The best drugstore color safe shampoo is sulfate free and made for colored hair, and the brand has to say so itself. L'Oréal Paris EverPure, Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color, Kristin Ess Signature, Herbal Essences Color + Protect and Method Mindful Matcha all do. Highlights count as color treated hair, so the same rules apply. I wash with the pair, not just the shampoo.

 

When I say color safe, I mean two things on the label: sulfate free, and made for color treated hair. Sulfates are the strong cleansers that make a shampoo foam, and they can strip the natural oils that help color last, so a gentler wash is the first thing I look for.

 

The first grid is the everyday wash. Tresemmé's Revitalized Color Vibrance and Shine shampoo and its Color Revitalize conditioner come in big bottles (that line does not claim to be sulfate free), and Kristin Ess's Signature Shampoo is sulfate free and color safe, with the Ultra Light Balancing Conditioner beside it. Mane 'n Tail's Color Protect pair and Revlon's ColorSilk After Color conditioner round it out.

 

For salon and prestige picks, see my best shampoo for colored hair.

What is the best drugstore shampoo for highlighted hair? I would start with a sulfate-free formula made for color-treated hair, like Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color or Method Mindful Matcha, both listed for colored hair at Target. Highlighted hair has been lightened, so it follows the same rules as dyed hair. Pantene says its products are safe on highlighted hair, though Radiant Color Shine is not sold as sulfate free.

 

What is the best drugstore shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair? L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair+ comes as a shampoo and a conditioner, and the brand calls both safe for color-treated hair. Herbal Essences Color + Protect Grapeseed is another matched pair, with both listed as free of sulfates, parabens, dyes and phthalates.

 

What counts as a color safe drugstore shampoo? For me it is a shampoo that says sulfate free and says it is made for color-treated hair. Kristin Ess Signature Shampoo is one: the brand calls it sulfate free and color safe, and it is lightly clarifying with a high lather.

 

Are Elvive and Pantene color shampoos sulfate free? Neither brand page I read makes a sulfate-free claim. Both are sold for color-treated hair, and the Target ingredient lists show sodium laureth sulfate for L'Oréal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy and sodium lauryl sulfate for Pantene Radiant Color Shine.

 

Use the pair. Take the conditioner from the same line as the shampoo. L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair+ comes as both, and so do Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color and Pantene Radiant Color Shine. The conditioner looks after the driest lengths.

 

Color shampoo is a separate job. If you mean a toning shampoo, that is purple shampoo, which CVS says counteracts brassiness in blond and gray hair. L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Purple Shampoo is the drugstore version. For dyed hair that is not blond, a color-care shampoo is the better daily wash. If you color at home, the color safe shampoos that go with Wella hair color are worth a look too.

Here is how the shampoos in this edit compare on the two things I check first: what the brand says about sulfates and what it says about color.

 

L'Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair+ Shampoo and Conditioner. Sulfate free: yes, 100% sulfate free. For color: made to be gentle on color-treated hair, bond repair for bleached or color-damaged strands. Hair type: all hair types, color-treated, damaged.

 

Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color Sulfate-Free Shampoo. Sulfate free: yes. For color: anti-Fade Blend, says color stays vibrant for up to 60 days. Hair type: colored, all hair types.

 

Kristin Ess Signature Shampoo. Sulfate free: yes. For color: color safe, lightly clarifying, high lather. Hair type: all hair types.

 

Herbal Essences Color + Protect Grapeseed Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner. Sulfate free: yes, free of sulfates, parabens, dyes and phthalates. For color: says color stays vibrant and shiny for up to 4 more weeks vs. non-color shampoo. Hair type: all hair types, especially color-treated.

 

Method Mindful Matcha Color Protecting Shampoo. Sulfate free: yes, also silicone free. For color: sunflower seed extract to help prevent fading. Hair type: colored, all hair types.

 

L'Oréal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy Protecting Shampoo. Sulfate free: not claimed. For color: antioxidants and UV filters, up to 60 days of color vibrancy with the pair at four washes a week. Hair type: all hair types, colored.

 

Pantene Radiant Color Shine Shampoo. Sulfate free: not claimed (paraben and dye free). For color: made for color-treated hair, cleans without harsh stripping, pH balanced. Hair type: colored, all hair types.

 

Tresemmé Revitalized Color Vibrance & Shine Shampoo. Sulfate free: not claimed. For color: antioxidants to maintain vibrancy of color-treated hair. Hair type: colored, all hair types.

Hair type decides the rest. Fine hair does better with a light conditioner like the Kristin Ess one, and thick or curly hair can take something richer. My best shampoo for fine hair edit goes further. If your hair is highlighted, treat it like dyed hair, because it has been lightened too.

 

Whatever you pick, I would use the conditioner from the same line as the shampoo. The shampoo cleans, and the conditioner looks after the driest lengths, which is where color fades first.

 

What I would skip: a clarifying or anti-dandruff shampoo on freshly colored hair, unless the label says it is color safe.

I wash with lukewarm water rather than hot, put a small amount of shampoo on the scalp only, and let the suds run through the lengths. Then the conditioner goes on the mid-lengths and ends for a minute or two before I rinse.

 

The second grid adds more color safe washes, like Method's Mindful Matcha shampoo, which is sulfate and silicone free, and Revlon's ColorSilk After Color Shampoo, along with a few richer shampoos and conditioners for dry ends. The last grid is the finishing step.

If I could only pick one pair, it would be a sulfate free shampoo made for color treated hair and the conditioner from the same line, like the Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Color pair. Everything else here is a nice extra.

 

Keep the routine simple and wash a little less often if your hair allows it. I find the color lasts longer between appointments that way.