Keratin treatment can bring new life to your locks. But if you don't care for your hair after getting a keratin treatment, the shine and luster will wash away quickly.

Your hairstylist will give you a list of dos and don'ts after your keratin treatment. Following the guidelines is important to get the most out of the treatment.

Common activities to avoid after keratin treatment include swimming, washing your hair within 72 hours of the treatment, wearing head gears, etc.

The hair care products you use also make a huge difference in the efficacy of your keratin treatment. More than anything else, the shampoo you use plays a big role in preserving or destroying keratin-treated hair.

Today we will go through some tips to choose the best shampoo after getting a keratin treatment.

Table of Contents:

• Why Is It Important to Choose the Right Shampoo After Keratin Treatment?
• How to Choose the Best Shampoo for Keratin-Treated Hair?
• Ingredients to Avoid After Keratin Treatment
• Sulfates
• Sodium Chloride
• Parabens
• Hair Care Products for Keratin-treated Hair

Why Is It Important to Choose the Right Shampoo After Keratin Treatment?

Keratin treatments use synthetic keratin protein to add a layer to your strands. As a result, your hair becomes straighter, smoother, and shinier.

Keratin treatments are also designed for long-term efficacy. Depending on the type of keratin treatment you choose, the effects can last for as long as six months. Some types of keratin treatment, like Japzilian Keratin, last even longer. Other keratin treatments, like Keratin Express, are short-term solutions that last for just over a month.

No matter which keratin treatment you choose, you would want to get the most out of it. That's where haircare comes into play. If you get a keratin treatment but do not take the necessary post-treatment steps, your hair will go back to its normal state in no time.

Choosing the right shampoo is the first and most important part of caring for keratin-treated hair. Apart from the right shampoo, you must also find the right hair conditioner, hair oil, and other hair care products.

How to Choose the Best Shampoo for Keratin-Treated Hair?

There's no magic formula to finding the best shampoo. Instead, we must take the basic principles of hair care and work accordingly.

There's only one way of determining which shampoo is good for you — by reading ingredient lists. Make it a habit to read the back label and ingredient list of every shampoo that you pick up.

First, we will look at the ingredients you should avoid after keratin treatment. Then we have some product suggestions and recommendations.

Ingredients to Avoid After Keratin Treatment

When reading the ingredient list on shampoo bottles, look for the following terms. The following chemicals can damage and undo the benefits of keratin treatment:

• Sulfates

Sulfates refer to a common class of chemicals used in soaps, shampoos, and body washes. The function of sulfates is to create a foam. Their presence in shampoos makes it easier for us to apply shampoo to our hair and scalp. The three most common types of sulfates found in shampoos are:

• sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
• sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
• ammonium laureth sulfate (ALS)

Among the three, ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) is the least harmful. It can easily dissolve in water and provides similar foaming qualities as SLS and SLES. Make sure the shampoo you use does not contain SLES or SLS.

Sulfates can dry your hair and strip it of its natural oils. By extension, it damages keratin-treated hair by stripping away the keratin proteins.

• Sodium Chloride

Sodium Chloride is essentially salt. Many haircare products use sodium chloride as a thickening agent, though. 

Although there are some benefits of it for people with greasy hair, it's the fastest way to ruin the benefits of keratin treatment. Sodium chloride is a cleansing agent, and it will rinse the keratin off your hair. Your hair will be back to its old state after just one wash.

There are plenty of shampoos that don't use sodium chloride. Choose from any of those for keratin-treated hair.

• Parabens

Parabens have two main disadvantages: they can dry your hair and are associated with some cancers.

They help in extending the shelf life of products. But it's not safe to keep using products with paraben. For people with keratin-treated hair, it's a strict no-no.

Hair Care Products for Keratin-treated Hair

Let's look at some of the best hair care products to use after your keratin treatment.

Shampoo: Wow Skin Science Activated Charcoal & Keratin Shampoo

What's better than keratin shampoo for keratin-treated hair? This paraben, sulfate, and sodium chloride-free shampoo gently cleanses your hair while fortifying your strands with keratin. It also contains a nourishing blend of sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, and aloe vera extract.

Conditioner: Wow Skin Science Coconut & Avocado Natural Hair Conditioner

Keratin-treated hair demands hydration and protection. Stay away from conditioners that can dry your hair. This coconut and avocado hair conditioner is perfect because of its hydrating properties. It also contains high-quality coconut oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil for added nutrition for your hair and scalp.

If you use styling products, get them approved by your hairstylist before using them.

Caring for keratin-treated hair is not difficult when you have a structured haircare routine and the right products. We hope this guide will help you find the right products and use them correctly.