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Whether you're a natural ginger or get your burgundy from a bottle, keeping red hair looking its best can be a challenge. Don't settle for a shampoo and conditioner designed for more mundane shades. Not only will these products not boost your shine and protect your pigments like redhead-only products can, they might actually harm your hair if they’ve got harsh detergents that yank out the pigments that make your look so special. Instead, accentuate the auburn with hair care products designed just for redheads like you.
UV Protection
Both natural and dyed redheads need a shampoo and conditioner with UV protection. The natural pigment that creates red hair, pheomelanin, breaks down faster than other pigments, so if you get your good looks from your genes, the sun might just be your hair's worst enemy. Ladies with artificial shades of red aren't off the hook, either. The red pigment in dye can also degrade in the sun.
Moisturize and Maintain
Vibrant hair needs regular maintenance, so you'll want to pick a shampoo and conditioner that can moisturize your locks. John Frieda Radiant Red Color Captivating Daily Shampoo and John Frieda Color Magnifying Daily Conditioner are favorites of "Essence" magazine because of their ability to enhance color and nourish locks.
Natural Reds
There aren't many products made for natural redheads, but if your red locks are natural, you can still use products created for color-treated redheads. Look for words like "intensive treatment" and "revitalizing" to find products that can help heal split ends, since these unsightly tips are more noticeable on girls with crimson tresses.
Color Deposits
Both natural and bottle redheads can use a color-depositing shampoo or conditioner to boost their color. These products drop small amounts of red pigment on the hair strand, emphasizing the red and counteracting any fading. "Seventeen" magazine recommends Matrix Shade Memory Foam Conditioner in Vivid Red, and the editors of "Real Simple" rave about the pigment-depositing L’Oréal Paris Professionnel Colorist Collection Red Clover shampoo.
Tips
If your sexy auburn locks come out of a bottle, it's important not to swim in a chlorinated pool for at least two weeks after coloring your hair. Chlorinated water leaches the red pigment out of your strands, something no shampoo or conditioner can repair. Natural redheads might want to use a deep-conditioning treatment once a week to keep hair moisturized and locks looking shiny and bright.
