Hair color is an important part of many people’s style and self-expression. However, coloring hair can damage strands and cause color to fade quickly. Colour Protect shampoo is specially formulated to cleanse color-treated hair gently while depositing pigments to help extend the life of hair color. Keep reading to learn more about how Colour Protect works and its key ingredients.
How Colour Protect Works
Colour Protect shampoo is designed to cleanse hair without stripping color. It contains mild cleansers like cocamidopropyl betaine that remove dirt and oil without overly drying hair. The formula also includes conditioning agents like cetrimonium chloride and behentrimonium methosulfate which help maintain moisture levels.
While cleansing gently, Colour Protect shampoo also contains color-locking technology. Optical brighteners in the formula help seal in dye molecules and reflect light, boosting vibrancy. Pigments are also deposited onto strands during the wash to reinforce existing hair color. With continued use, these mechanisms work together to help extend the life of hair color treatments.
Key Ingredients in Colour Protect Shampoo
Surfactants
Surfactants are cleansing agents that remove dirt, debris, and buildup without over-stripping hair. Colour Protect shampoo contains milder surfactants like:
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate
- Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate
These surfactants cleanse gently to avoid rapid fading of hair color.
Conditioners
Conditioning agents in Colour Protect shampoo help counteract any drying effects of cleansing. These ingredients nourish strands and lock in moisture to maintain the integrity of hair:
- Cetrimonium chloride
- Behentrimonium methosulfate
- Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine
By conditioning while cleansing, these ingredients allow for a thorough wash without compromising the health of color-treated hair.
Optical Brighteners
Optical brighteners are ingredients that reflect light to enhance the appearance of color. The optical brighteners in Colour Protect shampoo include:
- Distyryl biphenyl disulfonate
- Tinopal CBS-X
These compounds help seal in dye molecules and make color appear more vivid and lasting.
Pigments
Colour Protect shampoo contains pigments that coat the hair and fill any gaps in color to maintain rich, consistent color between salon visits. Pigments like:
- Red 6
- Red 17
- Yellow 5
- Blue 1
Help reinforce and boost existing undertones in hair color for a longer lasting finish.
Silicones
Silicones like dimethicone and amodimethicone provide a protective layer to lock in moisture and prevent fading. These water-resistant ingredients shield hair from environmental factors that can strip color like sun exposure, hard water minerals, and chlorine.
Benefits of Using Colour Protect Shampoo
Using Colour Protect shampoo provides the following benefits for color-treated hair:
- Gently cleanses without stripping color
- Locks in dye molecules and enhances vibrancy
- Deposits pigments to reinforce existing hair color
- Maintains moisture levels to keep hair healthy
- Protects against UV rays, hard water, and chlorine
- Extends time between color appointments
- Prevents brassiness and dullness
- Prolongs the life of hair color treatments
How to Use
Using Colour Protect shampoo is simple:
- Wet hair thoroughly under the shower.
- Apply a quarter-sized amount of Colour Protect shampoo to the hands and work through the hair from roots to ends.
- Massage gently to form a rich lather allowing the formula to penetrate the hair.
- Let the shampoo sit for 1-2 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
- Follow with Colour Protect conditioner.
For best results, use Colour Protect shampoo at least every other wash or up to 3 times per week. Using the shampoo more frequently helps better protect color molecules and provide continual color reinforcement.
Color Types It Works Best With
Colour Protect shampoo is effective at protecting all permanent, demi-permanent, and semi-permanent hair dye colors. The color locking and reinforcing ingredients help maintain vivid, long-lasting results no matter what type of hair color you use. It works well to maintain:
- Brightness and depth of permanent colors
- Vibrancy of demi-permanent colors
- Intensity of semi-permanent fashion colors
Colour Protect is also beneficial for naturally pigmented hair like blondes and grey coverage to prevent dullness and brassiness.
Before and After Results
With continued use of Colour Protect shampoo 2-3 times per week, most people see a noticeable improvement in the vibrancy, longevity, and fade-resistance of hair color treatments. Here are some common before and after results:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Faded red dye | Vibrant, vivid red |
| Warm, brassy blonde | Cool, bright blonde |
| Dull grey coverage | Shiny, vibrant grey coverage |
| Muddy, uneven permanent color | Smooth, rich permanent color |
As the results demonstrate, Colour Protect shampoo can significantly improve the appearance, consistency, and longevity of hair color treatments.
How Long Does it Last?
When used as directed, Colour Protect shampoo can extend the life of hair color treatments by 4-8 weeks. Permanent hair dye results typically begin to fade after 4-6 weeks as the chemicals in the dye break down and are washed away. Using Colour Protect every time you shampoo allows the color-depositing ingredients to take effect, protecting and reinforcing dye molecules. This strengthens the bonds of color within the hair, preventing fading and increasing color retention significantly.
Is Colour Protect Shampoo Damaging?
Colour Protect shampoo is specifically formulated to be gentle on color-treated hair. The mild surfactants and conditioning agents allow for thorough cleansing without dehydrating or stripping strands. The ingredients reinforce rather than alter hair structure and chemistry, working with your existing color rather than further processing the hair.
With its gentle, nutritive formula, Colour Protect shampoo should not cause damage with recommended use. It is generally safe for daily use on all color-treated hair types. However, it is still wise to limit use to 2-3 times per week and incorporate occasional deep conditioning treatments for optimal hair health.
Things to Keep in Mind
While Colour Protect shampoo helps extend the life of hair color, there are a few things to keep in mind for optimal results:
- Avoid shampoos with sulfates, salt, and chlorine which can strip color more rapidly
- Limit use of hot styling tools which can fade hair over time
- Rinse with cool water and avoid over-washing
- Use a leave-in conditioner and masks to maintain moisture
- Get regular trims to remove split ends and keep hair healthy
- Protect hair from sun exposure with hats or protective sprays
Combining Colour Protect shampoo with good haircare practices can help you get the most mileage out of your color treatments.
Conclusion
Colour Protect shampoo is an effective product for protecting, reinforcing, and extending the life of hair color treatments. Its color-depositing and locking ingredients work together to keep dyed hair looking vibrant for weeks longer. With results lasting 4-8 weeks longer than unprotected hair, Colour Protect is ideal for maintaining salon fresh color in between appointments. If you invest time and money into coloring your hair, incorporating this color-safe shampoo into your routine is a worthwhile step for keeping your tresses looking their best.