I am fond of colored hair, and always have been. I love experimenting, I love doing things differently, and I absolutely adore the fact that we have such a wide spectrum of colors to choose from when it comes to hair. But there is a responsibility that comes along with having that freedom of choice. In other words, you need to do it right so you don’t find yourself with a catastrophic head of hair. This is our review of the Redken Color Extend Magnetics line of hair care products, and it includes a shampoo, a conditioner, and a mega mask.

It seems that there are no perfect products in this world, and this goes way beyond hair care, beauty, and cosmetics. There are ups and downs, advantages and drawbacks, no matter what you choose. But here, the line of Color Extend Magnetics is there to accompany a process which has already taken place – hair coloring. As such, it’s efficacy will also depend on things which are independent of it – the quality and quantity of the color pigments in your hair, for instance.

Redken Company Overview

The ever-popular Redken company has been around since 1960. And in case you’re wondering about the name of the brand, it’s actually a combo of the names of the two founders – Jheri Redding and Paula Kent.

Redken aims to make top-quality hair products, and that it does. This is thanks to the ingredients it puts in its products, including special proteins to address all three levels of the hair- the root, the core and the tip. This technology rejuvenates hair and makes it fresh, supple and strong. So say goodbye to bad hair situations with your coarse hair, and say hello to happy hair!

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The Importance Of Using The Right Shampoo For Color Treated Hair

Woman showering.

Let’s talk about the importance of using the right shampoo for color-treated hair. The right kind of hair care product could make or break your locks. You could be taking all the right steps, but if you mess up on the very substance that you cleanse your hair with – aka liquid shampoo – you may not reach the results you’re after. And this is crucial, because color-treated hair tends to be more prone to breakage and damage. This is due to the chemicals and treatments which usually go into the process of dying one’s hair.

If you’re able to get your hands on a shampoo that’s designed for your hair type, you should stick with it. Colored hair, like any other hair basically, requires cleanliness and nourishment. But you should take care not to strip the color in the process. And some shampoos may do just that, if you use the wrong kind on your head of hair.

Your shampoo should clean, first and foremost. Nothing else is as important as that. However, with color-treated hair, you need to factor in the coloring process, the amount of damage which the hair may have already sustained. And you also need to make sure that it actually gets your hair clean. So how do you find that happy middle, that compromise, between cleanliness and color?

This is exactly the question which shampoo for color-treated hair strives to answer. Even so, there could be vast differences, so you will still need to experiment and see what works for you. After all, you want that color to last. You may have done it at home, you may have done it at a salon, but more often than not, the color is something that you want to keep.

How To Care For Color Treated Hair Naturally

Woman with dyed hair.

Natural care doesn’t mean not using any products, it means employing care, perhaps while still using products. If you’re not sure how to care for color-treated hair naturally, I’ll break it down for you. Caring naturally for the hair means giving things their proper time and place. You have to ensure that your body gets what it needs regardless of hair care products. Things like diet, exercise, state of mind – these affect the health and wellness of your hair, color-treated or not. But, with color-treated hair – which is often damaged – even greater caution and  care are advised.

As you will see, some of this natural care is merely a form of temporary abstinence, rather than an action that you need to take.

Try to wait at least 3 days before washing your hair after you have colored it. If you do it at a salon, make sure to follow the stylist’s instructions, because chances are they know what they’re talking about. You can wait even up to a week, depending on the quality of the treatment and your washing routine.

Purple shampoo for colored blondes, alongside blue shampoo for lightened brunettes, are two ways to enhance the duration and longevity of the color and its quality. Do not use it too often. It’s better to not wash at all, than over-wash with pigmented hair care products. Your hair needs some rest.

Use lukewarm or cool water when washing your hair in the shower. Warm or hot water opens up the hair strand’s pores. This could mean color escaping through the gaps created by the water. There are some cases where hot water is the way to go, but with colored hair it often leads to the onset of premature fading.

Remember that every time you rinse your hair you’re shortening the life of your coloring. Obviously, you need to maintain proper hygiene. But use a shower cap if you are interested in longer-lasting color, and you’re on a no-wash day.

Ease up on your use of irons and dryers, because the hair is more likely to be weakened and fragile. It’s alright to use hot irons and dryers, but mind the angle of the nozzle, and use precautions (like heat protectants).


Color-treated hair tends to be more fragile and prone to breakage, so keep that in mind when you’re styling. Using hot irons or blow-dryers is okay, but watch the angle, keep an eye on the intensity, and use a proper heat protectant.

Any sulfates and parabens are best avoided, even though it’s not the end of your hair if you do use them. I am talking long-term here, and not just about this particular dye job that your hair has been through recently. Awareness of harmful (or potentially-harmful)  ingredients increases your knowledge of what works best for you and your hair. Knowledge is power, they say, and in this case you can gain the power and add protection to your hair, by avoiding certain ingredients.

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo Ingredients Breakdown

Use purple shampoo to counteract brassiness.

Ingredients do not reflect the quality of the job. Remember, a shampoo’s initial – and most important – job is to clean the scalp and hair, period. This can be done using all kinds of methods and ingredients, even if they are not the healthiest or most natural ones around. Keep that in mind, because certain shampoos may do a great job cleaning the hair, but they may also contain ingredients which are considered objectionable, by and large.

Redken Color Extend Magnetics shampoo has ingredients which can be found in any similar products, but it also has a few surprises. It has some of the same thickeners, cleansers, hair and skin conditioners, chemical binders, stimulants, film- and suds-forming agents which other shampoos possess – but it is sulfate-free. Also included in its formula are soy protein, bamboo extract, tea leaf extract, and SEPICAP. That last ingredient is a combination of amino acids, which can help the strength and overall vitality of the hair.

Is it perfect? Not at all. There is still the ever-present “parfum/fragrance” ingredient, along with different solvents and diluters which make up the Redken Color Extend Magnetics shampoo. Just because it is sulfate-free, doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain any harsh detergents in it. Usually, shampoos which are sulfate-free still have those types of detergents (albeit of a different chemical composition), because the hair needs to be cleaned. Does it make a difference? It depends on the brand, really.

In order to read the back of some of these shampoo labels, you seriously need a background in chemistry. OR, for most of us (who have no such background), you simply need to know what to look out for. Do some research, find out what you can, but also remember that companies have ways of bypassing all kinds of rules and regulations. Normally, it’s the authorities and the establishment which are trying to play catch-up with Big Pharma and Big Cosmetics, not the other way around.

Okay, yadda yadda yadda. Does it work?

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo Review

This product does indeed work, in the sense that it achieves both of the goals it sets out to achieve: A – it cleans the scalp and hair, and it does a pretty good job; B – it allows for longer amounts of time between root touch-ups and other color-related treatments. There is a reason why Redken usually sells their original stuff at salons (some of them exclusively), and this would not be the case if the products did not work.

The smell is just okay, nothing to write home about or review in any particular way. I’ve smelled such scents before, and it’s fine and somewhat generic (read: synthetic). But I don’t really care about the smell, as long as it isn’t bad. If it were bad, I’d definitely have something to say.

The Redken Color Extend Magnetics shampoo goes on nicely, gets a tad sudsy (which is considered an achievement for some non-sulfate shampoos), and rinses out just as easily, leaving the hair feeling clean. I don’t need suds or foam in order for me to tell that it is doing its job. All I need to do is feel and possibly get feedback from others around me. And yeah, it feels clean and good to go. Get it here.

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner Ingredients Breakdown

This is the same story as with the shampoo, the sister-product of the Redken Color Extend Magnetics conditioner. These two don’t necessarily need to be in conjunction, though the company obviously recommends doing so.

As with the shampoo, this product has an initial job which it was designed to do. You should use conditioners to follow-up shampoos, and provide you hair with nourishment as well as moisture.

Again, we see some great ingredients alongside ones which are… well, less great. Conditioning agents for hair and skin, thickeners, film-formers, foam-formers, UV protectors, cleansers, and more. And there is also tea leaf extract, bamboo extract, soy protein, and SEPICAP once again, with other amino acids. There is also the fragrance/parfum ingredients, and it always – always – makes me wonder what they put in there. Trade secret or not, it just doesn’t sound good (even though everybody does it).

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner Review

I was actually a bit disappointed with the Redken Color Extend Magnetics conditioner. I really wanted to love it, and it may do great things for colored hair. In fact, you can bet on it being good for colored hair and helping it last longer.

I just felt like the conditioner made my hair feel kind of heavy. This is something I wouldn’t expect, but that was my experience. Maybe they changed the formula,  or maybe something happened on the way. Not sure, but I was not as impressed with the conditioner as I was with the shampoo. If you use them as a duo, I suppose there is no problem.

When I tried out the conditioner, it was alone without its buddy. I just wanted to feel how the conditioner was as a standalone product. I shampooed a day or two before with a different brand, so maybe this has to do with that. That said, if you have colored hair, definitely give these two products a shot. But the conditioner alone is one I could do without, at least in its current form.

Also, let’s not forget that the individual’s scalp and hair type plays a role, especially when conditioning, as opposed to shampooing.

Learn more: Redken Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner

Conclusion

Redken are a great company overall, and I enjoy using their products whenever I do. There were times when I was not too impressed with their stuff, but I have grown to really like some of their products.

This company is almost 60 years old, and it has been such a driving force in the hair care industry. You don’t get to such high places, without doing one or two things right. Redken know their customers, and they are able to provide them with value and real substance. Also, their prices are usually not outrageous (albeit not the cheapest either).

Speaking of price, beware of fakers and counterfeit products. Redken has their hands full trying to combat the epidemic of product diversion, and even though they say that imitation is the highest form of flattery… I don’t suppose Redken are taking the counterfeiter’s attempts at ripping them off as a compliment of any kind. Certainly not their legal department!

Whether you have full-on color or some highlights, taking care of your color-treated hair is important. You paid good money to undergo the process, be it amateur or pro, and you should get your money’s worth by having the color last as long as possible, without compromising the overall health of your scalp and hair. This is precisely what Redken set out to do with their Color Extend Magnetics shampoo and conditioner, and I feel they have achieved it.

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