Decided to use hair dye to colour your hair but instantly regret it? We've all been there. Or are you looking to prep your hair before an exciting trip to the hairdresser? Don't worry, we've got you covered with the best shampoo for stripping hair colour.
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.
Editor's Choice: Faith in Nature Natural Tea Tree Cleansing Shampoo - View offer on Amazon UK
Best salon quality shampoo: Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Three - View offer on Amazon UK
Best budget shampoo: Noughty Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo - View offer on Amazon UK
Gradually fading an unwanted hair colour with shampoo is a gentle and easy way to get your hair back to how you want. Adding a clarifying shampoo into your daily hair care routine will ensure any unwanted colour will slowly start to disappear.
Back to our round-up. Maybe you're wanting to remove a particular tone from your hair by applying a hair toner, or 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.
It's a particularly good method for those who've previously dyed their hair with black hair dye or red hair dye, as these colours are notoriously hard to remove. That's why we've 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
Editor's Choice
on sale
Description
Faith in Nature is a vegan-friendly and cruelty-free brand that uses natural ingredients within
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Natural ingredients
- Paraben-free and SLS free
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all
Best salon quality shampoo
on sale
Description
One that's often used in salons is Paul Mitchell, so if you're wanting the salon experience from
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Deeply cleans and removes residue from chlorine salt, iron and minerals
- Removes chlorine tint on hair
Cons
- May be drying on the hair
Best trending shampoo
on sale
www.bumbleandbumble.co.uk
Description
Use this weekly detoxifying shampoo treatment to remove buildup, residue and unwanted colour. The
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons
- Does contain sulphates
Best budget shampoo
on sale
Description
A vegan-friendly shampoo ideal for deeply cleansing and clarifying the hair. This shampoo is
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
- Suitable for regular use
Cons
- May be drying on the hair
Best stripping shampoo
on sale
www.superdrug.com
Description
Anti-dandruff shampoos are some of the best for stripping colour, so it's no surprise that Head
Pros
- Targets the root cause of dandruff
- Scalp feels refreshed after use
- Silicone-free and pH balanced
Cons
- May be drying on the hair
Best refreshing shampoo
on sale
Description
Give your hair a really deep cleanse with this soothing and calming shampoo from OGX. This shampoo
Pros
- Encourages clean and healthy hair whilst improving the condition
- Scalp feels refreshed after use
- Sulphate-free
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all
Best softening shampoo
Description
A hydrating shampoo that deeply detoxifies the scalp and helps to remove any artificial colour and
Pros
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Has a pleasing and fresh scent
- Only need a small amount at a time
Cons
- Not the fastest way to remove colour, best to use it as a weekly treatment
Best bond maintenance shampoo
Description
If you're wanting to cleanse your hair while supporting the bond maintenance of your hair then
Pros
- Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free
- Supports strong bonds as you cleanse
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
Cons
- May be drying on the hair
Best shampoo for curly hair
Description
Clarifying shampoo for gals with curly hair. A hydrating shampoo to gently cleanse and diminish
Pros
- Maintains the health of curly hair
- Suitable for those with curly, wavy and textured hair
- Enriched formula helps to nourish the hair
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all
Best detox shampoo
Description
We're expecting big things with the OUAI Clarifying Detox Shampoo. This concentrated shampoo with
Pros
- Reviews say it removes colour
- Suitable for all hair types
- Suitable for regular use
Cons
- A more premium product
Best shampoo for extensions
www.beautybay.com
Description
This is a great deep cleansing treatment to use before using hair colour or before hair extension
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Great for those with or without hair extensions
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
Cons
- May feel heavy on the hair
How does shampoo strip hair colour?
Best for excess colour build up
Description
The perfect pre-colour treatment shampoo to use before your colour appointment. If you're looking
Pros
- Acts as a pre-colour treatment
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Leaves the hair feeling clean after use
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all
Not only are there shampoos out there that can tone your hair, (a bit 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, (a bit like shampoo for red hair.)
If you're looking to lift the colour, a colour-stripping shampoo does so gradually over time with minimal damage. It won't exactly have the effect of bleach, but it might lift a shade lighter. Unfortunately, if you're wanting blonde tresses, it'll 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.