The common shampoo habit that strips colour faster and leaves hair dull, say stylists

I was standing behind a client in the mirror, towel wrapped round her shoulders, when she sighed: “I only had this done three weeks ago and it’s already flat.” Her balayage, which had left the salon glossy and expensive-looking, now sat a little brassy, a little tired. She swore she was “doing everything right”: good shampoo, regular masks, heat protection. Then she mentioned she loved a really good scrub, “twice, sometimes three times, so it feels properly clean.”

There it was. The habit almost every colourist quietly dreads: over-washing and over-scrubbing freshly coloured hair. Not a one‑off crime, but a small, repeated ritual that slowly strips the shine you paid for and turns vivid colour into something closer to dishwater.

The hidden problem isn’t your shampoo – it’s how you’re using it

The fastest way to fade colour is not a single bad product; it’s frequency plus friction plus hot water. Most shampoos are designed to remove oil and product, which is great for your scalp. But colour molecules sit in and around the hair cuticle, which lifts slightly every time you wet, heat and rub it. Multiply that by daily washes and a double or triple shampoo, and you are essentially sanding away your own gloss.

You can see it in the “halo” first. Brunettes lose that inky depth around the crown. Blondes go from creamy to slightly yellowed and matte. Reds, famously fragile, start looking rusty at the ends long before your roots need doing. The hair might still feel clean, but it stops reflecting light in that expensive, mirror-like way. Shampoo hasn’t failed you; technique has.

Stylists talk about three quiet culprits:

• Daily (or near-daily) washing, especially within the first week after colouring
  
• Double-cleansing with a full dollop of shampoo each time
  
• Scalding-hot showers that lift the cuticle and swell the hair shaft
  

Each on its own is recoverable. Together, they behave like a slow colour-removal system you never meant to install.

What’s actually happening on your head

Think of the hair cuticle as overlapping roof tiles. Colour pushes pigment under those tiles. When water, detergent and heat hit, the tiles lift a fraction. That’s normal. The trouble starts when you keep them lifted for too long, too often, and scrub hard at the same time. Pigment has more chances to escape; natural oils that give softness and shine are washed away before they can coat the lengths.

Most high-street shampoos still rely on fairly strong surfactants to cut through oil and styling products. Even the “sulfate-free” options can be quite assertive if you use too much, too frequently, or drag them through to your ends every single wash. Colour-safe formulas help, but they are not magic shields. Used three times in one shower with near-boiling water, they can still be part of the problem.

Stylists who do a lot of blonding and vivid work will tell you they can often spot an everyday washer straight away: faded mid-lengths, dry-looking ends, and a clean but slightly dull surface. It’s not that the colourist did less; it’s that the bathroom routine quietly undid the work at home.

The single change that protects colour and brings back shine

If you remember one thing, make it this: shampoo your scalp, not your hair, and not every day. That’s the habit shift colourists wish they could print on the mirror above every backwash in the country.

A colour-friendly wash routine looks more like this:

1. Stretch the gap between washes. Aim for every 2–3 days if you can, using dry shampoo in between for fringe or roots.
   
2. Use lukewarm, not hot, water. Warm enough to feel comfortable, not so hot that your skin flushes bright pink.
   
3. One gentle shampoo is usually enough. Unless you have heavy product build-up or very oily roots, you don’t need to lather twice.
   
4. Keep shampoo on the scalp. Massage with fingertips at the roots; let the lather slide through the lengths as you rinse instead of scrubbing ends.
   
5. Condition from mid-lengths down. Squeeze out excess water first so your conditioner actually sticks, then comb it through with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.

Do that for two weeks and you’ll often see a quiet transformation: tone holds better, ends feel less brittle, and hair starts to pick up light again. You haven’t changed your colourist. You’ve stopped fighting their work.

The “salon-approved” double cleanse (and when it’s OK)

There is a place for double shampoo, but it’s strategic, not automatic. If you’ve used a lot of dry shampoo, hairspray or oils, one light cleanse to remove build-up, followed by a second, small amount to actually clean the scalp, can be useful. The trick is:

• Use half your usual amount each time, not two full handfuls
  
• Keep both applications focused on the scalp
  
• Follow with a good conditioner or mask, especially on coloured ends
  

If your hair squeaks between your fingers, you’ve gone too far. Clean hair should feel soft and slip through your hands, not drag.

Small tweaks that make a big difference between appointments

You don’t need a 12‑step routine or salon-only products to protect your colour. You need a few habits that work on autopilot, even on dark Tuesday mornings when you’re already late for the train. Think of them as your “silent colour insurance”:

• Switch to a colour-safe, gentle shampoo. Look for labels that say “colour care” or “for coloured hair”, and avoid anything promising a “deep cleanse” for everyday use.
  
• Turn the temperature down for rinsing. Even 10–15 seconds of cooler water at the end helps flatten the cuticle and add shine.
  
• Blot, don’t rub, with your towel. Squeezing water out with a soft towel or old T‑shirt is miles kinder than rough rubbing that frays the cuticle.
  
• Limit heat styling where you can. If you must blow-dry or straighten, use a proper heat protectant and avoid going over the same section repeatedly.
  

On days you don’t wash, a light mist of leave‑in conditioner and a soft brush or comb can refresh your hair without touching your colour molecules at all.

How to tell if your shampoo habit is hurting your colour

You don’t need a microscope, just a bit of honest observation in your own bathroom light. Stand in front of a window or under a bright bulb and look for:

• Colour that looks noticeably lighter or brassier within 2–3 weeks of an appointment
  
• Ends that feel rough, even though you condition every time
  
• Hair that looks “clean but dull”, with less reflection on the surface
  
• A scalp that feels tight or itchy after washing, especially with very hot water
  

If two or more of those feel familiar and you’re a daily washer or a habitual double-shampooer, there’s a good chance your routine is the culprit. The upside is that habits are easier and cheaper to change than products or salon schedules.

A quick reference for colour-friendly washing

Habit to tweak	What to do instead	Why it helps your colour
Daily washing	Every 2–3 days + dry shampoo in between	Fewer pigment losses, more natural oil for shine
Very hot water	Lukewarm, cool rinse to finish	Keeps cuticle flatter, slows colour fade
Scrubbing shampoo into ends	Focus on scalp only	Protects fragile, already-processed lengths
Rough towel-drying	Gentle squeeze with soft towel/T-shirt	Reduces frizz and mechanical damage to the cuticle

Shift even two of these and most stylists will notice the difference at your next appointment before you say a word.

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FAQ:

• Do I really need a special shampoo for coloured hair? It doesn’t have to be expensive, but a colour-friendly formula is usually less harsh and often slightly more acidic, which helps keep the cuticle closed and pigment in place.
  
• My hair gets greasy quickly. How can I wash less without feeling gross? Try a targeted routine: rinse with water and massage your scalp on “in-between” days, then use a small amount of dry shampoo at the roots once your hair is dry. A loose bun or braid also hides oil far better than wearing it straight down.
  
• Is it bad to shampoo twice at the salon? They always do. Salon double cleanses are usually done with controlled product amounts, lukewarm water and immediate conditioning. At home, people tend to overdo it. If you keep the amounts small and focus on the scalp, an occasional double cleanse is fine.
  
• Can cold water really make my hair shinier? It doesn’t need to be icy, just cooler than your wash temperature. That final rinse helps the cuticle lie flatter, which lets light bounce off the surface more evenly and makes colour look glossier.
  
• My colour still fades even when I’m careful. Is that normal? Some shades, especially reds and very light blondes, are naturally more fragile and will soften over time. A sensible wash routine won’t freeze your colour in place, but it will slow fade significantly and keep hair healthier between top-ups.