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Do you really need to ditch the sulphates? We found out...

Whether you've spent too much time watching hair transformations on TikTok, or you just fancy a change, switching up hair shades has been playing on a lot of our minds of late.

According to a 2021 Pantene study, more than a third of women in the UK don't wear their natural hair colour. And thanks to celebs such as Sydney Sweeney and Kendall Jenner debuting copper tresses, Pinterest has seen a 608.3% increase in searches for 'bright copper hair' – safe to say, we're all not all au naturel.

If you're going to spend the money and time perfecting your hue though, you need to get the aftercare down too. We're talking switching to a sulphate-free shampoo, to protect strands and your colour.

If you're not totally sure what sulphates are (no judgement here), we've asked an expert all your burning questions, to make sure ditching the sulphates is the right move.

While sulphates do have a huge part to play in the formula of a shampoo, they're not always essential...

Zoe Irwin, Creative Director at John Freida Salons, explains: 'They're the chemicals that are used as cleansing agents. They're the part that creates a lather to remove the oil and dirt'.

The lather gives us that squeaky-clean feeling we know and love, but it also works beneath the surface. 'Sulphates are great surfactants,' adds Irwin, 'that means they attract both oil and water. One part attracts the oil and dirt from the hair, and the other to the water, so when you rinse, the grease and dirt is washed away.'

'Those with coarse and naturally curly hair will find their hair is over cleansed when using a shampoo with sulphates. And those with rosacea, eczema or a sore, sensitive scalp might find sulphates to be aggravating,' says Irwin.

As there's less lather, a sulphate-free shampoo will provide less of an aggressive clean and often leave more of the natural oils behind – great if you're on the dryer side. But if you use a lot of styling products or are prone to oiliness, a sulphate shampoo will be of greater benefit.

A more hardcore cleanse can cause your hair colour to fade at a more rapid rate too, and while there's no shampoo that is 100% guaranteed to keep your shade intact, a sulphate-free option is going to be gentler and less stripping.

Irwin also advices that those who have keratin or straightening treatments shouldn’t use sulphates, as it will stop the treatment working as well.

To discover the best sulphate-free shampoos on the market, we asked our panel of 510 women to try them out for a month, to see what differences they saw to their hair. They noted differences in colour and hair health, as well as how well each shampoo lathered.

To see how effectively each one cleansed, we also added artificial skin oils to fake hair switches and measured how much each shampoo removed, using a Sebumeter machine.

Here are the sulphate-free shampoos that impressed the most:

Having your hair tied up while exercising – or indeed the UK's temperamental weather forecast – can leave strands looking frazzled. However, this shampoo aims to calm unruly tresses, keeping hair in shape for up to 72 hours.

It was a winner for how well it boosted smoothness, shine and hydration for our testers, and removed any dry shampoo build-up to leave 87% with fresh scalps. Once dried, hair was softer and more manageable, too.

Key specifications Conditioner: Kérastase Discipline Fondant Fluidealiste Size: Shampoo, 250ml. Conditioner, 200ml Paraben free: Yes

Injecting some energy back into lacklustre hair, this shampoo boosted vibrancy for 92% of testers, thanks to its hard-working formula that's designed to banish free radicals and environmental aggressors. Frizz was dismissed too, leaving 92% with softer, smoother and more hydrated hair.

Key specifications Conditioner: Fekkai Technician Color Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 250ml. Conditioner, 250ml Paraben free: Yes

If you're after Gigi Hadid-level blondness, note that you've got to take extra care of bleached hair. Try adding this shampoo to your haircare routine too, as it was our blonde testers' top pick.

It increased shine for 86%, while 93% still found it effectively cleaned their scalp too. One tester praised how it improved their overall hair texture, while still brightening hair’s hue for 71%.

Key specifications Conditioner: Christophe Robin Color Shield Mask With Camu-Camu Berries Size: Shampoo, 250ml. Conditioner, 250ml Paraben free: Yes

If you've experimented with colour before, you'll recognise Pureology. Brimming with nourishing jojoba and protein-rich soy, this delivered hydration to frayed ends. Hair looked healthier too, with 80% saying their colour looked brighter and faded slower than usual.

Key specifications Conditioner: Pureology Hydrate Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 266ml. Conditioner, 266ml Paraben free: Yes

This organic shampoo features zero-plastic, reusable packaging, and 92% of testers said it increased softness and hydration.

It wasn't the best at removing oil in our tests, but none of our testers reported it as being an issue. It helped 82% with reducing breakages too, and was so impressive that 92% said they'd continue to use it.

Key specifications Conditioner: Beauty Kitchen The Sustainables Everyday Gentle Organic Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 300ml. Conditioner, 300ml Paraben free: Yes

Packed with orchid oil to boost hydration and smoothness, this shampoo was a top performer in our lab test for removing grime, while all of our testers found it to be gentle on colour and non-irritating on scalps. All testers were left with smoother strands too, with 78% seeing fewer breakages.

Key specifications Conditioner: OGX Orchid Oil Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 385ml. Conditioner, 385ml Paraben free: Yes

Hair thinning when bleaching is usually a given. Yet this shampoo claims to tackle the issue with its formula designed to prevent the blockage of hair follicles (the cause hair thinning).

Strands were left gently cleansed, with one tester raving that it 'didn't weigh my fine hair down and lasted longer in-between shampoos'. It was easy on colour too, with 91% saying their hue lasted longer than usual.

Key specifications Conditioner: Color WOW Color Security Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 250ml. Conditioner, 250ml Paraben free: Yes

It might seem bizarre that some brands try to charge you more money for taking out an ingredient, but not this shampoo. This cheap and cheerful buy costs just over a fiver, but kept colour around for longer.

Almost everyone said their shade appeared brighter, with 77% finding strands looked and felt stronger after washing. It didn't leave hair feeling stripped but still did a great job of cleansing scalps.

Key specifications Conditioner: L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise Pure Colour Enhancing Dazzling Coloured Hair & Volume Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 250ml. Conditioner, 250ml Paraben free: Yes

Want to see less strands in your hairbrush? This should do the trick. This budget wonder left 90% of our testers with stronger-looking hair, while 91% saw their colour last for longer.

The brand has also partnered with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, to source the right botanical ingredients. And although it didn't score the best in our lab test, all found it was nourishing and gentle on hair.

Key specifications Conditioner: Herbal Essences Sulphate-free Pure Aloe & Mango Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 380ml. Conditioner, 275ml Paraben free: Yes

Yes, getting rid of all that dirt and sweat you've built up during a workout is key. But there's a gentle way to go about it. This was a top performer in our lab test for removing oil, while testers raved about how gentle it was.

It kept 92% irritation-free, while testers said their colour stuck around for longer. It also brightened any dull hues and helped eradicate frizz.

Key specifications Conditioner: Redken Colour Extend Magnetics Conditioner Size: Shampoo, 300ml. Conditioner, 300ml Paraben free: Yes