The best shampoo for stripping hair colour without damage

One that's often used in salons is Paul Mitchell, so if you're wanting 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 poss to help towards stripping unwanted colour.

Customer review: "I love this shampoo. My hair feels super clean even after one rinse, smells great too. I wouldn't use another brand."

If you're wanting 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 buildup, excess oil, hard water minerals, chlorine, and even heavy metals and pollutants to reveal your healthiest hair.

Customer review: "I have tried the regular Olaplex bond maintenance shampoo, but the clarifying is a game changer. After the first few uses I realized how much buildup was on my hair and head. It felt like I could feel a breeze through my scalp for the first time in years.. like it was FINALLY actually clean! Light, bouncy, shiny hair. Don't overuse it because it will dry your hair out, only meant for weekly not daily use. but wow highly recommend 10/10."

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.

Customer review: "The best tea tree shampoo I've found, hair feels squeaky clean but not dried out."

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.

Customer review: "This shampoo does exactly what it says! Great for removing product build-up and giving you that super clean feeling!"

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 have a detoxifying seaweed shampoo to try out too.

Customer review: "This has been a god send! I’ve been struggling with build up and irritation from other hair products, hormone imbalance leaves my scalp oily anyway. I’ve tried so many claiming to be natural too. This has worked wonders! It’s a little thin, so runs out of the bottle quicker than I would hope, but I’ve been using for almost two weeks and it has made such a difference. My scalp feels so much more comfortable and hair feels so much nicer and lighter, like a clarifying shampoo."

A vegan-friendly shampoo ideal for deeply cleansing and clarifying the hair. This shampoo is designed to be used by anyone, with any hair type. The added peppermint will gently remove any unwanted build-up of artificial colour and product.

Review: "I’m amazed by this shampoo! I initially bought this because I accidentally over-toned my hair (it went a blue-grey instead of ash-blonde in places) - it’s brilliant. It lifts any build-up of colour... grease and dirt. It will leave your hair feeling very dry once you rinse it out... but after conditioning, it’s absolutely beautiful. Do not use this as an everyday shampoo... I would say once a week as part of your normal hair care routine. I will buy this product again."

Use this weekly detoxifying shampoo treatment to remove buildup, 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.

Customer review: "This shampoo is a cult classic for a reason. I love using it on the weekend as a little reset for my normal hair. It smells good, washes clean and leaves my hair feeling revitalized. It doesn't feel dry or stripping the way other clarifying shampoos can. Highly recommend!"

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.

Customer review: "In love with the smell of this shampoo. I didn't find a better shampoo that my hair looks so cleansed after. Recommended."

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.

Customer review: "Really good shampoo. I have couple of other products from this range and this is definitely my favourite one. I have wavy hair that is normally quite unruly if not taken proper care of. This shampoo helps keep the hair clean and moisturised."

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 buildup, dirt and oil with this clarifying treatment, suitable for use up to two times a week.

Customer review: "Wow this worked way too well. I needed to get my hair back to blonde for internship interviews, and after a week I’m back to blonde. I had this hair colour for 6 weeks and it was very vibrant and barely faded, but once I used this clarifying shampoo it got it out in an instant."

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 without drying out the hair.

Review: "I strictly purchased this so that I can prep my hair for the dye. WOW......my hair feels weightless! I've not used conditioner and because I was prepping to dye, I didn't, and WOW! My hair is not only weightless but still manageable."

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.

Customer review: "Brilliant shampoo, hair feels so clean and refreshed after use."