If youve ever decided to use hair dye to colour your hair but instantly regretted it then dont worry, because weve got you covered with the best shampoo for stripping hair colour. Trust us, weve all been there. Gradually fading an unwanted hair colour with shampoo is a gentle and easy way to get your hair back to how you want it.
Looking to prep your hair before an exciting trip to the hairdresser? Adding a clarifying shampoo into your daily hair care routine will ensure any unwanted colour will slowly start to disappear. Youll be back to your dream colour in no time.
The best shampoo for stripping hair colour at a glance: In a hurry? Check out our shortlist of the best shampoo for stripping hair colour.
Editors Choice: Faith in Nature Natural Tea Tree Cleansing Shampoo, £8.79 on Amazon
Best salon quality shampoo: Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Three, £13.30 on Amazon
Best budget shampoo: Noughty Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo, £7.98 on Amazon
Maybe youre wanting to remove a particular tone from your hair by applying a hair toner, or youre eventually looking to lighten your hair with a blonde hair dye. Before this, you can try to remove the colour as much as possible with a colour-stripping shampoo.
Its a particularly good method for those whove previously dyed their hair with black hair dye or red hair dye, as these colours are notoriously hard to remove. Thats why weve found the best shampoo for stripping hair colour, and treatments designed to gently help remove unwanted colour without the worry of damaging your hair.
SHOP: The best shampoo for stripping hair colour 1. Faith in Nature Natural Tea Tree Cleansing Shampoo
Editors Choice
Price:6.99View offer Description
Faith in Nature is a vegan-friendly and cruelty-free brand that uses natural ingredients within
... read morePros ConsProsVegan-friendlyNatural ingredientsParaben-free and SLS freeConsScent might not be appealing to all2. Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Three
Best salon quality shampoo
Rrp: £12.21View offerAlternative retailersBeauty Expert£12.50View offerHQhair.com£12.50View offerSephora£12.85View offerAllbeauty£12.95View offer Description
One thats often used in salons is Paul Mitchell, so if youre wanting the salon experience from
... read morePros ConsProsCruelty-freeDeeply cleans and removes residue from chlorine salt, iron and mineralsRemoves chlorine tint on hairConsMay be drying on the hair3. Noughty Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo
Best budget shampoo
Price:7.99View offer Description
A vegan-friendly shampoo ideal for deeply cleansing and clarifying the hair. This shampoo is
... read morePros ConsProsVegan-friendly Made without any parabens, sulphates or siliconesSuitable for regular useConsMay be drying on the hair4. Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo
Best trending shampoo
Price:26www.bumbleandbumble.co.uk
View offer Description
Use this weekly detoxifying shampoo treatment to remove buildup, residue and unwanted colour. The
... read morePros ConsProsCruelty-freeStill retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hairSuitable for all hair typesConsDoes contain sulphates5. Head and Shoulders Itch Relief Anti Dandruff Shampoo
Best stripping shampoo
Price:5.99www.superdrug.com
View offer Description
Anti-dandruff shampoos are some of the best for stripping colour, so its no surprise that Head
... read morePros ConsProsTargets the root cause of dandruffScalp feels refreshed after useSilicone-free and pH balancedConsMay be drying on the hair6. OLAPLEX No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo
Best bond maintenance shampoo
Rrp: £22.48View offerAlternative retailersBeauty Expert£25.47View offerHQhair.com£25.47View offerDebenhams UK£28.00View offerBeauty Bay£28.00View offer Description
If youre wanting to cleanse your hair while supporting the bond maintenance of your hair then
... read morePros ConsProsVegan-friendly and cruelty-freeSupports strong bonds as you cleanseMade without any parabens, sulphates or siliconesConsMay be drying on the hair7. OGX Teatree and Mint Shampoo
Best refreshing shampoo
Price:12.97View offerAlternative retailersSephora£7.99View offer Description
Give your hair a really deep cleanse with this soothing and calming shampoo from OGX. This shampoo
... read morePros ConsProsEncourages clean and healthy hair whilst improving the condition Scalp feels refreshed after useSulphate-freeConsScent might not be appealing to all8. OSMO Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo
Best softening shampoo
Rrp: £6.75View offer Description
A hydrating shampoo that deeply detoxifies the scalp and helps to remove any artificial colour and
... read morePros ConsProsStill retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hairHas a pleasing and fresh scent Only need a small amount at a timeConsNot the fastest way to remove colour, best to use it as a weekly treatment9. LOréal Professionel Curl Expression
Best shampoo for curly hair
Rrp: £14.20View offerAlternative retailersSephora£17.30View offerLookfantastic£18.59View offerBoots£20.65View offer Description
Clarifying shampoo for gals with curly hair. A hydrating shampoo to gently cleanse and diminish
... read morePros ConsProsMaintains the health of curly hairSuitable for those with curly, wavy and textured hairEnriched formula helps to nourish the hairConsScent might not be appealing to all10. OUAI Detox Shampoo Clarifying Cleanse
Best detox shampoo
Rrp: £28.00View offerAlternative retailersBeauty Expert£24.00View offerHQhair.com£24.00View offerLookfantastic£28.00View offerCult Beauty£28.00View offer Description
Were expecting big things with the OUAI Clarifying Detox Shampoo. This concentrated shampoo with
... read morePros ConsProsReviews say it removes colourSuitable for all hair typesSuitable for regular useConsA more premium product11. Manic Panic Prepare To Dye Clarifying Shampoo
Best for excess colour build up
Rrp: £13.83View offer Description
The perfect pre-colour treatment shampoo to use before your colour appointment. If youre looking
... read morePros ConsProsActs as a pre-colour treatmentStill retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hairLeaves the hair feeling clean after useConsScent might not be appealing to all12. Beauty Works Clarifying Shampoo
Best shampoo for extensions
Price:11.50www.beautybay.com
View offer Description
This is a great deep cleansing treatment to use before using hair colour or before hair extension
... read morePros ConsProsVegan-friendly Great for those with or without hair extensionsMade without any parabens, sulphates or siliconesConsMay feel heavy on the hair How does shampoo strip hair colour? Not only are there shampoos out there that can tone your hair, like purple shampoo for blonde hair, but there are also shampoos that can actually strip your hair colour. Enter colour-stripping shampoo. The best shampoo for stripping hair colour works to dissolve artificial pigmentation in the hair by penetrating the hair shaft
Some shampoos with powerful formulas, like certain anti-dandruff shampoos, contain ingredients that are strong enough to strip hair colour. These ingredients such as zinc pyrithione or sulfates can fade hair colour faster. The likes of dyed red hair tend to fade the fastest out of all of the colours, which is why there are shampoos out there made especially to enhance coloured hair, much like shampoo for red hair.
If youre looking to lift the colour, a colour-stripping shampoo does so gradually over time with minimal damage. It wont exactly have the effect of bleach, but it might lift a shade lighter. Unfortunately, if youre wanting blonde tresses, itll definitely take bleach or a semi-permanent hair dye to achieve enviable blonde hair like Holly Willoughby.
Why use a shampoo to strip hair colour? Celebrity hairdresser, Josh Wood, offers informative guides on his website so we know how to look after our hair at home, but to salon quality.
He writes, You might have heard myths of washing up liquid remedying a stranger’s car-crash colour, but believe us, it isn’t that simple. If you’re desperate for an at-home solution, a clarifying shampoo can soften colour build-up and reduce dulling and tonal changes. But, this supposed quick fix shouldn’t be banked on too often. Avoid using too regularly, however, as they can strip the natural oils from the scalp, causing irritation and flakiness.
Top tip: Keep an eye out for a shampoo designed to clarify the hair. These promise to remove any product build-up, along with any unwanted colour.
Georgia Scott is a beauty and fashion product writer writing across brands such as heat, Closer, Grazia and Yours specialising in all things lifestyle and trending. Before starting at Bauer, Georgia completed her degree in Journalism at University and worked as a retail beauty advisor and make-up artist.
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