Anyone know how do I pick a good shampoo for dry hair?

Hi Dominic. I fried my hair with back to back coloring last year and daily washing turned it into hay. It snapped every time I brushed. I bounced between a clarifying shampoo and a fancy moisturizing one & even an anti thinning formula and but they either stripped my ends or left buildup. I needed something cheap that I could use every day without making the color fade. The only thing that turned it around was CeraVe Hydrating Shampoo. It is sulfate free and has ceramides, which helped my scalp and hair feel moisturized without the squeaky dry feel. My hair stopped breaking at the ends and felt soft again after about two weeks, and I can still wash daily without it freaking out. The bottle is no frills and the lather is modest, but for the price on Amazon it did more for my fried hair than the pricier stuff.

Color treated hair that breaks needs a gentle cleanser... Check the label for sulfate free wording and avoid sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate. Milder surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine or isethionates are easier on the cuticle which, yeah phrases like moisturizing or hydrating and color safe help. Bonus if it mentions pH around 4.5 to 5.5.

Helpful ingredients are glycerin, panthenol, aloe, ceramides, fatty alcohols such as cetyl or stearyl, and light silicones like amodimethicone or dimethicone to cut friction. A little hydrolyzed protein can help with strength, but if your hair feels stiff or straw like, switch to protein free for a bit. Skip anything labeled clarifying or volumizing for daily use since those tend to strip.

Use a small amount and focus on the scalp, then let the suds run through the lengths for a quick pass. Rinse with lukewarm water, then cool. Small amount.

Ditch harsh detergents and drying alcohols that wreck colored hair. Pick a mild budget formula with proteins or vitamins so daily washing nourishes without fast fading and your hair stops snapping.

On a tight budget I go by the first few ingredients. If you see sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate up high and skip it for daily washing. Look for gentler cleansers such as cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoyl isethionate, or disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, plus moisturizers like glycerin and panthenol and fatty alcohols. Avoid SD alcohol or denatured alcohol near the top since that can be drying. Color safe wording is a plus.

To make it last,, pour some into a small bottle and dilute with water so it spreads easier and you use less each time. Wash the scalp, squeeze suds down the lengths, then condition the ends. Stretch it.

Dry hair sucks and especially when it's breaking all the time. I went through that after dyeing mine too often, and money was tight too. So I started reading labels. Go for shampoos that are free of sulfates because those can dry things out more, and check for ingredients that hydrate like aloe or glycerin.

I also cut back on washing every single day, maybe every other, and that made a difference. Soft hair again? Yeah, it's possible. be patient.

My curls went brittle after repeated dye sessions and daily washing and so I honestly switched the approach rather than chasing a fancy label.

I use a gentle low poo on days I need a real clean, then on in between days I massage the scalp with water and add conditioner to the ends so they get slip and protection.

If daily shampoo is a must, pick one that says moisturizing and color safe and make sure it has things like glycerin, panthenol, and fatty alcohols.

Skip strong clarifiers for now.

A trick that helped is to coat the last few inches with a little conditioner before you wash so the shampoo does not hit the driest parts full force, then rinse and condition again.

Use lukewarm water rather than hot.

Hair usually feels softer within two weeks.

Dealing with dry and breaking hair from too much color? I feel you & mine was a mess. I looked for shampoos that are all about moisture, without the stuff that strips your hair, like no sulfates or parabens if possible. Adding conditioners with similar vibes helped too, but focus on the shampoo first.

Budget on Amazon is smart, there are tons under ten bucks that do the trick, just read reviews for real experiences. I stopped daily washes though, went to every other day and bam, softness returned, no more snaps when brushing. Give it time, you'll see.

Switch to a gentle low lather sulfate free hydrating shampoo with fatty alcohols and betaines and use only a dime size on the scalp.

On very dry days just rinse and condition the ends then shampoo the next day to cut breakage and help color last.

I've been there with dry hair from over-coloring and it feels awful when it snaps off. What helped me was switching to something that focuses on hydration without harsh cleaners. Look for ones that say they're moisturizing or have gentle formulas, maybe with added oils or butters to lock in moisture.

Daily washing can strip natural oils, so even with a good one, try not to overdo it if you can. And after a couple weeks of consistent use, my hair started feeling softer and less brittle. Hang in there, it gets better.