Keratin treatments help to give your hair a smooth, shiny, and sleek finish for a few months. It is the secret to stunning hair (especially if you usually battle with frizz and dullness) and is a fairly accessible process (albeit sometimes expensive).
If you want to have a keratin treatment done, it is so important to practice the proper aftercare to ensure that the treatment lasts as long as possible. One of the key factors in this is choosing the right post-keratin treatment shampoo. The wrong shampoo will strip the treatment from your hair!
To help keep your hair shiny, sleek, and smooth for longer, what is the best post-treatment keratin shampoo to look for? After a keratin treatment, you should look for a shampoo that is free of sulfates and sodium chlorate. These can strip the hair of the keratin treatment, so your hair will not have that gorgeous shine for as long as it should.
The shampoo should also contain natural ingredients, and should not be drying or harsh on the hair. A lot of it will come down to personal preference, but there are definitely some post-keratin shampoos that are better than the rest. Here is how to choose them!
What Is A Keratin Treatment?
Understanding what a keratin treatment is will help you choose the best post-treatment shampoo, and help you understand why it is so important to choose the right one.
A keratin treatment is a chemical process. It is done to smooth down hair and to add shine and is usually used on frizzy hair to offer some control. If looked after properly, keratin treatments can last for up to six months.
There are a few different keratin treatments to choose from, and these all go by different names, such as a Brazilian Blowout, Goldwell Kerasilk, and more. Hairstylists are also able to customize a treatment to suit your hair type.
Older versions of keratin treatments released formaldehyde when heated, but newer treatments are formaldehyde-free.
The basic process of keratin treatments is to inject keratin into porous areas of the hair follicle, reaching deep down to provide hair with this essential protein. This makes hair healthier, shinier, and smoother. Your hair looks healthier because it is healthier!
What To Look For In A Post-Keratin Treatment Shampoo
It is so important to choose the right type of post-keratin treatment shampoo for your hair. Keratin treatments aren’t cheap, so you need to make sure you use the right product to help the treatment last as long as possible and to keep your hair healthy for as long as possible.
Choosing a shampoo for keratin treated hair is fairly simple. There are a few criteria that the shampoo has to meet, but the rest is quite up to personal choice. Most importantly, the shampoo should be sulfate-free and sodium chlorate-free.
These two chemicals strip the keratin treatment from your hair and will mean that the keratin treatment does not last as long as it should, which is quite a waste. These chemicals also strip color from color-treated hair, so it is best to avoid them overall.
The rest of the properties of the shampoo will depend on what you are looking for. You might be more interested in all-natural products, or shampoos that are made for sensitive scalps. There are lightweight and heavy products, as well as those that lather and those that don’t.
It is also a good idea to look for shampoos that have natural vitamins. These will work with the keratin treatment to provide your hair with strength, moisture, nutrients, and oils that keep it healthy and strong.
So avoid shampoos with sulfate and sodium chlorate, and choose shampoos that have natural vitamins and oil to enhance the health of your hair!
The Benefits Of Using Post-Keratin Treatment Shampoo
There are quite a few benefits that come with using a post-keratin treatment shampoo, and you will definitely notice the difference when using the right product.
Nutrients & Moisture
Shampoos you can use after a keratin treatment are usually quite high-quality shampoos. These will have the right amount of natural vitamins and oils to keep your hair healthy and strong while allowing the keratin to do its job in keeping your hair healthy.
They do not contain synthetic fillers that end up irritating the skin and drying out your hair and scalp. These shampoos work to keep hair moisturized without providing too much product and chemicals.
Long-Lasting Treatment
By not containing sulfate or sodium chloride, good after-keratin shampoos will not strip the keratin from your hair. This allows the treatment to last longer, allowing you to extend the time between treatments. This can save you quite a bit of money in the long run.
Strength
The natural oils and vitamins provided by these post-keratin treatment shampoos help to keep hair strong. They strengthen the hair naturally so that it stands up to everyday wear and tear, heat, and breakage.
Best Shampoos For After a Keratin Treatment
Here are the best post-keratin treatment shampoos for you to use once your hair has been made smooth and sleek:
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Keratin Research Natural Argan Oil Infused Shampoo | Made for post-keratin treatment, keratin-infused |
| 2. | Its A 10 Miracle Shampoo Bundle | Keratin-infused |
| 3. | Arvazallia Advanced Hair Repair Shampoo Set | Includes argan + Macadamia oil |
| 4. | LuxeOrganix Moroccan Oil Shampoo And Conditioner | Richly hydrating, post-treatment safe |
| 5. | Scruples White Tea Shampoo | Restorative shampoo |
These not only help to allow the keratin treatment to last as long as possible, but they will keep your hair nourished and healthy.
Let’s look at these a little more closely.
1. Keratin Research Natural Argan Oil Infused Shampoo
This Natural Argan Oil Infused Shampoo from Keratin Research is one of the best options you can use on your hair. It is sulfate-free and can be used daily to maintain keratin treatments and color treatments.
The moisturizing shampoo provides the best protection, moisture, and shine to keratin-treated hair, and helps to reduce breakage and dryness while restoring split ends. This is all thanks to the rich ingredients used to formulate this superior, yet gentle, shampoo.
Along with the shampoo, you will be given the sulfate-free conditioner as well, which works to soften the hair further and build on the nutrients and vitamins deposited on the hair from the Argan oil shampoo.
Hydrolyzed keratin and essential amino acids give hair a healthier and shinier appearance while taking care of your hair from root to tip.
2. Its A 10 Miracle Shampoo Bundle
This complete set from Its A 10 is all you need to care for your hair following a keratin treatment. From the miracle shampoo to the conditioner, your hair will benefit from the care and nourishment offered by the set.
The keratin-based shampoo contains the right nutrients and vitamins to keep your hair smooth and healthy while allowing the keratin to remain in your hair and do what it is supposed to for as long as it can!
Once you have used the keratin shampoo, you can then move on to the after keratin conditioner treatment, and use the leave-in conditioner once or twice a week to maintain a superior shine. To help hair be even more stunning, there is a deep conditioning hair mask included in the bundle as well!
This complete kit helps you to have all the right treatments you need in one bundle, without having to shop around and mix and match products trying to find the right combination for your hair!
3. Arvazallia Advanced Hair Repair Shampoo Set
The Arvazallia Advanced Hair Repair Shampoo kit is one of the best options to use for keratin-treated hair. The shampoo works from day one, keeping your hair in the best condition possible, and maintaining the keratin treatment.
With a pleasant floral scent, the shampoo leaves your hair smelling fresh and pretty, making it that much more enjoyable!
The whole treatment helps to restore, repair, and strengthen hair that has been through keratin treatment, or even heat-treated or color-treated hair. It helps to keep hair from breaking and improves the appearance of split ends.
If used often, the treatment will deep condition, moisturize and instantly improve the texture of the hair, giving hair more elasticity and making it more manageable overall. It protects your keratin treatment and allows it to keep hair healthy for an extended period of time.
Infused with Moroccan premium-grade argan oil and macadamia oil, it contains essential nutrients to give hair a lustrous shine, while not stripping away any of the treatment that the hair is holding on to.
The set includes 1 repair moisturizing shampoo, 1 repair daily conditioner, and 1 hydrating mask and deep conditioner for extended protection.
4. LuxeOrganix Moroccan Oil Shampoo And Conditioner
This Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner is ideal for keratin-treated hair, as it won’t strip away any of the treatment, and will instead only add to the nutrients and essential vitamins that your hair needs!
The sodium-free and sodium-chloride-free shampoo and conditioner set protects hair from any damage and gives it more of the essential nourishment that it needs.
Made from only premium ingredients, it is gentle on the hair, and suited for all hair types as well, whether keratin-treated, dry, curly, frizzy, or normal.
The shampoo and conditioner set is 100% sulfate-free and gives hair UV and thermal heat protection even after washing. It is infused with a fresh citrus scent, enhanced with vanilla, to give hair a refreshed, summer aroma, without being overpowering and artificial-smelling.
Containing Moroccan oil, the shampoo and conditioner set is gentle and caring on your treated hair, and is one of the best combinations to use to extend the life of your keratin treatment, ensuring your hair stays smooth, sleek, and shiny for as long as possible while nourishing it daily with all the essential nutrients it needs to thrive.
5. Scruples White Tea Shampoo
This white tea shampoo is one of the most natural and gentle products you could use on keratin-treated hair, and will not strip the hair of the smoothing treatment, allowing it to last as long as it possibly could.
White tea is the least processed of all tea types, and because of this, it contains the highest level of antioxidants, which work wonders to protect the hair and nourish it.
The antioxidants found in the white tea shampoo help to soothe the scalp, and are ideal to use on dry, sensitive scalps. They help to prevent irritation and inflammation and are suited to treat certain skin conditions too. The antiseptic properties of the antioxidants also help treat many ailments.
Not only does the white tea shampoo work to protect the keratin treatment in your hair, and prevent any stripping of the product and nutrients, it also helps to promote hair growth and hair shine, prevent breakages, hair fall, and even dandruff.
This gentle shampoo is packed with all the right nourishment that your hair needs, and will only enhance your hair after the keratin treatment, allowing it to be in its best possible condition.
Can You Do A Keratin Treatment At Home?
Technically, you can do a keratin treatment at home, but it will never be as good as what a salon treatment might be. There are home treatments to buy, all containing the buzzword keratin, but these are not necessarily the right keratin treatments to use.
Many of the home treatment kits you can buy do not contain the right ingredients for a deep, intensive keratin treatment. They may contain silicone and conditioning treatments that give you that smooth, sleek look, but do not last as long, and do not nourish your hair like a keratin treatment should.
There should be extensive instructions included with the kit which explain how to wash, dry, and heat-straighten your hair during and after the treatment. If it does not contain these instructions, chances are that you have just bought a conditioning treatment that will be quite short-lived.
While salon keratin treatments can be quite pricey, they are definitely worth it if you are looking to have a proper keratin treatment done. It will likely save you money in the long run by being longer-lasting and more nourishing for your hair – as long as you use the right post-keratin treatment shampoos!
Is it Necessary to Use Keratin Shampoo After a Treatment?
Yes, you do need to use a keratin-treated shampoo after having your treatment done. It is the same as when you have your hair colored in the salon, you need to use shampoo and conditioner that will not strip this from your hair.
There is no point paying for a salon treatment and then not using the right shampoo to extend the life of the treatment, making the cost of the treatment not worth it.
Related Questions
Do Shampoos With Added Keratin Actually Work?
Shampoos that contain added keratin help to provide your hair with an extra layer of protection, and works to condition the hair. These shampoos also help to treat damaged hair and chemical buildup.
Keratin-enriched shampoos do offer some protection and shine to hair, but not on the same level that a salon keratin treatment would. You will also need to use these keratin shampoos often to maintain shine, whereas a salon treatment only needs to be done every few months.
Can Keratin Ruin Your Hair?
Some keratin treatments contain products that can actually damage your hair, even though they strengthen your hair as well. This is because some of the chemicals found in keratin treatments, such as formaldehyde, can cause damage to hair.
The heat and styling tools used during a keratin treatment can also break and burn hair, which once again can damage the hair. However, it is a catch-22 as the treatment does also strengthen and nourish hair.
When choosing your keratin treatment, research the best one to take care of your hair and follow up with a nourishing shampoo and hair care routine.
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