthy. It'll help boost hydration, shine, smoothness, and manageability while keeping flyaways at bay.

Best Dry Shampoo

Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo for Dark Tones

$26 at Amazon $12 at Sephora $12 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Argan oil | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Original | Size: 1.7 or 5.4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As we said, the longer you can go without washing your hair, the longer your color will last. That's where the beauty of a great dry shampoo, like this guy, comes in. It uses rice starch to do the dry shampoo thing—remove excess oil—but it's also infused with argan oil and leaves the hair hydrated and shiny, not dull. This variant is made for dark tones (so don't worry, it won't leave behind a chalky residue), but there's also an option for light tones with subtle violet pigments that knock out brassiness and keep your blonde fresh.

Best for Oily Hair

Biolage Scalpsync Cooling Mint Shampoo

$24 at Amazon $21 at Walmart View on Beautycarechoices.com

Key Ingredients: Mint leaf | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Mint | Size: 13.5 and 33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Those with naturally oily hair know all too well the feeling of washing your hair in the morning only to have it turn greasy by the evening. This shampoo has been specially designed to cleanse excess oil from the scalp to maximize how long your roots stay clean for, therefore reducing how often you need to wash your hair. The mint leaf inside this shampoo not only smells incredible, but it also helps remove excess oil (both from the hair and scalp) and leaves a deeply cooling sensation. The results leave your hair feeling extra clean, refreshed, and healthier than ever.

Best for Dandruff

Jupiter Balancing Shampoo

$32 at Amazon $25 at Hellojupiter.com $32 at Macy's

Key Ingredients: Zinc pyrithione, squalane, coconut oil, and sugar kelp extract | Hair Type: All, especially oily and dry scalp | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Mint, vanilla, sage, and lavender | Size: 9.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This is the shampoo you need to keep dandruff under control and never let it take the shine off your new dye job again. Jupiter's Balancing Dandruff Shampoo is a cruelty-free scalp treatment that uses an FDA-approved OTC active ingredient, zinc pyrithione, to tackle dandruff from the root. Any issues you have from dandruff, whether it be a dry scalp, itching, or excess oil, will equally be treated with every wash. We noticed an improvement in itchiness after just one wash, and our scalp was complety flake-free after using this shampoo for 12 weeks.

Read Full Review: I Tried This Scalp Care System and It Made My Seborrheic Dermatitis Disappear

Best for Red Hair

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo

$26 at Amazon $26 at Ulta $25 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Protein complex, hydrolyzed soy protein | Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Cherry | Size: 33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Shades of red were all you saw on your social media feeds this year. To keep the red color at its full vibrancy, it is important to invest in your hair. Anyone looking to achieve a salon style finish from the comfort of their own home will love how the RCT protein complex in this shampoo nourishes the hair from root to tip to leave it looking healthier and stronger, while amino acids seal in color to limit fading.

MATRIX Total Results Brass Off Shampoo

View on Ulta $20 at Amazon $40 at Ulta

Hair Type: Color-treated | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Key Ingredients: Blue-violet pigments, castor oil | Scent: Vanilla-rose | Size: 10.1–33.8 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Think of blue shampoo in the same light as purple shampoo: It counteracts any brassiness, except on brown hair. On the color well, orange is the opposite of blue, so blue works to neutralize the unwanted tones in your hair. This shampoo from Matrix is one of the best blue shampoos on the market simply because of its benefits outside of color correcting. If you want a shampoo that also strengthens and improves hair health, this is your best bet.