There are things I wish someone would have told me before I started coloring my hair. Two of those being that my hair texture would change, and that I would have to start thinking more about how I care for my locks. I was a hair color virgin for 29 years of my life, but the past two have been filled with ombre blonde, honey blonde and rose gold goodness. Also some serious research on what products work best for my color treated hair–without having to shell out a ton (bc NYC is expensive enough as it is). Here’s my roundup of the best drugstore products for colored hair.

SHAMPOOS

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo, $20 for 8.5 fl oz

Color fades with every wash, but sulfate-free options slow this process a bit. While most sulfate-free shampoos don’t tend to lather well, this one works into rich suds and uses an RCT Protein Complex that attracts to where the hair needs help the most.

Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Shampoo, $8 for 10.5 fl oz

This shampoo is also sulfate-free and leaves my hair feeling super soft and clean. It’s got Balancing Seaweed Extract and natural cleansers that don’t strip hair of too much moisture. (Psst! If you’re looking for more natural beauty products, you can find my faves here).

MASKS

Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasures Repairing Mask, $6.29

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–This is the mother of all hair masks. It makes my colored hair feel incredibly soft, but actually seems to add volume at the same time (is it magic?!). I put it on for 15 minutes in the shower, and it leaves a lightly sweet scent in my hair that lasts for days, which means I can go without washing more often.

Redken Blonde Idol Hair Mask, $21 for 8.5 fl oz

I’m all for anything that can lengthen the time between hair appointments. Back when I was rocking the blonde look, this blue mask helped both moisturize and maintain the cool blonde tones in my hair, giving me an extra month before calling a colorist.

STYLING PRODUCTS

TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer, $5.49 for 8 fl oz

If you’ve lightened your hair, you know the perils of damaged hair. This heat protective spray has a moisture-locking vitamin complex that helps limit damage from flat irons, blow drying, etc. I spray on a generous amount, especially at my ends, before applying other hair products and styling my hair.

Bed Head Totally Baked Volumizing & Prepping Hair Meringue, $15 for 8.1 fl oz

My hair is fine, so I’m always looking for something to plump it up. This does just that as well as tames flyaways, which tend to be more prominent in hair that’s colored at the roots.

DRY SHAMPOO

Nexxus Volume Refreshing Mist Dry Shampoo, $11.99 for 5 oz

When you have colored hair, you resign yourself to washing it less frequently. This dry shampoo with pearl extract makes my freshly washed and styled look last longer and adds volume, even after 3+ days without shampooing. The scent is nice, too.

Salon Grafix Dry Shampoo with Antioxidants, $6.99 for 5.6 oz

This is by far one of the best deals on dry shampoo. It works just as well as the expensive stuff, is completely invisible and works great for refreshing my hair after the gym.

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