Protect chemically straightened, relaxed or color-treated hair with gentle moisturizing products

Because you spend hard-earned money on coloring, relaxing or chemically straightening your hair, you want to protect your investment with shampoos and conditioners that gently cleanse, strengthen and hydrate your hair. Look for products labeled "color safe" or "for color-treated hair" -- even if your hair is chemically relaxed or straightened -- and avoid products that are "color depositing," unless your stylist has recommended it as it may change the color your stylist gave you. Your colorist can provide you with product recommendations that will keep your color vibrant or hair quality intact. But here are a few products our readers with chemically-treated hair love: Redken Color Extend Shampoo, $10, readers say this adds mega moisture and keeps color vibrant, and Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo, $28, which helps repair damage from chemical processes and adds shine and moisture. For conditioners, readers like Redken Color Extend Conditioner, $10.

In addition to using a regular conditioner, use a treatment for color-treated hair once a week starting no sooner than 72 hours after getting color or another chemical process done. Try Kerastase Chroma Reflect Radiance-Enhancing Masque for Very Sensitized Color-Treated Hair, $58.

A couple of exceptions to the above recommendations:
If you have oily hair, you really shouldn't wash it every day. Washing it every 24 hours dries out your scalp and causes it to produce more oil, which just makes the situation worse. If it drives you nuts not to shampoo daily though, use a very gentle shampoo designed for everyday use (try Chemistry Salon Labs Cleanse Daily Shampoo, $7.99). On the flip side, if you have dry hair and only shampoo two times a week (which is recommended) wash hair with a clarifying shampoo once a month to remove product buildup (which can make hair look dull), try Alba Clarifying Shampoo, $9.95.

If scalp flakiness is your biggest issue, and your scalp is dry and flaky, massage an oil like The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, $9 on your scalp before shampooing to stimulate and hydrate it. Then cleanse with a scalp balancing shampoo (try Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo, $24). If your scalp is oily and flaky though, see your doctor before treating it.

Finally, you should be weary of the water hardness in your shower. If you have hard water (check out your city's water hardness here you will most likely need additional moisture. Try swapping your regular conditioner for a heavier one or leave in your regular one for a bit longer than usual.