Your haircare routine requires a little extra attention when there are hair extensions involved.
Great for adding inches and volume, hair extensions can mostly just be washed the same way you wash your usual hair. But you'll likely want to pay a little extra attention to the ingredients list, in order to keep your lengths looking healthier for longer.
When choosing a shampoo for your new hair extensions, look for bottles that are sulphate-free, as sulphates can strip the hair of natural oils, cause colour fade and lead to dryness. Overuse of shampoo with sulphates can dry out your extensions and give them that brittle look.
You'll also want to avoid shampoos that contain parabens and phosphates, as these can also harm the hair. Parabens are preservatives that can cause allergic reactions, while phosphates are chemicals that can have a bad effect not just on your hair but also the planet.
Choose shampoos that are hydrating and gentle, as these will nourish the hair and prevent tangling and breakage. Look for ingredients like coconut milk, shea butter and argan oil, as these can moisturise and smooth the hair.
Wash your hair extensions carefully, as they can be more fragile than your natural hair. Use a small amount of shampoo and apply it to the roots of your hair, avoiding the bonds or tapes of your extensions.
Massage gently with your fingertips, not your nails, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. And lastly, don't over-wash your hair extensions, as this can dry them out. If they need a quick refresh before your next hair wash day, use a dry shampoo instead.
We've rounded up all of the best shampoos for hair extensions
Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
You’ll want the perfect balance of hydration without weighing down your locks when it comes to shampoo for hair extensions and Pureology’s Hydrate Shampoo ticks all the boxes for doing just that.
A shampoo that helps to impart moisture, protect colour vibrancy and visibly enhance shine, it’s a top choice for all hair types with its creamy formula that helps to deliver long-lasting nourishment. It comes enriched with a blend of sage, green tea and jojoba oil to quench the hair’s thirst, while the brand’s patented Antifade Complex protects against environmental aggressors.
Buy now £17.85, lookfantastic
Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Olaplex isn’t just the name to know for the locks that grow naturally from your head: it’s also a winning choice for hair extensions. The brand’s No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo hydrates and nourishes your tresses as it cleanses, using its patented bond-building technology to improve hair’s manageability, softness and visible strength.
Ideal for stressed strands that have been exposed to frequent colouring, bleaching, chemical treatments and heat styling, the shampoo delivers moisture without weighing your lengths down and helps to protect against future breakage.
Buy now £25.20, lookfantastic
Davines Essential Haircare NOUNOU/Shampoo
Davines’ Essential Haircare NOUNOU/Shampoo is one of the richest formulas around that works just the right amount of magic on hair extensions. Specially designed for bleached, permed or relaxed hair, this rich formula gently cleanses treated locks, giving them deep nourishment, hydration and restoring their natural softness. It champions the Gaceta Fiaschetto tomato as its most impressive ingredient, which has strong nourishing power and an antioxidising action.
Buy now £9.00, Amazon
Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo
The Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo is a popular luxury shampoo for all hair types and works especially well on hair extensions, too. This rejuvenating cleanser combines centuries-old healing oils and extracts like cypress and argan with the brand’s revolutionary bio-restorative complex to balance the scalp and reinforce the inner strength of each strand.
If your hair extensions are coming to the end of their life, this nourishing shampoo will help to tide you over until you get them sorted.
Buy now £54.85, Amazon
Kérastase Specifique Dermo-Calm Bain Vital Shampoo
If your hair extensions are feeling a little damaged and sensitive, you’ll want to pick up a bottle of Kérastase’s Specifique Dermo-Calm Bain Vital Shampoo to wash them carefully. Hypoallergenic and free from silicone, it’s infused with comforting Calophyllum oil as well as glycerin, which works to repair and form a protective barrier. Complete with the invigorating benefits of menthol extract, the gentle cleanser leaves locks lightweight and shiny, calming feelings of itchiness and sensitivity.
Buy now £21.72, lookfantastic
Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate & Repair Shampoo
For hair extensions that are really in need of a dose of hydration and moisture, reach for a bottle of Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate & Repair Shampoo. This sulphate-free hair cleanser effectively removes impurities, oil and product build-up whilst infusing hair with intensive moisture, reconstructive proteins and shine-enhancing nutrients.
It envelopes tresses in a fortifying, ultra-hydrating blend of certified organic shea butter, manuka honey and yoghurt, the reparative formula transforms coarse, brittle hair with improved smoothness, texture and manageability.
Buy now £9.89, lookfantastic
Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two
Paul Mitchell’s Shampoo Two is more suitable for new hair extensions that need a quick refresh rather than anything too intensive. You’ll likely fall in love with this shampoo’s sharp, zesty lemon scent and then once again when you’ve witnessed its results.
This colour-safe formula deeply cleanses oily hair and scalp, leaving hair fresh, shiny and full of body. It clarifies and removes build-up, helping to keep your extensions feeling light and fresh.
Buy now £14.32, lookfantastic
OGX Nourishing+ Coconut Milk pH Balanced Shampoo
Coconut milk is one of the best ingredients around when it comes to caring for hair extensions and this OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk pH Balanced Shampoo is a top choice for delivering great results at a budget-friendly price.
This tropical blend helps to fortify your hair’s natural strength and moisturises for total nourishment. It comes with an upgraded pH-balanced formula for salon-quality, gentle cleansing. Coconut milk helps to add strength, elasticity and hydration to strands, so it’s an all-rounder to keep your extensions looking and feeling their best.
Buy now £6.99, Boots
DHS Clear Shampoo
If your hair extensions are causing an itchy scalp, you may want to mix things up with a shampoo that tackles the problem (literally) head-on. DHS’ Clear Shampoo gently cleanses your hair from root to tip, nourishing not only the scalp but also leaving you with a feeling of total well-being.
Recommended by dermatologists for those with sensitive scalps, it helps maintain your skin’s natural PH balance while giving you clean and conditioned hair.
Buy now £28.98, Amazon
Verdict
For a hair extension-safe shampoo that hydrates, nourishes and cleanses all at the same time, Pureology Hydrate Shampoo is our top choice.
