What shampoos strip hair color: top 10 shampoos to remove hair dye at home

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Unfortunately, not every hair dye job goes according to plan.

There are instances when your lowlights come out too dark, your shampoo that is color-depositing applies too much color, you overtone your hair or you mess everything up by moving too quickly.

Whatever the reason, using a clarifying shampoo will help you clear the deck and start over if you want to eliminate dyed hair that you’re not happy with.

For more information on how to do it properly without ruining your hair, see our instructions below and browse our top list of clarifying shampoos that strip hair colour before you make the plunge.

Image	Product	Features
	Pureology strength cure shampoo	Does not remove your hair’s natural oils, helps heal damaged hair and protects color-treated hair.
	Manic Panic prepare-to-dye shampoo	Excellent for swiftly dying hair dye, removable semi-permanent colors of the hair, and vivid hair colors.
	Nioxin clarifying cleanser	Shampoo that deep cleans, increases hair volume, and strengthens the roots.
	Suave Essentials daily shampoo	Moisturizing and anti-residue, great for greasy hair.
	Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo two	Reduces oil production and is color safe.
	Redken Detox hair cleansing cream	Gentle formula removes heavy water buildup from hair and removes traces of pollution. It is suitable for all hair types, including hair that has been colored.
	BIOLAGE normalizing clean reset shampoo	Contains lemongrass, which is suitable for all types of hair and aids in removing chemicals and hair color buildups from the hair.
	Kenra clarifying shampoo	Strips hair colour from gray hair, and enhances the highlights.
	MATRIX Total Results brass off-color shampoo	Cools down the brassy hues in your hair and balances them.
	Nexxus Clean and Pure clarifying shampoo	Increases hair suppleness, keeps hair moisturized longer, and contains protein for strength.

Our top 3 best-clarifying shampoos

Manic Panic prepare to dye shampoo

• Best fade hair dye shampoo
• Uses high pH to lift hair cuticles
• Also removes residues and buildup

Nioxin clarifying cleanser

• 91% hair breakage reduction
• Stripping hair colour without damage
• Promotes healthy hair growth

Nexxus Clean and Pure clarifying shampoo

• Prolongs the hydration of the hair
• Consists of strengthening proteins
• Boosts the suppleness of hair

The best-clarifying shampoos to remove color

1. Pureology strength cure clarifying shampoo

Pureology strength cure clarifying shampoo and an anti-dandruff shampoo performs just as promised on the bottle. Enhances and repairs dyed hair while softening and preserving color.

With this strengthening clarifying shampoo, which may heal damaged hair by up to 97%, you can strengthen your hair from the inside out and help it grow as robust as a sequoia.

Made to repair damaged hair from heat styling, physical deterioration, or overprocessing in all hair types and textures and hair extensions.

While the potent antioxidant Astaxanthin aids in healing and restoration, the plant-based protein Keravis fortifies strands and guards against damage. Use this clarifying shampoo to remove hair colour.

How to use:

1. A dime-sized amount should be applied to the scalp’s moist hair.
2. Lather the shampoo with your fingertips, working it to the ends.
3. Rinse.
4. Repeat for a more thorough cleaning.
5. Use after Strength Cure Conditioner and Miracle Filler Treatment (both available separately) for optimum results.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 266 ml/9 fl. oz
• Sulfate-free: Yes.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Keravis and Astaxanthin.
• Scent: Raspberry, peach, water flower

2. Manic Panic prepare to dye clarifying shampoo

Manic Panic it’s a pre-dye wash, deep cleansing shampoo, and clarifying shampoo made to completely cleanse the scalp and hair shaft to prepare the hair for the subsequent color application.

Grab this clarifying shampoo to remove your too-dark hair color, fix a bad hair dye job, or change it up for a more vibrant and fashionable shade.

The color-removing ingredients of this clarifying shampoo include:

• High pH: allows direct dye pigments to be drawn out by opening the hair cuticles.
• Sodium Chlorine: Exfoliates and dissolves buildup, including color.
• Mild sulfates: are used in surfactants, stripping hair colour.

It is made to thoroughly clean and has a pH level that is higher (7.80) than that of typical shampoos. It also swells and lifts the hair cuticles to loosen hair colour pigments.

The other important component, sodium chloride (salt), is well known for its abrasive properties and its capacity for stripping hair color and keratin covering.

The Manic Panic Prepare to Colour shampoo has a sulfate-free label, but it actually contains some moderate sulfates (surfactants), which is helpful if your main objective is to remove hair dye. Meri-Kate O’Connor, a hair colorist, claims that sulfates are stripping hair color pigments.

Additionally, the shampoo has organic ginseng root extract, which adds love and power to the hair by feeding it.

In conclusion, Manic Panic’s Prepare to Dye is a fantastic pre-color treatment and stripping hair color, clarifying shampoo to remove hair color that can be applied at home without help or salon visits.

How to use:

1. Use on wet hair.
2. After giving it a light massage, let it rest for a while.
3. Use warm water to rinse.
4. Iterate as necessary.
5. In between washes, condition and moisturize your hair.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 8 fl. oz / 236 ml.
• Sulfate-free: Contains Sodium C14-C16 Olefin Sulfonate.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: High pH (Alkaline) and Sodium chloride.
• Scent: Rosemary, sage, and grapefruit.

3. Nioxin clarifying cleanser

Technically speaking, the Nioxin cleanser is a shampoo that thickens hair.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, and Sodium Hydroxide make up its strong mixture, which when used frequently in a short amount of time makes an ideal cocktail for fast stripping hair colour.

However, if you use this clarifying shampoo to remove hair color, be aware that it is also highly drying.

Make sure by immediately using a deep conditioning mask or moisturizing conditioner after washing your hair.

How to use:

1. Massage the scalp and hair gently.
2. Clearly rinse.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 16.9 fl. oz / 500 ml.
• Sulfate-Free: No. Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
• Paraben-Free: No.
• Key Features: SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) stripping surfactants and salt.
• Scent: Peppermint.

4. Suave Essentials daily clarifying shampoo

The Suave Essentials daily clarifying shampoo and anti-dandruff shampoo is an adequate but not color-safe product that does the job for less money.

On your way home, pick it up from your neighborhood pharmacy or high-end drugstore.

It is successfully stripping hair color when used regularly and is loaded with sulfates and salts, which you can anticipate from most drugstore shampoos at this price point.

Use this shampoo to remove color from your hair.

However, if your hair is on the drier side, and you’re looking for a cheap choice, we’d recommend choosing this one.

How to use:

1. Thoroughly wet your hair.
2. Make a rich lather by massaging.
3. Clearly rinse.

Product summary:

1. Capacity: 30 fl. oz / 887 ml.
2. Sulfate-free: Contains Sodium C13-C13 Pareth Sulfate.
3. Paraben-free: Yes.
4. Key features: Sulfates and Sodium Chloride.
5. Scent: Peach and musky.

5. Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo two

With the help of this clarifying shampoo, you may clean your hair thoroughly. Excellent for oily hair, it aids in reducing oil production so that hair gradually becomes less oily.

The color-safe solution removes stripping residue and leaves hair glossy, full of volume, and spotless.

How to use:

1. Massage into wet hair.
2. Rinse.
3. Repeat as needed

Product summary:

• Capacity: 33.8 fl. oz/1 L.
• Sulfate-free: No. Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Removes dulling build-up.
• Scent: Fresh, lemon.

6. Redken Detox hair cleansing cream, clarifying shampoo

Try the Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo if you want to “restore factory settings” on your hair.

This sulfate-free thorough Redken Detox anti-residue shampoo gets rid of oil, product buildup, residual hard water minerals, and other irritants from the environment and removes hair colour, same thing does Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo, you should take a look at it, too.

Best of all, it works for all hair types and interacts nicely with whichever Redken conditioner works best for your hair. It’s the perfect weekly reset.

How to use:

1. apply to wet hair.
2. massage.
3. rinse.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 1.7 fl. oz/50 ml
• Sulfate-free: Yes.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Removes pollution residue.
• Scent: Fresh.

7. BIOLAGE normalizing clean reset shampoo

Lemongrass extract is used in the energizing Matrix Biolage Normalizing Clean Reset Shampoo to remove chemicals and for stripping hair colour buildups from the hair.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which work as cleansers, softly lighten the hair colour while sage extracts give the hair shine.

Antibacterial and antiseptic characteristics in this thorough cleaning procedure can help manage oil production and scalp acne.

It encourages strong hair growth.

How to use:

1. apply to wet hair.
2. lather with a massaging motion.
3. rinse thoroughly.
4. follow up with any Biolage Conditioner.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 13.5 fl. oz/400 ml.
• Sulfate-free: No. Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Lemongrass and Sage.
• Scent: Lemongrass

8. Kenra clarifying shampoo

A professional salon product called Kenra clarifying stripping hair colour shampoo is used to prepare the hair for chemical treatments like keratin and coloring.

It gets rid of any leftover hair dye, style aids, and environmental toxins that can reduce how well these treatments work.

How to use:

1. Massage wet hair thoroughly.
2. If you want your hair color to fade, give it more time to work.
3. Rinse.
4. Use it once per week on colored hair.
5. Use three times each week to get rid of hair color.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 10 fl. oz/300 ml.
• Sulfate-free: No. It contains Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulfates.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate).
• Scent: Grapefruit.

9. MATRIX Total Results brass off-color depositing blue shampoo

Total Results Brass Off is a clarifying shampoo for salon use that removes brassy undertones while reviving your hair with cool undertones.

This shampoo deposits balancing blue-violet pigments to minimize brassy tones, making it best for brunettes who lighten their hair.

How to use:

1. apply to wet hair.
2. lather.
3. leave on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing.
4. follow with Brass Off Conditioner.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 10.1 fl. oz/300 ml.
• Sulfate-free: No. Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Vitamin Oil + Neutralizing Pigments.
• Scent: Unscented.

10. Nexxus Clean and Pure clarifying shampoo

With a proprietary blend of Protein Fusion, elastin, and marine minerals to strengthen the hair from the inside, Nexxus is renowned for its admittedly costly products.

One of the top clarifying shampoos without sulfates is Clean and Pure. It does not contain silicone, paraben, or other harmful compounds that are typically found in shampoos, but it does contain marine exfoliating active elements that are likely to have an impact on hair color.

This special combination of attributes makes it a fantastic clarifying treatment for removing color from hair without causing harm or dryness.

By thoroughly cleaning your hair and removing brassiness, dulling buildup, color-depositing shampoos, excess sebum, green tints from swimming pools, and even semi-permanent hair dyes, it gets your hair ready for your next color appointment (when used frequently).

How to use:

1. Use the Clean and Pure shampoo to wash your hair.
2. The nourishing detox conditioner should be used.
3. Give it three minutes to rest.
4. Clean up by rinsing.

Product summary:

• Capacity: 33.8 fl. oz / 1000 ml.
• Sulfate-free: Yes.
• Paraben-free: Yes.
• Key features: Marine minerals and exfoliating detox.
• Scent: Citrus.

How long does it take for clarifying shampoo to fade hair dye?

Depending on the strength of the hair dye and the kind and condition of your hair, clarifying shampoos may require a few washes to thoroughly remove semi-permanent hair colors.

Your hair will bleed more color after each wash if it is porous.

If you have hair with low porosity, it can take longer because the tightly packed cuticles might take longer to release the hair color molecules.

In any case, semi-permanent hair dyes gradually fade after a few washes. The majority of them last for 15 to 20 washes.

Can you use clarifying shampoo on hair extensions?

Because Clarifying Shampoo includes alcohol and sulfate, which are both detrimental to extensions, we advise against using it on human hair extensions. You might need it, though, if you mess up your hair dye job or use too much purple shampoo.

How does clarifying shampoo remove hair color?

Clarifying shampoos lighten semi-permanent hair color and eliminate tenacious product buildup to restore your hair’s natural color. To raise the cuticles and get rid of color pigments or leftovers, these shampoos frequently employ a higher pH solution.

Things to keep in mind while using stripping hair colour shampoos

Before using a stripping hair colour shampoo to remove color from your hair, there are a few things you should know.

• The hair color will need to be thoroughly washed out. Shampoo that is stripping hair colour is not removing hair colour in one application because it does not contain ammonia or strong chemicals. In order to completely stripping hair colour, you need really anticipate washing your hair several times.
• The best shampoo to remove color is not the same as other stripping hair colour shampoos. More abrasive shampoos exist than others. There are numerous surfactant formulas available for cleaning shampoos, ranging from sulfates to natural cleansers.
• Your hair may become dryer as a result of using a stripping hair colour wash more regularly. This is because every time you use shampoo, it strips your hair of both moisture and hair color.
• The best shampoo for stripping hair colour is not always the best option if you have damaged hair. Using a replenish deep cleansing shampoo on already damaged hair could make it worse. Damaged hair typically requires more moisture than anything else.
• If you don’t like your new hair color, you should immediately color your graying hair with a cleansing wash. Your hair’s cuticles will remain largely open for the first three days after coloring it. The cleaning shampoo will be the most effective at this point in stripping hair colour.
• Although they can be used on both permanent and semi-permanent hair dye, hair colour stripping shampoos work best on semi-permanent hair color.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Do everything you are meant to do to get the color in your hair out. And one of the things is using clarifying shampoos, and we mentioned some of the best-clarifying shampoos.

It is the simplest and most secure option. You should be alright as long as you give your hair plenty of moisture during the procedure.