If you've ever decided to use hair dye to colour your hair but instantly regretted it then don't worry, because we've got you covered with the best shampoo for stripping hair colour. Trust us, we've 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. You'll be back to your dream colour in no time.
Closer's best shampoo for stripping hair colour at a glance:
Editor's choice: Faith in Nature Natural Tea Tree Cleansing Shampoo, £8 on Amazon
Best salon quality shampoo: Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Three, £13.50 on Amazon
Best budget shampoo: Noughty Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo, £6.02 on LookFantastic
Maybe you want to remove a particular tone from your hair by applying a hair toner, or you're 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
Faith in Nature is a vegan-friendly and cruelty-free brand that uses natural ingredients within its shampoo, and this cleansing shampoo will help remove any residue or build-up on the hair. Tea tree will leave your hair feeling fresh and clean, as it has natural antiseptic properties for scalp health. The brand also has a detoxifying seaweed shampoo to try out too. Many reviewers agree this shampoo leaves the hair feeling fresh with one customer saying it helped with their itchy scalp.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly which we love
- Natural ingredients, including naturally antiseptic tea tree oil
- Paraben-free and SLS-free
Cons
- Tea tree scent might not be appealing to all according to reviewers
Best salon quality shampoo
One that's often used in salons is Paul Mitchell, so if you want the salon experience from home then this brand is as good as it's going to get for the price. It's recommended to not use on colour-treated hair daily, so we'll be packing on the product as much as possible to help towards stripping unwanted colour. One reviewer loves how well this shampoo foams up and leaves the hair feeling full and voluminous.
Pros
- Cruelty-free which we think is very important
- Deeply cleans and removes residue from chlorine salt, iron and minerals
- Removes chlorine tint on hair which reviewers that swim loved
Cons
- Can take a while to rinse from hair according to reviews
Best budget shampoo
www.lookfantastic.com
A vegan-friendly shampoo ideal for deeply cleansing and clarifying the hair. We love that this shampoo is designed to be used by anyone, with any hair type. Reviewers agree, saying it's 'curly girl friendly', Meanwhile, the added peppermint will gently remove any unwanted build-up of artificial colour and product. Not to mention, this shampoo works wonders at removing any chlorine and pollution build-up if you're looking for a shampoo to deeply cleanse.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
- Suitable for regular use which reviewers love as they can use it frequently
Cons
- May be drying on the hair so we would recommend using with conditioner
Best refreshing shampoo
www.boots.com
Give your hair a really deep cleanse with this soothing and calming shampoo from OGX. This shampoo is designed to cleanse the hair directly from the scalp. Using an intense, clarifying shampoo is a great way to naturally reduce any unwanted hair colour without disturbing your daily haircare routine. Reviewers love how clean this shampoo makes the hair feel without forgetting about any nourishment.
Pros
- Encourages clean and healthy hair whilst improving its condition which we love
- Scalp feels refreshed after use according to reviewers
- Sulphate-free
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all
Best bond maintenance shampoo
If you want to cleanse your hair while supporting the bond maintenance of your hair then Olaplex is the one for you. The pH-balanced formula is suitable for all hair types. It works to remove damaging product build-up, excess oil, hard water minerals, chlorine, and even heavy metals and pollutants to reveal your healthiest hair. Many reviewers love how clean this leaves the hair but doesn't leave the hair feeling overly dry.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, perfect for those looking to be more eco-conscious
- Supports strong bonds as you cleanse
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
Cons
- May not lather effectively according to reviewers
Best softening shampoo
A hydrating shampoo that deeply detoxifies the scalp and helps to remove any artificial colour and product build-up in the hair. It features rosemary and tea tree for a fresh cleansing effect and a beautiful natural scent. Reviewers said the shampoo left their hair feeling silky soft.
Pros
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Has a pleasing and fresh scent according to reviews
- Only need a small amount at a time, which is great and cost-effective
Cons
- Not the fastest way to remove colour, best to use it as a weekly treatment
Best trending shampoo
Use this weekly detoxifying shampoo treatment to remove build-up, residue and unwanted colour. The deep cleanser lifts away excess oil and built-up pollutants for a fresh, clean start. A highly popular product and a quoted 'cult classic', it's not recommended on colour-treated hair... which means it's likely to strip the colour in no time. Don't mind us while we add this to our basket.
Pros
- Cruelty-free which we love
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Suitable for all hair types which we think is great and inclusive
Cons
- Does contain sulphates which some people may not like to use
Best stripping shampoo
www.boots.com
Anti-dandruff shampoos are some of the best for stripping colour, so it's no surprise that Head and Shoulders has made it onto this list. This deep cleansing shampoo with peppermint extract leaves the scalp feeling refreshed and soothed. There's also the Head and Shoulders Citrus Anti Dandruff Shampoo that may be a good choice for lightening colour over time.
Pros
- Targets the root cause of dandruff
- Scalp feels refreshed after use which reviewers loved
- Silicone-free and pH balanced
Cons
- May be drying on the hair so we recommend pairing with conditioner
Best shampoo for curly hair
Clarifying shampoo for gals with curly hair. A hydrating shampoo to gently cleanse and diminish any unwanted product or colour build-up without damaging your luscious curls. It also contains hibiscus seed extract which is ideal for locking in moisture for curls. The reviews speak for themselves with this shampoo and we're super impressed with the quality of this product and how defined curls look after use.
Pros
- Maintains the health of curly hair
- Suitable for those with curly, wavy and textured hair
- Enriched formula helps to nourish the hair, and reviewers said it left hair shiny
Cons
- Scent might not be appealing to all according tor reviewers
Best detox shampoo
We're expecting big things with the OUAI Clarifying Detox Shampoo. This concentrated shampoo with apple cider vinegar is said to get you back on good terms with overworked hair. Get rid of product and hard water build-up, dirt and oil with this clarifying treatment, suitable for use up to two times a week. One reviewer referred to it as their 'holy grail cleansing shampoo'. Need we say more?
Pros
- Reviews say it's effective at removing colour
- Suitable for all hair types
- Suitable for regular use
Cons
- Best used up to two times a week which may be expensive for some users
Best for excess colour build up
The perfect pre-colour treatment shampoo to use before your colour appointment. If you're looking for a shampoo fit to use before visiting the hairdresser or changing up your hair, you should try this one from Manic Panic. This shampoo promises to remove any excess hair colour build-up, with one reviewer sharing 'I washed twice back to back with this stuff and my hair is significantly lighter'.
Pros
- Acts as a pre-colour treatment
- Still retains moisture while deeply cleansing the hair
- Leaves the hair feeling clean after use according to reviews
Cons
- Quite thick in consistency which some reviewers may not like
Best shampoo for extensions
This is a great deep cleansing treatment to use before using hair colour or before hair extension application. This shampoo is designed to deeply nourish both natural hair as well as hair extensions with added vitamin E and milk protein. The hardworking formula works to deeply remove stubborn product build-up - ideal before fitting new hair extensions. One reviewer raved about how amazing their scalp felt after use and expressed how they can wait longer between washes.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly, which we love
- Great for those with or without hair extensions
- Made without any parabens, sulphates or silicones
Cons
- Feels heavy on the hair according to reviews
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 such as 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 tends to fade the fastest out of all of the colours, which is why there are shampoos for red hair made especially to enhance coloured 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.
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.