Hair care routine after keratin treatment: step-by-step aftercare

How long to wait before washing depends on the product used at the salon: some treatments can be washed the same day, others need a wait. Follow your stylist's instructions, often 48 to 72 hours. This is the most delicate period: anything that wets or bends the hair can leave a mark.

Sulfates are surfactants: they lift sebum and residue and lather a lot. Useful on an oily scalp, that cleansing power is too strong for a straightening treatment, which it wears down wash after wash. A sulfate-free shampoo cleanses with milder surfactants (glucosides, isethionates, betaines) that lather less.

The product name isn't enough. On 17/10/2026, we read the ingredient lists (INCI) of the 223 shampoos in our catalogue: 192 contain a sulfate, usually Sodium Laureth Sulfate near the top of the list, including in 'repair', 'smooth and silky' or 'keratin' ranges. Of the 31 sulfate-free ones, 16 cleanse with Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, almost as strong a cleanser: only 15 contain neither. The three shampoos in this routine are among them.

What about salt? Sodium chloride is mainly there to thicken the shampoo. Some straightening-treatment makers advise against it; others don't make it a rule. To be safe, we chose a shampoo that lists it at the very end, a sign of a small amount, plus an option with none at all. If your stylist insists on a salt-free shampoo, choose the alverde NATURKOSMETIK alternative.

At the salon, 'protein' means the straightening treatment itself. In a hair product, proteins (hydrolysed keratin, wheat, soy or rice protein, collagen…) coat the fibre. Used at every wash, they build up: hair becomes stiff, rough, dull and breaks more easily. This is known as protein overload.

The right balance: a moisturising mask every week, and a protein-rich treatment only now and then, if your hair feels limp or overly stretchy. If instead it's rough and brittle, go back to moisturising care. Read the ingredients: protein shows up as 'Hydrolyzed', and a product name that mentions keratin doesn't always contain any.

After sulfates, it's mostly salt water, chlorine and heat that wear a treatment down. You can still swim: just prepare your hair beforehand and rinse it afterwards.

Brazilian straightening, protein, keratin, tannin, hair 'botox': names vary between salons and brands, and so do the formulas. For aftercare at home, the basics don't change: sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, a moisturising mask and heat protection.

What differs from one treatment to another: the wait before the first wash, whether you can tie your hair up, and when colouring becomes possible again. Ask your stylist these three questions, along with the name of the product used: their answers come before any general rule, including the ones on this page.

For men who get a keratin treatment, the same routine, shorter: sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, and heat protection whenever a hairdryer is involved. Over the weeks, natural hair shows at the roots: the treatment only covers the lengths that were treated, and that's not a sign of poor aftercare.

On the coast, from Tangier to Agadir via Rabat and Casablanca, humid air makes hair swell: a treatment frizzes faster there. On humid days, rely on a taut blow-dry and the anti-frizz spray, and space out your washes.

Inland, in Marrakech or Fez, it's often the opposite: dry heat and strong sun dry out the lengths. The weekly mask and a drop of oil on the ends take over; a hat or scarf protects from the sun.

Tap water is often hard. The usual fix, a clarifying shampoo, isn't the right one after a treatment: these shampoos usually contain sulfates. A final cool-water rinse and conditioner at every wash are enough.

The hammam: wait until your stylist's waiting time is over. After that, cover your hair with a cap or towel, and use the humid heat to let your weekly mask sit.