Leah LOVES hair. So much so, she dedicated an entire website to it! One of the founders of Hair Everyday and Chief Editor, Leah enjoys reviewing all the hair products and showcasing the best. She believes her most underrated articles are her hair care tips!
In this article learn what shampoo to use on balayage hair and how to better take care of your balayage hair color and extend it’s longevity.
When it comes to hair care, having gorgeous balayage hair requires more than just the occasional touch of color.
Whether you’re looking to extend the life of your balayage highlights or protect from the effects of environmental damage, an effective shampoo is absolutely vital!
When searching for the ideal shampoo, there are a few key elements to consider: sulfate-free formula, color protect, and a UV filter.
With the right shampoo, you can enjoy the beautiful results of your balayage hair confidently, longer. And here are some of my favorites, check it out!
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- Related: Balayage Vs. Highlights Vs. Ombre
What Shampoo To Use On Balayage Hair 2023
| Shampoos for Balayage Hair | Best For | Chief Ingredients |
| Matrix Total Results So Silver Color Depositing Purple Shampoo | Blonde Hair | SLS (sodium laureth sulfate), Salicylic acid, Perfume |
| Nexxus Deep Hydration Shampoo | Dry Hair | SLS, Caviar & Protein Complex |
| Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo | Platinum highlights | AquaPlex technology, Blue-Purple pigments, UV filters |
| SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo | African American Hair | Shea butter, sea kelp, argan oil, essential oils |
| John Frieda Luxurious Volume Color Care Shampoo | Oily hair | SLS, Caffeine Vitality Complex, Wheat protein |
| R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo | Frizzy hair | Juniper berry extract, Babassu seed oil, Glycerin |
| Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo | Damaged hair | OFPMA complex, Citric acid |
| BIOLAGE Colorlast Shampoo | Sensitive scalp | SLS, Orchid extract |
How to select the right shampoo for balayage hair – A buying guide
Before looking at the best shampoo for balayage hair, let’s look at what to look for in a such a shampoo. Check it out
Sulfate-Free
Most regular shampoos are packed with sulfates. While this is generally bad for your hair (balayage or not), sulfates become a bigger problem with color-treated hair.
The most common sulfates are Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. These are surfactants that cleanse your hair and leave them squeaky clean.
But in case of color-treated hair they are known to strip hair dye pigments from the strands. Which is why you should avoid sulfate-based shampoos and go for milder formulas. This will increase the life of your balayage.
UV Filters
Another enemy of your balayage (and generally all color-treated hair) is the sun. The UVA and UVB radiation do not just tan your skin. It will also discolor your tresses.
They make your balayage look dull and lifeless. So it’s good to select shampoos with UV filters.
These filters will shield your hair from UV radiation, prolonging the life and vibrancy of hair color.
Hair Toning Properties
Having a shampoo that functions as a toner is important for balayage hair, especially if you have blonde hair tones.
This means you should look out for purple or blue shampoos. These shampoos contain purple pigments or violet pigments. These reduce brassy tones and yellowness on blonde hair.
As purple is opposite to yellow in the color wheel, it cancels out the yellow notes in hair and leaves blonde hair brighter.
Similarly, blue shampoos cancel out reddish tones in brunette hair, leaving hair color look softer.
Repairing and Conditioning
Balayage or coloring of any kind involves putting a bunch of chemicals on your hair. Most hair dyes have ammonia.
And if you have dark hair and get blonde balayage tones, this will involve a certain amount of bleaching.
This can leave your hair dull, damaged and frizzy. So make sure the shampoo you choose helps repair this damage.
These shampoos should contain ingredients like keratin, biotin, aloe vera, jojoba oil, argan oil, and other nourishing herbs and oils that leave hair smooth and healthy.
How I tested the best shampoos for balayage hair?
After looking at several products for balayage hair in the market, our team personally tried out these shampoos. Then, we rated them on a scale of 1-5 based on the following parameters.
Gentleness – the best shampoos for balayage hair helps cleanse your hair without stripping the hair dye. It should be too harsh and shouldn’t strip your hair color. Usually sulfate-based shampoos are notorious for stripping color.
Color protection – In addition to NOT stripping color, it should help protect hair color from fading as well. So we gave shampoos with UV filters extra points.
Reducing brassiness – Most balayage dyes suffer from the lighter part of the hair getting dull or yellowish-looking. So the shampoo must be a purple shampoo with color pigments that nullify the reddish, brassy tones on blonde hair and leave it bright.
#1- MATRIX Total Results So Silver for balayage hair
When I used this shampoo on my balayage hair I found that it so very amazing at neutralizing any brassy tones or redness. Now wonder this shampoo is one of the most preferred brands by top stylists across the world.
I got this product to test as it is a very familiar brand used in top salons, so Matrix tops my list for the best shampoos for Balayage hair.
What I love about this shampoo is that even though it gives you top-notch results to highlight your coloured locks even further, it is not very expensive. It is priced in the mid-range and is very affordable.
If you have coloured your hair lighter than your natural hair, like a blond or platinum, your hair might be prone to becoming dull or developing a brassy shade. This shampoo neutralises that colour and gives you extra gloss and shine in first wash itself.
The one drawback of this shampoo is that it contains both sodium laureth and lauryl sulfates. These are very harsh surfactants and can strip both hair color and moisture.
So I won’t suggest it if you have very dry hair or a balayage in a fancy color other than blonde.
I also recommend you use this shampoo with a nourishing conditioner to protect your hair from dryness.
Pros:
- The extra tinted purple pigment neutralizes brassiness in blonde balayage styles
- Shows results for removing redness from bleached in first wash itself
Cons:
- Contains sulfates so it can dry out hair and strip hair color
My Ratings:
- Gentleness – 3.5/5
- Color Protection – 4.5/5
- Reducing Brassiness – 5/5
#2-Loreal Serie Expert Magnesium Silver Neutralising Shampoo
You didn’t think you were gonna have a list of the best shampoos without a product from L’oreal, did you?
One of the best drugstore brands, yet, used by many mid-range salons in many countries, L’oreal Serie Expert range of shampoos is something I seriously considered and tested.
And the result? I was very happy with how my blonde balayage looked. My hair came out of the shower with salon-like effects. So hurray for me!
I loved how the Magnesium Silver formula neutralises any dullness and brassiness that might show up on my balayage hair due to overexposure to the sun and brings back the shades of the highlights I had applied.
My favorite part is how the shampoo is easy to use as you don’t have to necessarily leave it on for too long. Just use it like you would use a regular shampoo. So no long waiting times as you would with toning shampoos like Matrix or Clairol.
The price is mid-range and affordable. So while it’s not as cheap as a Matrix shampoo, it’s still much affordable than Aveda or Provoke shampoos.
Unfortunately, this shampoo contains sulfates. So you cannot use it on brown or other colored balayages as there’s chance of hair color fading.
I’d also suggest people with curly hair or very dry hair try something like Biolage or Aveda which do not have sulfates instead of this shampoo.
Pros:
- Brightens color of hair color as it contains magnesium based formula
- Neutralizes brassy tones with the help of the purple pigments in formula
- Affordable shampoo
- Prevents grey hair from standing out as the silver covers greys
Cons:
- Contains sulfates that can strip moisture and hair color
- Not for brown or darker balayages as sulfates can fade the hair color
My Ratings:
- Gentleness – 3.5/5
- Color Protection – 3.5/5
- Reducing Brassiness – 5/5
#3- Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo for balayage hair
I really liked this toning shampoo when I used it on my blonde balayage but it I still felt it was too expensive.
Use the Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo by Pro:Voke if your balayage coloured hair is a light blonde, silver or platinum.
I like how it is an effective purple shampoo for balayage hair that removes the yellow and brassy pigments in my hair by neutralising them with the purple pigments contained in this product.
I also loved how there is an immediate effect of brighter and more vibrant colour along with glossier hair. So you don’t have to wait till 2-3 washes to see the effects.
I found that this shampoo also softens my hair and gives it a shine, making it look healthier. You can massage it into your hair and leave it on for about 6 to 8 minutes if your hair is very dull. This will take some time to work as it’s a toning shampoo and the purple pigments need time to sink into your hair strands.
As you keep regularly using this shampoo, you can reduce the amount of time you leave it in.
While this product is very expensive, the purple pigments are very concentrated so I’d realised by the 2nd wash that little quantity is sufficient and so the bottle lasts a long time.
And yes the lack of sulfates is a huge plus for me! So I’d say go for it if you don’t mind splurging and especially if you have platinum or lighter balayage blonde hair.
Pros:
- Strong purple formula neutralizes reddish tones in one wash
- Doesn’t strip color as there are no sulfates in the shampoo
- Doesn’t dry out hair as there are no harsh sulfates
- UV filters make sure hair color lasts longer
Cons:
- Expensive shampoo compared to other toning products
- Not for darker shades of hair as the purple dye is too concentrated
My Ratings:
- Gentleness – 4.5/5
- Color Protection – 4.5/5
- Reducing Brassiness – 5/5
Tips on Caring For Balayage Hair Color
- Do weekly treatments – Use a hair mask every week to nourish hair. Choose hair masks with ingredients like argan oil, keratin protein, jojoba oil, biotin, and other such components. If you don’t have a hair mask at hand you can try a DIY mask with hair oils like coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter and aloe vera gel.
- Protect your hair from sun – UV radiation can fade hair color. It can leave your balayage dull. So protect your tresses using a color-protect shampoo with UV filters. Even better, wear a cap or scarf when you’re out in harsh sunlight.
- Keep away from chlorinated pools – The lightened part of your hair in a balayage is susceptible to fading and yellowness. Chlorine in pools can make things worse. So make sure you’re wearing a hair oil or a protective cap when out swimming.
- Don’t shampoo everyday – Embrace the no-poo movement! Regular shampoos contain harsh surfactants that can strip strands of hair color. So wash hair every alternative day or 2 times a week at most. If you have oily scalp then use a dry shampoo in between washes.
- Feed the color – Balayage hair colours can fade away if not treated well. So its best to use a color despoting shampoo or conditioner to keep adding color pigments to hair. This will enhance the color of your hair.
Conclusion
The market can be overwhelming so we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up the best of the best when it comes to sulfate-free, color protect, and UV filter shampoos.
These shampoos not only restore essential hydration, but will help extend the hue of your balayage hair while also providing maximum protection against the sun’s rays.
Also Read:
Best Dry Shampoo For Color-Treated Hair
To Summarize
