Scouted: Yes, You Really Do Need To Be Using a Clarifying Shampoo—Even if You Have Color-Treated Hair
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The first time I used a clarifying shampoo was during my senior year of high school after I had attempted to go cherry red without being mentally and emotionally prepared for such a stark change—I had been faithful to my natural dirty blonde hair jazzed up with a few not-so-natural golden highlights to frame my face. After removing the towel from my damp Ariel-hued locks, I burst into tears before darting to my computer to look for quick fixes that promised to fade the vibrant red to, at least, maybe a tomato red until I could get some professional help.
Ultimately, I ended up going with straight-up dish soap, a DIY remedy that I discovered on a pre-Reddit-era message board, which worked fairly well but left my mane dry, damaged, and broken—and I hadn’t even used bleach! It finally dawned on me that taming the red was going to be a process, so I invested in a well-reviewed clarifying shampoo and committed to using it three times a week to preserve the health of my hair while gradually dulling the cherry-ness without resorting to bleach.
After the long, long journey back to dirty blonde (my patience was really put to the test, folks!), it only makes sense that the standing impression of clarifying shampoos left behind was that they were primarily used as a corrective measure for a color job gone wrong, and, as such, would fade color regardless of whether you wanted it to or not. Naturally, I avoided clarifying shampoos like the plague once I returned to my ash blonde out of fear that these “stripping” formulas would prematurely fade my expensive bleached highlights by removing the toner or gloss and/or turning them brassy. Plus, based on the relative success of my dish soap hack, I conceded that all clarifying formulas would not only strip the color from my strands but also strip any remaining moisture that the bleach hadn’t already done away with—and I really wasn’t in a position to risk more dryness or breakage at that point.
It wasn’t until a recent deskside (a media event in which reporters and editors learn about new product drops from the brand or experts associated with the brand) that I realized that my running theory about clarifying shampoos being the enemy of color-treated hair was 100 percent false. In fact, I learned that clarifying shampoos can actually enhance color-treated hair—both before the color service to help the formula “take” better and as a part of a post-appointment maintenance plan.
“All hair types benefit from using clarifying shampoos! These types of shampoos deeply cleanse the hair to get rid of excess buildup. All hair types obtain buildup over time, but a clarifying shampoo will leave your hair clean and purified. [In fact], when used before a color service, clarifying shampoos enhance the hair color,” says celebrity colorist and Olaplex ambassador Bianca Hillier. By removing product buildup, hardened sebum on the scalp, and excess oil, clarifying shampoos can help the color or bleach penetrate the strands better, as these impurities leave a film that functions as a barrier.
Colorist and dpHue (known for its innovative ACV-infused hair care) founder Justin Anderson not only agrees with this sentiment, but the blonde master recommends incorporating a clarifying formula into your post-color routine on a weekly basis—especially for blondes. “A clarifying treatment is essential in removing the build-up in your hair from product residue, metals, minerals, chlorine, hard water, and more. I recommend incorporating a clarifying treatment into your routine every other week to give your hair that feeling of a fresh start,” Anderson says. As Hillier said, all hair types and colors can benefit from regular clarifying treatments, but blondes will see the biggest difference.
Whether you opt for a shampoo, powder, or other clarifying treatment, not all formulas are created equal. And, picking the right formula is especially critical for those of us who have been reluctant about the potential stripping factor. “Choosing the right clarifying shampoo is essential for hair health. Make sure to use a clarifying shampoo free of drying ingredients like sulfates. Clarifying shampoos that are healthy for hair, like Olaplex No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo, will not overdry any type of hair,” Hillier says. With that being said, scroll through below to check out the best clarifying shampoos that won’t strip your color or over-dry your strands.
