A guide to Pureology shampoo by hair type, from the rich Hydrate formula for thick, dry lengths to the lighter Sheer and Pure Volume washes for fine hair. The matching conditioners are here too, so you can build the pair instead of guessing.
Pureology Shampoo, Sorted by Hair Type Instead of by Hype
Most shampoo aisles are organized by smell. Pureology was organized around a colorist's problem. The brand was started in Irvine, California by Jim Markham, a hairdresser who wanted a line that colorists could hand to clients without watching their work rinse down the drain, and it arrived in 2001 with every formula made without sulfates, an approach the brand calls ZeroSulfate. L'Oréal bought it in 2007 for its professional division, which tells you how seriously the salon world took it. I came to Pureology shampoo the way most people do, after a gloss I loved faded in about ten days. What I like about the line now is that it is sorted by hair type rather than by mood. Hydrate is the rich one, meant for medium to thick hair that feels dry. Hydrate Sheer is the same idea with less cushion, and it is the shampoo for fine hair that still wants moisture. Smooth Gloss is for frizz and shine, and Pure Volume is the one to reach for when your hair goes flat by lunch. Start with the one that describes your hair on a bad day, not a good one.
Past the basic four
The second row is where the line gets specific. Nanoworks Gold is the richest wash in the family, aimed at hair that has gone dull and brittle after years of color. Strength Cure Blonde is a purple shampoo, so it tones brass on lightened hair, and I use it once a week rather than every wash so blonde does not tip into lilac. The Pure Volume Conditioner is here because it is the rare conditioner that fine hair does not punish you for. The Refresh and Go dry shampoo rounds it out for the second and third day, and stretching the time between washes is the simplest color habit there is.
Then the conditioner
A shampoo only does half the work on colored hair, and the conditioners here are matched to the washes above. Hydrate Conditioner is thick and creamy, the one for coarse ends that drink everything. Strength Cure is the pick for hair that feels fragile and snaps when you brush it, and Nanoworks Gold is the soft, polished finish for dull lengths. Hydrate Sheer is the fine hair version, light enough to use from mid-length down without flattening the roots. What I would skip is mixing lines at random. A rich conditioner over a volume shampoo just cancels out the lift you washed in, so pair within a family for a month before you start experimenting.
Where I would start
If your color fades fast, start with Hydrate or Hydrate Sheer and the matching conditioner, and give them three weeks before you judge. If brass is the problem, add the purple shampoo once a week and nothing else. The line was built for colorists, so the best advice I can pass on is theirs: wash less, rinse cooler, and let the formula do its work. If you have only ever used a drugstore sulfate-free shampoo, the difference is mostly in how your hair feels after the rinse. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How to Find the Right Shampoo for Your Hair Type and Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo.
