These Are The Best Shampoos To Strip Hair Color Without Destroying Your Hair

Ever had a hair color disaster that made you question all your life choices? Maybe that bold blue turned into a murky swamp green, or your DIY brunette turned out more Oops than Ombré. Don’t panic! You don’t need a pricey salon visit. You just need the right shampoo to help fade that color fast while keeping your hair intact.

Let’s dive into the best shampoos that can help remove hair dye—without turning your silky hair into a dry, brittle mess!

Clarifying Shampoo: The Detox for Your Hair

Clarifying shampoos are like the deep-cleaning fairy godmothers of the hair world. They strip away product buildup, excess oils, and—yes—unwanted hair color. These shampoos contain stronger surfactants, which work like little scrubbers to lift away dye molecules.

Clarifying shampoos are meant to remove product build-up from hair shafts. The added side-effect of these clarifying shampoos is that they strip off hair color pigments and lighten your hair color with every wash. But we will be using the side effects of these shampoos to our advantage here.

Best Picks For Clarifying Shampoo To Remove Hair Color

• Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three: Originally made for swimmers, but fantastic for fading stubborn colors.
• Neutrogena Exfoliating Shampoo: A classic! It gently removes color without wrecking your hair.
• Manic Panic Prepare To Dye Shampoo: This is gentle on your hair but effectively lightens your hair color.

Pro Tip: Wash with hot water to open up the hair cuticle and help speed up the fading process.

Dandruff Shampoo + Baking Soda: The Sneaky Color Eraser

Dandruff shampoos contain ingredients like selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione, which have a knack for breaking down hair dye. Mix it with a little baking soda, and you’ve got a powerhouse color-fading treatment!

How To Use It To Lighten Your Hair Color?

• Mix equal parts dandruff shampoo and baking soda.
• Lather up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water.
• Repeat a few times a week until you reach your desired fade level.

Best Picks

• Head & Shoulders Classic Clean: Gentle but effective at fading color over time.
• Selsun Blue Medicated Shampoo: If you need a stronger lightening shampoo then this is better option.
• Nizoral Shampoo: This shampoo is equally effective in clearing your stubborn flakes as well as unwanted hair color.

Sulfate-Heavy Shampoos: The Gradual Fade Experts

If you’re not in a rush but still want to fade your hair color over time, simply switch to a sulfate-loaded shampoo. These shampoos naturally strip color with every wash.

Best Picks:

• TRESemmé Replenish & Cleanse Shampoo: Affordable and effective to fade away unwanted hair color.
• Nexxus Clarifying Shampoo: A great budget-friendly option.

Pro Tip: Avoid using color-protecting shampoos, as they are designed to keep your dye intact.

Vitamin C Treatment – The DIY Miracle Worker

IF you are interested in going the natural route to lighten your color, then try this hack! Vitamin C isn’t just for your immune system—it also helps fade hair dye! The acidity helps break down color molecules, especially semi-permanent dyes.

How to Use:

• Crush 6-10 Vitamin C tablets into a fine powder.
• Mix with a generous amount of shampoo (a clarifying one works best).
• Apply to damp hair and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly and deep condition afterward.

Warning: This can be drying, so don’t skip the conditioner.

When Should You Use Color Fading Shampoo?

Color-fading shampoos can come in handy in the following situations:

• Color Mishaps Strike: If your recent hair color experiment doesn’t pan out exactly as you hoped it would and you need it to fade so you can achieve the hair color that you’ve always wanted.
• Transitioning From Darker To Lighter Shade: If you are in the phase of transitioning from a dark hair color like jet black hair to a lighter shade then using a good clarifying shampoo can help lighten your darker hair color quickly than your regular shampoos.
• When You Used A Semi-Permanent Color: Clarifying shampoo can do a fine job in removing semi-permanent or freshly colored hair dye with every wash to achieve a lighter shade for a chance to do over.
• For Blonde Color-Correction: Using purple shampoo is a good idea to keep those unwanted brassy or orange tones from your hair at bay. But if you want to protect your hair from hard water and its chlorine deposits that make your hair color look un-fresh and greenish then simply use a good clarifying shampoo and then follow it up with your purple shampoo and you are all set!
• You Want To Remove Green Tones: Using a good clarifying shampoo with chelating ingredients can be the easiest fix to get rid of green tones from hard water deposits.
• For Over Toned Hair: Using a good clarifying shampoo on your over toned hair can be an easy fix for you.

How To Choose The Best Shampoo To Remove Color? Buying Guide

While you choose the best color-fading shampoo, you need to take into account the following things:

• Anti-residue formulas: While picking up your shampoo, especially for removing hair color, make sure you opt for the one with a higher anti-residue factor. This will ensure that the color pigments get dissolved better and cleansed deeper for that beautiful fade that you desire.
• Ingredients matter: Another thing to keep in mind while picking up your color-fading shampoo is to look for higher SLS content. SLS works as a deep cleansing agent that will help the hair color to fade faster. But that does not mean that shampoo without SLS would fade your hair color.
• Clarifying shampoos that have high pH levels: This helps expedite the process by lightening the existing color faster than your regular shampoo.
• Opt for non color-safe shampoos: The clarifying shampoos that are meant to protect your hair color will obviously diminish our purpose of using a clarifying shampoo to remove hair color. So make sure you look closely at the labels and avoid shampoos that claim to be color-safe or color-protected.
• Medicated anti-dandruff shampoos can come in handy: Medicated dandruff shampoos often have ingredients like selenium sulfides which lead to discoloration. You can check out this detailed guide to understand this better.
• Nourishment: Removing hair color has a drying effect on your hair. Make sure you opt for one that might be a little slower to remove the color pigmentation but will not strip off your natural hair oils. Also always use a good deep conditioning mask like afterwards.

How Long Does It Take For A Clarifying Shampoo To Fade Hair Dye?

It usually takes 4-5 washes to remove semi-permanent or fresh hair color as opposed to 18-20 washed with your regular shampoo. But it may be more or less washes depends on your hair color, your hair texture and the clarifying shampoo that you choose. It is completely normal and a less damaging way to remove hair color compared to bleaching or other remedies.

Are There Any Side Effects Of Using A Shampoo For Stripping Hair Color?

Yes, color fading shampoo may lead to hair dryness, split ends, or hair breakage when used too frequently.

Over To You: Handle with Hair Care

While these methods can help strip hair color, be mindful of your hair’s health. Always follow up with a hydrating conditioner or hair mask to keep your strands from feeling like straw.

Have you tried any of these methods? Let me know in the comments below! And if this helped, don’t forget to share it with your friends.