Having beautiful, healthy hair is important to many people. However, maintaining dyed hair can be challenging, as the hair coloring and bleaching processes can damage hair over time. Choosing the right shampoo is key to keeping brown dyed hair looking its best. The ideal shampoo will cleanse hair without stripping color, while also depositing nourishing ingredients to repair damage and keep strands strong and shiny.
Shampoos to Avoid
When shopping for shampoo for colored hair, it’s important to avoid products that contain harsh sulfates like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These detergents can fade brown hair dye quickly by stripping the cuticle and allowing color molecules to wash away. Clarifying shampoos should also be avoided, as they are designed to deep clean by removing buildup, but will also strip away rich brown tones in the process.
Choose a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
The best shampoos for maintaining brown dyed hair are free of sulfates. Sulfate-free cleansers are gentler on hair, allowing it to retain more moisture and keep color looking vibrant for longer. Some great options include:
- SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Kristin Ess The One Signature Shampoo
- Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- Pureology Strength Cure Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Redken Brownlights Shampoo
These shampoos use mild coconut-derived cleansers to wash hair without stripping color. They also contain botanical extracts, proteins, and oils to condition and strengthen hair.
Look for Brown Hair Enhancing Ingredients
Certain ingredients can help enhance and prolong the life of brown hair dye. These include:
- Vegetable pigments: Plant-derived colorants like walnut shell and black tea extract deposit a sheer tint to refresh fading brown tones.
- UV filters: Ingredients like benzophenone-4 shield hair from fading by blocking UV rays.
- Keratin: This protein reinforces and repairs damage from dying and heat styling.
- Argan, coconut, and avocado oils: These oils add shine while controlling frizz.
Seeking out shampoos with these brown hair-friendly ingredients can help dyed hair stay vibrant and healthy between salon appointments.
Nourishing Conditioner
Using a rich conditioner in tandem with sulfate-free shampoo is also key for maintaining brown dyed hair. Conditioner helps replace moisture lost in the coloring process to keep strands strong and prevent breakage. It also smooths down the cuticle to lock in color and boost shine. Rotate between a weekly reparative mask for deep conditioning and a lighter daily conditioner.
Protective Styling
How you style and treat your hair also impacts how long your brown color will last. Heat styling and friction from brushing can cause color to fade faster. Here are some tips for protective styling:
- Allow hair to air dry when possible
- Always use a heat protectant before hot tools
- Opt for low-tension styles like braids or ponytails
- Sleep on a satin pillowcase
- Use a wet brush or wide-tooth comb for gentle detangling
Touch Up Roots Regularly
As your hair grows out, roots will start to show through and can make brown hair appear brassy. Seeing your colorist for a touch up around every 6-8 weeks will help keep your color uniform from roots to ends.
Gradual Root Concealers
If you can’t get to the salon as often as you’d like, temporary root concealers can mask grown out roots between appointments. There are powders, aerosol sprays, and root touch-up pens available. Just brush or spray them onto roots for quick coverage when you need it.
Clarifying Occasionally
While clarifying shampoos should be avoided for regular use, occasionally using one can be beneficial for dyed hair. Over time, residue from hair products and minerals in water can build up on strands and cause brown color to become dull or muted. A clarifying wash once a month removes buildup so color looks clean and bright again.
Add Shine Boosters
Dull, dry hair can make brown color look flat and lifeless. Using weekly shine treatments adds luminous brightness. Some options are rinse-out glosses, overnight masks, serum oils, and leave-in creams. Apply them evenly from roots to ends before shampooing.
Conclusion
Maintaining beautiful brown dyed hair requires a personalized regimen of sulfate-free shampoos, nourishing conditioners, protective styling, root touch ups, clarifying, and shine boosters. With the right products and techniques, your hair will look healthy, shiny, and color vibrant.
| Shampoo | Key Features |
|---|---|
| SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Sulfate-Free Shampoo | Sulfate-free, contains coconut oil & hibiscus extract |
| Kristin Ess The One Signature Shampoo | Sulfate-free, contains UV filters |
| Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo | Sulfate-free, contains Olaplex bond-building technology |
| Pureology Strength Cure Sulfate-Free Shampoo | Sulfate-free, contains phyto-keratin |
| Redken Brownlights Shampoo | Sulfate-free, deposits brown pigments |
This table summarizes some top-rated sulfate-free shampoos for brown dyed hair and their key features like hair-friendly oils, proteins, and color-enhancing technologies.
