How to Wash Color-Treated Hair So the Color Lasts Longer
Why color fades faster than it should
Color-treated hair loses its color fastest in one place: the shower. Every wash opens the cuticle slightly and rinses out some pigment, and sulfate shampoos speed that up. If the question is whether a sulfate-free shampoo is better for color-treated hair, the answer is simple: yes, because it cleans without aggressively stripping color.
What sulfates are and why they are a problem for color
Sulfates (most often SLS and SLES) are strong surfactants that build a rich lather and clean thoroughly. On natural hair, that is just a deep clean. On color-treated hair, the same mechanism that lifts away oil and buildup also pulls pigment out of the strand.
What a color-safe wash looks like
1. Wash as often as your scalp needs
Your scalp still needs regular care. The point is not to skip washes, it is to choose a shampoo that does not take color with it every time you use it.
2. Use a sulfate-free shampoo for everyday washing
IHLA Regenerating Shampoo cleans without sulfates at a pH of 5.0 to 5.5, using four mild surfactants: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside and coco glucoside. It is gentle enough for daily washing. The wheat protein conditions the strand, so hair combs out more easily and feels softer. Aloe vera calms and hydrates the scalp.
3. Apply shampoo to the roots only
The scalp is where oil builds up, so that is what needs the thorough wash. The lengths and ends mostly need nothing more than the water that carries the lather down the hair.
4. Close the cuticle with conditioner
After shampooing, conditioner helps the strand close and settle. Apply LHRIR conditioner to the lengths and ends, leave it in for a few minutes, then rinse with lukewarm or cooler water.
5. Finish with oil on the ends
For extra care between washes, smooth a trace of one of our oils directly onto the lengths and leave it in.
How often to wash color-treated hair
Wash frequency depends on your scalp type and habits, not on the color itself. IHLA is formulated for daily washing at a pH of 5.0 to 5.5, so you do not have to space out your washes.
Does sulfate-free shampoo lather less?
The foam is a little finer than with sulfate shampoos, but IHLA still works up into a soft lather and cleans the scalp thoroughly.
Can I use IHLA every day?
Yes. The formula sits at pH 5.0 to 5.5 and is gentle enough for daily washing.
What if my hair is both color-treated and fine?
Then IHLA covers both in one formula: hydrolyzed wheat protein that conditions the hair, and a gentle wash built on four surfactants instead of sulfates.
For a full look at the ingredients and the principles behind sulfate-free care, read our sulfate-free hair care guide, or browse the full range in Hair Care.
