Best shampoo for red hair?

I'd say, stop using the hi lights and use something like Special Effects. Ironically, semi reds last longer and stay truer red than permanent.

Stop using shampoo and conditioner wash instead. Also, try and reduce washing to once a week if possible.

It's great that you use lukewarm water though 🙂

I'm only using permanent because I don't want to bleach my hair anymore and it lifts my medium/dark brown hair to a super bright red in just one step, but I will most likely touch up my color with a semi instead of using permanent color over and over to avoid damage. I have heard of co washing, what kind of conditioner would you suggest?

The problem with using the permanent is you have to use it over all your hair every time to top it up. This is basically bleaching your hair each time. It'll, overall, do a lot more damage than bleaching your hair to ginger (this is as light as you need to be for super bright red) once and then topping up the roots. It'll also help with the longevity of the colour. The more damaged hair gets, the less it holds on to colour. Semis stain the hair, so another way of making the colour last longer. It's your choice of course, but using semis is always the better way with super bright red 🙂

I don't have any suggestions for conditioner myself as I use silicones, which most here that co wash don't, and I'm also in the UK. Someone will be able to suggest something though.

Shampoo is evil for colored hair so I CO wash. I like the L'oreal  EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner for when I need to get my hair clean and remove styling products. You can get this at Walmart, Ulta, CVS, some grocery stores. The As I Am Coconut COwash is another favorite of mine since I have dry hair. It's also available at Walmart and some drugstores in the "African Hair" section. Any kind of conditioner can be used to COwash though, I just suggest silicone free to avoid buildup. Most "cleansing conditioners" on the shelves in the US are actually loaded with heavy silicones that need to be washed away with color stripping clarifying shampoo every couple washes so buyer beware! I don't know why they do that as it totally defeats the point of a cleansing conditioner... it's supposed to remove buildup not cause it.

Also, please don't use the permanent color on your hair over and over, you will destroy it. Just do your roots and top it up with a good semi dye when it fades. Semis will never damage your hair like the perm will and the more you damage it the faster it will fade. Seen way too many girls ruin their hair with these high lift permanent reds by using them on all their hair over and over. Special Effects reds are definitely super long lasting but not always available due to production shortages. You should be able to at least find Manic Panic pretty easily in the US, Sally's has it and their reds are decent.

Thank you so much! I have used a manic panic red to top up my permanent color so I will definitely continue to do that since my hair has already been bleached before and I don't want to damage it. Thank you!