So, I’ve been seeing this question pop up everywhere online: “Will clarifying shampoo strip hair color?” And honestly, I was curious too. I mean, I dye my hair pretty regularly, and I also use a lot of styling products, so I’ve got a lot of buildup. But I definitely don’t want to ruin my color. So, I decided to do a little experiment on myself. A dangerous game, I know.
Preparation Phase
First, I picked out a clarifying shampoo. I read a bunch of reviews online and ended up going with one that was supposed to be pretty gentle. Then I grabbed an old t-shirt and a towel that I wouldn’t mind staining, just in case things got messy.
The Experiment
I hopped in the shower and wet my hair thoroughly. Then I squeezed out a dollop of the clarifying shampoo and worked it into my hair, paying extra attention to my roots, where I tend to get the most buildup. I let it sit for a few minutes, as per the instructions, while I shaved my legs or something. Then I rinsed it out.
- The first thing I noticed was how squeaky clean my hair felt. Like, almost too clean.
- I started to get a little worried at this point, ngl.
- But once I dried my hair, I examined my color.
Results
I gotta say, it didn’t look like the shampoo had stripped my color at all. It did seem a bit brighter, though, which I guess makes sense since it got rid of all the gunk that was probably dulling it. My hair also felt a lot lighter and softer. Success! At least for this one. The color I used is a kind of red, so I think if your color is not that kind of bright, the result might be different.
I’m definitely going to keep using this clarifying shampoo, but maybe not every week. I think once a month or so should be good enough to keep my hair clean and my color vibrant. Just remember that I am just a girl on the internet who did an experiment. Always be careful about your hair and do the strand test before!
