A keratin treatment will make your hair smooth, shiny, and frizz-free. To keep it that way as long as possible, you need the best shampoo for keratin-treated hair.
The typical shampoo contains both sulfates and salt which will strip off the keratin treatment. While it’s easy to find sulfate-free shampoos nowadays, you’ll have to dig a little deeper to find ones without salt (sodium chloride), too. That’s why we researched to help you find what you need. Here are our top shampoos to use after a keratin treatment:
| The best shampoos for keratin-treated hair | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| LuxeOrganix Moroccan Oil Shampoo |
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| Damila Sulfate & Salt Free Shampoo |
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| Keragen – Sulfate-free Brazilian Aftercare Smoothing Shampoo |
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| OUAI Fine Shampoo |
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| It's a 10 Haircare Miracle Shampoo Plus Keratin |
|
| Keratin Complex Keratin Color Care Duo Shampoo |
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| Bellisso Keratin Shampoo |
|
Can you use any sulfate-free shampoo after keratin treatment?
Well, we’d recommend avoiding the typical drugstore shampoo for now. But the problem isn’t just sulfates.
Sulfates are detergents that help remove oil and grime. But just like dish soap dries out your skin, sulfates can dry out your hair. They strip the keratin treatment right off the strands.
Fortunately, there are many shampoos available with mild detergents like olefin sulfonate or coco-betaine. When you double-check the label, usually sulfates are one of the first five ingredients. If you don’t see “sodium lauryl sulfate” or “sodium laureth sulfate,” that’s good news.
Next, salt is a problem because it dissolves the keratin coating, too. It can dehydrate the scalp and hair. It’s a thickening agent commonly found in shampoo, but not necessary for cleansing. Generally, it’s listed as “sodium chloride”. Even salt and chlorine from swimming in the ocean or a pool can damage a keratin treatment (1).
Also, steer clear of clarifying shampoos when you have a keratin treatment. They open the cuticle of the hair, destroying the keratin coating.
But wait, there’s more – hair experts recommend avoiding silicone as well. The silicone coats the strands to seal in moisture and smooth the cuticle. It may also protect against harm from heat-styling. That may sound helpful until you consider two things. For one, too much silicone weighs down the hair and builds up residue. And two, you just got a keratin coating to keep your hair frizz-free and shiny so there’s no need for excess silicone.
How to choose the best shampoo to maintain keratin-treated hair
If you read the above section, you already know you’ll need a sulfate-free, soap-free, silicone-free shampoo to keep your keratin-treated hair gorgeous. It’s a lot of work to look for the perfect shampoo, so we hope that the reviews below help you find what you need.
Tips for making a keratin treatment last longer
The trick for keeping your hair glossy and smooth is to be gentle with it.
If you wash with lukewarm water and rinse with cool water, it will help maintain the keratin on your hair. It also benefits the scalp. Water that’s too hot can strip the natural moisture and oil as well as the keratin.
Next, switch to a microfiber towel or a soft cotton T-shirt for drying your hair. Don’t rub or twist, but rather pat the hair dry.
Lastly, try a silk pillowcase to avoid snagging or roughing up the hair while you sleep.
Best Shampoos for Keratin-Treated Hair in 2024
LuxeOrganix Moroccan Oil Shampoo
Here’s a shampoo you can trust to protect your hair. It’s free from sulfates, sodium chloride, drying alcohols, phthalates, and gluten. It’s exactly what a stylist would recommend. Even the creamsicle fragrance is appealing.
Not only is it safe for use after getting a keratin treatment, but it also won’t strip color-treated hair.
The cleansers it contains are safe for sensitive skin as they don’t penetrate its surface or the hair.
As the company points out, they don’t include parabens, either. Parabens are a preservative, but they are potentially linked to cancer as they mimic estrogen. They won’t wreck your keratin treatment, but they could damage your health. Instead, they use less than 0.1% concentration of methylisothiazolinone.
There is a little hitch, however. The ingredients list silicone quaternium-16 to defend against breakage. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as this is a “smart silicone” that doesn’t build up in layers.
Should you feel dissatisfied with the shampoo, their customer service promises to fix it since they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Moreover, happy users write that they love how it leaves their hair soft, healthy-looking, and manageable.
Pros:
- Free of sulfates, salt, parabens, and other undesirable chemicals
- Safe for keratin-treated and color-treated hair
- Comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Smells like a Creamsicle
Cons:
- Contains silicone to guard against breakage, but it doesn’t bond to itself and build layers
Damila Sulfate & Salt Free Shampoo
Here’s an American-made shampoo used by professional stylists. As you can see by the label, it contains no sulfates or salt that could strip a keratin treatment. Plus, it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.
The shampoo was especially formulated to boost the effects of a keratin treatment. In conjunction with the matching conditioner, it replenishes the protein and cleanses without stripping the coating. In fact, it can extend the lifetime of the treatment.
Furthermore, the formula is excellent for repairing and reviving dry, damaged, frizzy hair. Regular use will rehydrate and boost the elasticity, making the hair silky and sleek.
Still, you should know that it contains amodimethicone. This is a type of silicone that attaches to damaged parts to seal in moisture. Unfortunately, this conditioning agent can build up over time. On the bright side, reviewers leave generally positive comments about their hair feeling light and clean all the same.
Pros:
- Free of salt and sulfates
- Can extend the lifetime of a keratin treatment as it replenishes protein
- Has a 100% money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Contains amodimethicone, a type of silicone
Keragen – Sulfate-free Brazilian Aftercare Smoothing Shampoo
We finally found a sulfate-free, salt-free and silicone-free shampoo that’s made in the USA. It’s infused with keratin because it’s designed for use after a keratin treatment or Brazilian blowout. It helps the hair stay smooth and shiny for as long as possible.
What’s more, it features hair-strengthening ingredients like panthenol, collagen, vitamins, and jojoba oil. Therefore, it’s healthy for damaged hair, too. Users who straighten their hair with a flat iron find that it protects the strands against breakage and leaves them extra shiny and smooth.
For best results, use the matching conditioner.
Pros:
- No sulfates, silicone, parabens, sodium chloride, or drying alcohol
- Made in the USA with healthy hair ingredients like panthenol, collagen, jojoba oil, and vitamins
- Specifically formulated for use after keratin treatments
- Comes in a pump top bottle
Cons:
- The manufacturer, Chemco, allows private branding of their products, therefore the same shampoo may be available under a different brand name, possibly at a lower price
OUAI Fine Shampoo
If you’ve been price-checking so far, you’ve realized that there aren’t many cheap shampoos for keratin-treated hair. We justify what we spend on shampoo by considering the cost of a keratin treatment. Use the right shampoo and it’s not necessary to get treatments as often.
This brand doesn’t exclusively make this keratin-enriched shampoo for treated hair. Instead, you can get it in Fine or Medium versions depending on your hair type. The fine shampoo is infused with biotin and chia seed oil to add volume and strengthen each strand.
What brought it to our attention is the lack of sulfates, salt, and parabens. It doesn’t cheat by using salt to thicken the hair. Instead, it increases body and shine with better ingredients.
Nevertheless, it has a new type of silicone called Propoxytetramethyl Piperidinyl Dimethicone. It performs better than amodimethicone, although it’s not water-soluble and could leave a residue.
Pros:
- Free from salt, sulfates, and parabens
- Adds a natural amount of volume and shine to fine hair
- Strengthens each strand with keratin, biotin, and chia seed oil
Cons:
- Contains a type of silicone
It’s a 10 Haircare Miracle Shampoo Plus Keratin
We picked up this bottle on a whim because the bottle caught our eyes. It turns out that this is a very popular shampoo for color-treated hair. It’s very conditioning and mild.
Our friends who follow the Curly Girl method say they can tell it’s safe because it doesn’t make a lot of lather. It contains no sulfates, sodium chloride, or parabens.
After a keratin treatment, you shouldn’t be heat-styling your hair. But many of us found that the pandemic made us wait much longer between treatments. We resorted to using the flat iron. It would’ve been handy to have the shampoo because it has a heat protectant to prevent damage from thermal styling. It even prevents fading in sunlight.
Pros:
- Free of salt, sulfates, and parabens
- Contains heat protectant to guard against thermal damage and fading in the sunlight
- Safe for color-treated hair
Cons:
- Not much lather, which makes it tempting to use too much
Keratin Complex Keratin Color Care Duo Shampoo
It’s most important to avoid sulfates and salt, and difficult to find shampoo without silicone. But silicone isn’t all bad. It causes more problems for curly hair than it does straightened hair. On the bright side, silicone can leave the hair stronger and shinier, which is just what you want when you’ve got a keratin treatment.
This shampoo is salt and sulfate-free and safe for keratin-treated hair. It won’t fade color treatments, either. It protects all hair types against flyaways and frizz with a three-protein blend (and silicone) that smooths each strand.
The average keratin treatment lasts about three months. But at least one user who tried this shampoo and conditioner found that it kept the hair from reverting and going frizzy for twice as long.
Pros:
- Salt and sulfate-free, safe for keratin-treated and color-treated hair
- Keeps tresses smooth and strong with a three-protein blend
- Prevents frizz in normal hair, too
Cons:
- Contains silicone, but the silicone helps enhance shine and prevent frizz
Bellisso Keratin Shampoo
This keratin-enriched shampoo features nourishing ingredients like argan oil, silk protein, and pro-vitamin B5. Even if you didn’t get a keratin treatment, with the help of a flat iron, it can help your hair look like it had one.
Obviously, it’s sulfate-free. Plus, it has no salt, parabens, or straightforward silicone. We were a little less charmed by the fact that it has DMDM hydantoin, a formaldehyde releaser.
On the upside, users say it has a pleasant fragrance and leaves their hair soft and manageable. That’s pretty much all we could ask of any shampoo.
Pros:
- Contains no sulfates, salt, silicone, or parabens
- Enriched with argan oil, silk protein, and pro-vitamin B5
Cons:
- Has a formaldehyde releaser
Conclusion
It’s not hard to keep your hair glossy and strong for months after your keratin treatment. Switch to a shampoo that’s free of salt and sulfates to protect your style.
If you’ve spent that much money and that much time getting your hair perfect, it’s only a few dollars more to maintain it. Even after the treatment has faded, these nourishing shampoos will benefit your hair in the long term.
If you love your new shampoo, we’d be pleased to hear about it. Feel free to leave us a comment below.
Source:
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/keratin-treatment-pros-and-cons by Grace Gallagher, medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP, published on April 1, 2020, accessed May 24, 2021