Colored Hair Care

How to Make Splat Hair Color Last Longer and Stay Vibrant

beautiful young woman with vivid Splat hair color

What Is Splat Hair Dye? 

Bold shades that don’t wash out easily define Splat semi-permanent hair dye. One of the world’s most popular brands, Splat uses their highly pigmented formula to enliven hair with characteristically standout colors while adding ultra-softness and shine. Splat is ideal for individuals who love experimenting with different hair colors and prefer DIY color jobs. 

These semi-permanent dyes are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Likewise, you won’t find bleach, parabens, sulfates, or fragrance in them. Since they have no lifting power, however, the color only comes out vibrantly in medium blonde or lighter hair. Darker hair won’t show any color at all, or at best allows a subtle reflection that washes out quickly. But if your hair is on the darker end of the scale, don’t fret! You can still achieve the same vivid shades as your lighter-haired friends, but bleaching will be necessary. Results also depend on your hair’s condition and porosity. For all its benefits, Splat isn’t without a downside. You’re facing a runnier and messier process in the shower than the usual bleeding from other semi-permanent hair dye brands.

girl with semi-permanent Splat hair color

How Long Does Splat Hair Color Last?

Semi-permanent Splat hair color lasts up to 6 weeks, approximately 23 shampoos, and fades gradually with every wash. This longevity varies based on a number of factors, many of which you can influence or outright control.  Damaged and overly porous hair is unable to retain pigmentation for long, for example. And you’ll get better results by keeping your hair healthy. Ultimately, you’ll want to keep three main factors in mind when determining how long Splat hair color will last.

  • Formulation of dye: Splat’s permanent line makes a promise for longer-lasting color than the semi-permanent dyes. And it keeps that promise. Splat’s NEW Double Lift Permanent Color Kits come with bleach and permanent dye for lifting and dyeing respectively. The bold and beautiful color that results can last up to 30 washes. Permanent dyes work best on high-porosity hair, which tends to lose pigments fast.  However, the bleach kits contain harsh ingredients such as ammonia, sodium hydroxide, and peroxide that can dry out hair and leave it prone to breakage.
  • Chosen color:  The shade you select also affects duration. As you might expect, darker and more pigmented colors tend to last longer. Long-lasting Splat hair colors include dark green, dark blue, purple, and fuchsia. The shortest-lasting hair colors include white, yellow, lavender, silver, and neon.
  • Condition of hair: Color lasts longer if your hair is bleached before dyeing. Virgin and dark-colored hair won’t retain color long, and high-porosity hair does a similarly poor job. So, bleached and healthy hair makes the perfect canvas for vivid and lasting Splat semi-permanent colors.
a girl with blue colored hair Splat

What Can You Do to Preserve Your Splat Hair Color?

To extend the vibrancy and longevity of Splat hair color as much as possible, you’ll need to change your hair care routine. But make sure to prepare your hair for coloring and apply Splat dye properly. The best routine in the world won’t do any work without the right foundation. Here are some basic guidelines to ensure optimal results and durability.

  1. Applying the dye as directed: Follow. The. Directions.  It seems obvious, but it’s easy to overlook and is crucial for maximizing your hair dye’s lifespan. If you cut corners, like leaving the dye shorter than directed, the color is likely to come out lighter and fade faster. That said, thoughtfully bending the rules can better your results. Leaving the dye in one day longer than recommended can actually help in obtaining long-lasting color. In general, though, you’ll want to do what you’re supposed to. Make sure your hair has been lifted with bleach to a light blonde stage. (Brilliant Blondexx Bleach with Bond Protect will help minimize damage.) Apply dye to clean, detangled, and completely dry hair. Use a shower cap to help retain body heat and enable better color penetration. Applying heat from an external source like a blow dryer during the processing time can help as well.
  2. Washing frequency: Excessive washing is the main cause of fading, so you’ll need to wash your hair less than you normally would. If your hair tends to get oily fast, use a dry shampoo to refresh between sudsy shampoo sessions. That way, you can cut washing in half and better avoid washing out the pigment.  Look for a color-safe dry shampoo rich in rice starch and antioxidants that is also free of color-depleting chemicals.
  3. Type of hair shampoo: Your regular shampoo can negatively affect the vibrancy and longevity of your hair color. If you look in the shower and find sulfate-based and clarifying shampoos, this definitely applies to you. These can strip your hair of the color you spent so much effort putting in. Instead, use a mild, sulfate-free shampoo formulated for color-treated hair. Splat Fade Defense Hair Color Maintenance Kit is a shampoo and conditioner kit that meets these criteria and is loaded with color enhancers. Not only will it protect your favorite Splat color from time’s worst effects, but it will also keep your hair soft, manageable, and shiny.
  4. Exposure to heat: The more exposure you allow to hot water and heat-based styling tools, the faster your color will fade. To maintain vibrancy, reign the water temperature in and use cool or lukewarm water. Otherwise, you’ll be opening cuticles that permit the color to bleed. After washing, let your hair air dry whenever possible. If you do use a blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron, use a heat protectant spray to maintain your vivid hair color.
  5. Exposure to sunlight and chlorine: You’ll need to protect your hair from the sun, which can lighten the pigments in your hair. The sun’s UV rays act like bleach, not only fading color but also leaving the hair itself dry and brittle. Likewise, you should take steps to protect your hair from the chlorine in swimming pools. Hard water poses a related danger and can be mitigated by installing a shower filter in your bathroom.
  6. Using Color Conditioning Masques: Splat Color Conditioning Masque deposit color that helps keep your dye fresh. They can revitalize your existing shade, add shine, and bring softness back into those strands. The masks can also deposit color on pre-lightened hair. It takes only 3 minutes to see results. To maximize those results, however, you’ll want to leave the mask on for 20–30 minutes. 

How to Wash Out Splat Hair Dye

Sometimes you may get bored with your color or have to change your look for some reason.  When talking about removing any hair dye it is important to do it properly to preserve the overall health of your hair. If your hair is dry and damaged, wait until the color fades gradually with washing.

Here are some ways to get rid of Splat bold colors, or speed up the color fading process.

1. Clarifying shampoo and baking soda: Mix equal parts of clarifying shampoo and baking soda and let the mixture sit in your hair for 30 minutes before washing off with warm water. If your hair is partially colored, cover only that part of your hair. This mixture can leave your hair dry, so follow with a deep hair mask to restore moisture and shine.

2. Bleach bath: This is the most effective way to get rid of Splat’s semi-permanent color. A bleach bath also known as bleach wash is a milder alternative to regular bleach and it can still lighten hair effectively.

To make a bleach bath mix a lightener with ½ cup of clarifying shampoo. Adding shampoo will make the bleaching less harsh. You can also add ½ cup of water if you want a more diluted formula. Blend the ingredients together.

Apply the mixture to wet hair and avoid covering regrown and non-colored parts of the hair. Remove the mixture once you get the desired shade. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t leave the mixture to sit longer than 45 minutes.

3. Color removers: Color removers are gentler on the hair than bleach but they are less effective in removing direct dyes than bleach washes. If you do use one, make sure you use a color remover formulated for direct dye removal.

a woman with Splat hair color

How to Maintain Ombre Hair Color while Keeping Hair Healthy

What is Ombre Hair Color?

Ombre hair is a look created by a colorist that leaves a darker root color extending downward more than 4 inches until the color shifts to something blonde or vivid. An ombre can also consist of a dark root that extends down to a lighter color than the original base color. But the darker color will be 4+ inches before the next color begins.

This style is easy to maintain and creates long lengths of time between appointments.

woman with ombre hair color

How is Ombre Different from Balayage?

Ombre and Balayage do not mean the same thing. It’s important to know the difference so that language doesn’t confuse you or the colorist creating your look.

An Ombre hair color has a darker root that extends downward more than 4 inches. A balayage look may have a natural, darker root as well but it will extend down only 1-3 inches and not more.

Think of an ombre as primarily just two colors. Dark hair extending past 4 inches then suddenly you get a color change. Once you reach the portion where the hair changes to a lighter color, the color can be anything: blonde, pink, grey, rainbow, etc.

With balayage, you will typically have ribbons of light and dark color that start just after a natural root color that extends down no more than 3 inches.

Ombres are often nice for people who want their natural hair color at the top, then something vibrant or exciting just at the bottom.

How Long Will Ombre Hair Color Last?

In short, a very long time. Many people will go 5-12 months before touching up an ombre. It’s a very low-maintenance hair color that keeps you relaxed along the way.

The only part of an ombre that may need more maintenance is the lighter, vivid or blonde color. To maintain the vibrancy of vivid color or fight unwanted yellow tones in blonde ends, you may need to re-tone the hair regularly.

Is Ombre Hair Color Hard to Maintain?

Low maintenance is one of the main reasons for the popularity of the ombre hair trend. Your ends are the only part of your hair that require special attention.

Maintenance for your ombre hair color largely depends on what you get. We can cover some common looks to give you the best idea of what to expect.

Ombre with vivid colors at the ends: expect to touch up a vivid color anywhere from 4-8 weeks after the initial application. For people who want to maintain a bright bold color on their ombre, 4 weeks between appointments isn’t unrealistic.

backside of woman with purple ombre hair

Ombre on Dark Brunette Hair with Blonde Ends: once the dark brunette color is lifted to a level 9 or 10, a toner can be applied for a softer, cooler blonde. Maintaining the blonde will require more toners about every 6-8 weeks.

a beautiful young woman with ombre hair wearing dark gloves

Ombre On Brown Hair with Red Ends: this all depends on how vibrant you want your red. To keep it bright and bold looking, a toner every 6-8 weeks may be needed. But always consult with your colorist to know the length of time for brightening the ends of your ombre hair.  

young beautiful woman with ombre hair color

Ombre on Dark Blonde Hair with Lighter blonde ends: this look is extremely low maintenance. If you’re naturally a dark blonde, that means the lighter color at the ends of your hair may not need a toner very often. You can expect to do a touch-up when you want to bring your color higher again after growth. The range of an ombre re-touch on dark blonde hair is anywhere from 5-12 months between appointments.

a woman with blonde curly ombre hair

What Shampoo to Use on Ombre Hair

Use a mild color-safe shampoo and avoid products that contain sulfates. Apply conditioner after each shampooing to replenish moisture and make brushing bleached ombre hair easy. Focus on your ends and leave the conditioner for 1-3 minutes before rinsing. To brighten the blonde parts of your hair, use a purple shampoo once a week. Alternatively, you can use a purple mask if your ends are very dry.

To avoid dryness due to frequent shampooing, use a natural-based dry shampoo, preferably one in powder form. However, make sure to use dry shampoo sparingly to refresh your locks without unwanted effects. Frequent use of dry shampoos can lead to product buildup and scalp problems. 

beautiful young woman with modern ombre hairstyle

How to Protect Ombre Hair Color?

Moisture will always be imperative to maintaining your ombre hair color. Use an oil and a cream-based heat protectant after each time you wash your hair. Apply a deep conditioning mask once a week or biweekly.

Formaldehyde-free keratin treatments are also a good idea to rebuild keratin protein into the core of the hair shaft.

Then there are also metal detox products that can remove unwanted buildup, so your hair stays healthier.

Bleaching can leave your hair overly dry and prone to breakage. To restore strength and softness to your bleached hair, use Olaplex Hair Perfector once a week. Apply the product to damp unwashed hair and leave it on for just over 10 minutes. Then wash and condition as normal. Have a professional colorist assess the damage to your hair and create a plan with you. By figuring out how dry or damaged your hair is after your ombre lightening service, you can create a plan to recover moisture, strength, and the overall integrity of your hair. 

beautiful woman with healthy ombre hair

When Is The Right Time to Wash Your Hair Before and After Coloring?

Should You Wash Hair Before Color Appointment?

Neither squeaky clean hair nor dirty hair with a lot of sweet and product buildup is ideal for coloring. For best results, it is recommended that you wash your hair a day or two before permanent coloring.

The right time for washing depends on what type of color you are going to use and the condition of your hair and scalp. When it comes to permanent coloring, hair professionals don’t recommend applying color to freshly washed hair.

a woman choosing to use or not to use shampoo

Natural oils produced on your scalp act as a protective barrier against dye chemicals. If your hair is freshly washed, the dye chemicals would additionally dry out the hair, which may result in damage and hair breakage. To avoid any damage to your hair and scalp, you shouldn’t wash your hair right before coloring. An unwashed scalp is less exposed to chemicals which helps prevent burning and itching.

A lot of sweat in your hair can also interfere with the dying process. If you have been exercising, you should wash your hair to eliminate the buildup of sweat and oil and then wait a day or two before applying the dye.

If you do not have a buildup of hair sprays, gels, and other products in your hair, wash your hair with a mild shampoo for 1 to 2 days before visiting the salon. Gently massage the scalp without scratching the skin. The scratches are susceptible to irritation when dye chemicals get in contact with your scalp. A light oil coating formed during the next two days will shield your scalp and hair from strong dye chemicals such as ammonia and peroxide.

Should You Use Clarifying Shampoo Before Coloring

If you have a buildup from dry shampoo, hair oils, and other hair products, this could prevent the color from absorbing into your hair. In the case of heavy buildup, use deep cleansing shampoo and wait at least 2 days before dying. Since deep cleansing shampoo strips natural oils, you must wait until sebum-producing glands restore the natural protective oil layer. Don’t use any hair product before the coloring service.

a stylist washes client's hair in the salon

Hair Washing Before Bleaching

If a hair coloring service involves bleaching regrown hair, natural oils can be vital for protection. Bleach is a very harsh agent, and a fresh wash can lead to severe scalp irritation. You should refrain from washing your hair for 2-3 days before bleaching. This waiting period will give you enough time for your oil glands to build a protective oil layer on your scalp.

Should You Wash Your Hair Before Semi-Permanent Coloring?

If you are going to use semi-permanent color, your hair must be clean and free from product buildup. Product residues can affect the dye’s ability to adhere to the hair. Semi-permanent colors can be applied to freshly washed hair, as these dyes don’t contain chemicals that could irritate the skin or dry out your hair. After washing, wait no longer than 24 hours to apply semi-permanent color. Don’t use any styling product before the coloring service.

It is always a good idea to talk to your colorist before visiting the salon to see what they suggest for your specific service.

woman with semi-permanent color in the salon

Can You Wash Your Hair Immediately After Dying It?

You shouldn’t wash your hair immediately after coloring. The cuticles are not completely closed immediately after the dying process and the shampooing will wash out some dye molecules. The cuticle takes about 72 hours to fully reseal and lock in your fresh color. Try to refrain from washing your hair until that period ends.

After coloring your hair with semi-permanent dye, rinse out the dye with lukewarm to cool water. Wait three days before washing your hair with shampoo. This three-day non-washing period will allow dye molecules to adhere better to the hair, so the color will be vibrant for longer. Since your hair was clean before applying the semi-permanent color, waiting shouldn’t be a problem.

How Often Should You Wash Colored Hair?

Do not wash dyed hair too frequently because water opens the cuticles, and a bit of color will be washed away with each shampoo. Wash your hair only when it is dirty. 2 washes per week are acceptable for colored hair and shouldn’t cause premature color fading. Use shampoos intended for colored hair and avoid those that contain sulfate-based detergents. Set the water temperature to lukewarm or cooler as hot water lifts the cuticles allowing color to be washed out.

While you should avoid dry shampoo immediately before coloring, this product is an inevitable part of your post-color hair care regimen. Dry shampoos keep excess oil under control and help you delay your wash frequency. Dry shampoos don’t open the cuticles like liquid shampoos, so they won’t speed up color fading. Invest in a quality dry shampoo intended for colored hair and formulated without harmful chemicals. Oil-absorbing powder formulas are gentler and eco-friendlier than aerosol dry shampoos.

Reduced washing frequency is especially important after semi-permanent color treatment. This color is short-lived and washes easily with shampooing. Only use mild shampoos designed for colored hair and avoid washing hair with hot water. Dry shampoo is a lifesaver for semi-permanent color. You can go a few extra days without shampooing which helps extend the life of your color.

woman with freshly dyed hair
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8 Effective Ways to Remove Brassy Tones from Brunette Hair

The effect of fresh hair color is a lot like fresh flowers: you glow the first day you get it. But what happens when those coppery, unwanted tones start to crop up? While it takes just a minute to toss out the flowers, getting rid of brassy tones isn’t so simple.

There you are in front of the mirror wondering how this happened. You went from blonde to blorange in just a matter of weeks. It doesn’t take much time, does it? Yet it happens so slowly that you don’t even notice before that important business meeting. You find yourself standing in the mirror wondering how did my color turn to orange-red overnight.

This process of “blonde” highlights fading to copper is normal, especially for brunettes. And here’s why.

a girl with brassy brown hair

Why Does Highlighted Brunette Hair Fade to Copper?

To understand why it fades, we have to look at what brunette hair is. Imagine there are 10 levels of color in each dark hair strand with a range from 1-10. Level 1 looks black. Level 10 looks like white blonde or “platinum” blonde.

But what are the ranges in between?  If you have dark brown almost black hair, you’re sitting at a 2 or 3. If you have dark brown to medium brown hair, you’re at a 4 or 5. If you have very light brown hair almost blonde, you’re considered a level 6. Numbers 7-10 are considered blonde.

Let’s say a level 4 brunette (very dark brown) wants to be highlighted to a level 7 blonde. For that brown color to look blonde, it has to pass from level 4 to 5 to 6 then finally to 7. It cannot skip a level. Why is that difficult? It’s because the pigments that secretly live beneath the brown color are reds and oranges. So when the hair is lifting from 4 to 5, red is exposed. And when the hair is lifting from 5 to 6, reddish-orange is exposed. And when you go from 6-7, it’s more warm orange-gold.

It’s those “secret” tones that live underneath the “brown” color that are the “brassy” culprits. Toner can mask these brassy hues, but unless they are bleached, they show up once the toner starts to fade.  It’s sort of this inevitable part of the process, but it doesn’t have to be startling. Let’s see what you’re up against, so we can figure out what to do.

slim young brunette woman with brassy hair

How to Get Rid of Brassy Brown Hair?

There are many great ways to minimize, halt, dimmish, transform, and stay on top of unwanted brass in highlighted brunette hair. Let’s look at the top 8 methods for keeping your color the tone you want it.

  1. Schedule regular appointments and follow them consistently. There’s nothing that impacts unwanted brassy hair like getting your color done regularly. This might not be an option you expected but hear me out. When highlighting brunette hair, especially the darker levels, your hair has to get trained. The more you stick to a consistent balayage schedule, the better your blonde tones will appear. Not only that, but they will last longer between toning sessions the more consistent you are.
  2. Keep your porosity healthy. Often with highlighting, your hair can experience high porosity. This means dryness, frizz, lack of moisture, inability to hold moisture, and consequent inability to hold color molecules in. Your hair fades fast and is more easily affected by adverse conditions when your porosity is high. One of the best methods to fill in those “holes” in your hair, is to get an Express Keratin by Keratin Complex. These treatments work wonders on all hair types and create healthy, manageable textures.
  3. Use blue shampoo. But why use blue shampoo and not purple? It has to do with Color Theory. But all you need to know is blue is the color that fights orange (brass). Be sure to use it according to the instructions or according to your hair colorist’s recommendations.
  4. Get regular toners spaced 6-8 weeks apart. Also great training for your hair. It’s like you teach it what to do with consistency. Toners are so good at depositing the right molecules to keep your color the tone you want it.
  5. Use a quality heat protectant every time you heat style. The results of applying heat and color fading are linked. Being proactive with protecting your color means putting on that cream-based heat protectant every single time you use a hot tool or just after you shower. Olaplex did a visual test on a piece of white paper. They applied their heat protectant to one piece and not to the other, then use a flat iron on it. The paper without a heat protectant turned brown. 
  6. Use sunscreen specifically designed for hair. Sunscreen designed for hair is amazing. It blocks those UV rays that can cause the color to fade quickly, making brassiness more visible.
  7. Apply hair gloss. In addition to shine-enhancing benefits, glossing treatments can keep brassiness at bay and refresh your current color.
  8. Install a shower head filter. Washing your hair with hard water can discolor hair and cause it to turn brassy. A shower filter can help reduce minerals and chlorine in your tap water saving your hair from the unwanted effects of hard water.
Gorgeous brunette woman with brass-free hair

8 Tricks to Make Semi-Permanent Dye Last

beautiful red hair girl listening music

Permanent dyes are the most effective types of hair coloring: they offer even and long-lasting coverage, and efficiently hide gray hair. However, the chemicals that enable such dye molecules to penetrate the hair shaft can damage your hair in the long run. This is one of the main reasons for the growing popularity of semi-permanent hair dyes.

Semi-permanent dyes don’t require ammonia and don’t contain peroxide. Plus, they provide conditioning benefits, making your hair look fuller and shinier. Semi-permanent dyes work great for experimenting with new shades. The thing is, if your current hair color is dark, you will probably need to use bleach if you want your hair to take on a new color with a semi-permanent dye. This is usually the case, although some semi-permanent dyes are advertised as able to provide subtle color changes to brunette hair (Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color for Brunettes from L’Oréal Paris and Color Crave Semi-Permanent Hair Dye from Clairol).

joyful caucasian woman with pink hair

How Long Does Semi-Permanent Color Last?

Another potential downside of semi-permanent hair dyes is their shorter lifespan compared to permanent colors. These dyes only adhere to the cuticle, depositing their color onto the outside of the hair shaft. Since they don’t fully penetrate the cuticle, they wash out faster than permanent colors. Depending on the product and the condition of your hair, the color will last between 6 and 12 shampoo cycles. For the best results, you should always aim to purchase a quality product. Some of the longer-lasting semi-permanent dyes come from brands like Arctic Fox, Pulp Riot, and Adore.

Even so, the color will wash out little by little each time you wash your hair until it’s completely gone. Some fashion colors fade gracefully to more pastel colors that still look beautiful, but if your goal is a vivid color that lasts longer, there are plenty of tricks to prevent premature fading. Let’s have a look at eight of them.

lovely young woman with long hairstyle sitting on stairs

Suggestions for Longer Lasting Color

1. Prep Your Tresses Properly Before Coloring

If you are a brunette, make sure to have your hair pre-lightened by a professional. Properly bleached hair experiences less damage. This is important because overly processed hair grabs the color but doesn’t maintain it over a long time. Your colorist will use an appropriate bond-repairing product to minimize the damage sustained during the bleaching process.

It is also essential that your hair is completely clean before you apply the color. Any grease, dirt, or product build-up may prevent the pigments from adhering or cause them to quickly wash off. To eliminate stubborn build-up, use a chelating shampoo a day or two before coloring. Immediately before the coloring process, you should wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo but without conditioner, as conditioning tends to smooth the cuticle and prevent the color from adhering tightly to your hair.

2. Follow the Instructions

Each brand has its own development time, so make sure you leave the product in your hair for as long as directed. Leaving it in for less time than recommended may result in uneven coverage and faster color fading. If you leave it in for longer than directed, you may get a more intense color, but be warned that “the longer the better” doesn’t apply to all products. Sometimes prolonged use may instead result in a darker color than is shown on the package.

All being said, although semi-permanent dyes are convenient for home use, the safest way to ensure that the job is done well is to leave it to a professional.

3. Wait at Least Three Days Before Shampooing

We’d also recommend not washing your hair immediately after coloring. Instead, wait a few days to let the color settle in. After dyeing, the cuticles need some time to fully close, and shampooing so soon can wash away the pigments trapped in the scales. It’s best to wait at least three days before even wetting your hair.

However, if your hair looks greasy, try using mild dry shampoo to refresh it. Powder shampoos are a great choice here, both for your locks and the environment. The Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Shampoo Powder from dpHUE is one example: it’s designed to refresh your hair and enhance its shine without stripping the color.

4. Stretch Out the Time Between Washings

Since semi-permanent color dyes only adhere to the outside of your hair, they will wash out gradually with each shampoo. For those who wash their hair daily, this means that the color will fade quickly.

To slow down this fading process, reduce the frequency of washing and protect your hair from water in the shower. Only use shampoo when necessary—not more than twice a week—and when you do, focus on your scalp and don’t forcefully massage your hair.

If you feel that your hair is getting greasy or you’ve been sweating, we again recommend that you use a dry shampoo to refresh your locks and protect them from over-washing.

5. Use Color-Safe Shampoos

The type of shampoo you use will have a big impact on your color. Sulfate-based shampoos, clarifying shampoos, and some anti-dandruff shampoos can speed up the color fade process. To avoid this, stick to sulfate-free shampoos that are designed for color-treated hair. These are usually pH-balanced or slightly acidic, which keeps the cuticles sealed and prevents the trapped color dye particles from escaping.

Your rinse-out conditioner should also be formulated with colored hair in mind. Again, the pH value of color-friendly conditioners is adjusted to keep your cuticles aligned, adding shine to your locks.

6. Reduce Exposure to Heat

Using flat-iron over semi-permanently colored hair

When drying and styling your hair, keep in mind that high temperatures can cause damage and fade your color. To minimize these negative effects, set your styling tools to a lower temperature and only use them in moderation. Make sure to also use a quality heat protection spray—it’ll create a protective barrier around your hair.

Another trick is to use the “cool shot” button at the end of your blow-drying sessions to cool your hair down and seal your cuticles for extra shiny hair.

You should also use lukewarm water when rinsing out your shampoo or conditioner. Hot water tends to open the cuticles further, sending color molecules straight down the drain, but cool water helps seal the cuticles.

7. Protect Your Hair from Chlorine, Hard Water, and Sunlight

The chlorine found in swimming pools tends to bond to hair, so going swimming may fade your color. To minimize these unwanted effects, soak your hair with clean water before swimming or saturate it with a pre-swim protector. Also, make sure to rinse your hair with clean water immediately after leaving the pool.

If you’ve got hard water at home, be aware that it contains minerals that can affect the appearance of your hair and dull its color. A good idea to avoid this is to invest in a shower filter—it will minimize the amount of minerals reaching your hair through your shower head.

Finally, keep in mind that the sun can also act like bleach, causing hair color to fade faster. You can reduce this fading effect and prevent UV damage by using a sun protection spray when you go out in the sun.

cute woman with tanned skin looking over shoulder

8. Use Color-Depositing Shampoos and Conditioners

Color-depositing products are real game changers for colored hair—they add a little bit of color every time you wash your hair with them. They can be used to color pre-lightened hair temporarily, but they also work great for refreshing your color. Color-depositing shampoos and conditioners help to keep your color bright and prolong its lifespan.

Some great choices for colored hair include Keracolor’s Clenditioner color-depositing conditioner and Celeb Luxury’s Intense Color Depositing Colorwash shampoo and conditioner. You can even try making them yourself by just adding a bit of semi-permanent dye to your regular shampoo or conditioner.

Final Words

If you are not happy with your new color, rest assured that nothing is lost because semi-permanent dyes won’t damage your hair. You can always try out a new color without it being a long-lasting commitment.

If you do not want to invest so much time and effort in maintaining your fashion color, opt for a quality color that fades nicely. Some colors go from vivid and bright to a beautiful pastel shade that you can wear proudly until your next coloring. Remember, semi-permanent dyes are just a way to have fun and add more color to your everyday life. Enjoy!

beautiful woman with pink hair on brick wall background

How to Maintain Platinum Hair Between Salon Visits

Platinum hair color is always on-trend. It looks sophisticated and suits every hair length and texture. However, achieving this wintery white color isn’t easy, especially if your hair is naturally dark. Plus, platinum is one of the highest maintenance colors. That’s why you need to be well-informed about what this color transformation means to you before you make a final decision.

To get the best results with the least amount of damage, you should schedule an appointment with a qualified professional. Fortunately, thanks to innovative hair products, maintaining healthy platinum hair today isn’t as tough as it used to be.

The Common Problems After Going Platinum

Three hairstyles for platinum blonde hair

When you leave the salon with that wonderful white hair, be prepared to adjust your hair care regimen. You should start focusing on how to maintain the color of your dreams and how to keep your processed hair in good condition.

The most common problems after going platinum blonde include dryness, breakage, and unsightly yellow tones. Platinum hair is sensitive to external factors and can easily lose its shine if you don’t take appropriate care of it. Too much sun exposure and hard water in your bathroom can dull the color and leave unwanted yellow tones.

To prevent or minimize these unwanted changes, make sure to adapt your hair care routine and use the right products.

girl yellow tones in her platinum hair

Woo With Shampoo: How to Wash Your Platinum Locks

1. Skip the Drip: Wash Your Hair Less Often

Frequent shampooing can dry out hair. Make sure to shampoo only when needed. Use a dry shampoo to remove excess oil and try not to shampoo your hair more than twice a week. Avoid using very warm water to wash your hair as heat can open the cuticle and increase friction. Use pre-shampoo treatments to reduce the drying effects of hair shampoos.

2. Use Mild Shampoos to Prevent Over-Drying

For hair that has been bleached to achieve platinum color, you should avoid sulfate-based shampoos, as they can further dry out lightened hair. Choose formulas that are designed for colored hair. Purchase a shampoo that has hydrating and strengthening properties. Bond-building shampoos such as Olaplex No.4 have reparative properties and can improve the condition of over-processed hair.

Use a rinse-out conditioner after every wash to minimize friction and breakage.

cute woman with platinum blonde hair

3. Use Purple Shampoo to Keep Platinum Hair from Turning Yellow

The simplest and most effective way to eliminate yellow tones is to include purple shampoo in your hair care routine. Purple shampoos contain violet pigments that eliminate yellow tones and boost the brightness of platinum hair. Use purple shampoo once a week or as needed. Keep it in your hair for a while to give it time to work. You can use it in combination with a purple conditioner. However, be careful not to overdo it as too much purple shampoo can leave a purple hue behind.

Related product: RUSK Deepshine Platinum Shampoo is designed to neutralize unwanted yellowish tones and boost the brightness of platinum-blonde hair.

Purple hair masks are also effective. In addition to a mild toning effect, they offer nourishing properties which are essential for bleached hair.

a beautiful woman with platinum blonde hair

How to Keep Platinum Hair Healthy

To keep platinum hair in good condition, it’s important to protect it from harmful influences and to use quality hair care products.

1. Be Gentle

When towel drying your hair, avoid rubbing it and absorb any excess water with gentle movements. This will reduce hair loss and the possibility of breakage. Avoid cotton towels to dry your hair. A microfiber towel absorbs moisture faster, creates less friction, and shortens the time required for blow-drying.

Be gentle when brushing your hair as too frequent or vigorous brushing can increase the chances of breakage. Use a wide-tooth comb or gentle brush like Tangle Teezer or The Mason Pearson Hair Brush. Also, avoid hairstyles that pull on the hair such as slick ponytails and tight braids.

2. Reduce Heat Exposure

Too much heat exposure can easily damage the delicate platinum hair and lead to split ends and breakage. Use hot styling tools moderately and make sure to invest in high-quality appliances. When applying these devices, set them to a low temperature that’s suitable for delicate hair. Blow dryers and hair irons with tourmaline ceramic technology are the gentlest options for fragile platinum-blonde hair.

Finally, be sure to use a heat protection spray.

3. Use Bond Restoring Products

The Olaplex system has revolutionized the processes of hair bleaching and coloring. Today, there are many products aimed to prevent and minimize damage due to coloring. The widely used home care product is Olaplex No.3, which can now be used in combination with Olaplex 0. This product line for home use has now been expanded to include Olaplex shampoo and conditioner and bond smoother. If you find the Olaplex products expensive, ask your hairdresser to recommend a more affordable one that repairs damaged and broken bonds.

4. Leave and Believe: Use Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-in conditioners are designed to add hydration back into dry over-processed strands. They help with detangling, provide protection from heat, and add shine.

Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother is a styling cream formulated with bond-restoring ingredients. It eliminates frizz and flyaways and helps to improve the condition of your hair over time

5. Install a Shower Filter

By investing in a shower filter, you’ll proactively eliminate problems associated with hard water. Hard water makes hair dry and brittle and can dull its color. The filter prevents chlorine, minerals, and heavy metals from reaching your hair. These substances tend to build up in the hair, making it look dull and lifeless. A shower filter is a small investment that can noticeably improve the appearance of your platinum locks.

Touchy Subjects: How to Retouch Regrowth

girl showing her regrown platinum blonde hair

Over time, your natural hair grows back, so you’ll need to retouch the roots to keep your platinum color even. The optimal time between root touch-up appointments depends on how fast your hair grows and is usually about 6 weeks. It’s best to leave this job to a professional colorist, especially if your natural color is dark. To minimize the damage your hairdresser will pre-lighten dark roots and apply the color only on the new growth without overlapping previously dyed hair.

Your stylist may suggest a trim to prevent split ends from progressing and keep your platinum locks looking healthy.

If you can’t go to the salon, use temporary root touch-up products to hide your regrowth. This will also help to prolong the time between salon visits and reduce the use of chemicals in your hair care routine.

I hope this blog removes some of your doubts in between your white outs!

gorgeous platinum blonde girl in elegant white dress

Silver Colored Hair Upkeep: Washing, Conditioning, and Toning

Going Silver Isn’t an Easy Process

To get beautiful, silver hair color, you must first use bleach until your hair becomes almost white. The darker your current color is, the more bleaching sessions you need to lighten your hair gradually. Only the base that’s light enough will make the color show up and last.

In other words, it’s best to seek help from an experienced hair colorist from the beginning. A skilled colorist will safely guide you through the necessary stages to get a perfect light base and then will mix the colors properly to achieve the desired look. This way you’ll avoid serious hair damage and reduce the appearance of unwanted yellow tones.

Beautiful platinum silver hair

Silver is a High-Maintenance Hair Color

Silver hair color is short-lived and needs special attention between coloring sessions. Without proper maintenance, your silver hair can soon become prone to frizz and lose its color vibrancy. Darker tones are slightly more consistent than lighter ones.

Fortunately, there are products specially formulated to refresh the color when your silver hair starts to show signs of dullness and fading.

How to Maintain Silver Hair

1. How to Wash Silver Hair

Don’t shampoo your hair immediately after coloring. Wait several days before shampooing to allow the color to set and to give your hair time to replenish its natural oils.

To make the silver color last longer, try to shampoo less often. Frequent shampooing will result in fast color fading.

Never use hot water for washing your hair. Hot water lifts the cuticle, allowing color pigments to escape. Use regular conditioner every time you wash your hair. Finish with cool water to seal the cuticle. Don’t use cool water near the roots and over your head as cool water isn’t good for your sinuses. (I learned this the hard way!).

2. Best Shampoos for Silver Hair                      

Use mild sulfate-free shampoos that are designed for colored hair. Sulfate cleansers are too harsh for bleached hair that’s already dry and porous and has difficulty retaining color.

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is a color-safe and highly moisturizing, repair shampoo. It helps maintain bonds within hair fibers to restore internal strength and reduce the breakage of processed hair.

The matching Olaplex No. 5 Conditioner is another product to keep your silver hair shiny and healthy.

A quality dry shampoo for colored hair will help you to expand the time between washes.

Dry shampoos and too many different products can build up on your hair, causing the color to lose its vibrancy. Silver hair gets dull easier than some other colors. When the signs of buildup become obvious, you need to use a gentle clarifying shampoo that’s meant for colored hair.

woman with silver wavy long hair

3. How to Keep Silver Hair from Turning Brassy

A couple of weeks after the coloring session, your silver hair may start to show yellow and orange tones. These tones are common after bleaching.

The easiest way to eliminate unwanted warm tones is to use a purple or silver toning shampoo and conditioner. Look for sulfate-free toning shampoos to avoid color fading due to harsh sulfate cleansers.

Use shampoo once a week to keep unwanted warm tones under control and sustain your sparkling silver. Some mild toning shampoos can be used in place of your regular shampoo.

To enhance the toning effect, use the corresponding purple/silver conditioner.

Purple toning masks are milder than purple shampoos. Purple masks don’t dry out the hair as they have moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. The toning effect is usually slightly weaker than when using a purple shampoo.

4. Purple Toning Shampoos for Silver Hair                 

Suggested brand: Aveda Blue Malva Color Shampoo gently cleanses hair and scalp, neutralizes brassy and yellowing tones, and adds brightness and shine to silver and gray hair. It has a terrific scent and doesn’t leave your hair feeling stripped. The shampoo contains ammonium lauryl sulfate, but it is not listed high on the ingredient list, which means that there’s just a small content of sulfate cleansers present in the shampoo formula. 

If you prefer using products from the same line, you can purchase the Blue Malva Color Conditioner made by the Aveda company.

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Silver TLC: How to Keep Silver Hair Healthy

1. Deep Conditioning Helps Reduce Breakage

Since your hair has gone through the bleaching process, you may experience dryness, brittleness, and breakage. Deep conditioning ensures that the active ingredients penetrate inside the hair, reduce the effects of damage, replenish moisture, and increase the elasticity of hair fibers. Do deep conditioning once a week or whenever you notice that your hair needs moisture and extra TLC.

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Related product: MATRIX Total Results So Silver Triple Power Toning Mask acts as a hybrid between a toner and a deep conditioner. The conditioning ingredients make hair feel silky smooth, while purple pigments banish unwanted yellow tones and give a cool-toned finish to silver and blonde hair.

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Young beautiful model with dark silver hair

2. Protect Your Silver Locks from Heat

To prolong the longevity and vibrancy of your silver color, limit the use of heat styling tools. Allow your hair to dry naturally or use a hair dryer only when your hair is almost dry. Also, use a low heat setting when do use a blow dryer or a flat iron, and make sure to apply a good heat protectant. To curl your hair, use methods that don’t require heat such as foam hair rollers.

3. Protect your Silver Hair from Environmental Factors

Hard water: If you live in an area with hard water and don’t have a whole house water filtration system, invest in a filtered showerhead.  It’ll remove chlorine, heavy metals, and other hard water deposits, resulting in less mineral buildup and more shiny and manageable hair. Your silver hair will also be less prone to discoloration.

Another way to eliminate hard water deposits that can ruin your color is to use chelating shampoos. This method is less efficient as chelating shampoos are pretty strong and may affect the longevity of silver hair color negatively.

Chlorine: Before hitting a swimming pool, put on a swimming cap or saturate hair with a chlorine-protecting conditioning product such as AquaGuard Pre-Swim Hair Defense. Rinse hair thoroughly immediately after swimming in a pool or salt water.

Sun exposure: Wear a hat if you’re planning to spend a day out in sunny weather or use good sunscreen for your hair to prevent discoloration and sun damage.

4. Use Color-Depositing Products to Refresh your Silver Colored Between Salon Visits

The silver color fades quickly requiring frequent salon trips, which could be quite expensive. Fortunately, it’s possible to extend the time between salon visits using products that temporarily deposit direct dye pigments onto the hair shaft such as color rinses and color-depositing conditioners. These products temporarily revive the shiny and silvery look of your locks and neutralize the unsightly yellow tones, helping your silver hair stay gorgeous for longer. The good side is that they don’t damage your hair, while the biggest drawback is that the application can be a messy process.

Related products:

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  1. Color Rinse: Roux Fanci-Full Temporary Color Rinse (42 Silver Lining)

2. Color Depositing Conditioners: Keracolor Clenditioner (Silver) and Celeb Luxury Colorditioner (Silver) and Celeb Luxury Intense Color Depositing Colorditioner Conditioner, (Silver)

If you find that all written above isn’t enough to protect the integrity of your hair, you can try some at-home bond-repairing treatments. Also, consult your stylist about using Olaplex Bond Multiplier or other corresponding bond-multiplying treatment when bleaching and coloring your tresses.

Young beautiful girl with dark silver hair

How to Maintain Purple Colored Hair

How Long Does Purple Hair Dye Last?

Purple hair color is one of the latest trends and one of the most fascinating colors to dye your hair. Violet hair color has a lot of beautiful shades to try on, ranging from dark amethyst to light lavender. Unfortunately, this gorgeous color requires frequent touch-ups and a lot of maintenance if you want it to last more than a few weeks.

Purple hair color loses vibrancy over time regardless of if you use a permanent or temporary dye. Permanent dyes as their name suggests will last longer but committing to vivid color is not always a good choice.

If you’re using a semi-permanent purple dye, you will need to reapply the color at least biweekly to prevent fading and keep your hair’s fresh-from-the-salon shine. However, unlike permanent purple, semi-permanent violet hair color will last you longer if you have high-porosity hair.

Asian girl with bright violet hair

Permanent Violet Hair Dyes

To keep long-lasting purple hair, consider investing in a high-quality dye.  Although they are classified as permanent, maintenance is necessary every few weeks to maintain the desired brightness. You can retouch the color by re-applying the product or by using a temporary dye or color-depositing product to add vibrancy back to your color.

Suggested Brands:

  1. KAO Prettia Bubble Hair Color – DEEP VIOLET is a long-lasting foam dye but it is not suitable for covering gray hair.
  2. Got2b Metallic Permanent Hair Color M49 Smoky Violet is a long-term color that changes when the light hits it.
  3. Vidal Sassoon Pro Series 2VC Oxford Violet Onyx lasts up to 8 weeks and provides good gray coverage.
  4. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids -Violet is not so lasting but you can get a dark violet shade without bleaching your brown hair.

Semi-Permanent Purple Dyes

Semi-permanent hair dye comes in a wide spectrum of purple tones. The color will stay fresh and bright for as long as six washes depending on your daily hair care routine. For previously dyed locks, these pigments fade slower than in virgin or low-porosity hair.

Suggested Brands:

  1. Iroiro Natural Premium Semi-Permanent Hair Color 20 Purple last longer than any other semi-permanent color and fades to a nice lighter purple.
  2. Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Dye – PURPLE RAIN comes ready to use. It gives a purple tint to darker hair and a very vibrant purple color to pre-lightened hair. When the color starts to fade, it still looks beautiful.
  3. Manic Panic Ultra-Violet Semi-Permanent Hair Color Cream can give violet tones to unbleached hair but if you want a vibrant color you need to lighten your hair.
a young woman with purple hair playing with her dog

How to Keep Purple Hair from Fading

Whilst purple color will fade regardless of the type of hair dye, there are still ways to slow down this process and to keep your purple color looking its best.

1. Don’t wash your violet hair daily

Remember, frequent shampooing is not recommended, especially when it comes to purple hair. Detergents in hair shampoos that help remove dirt and excess sebum can also fade your color.

Once you dye your hair, wait a few days before washing it. Try to wash your hair only when it is necessary. Use dry shampoo to keep excess oil at bay.

2. Wash the hair with lukewarm water

Hot water opens the cuticle allowing the color to leak out faster.  Using cooler water helps keep the cuticle closed and minimize leakage. Personally, I believe that lukewarm water would be a safer choice for the scalp area.

3. Use color-safe shampoos

To keep your purple hair bright, use only sulfate-free shampoos that are designed for dyed hair. Most drugstore shampoos are filled with sulfates. Sulfate-based shampoos will cause the hair color to fade faster and can cause scalp irritation in some people. Clarifying and anti-dandruff shampoos also tend to strip away purple pigment.

Suggested brands: Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo and Conditioner and MATRIX Total Results Keep Me Vivid Shampoo.

4. Use color-depositing shampoos and conditioners

Beautiful purple hair
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One of the easiest ways to keep your hair color looking fresh is to use a color refreshing shampoo. This product keeps hair color looking brand new by depositing pigment back into your hair during your daily shower. Love to play with your hair color? These shampoos can be used to reinvigorate deeper tones or even create vibrant or pastel shades on pre-lightened hair.

You can also purchase a color-depositing conditioner to refresh and maintain your violet color.

DIY color depositing conditioner: Add some leftover semi-permanent color to your regular conditioner. Let it sit on your hair for 1-5 minutes after each shampoo to replace pigments lost during shampooing and to help your purple color stay vibrant for longer.

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Suggested brands:

a girl with long hair and purple hair color
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5. Limit heat styling

Hot styling tools can do a lot of harm to bright-colored hair. Straighteners, curling wands, and blow dryers produce the heat that opens the cuticle, and lets color escape. To decrease fading, turn down the temperature on your hot tools and use a heat protectant every time you apply heat to your hair.

Suggested Brands: Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray is a great heat protectant infused with an anti-fade complex.

6. Stay out of the sun

Excessive exposure to sunlight can make any color fade faster if you don’t protect your hair. Stay out of the sun and always apply sunscreen to protect your violet hair from damaging UV rays. Wear a hat to cover your hair when going out in the sun.

Suggested brands: Rita Hazan Lock Plus Block Protective Spray locks in color and protects the hair from humidity and sun damage.

7. Avoid swimming

Chlorine in swimming pools has a bleaching effect that can accelerate fading and change our lovely purple hair.

Make sure to wear a swimming cap to shield your hair from chemicals like chlorine. Before swimming in a public pool, saturate your hair with a chlorine-protecting product like AquaGuard Pre-Swim Hair Defense to reduce the amount of chlorine that would be absorbed by your hair.

8. Use color-lock styling products

Styling products that contain drying alcohols will cause hair color to fade faster. Use color-lock hair products to protect your color treatment by sealing the hair’s cuticle.

Suggested brands:

  • Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray slows down color fading, detangles hair, and makes it feel soft.
  • Pureology Style + Protect Lock It Down Hairspray provides a firm hold, protects the color from premature fading, and adds radiant shine.
  • ColorProof PowerSculpt Hard Hold Gel gives long-lasting hold, volume, and color protection.
  • MATRIX Total Results Color Obsessed Miracle Treat 12 Multi-Perfecting Spray preserves hair color, tames frizz, and reduces hair breakage.
elegant woman with pastel purple hair
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How to Maintain Your Balayage Hair and Keep It Looking Its Best

Make Your Balayage Like Queen Bey’s

No, it’s not the name of a sunny, luxurious new island in the South Pacific. Instead, Balayage is a subtle hair-highlighting technique that gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to produce natural-looking, eye-catching color. The pieces of hair are colored a few tones lighter to add a dimensional look and seamlessly blend into your hair. This highlighting technique helps create a beachy, sun-kissed hairstyle on long hair and looks stunning on shorter pixie cuts. Join the red carpet of celebrities from Queen Bey, Chrissie Teigen, Jessica Alba, Lucy Hale, and others who have debuted this sensational look, and let your hair feel like royalty!

The results are more natural than traditional foil highlights as you can apply the color only on your ends or other specific areas to tailor it to your face and taste. This highlighting technique can be customized for each hair type and texture; what’s more, it looks fabulous on all shades of hair. Autumn isn’t just for gorgeous colored leaves anymore, so treat your hair with some balayage flair!

gorgeous woman with balayage hair

Ready to be a DIY diva? There’s a certain level of skill required to do the job correctly. However, in situations when you’re unable to visit the salon, you can purchase a kit for doing balayage highlights on your own;  plus, it’ll save you money from a $200 salon balayage job, all without tips, coffee stops, and parking fees.

Paint Like a Saint: How’s Balayage Done?           

Balayage is a freehand technique, which means that you don’t need traditional foiling or caps with holes.

Channel your inner Frida or Picasso since Balayage highlights are painted on the sections of the hair using a highlighting board and brush. Color is applied to sections of hair where the highlights will look best, while the roots remain untouched. This makes Balayage less damaging to the hair than other coloring and highlighting techniques.

Balayage highlights done in a beauty salon

Extend That Color Friend: How to Maintain Balayage        

Balayage lasts a good amount of time and requires lower maintenance than full-head coloring. Because they grow out evenly and softly, without leaving an obvious regrowth line,  you can go longer between touch-ups. Perfect for all the quarantine kings and queens out there!

After using balayage, lightened areas of your hair become more porous, in contrast to the rest of your hair. Lightened strands are more vulnerable to the negative effect of environmental factors, such as sun rays, hard water, and pool chlorine. These harsh environmental factors can lead to color fading, discoloration, and frizz.

With proper care, your balayage will last longer before you have to retouch them. The products you use after the treatment can make a big difference.

Maintain That Mane: Hair Strengthening and Nourishing Treatments

To minimize damage from bleach, use an at-home bond-reinforcing product once a week. Suggested brands include Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 Repairing Treatment, Hairgenics Pronexa Hair Bonder, and B3 Brazilian Bondbuilder Instant Restore & Protect Reconstructor.

Are you ready for a masquerade? A hair mask designed for dry and colored hair will further provide your hair with the moisture and intense nourishment needed to keep your balayage looking its best. Do this deep conditioning treatment at least once a month.

Apply a small amount of lightweight hair oil to the ends of your damp hair after washing. Argan, avocado, and macadamia oil will do.

beautiful hair balayage hair in a beauty salon

Suds, Not Duds: Best Shampoo for Balayage Hair

It’s recommended to wait at least two days before washing your hair after you get balayage treatment.

To avoid overuse of chemicals and to keep your hair hydrated and shiny, use gentle sulfate-free shampoo designed for color-treated hair and moisturizing color-protecting conditioner.

Make sure not to shampoo too frequently and avoid using hot water when washing your hair.

When using dry shampoos select a product that is designed for colored hair such as Klorane Dry Shampoo Powder with Oat Milk or amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo.

Purple Rain: Purple Shampoo for Balayage  

If your balayage color is blonde, use a purple shampoo to prevent your balayage from going brassy and to keep the color fresh. Good sulfate-free purple shampoo brands include Pravana The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Hair Shampoo and Loma Hair Care Violet Shampoo. Use a purple shampoo once a week and don’t let it sit longer than recommended as the product can leave a purple hint on highlighted parts of your hair. Save “Purple Rain” for the music, not your tresses!

To counteract orange tones, use a blue shampoo such as Aveda Black Malva Shampoo or Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo. Since purple/blue shampoos tend to dry out your hair, be sure to follow with a conditioner.

Purple hair masks have more nourishing ingredients than purple shampoos, while shampoos generally have a higher concentration of pigments. If you suffer from dry hair, use a purple mask in place of a purple shampoo.

Weather Report: Heat Styling

Try to minimize heat styling and use only low to medium heat settings. Using heat can also cause some fading of a glossing treatment, which is often applied as a complementary treatment after a balayage color service.

If you do blow-dry or heat-style your hair, use a heat protector like Pureology Colour Fanatic Leave-in Conditioner or Redken One United All-In-One Leave-in Conditioner. 

Beach Babes: Sun Exposure

Apply a leave-in product with sunscreen before going outside in the sun to protect the hair from UV damage, color fading, and brassy tones. Using a protective leave-in conditioner helps minimize the effects of external factors and environmental pollution. Quality hairsprays with sunscreen include Sun Bum Revitalizing 3 in-1 Leave-In Conditioner Spray and Paul Mitchell Color Protect Locking Spray.

Take the Plunge: Swimming

When you swim in chlorinated pools, chlorine and copper can ruin the color and turn light hair green. Apply a hair conditioner generously to prevent chlorine from entering the hair shaft to minimize its damaging effect on the hair. Use AquaGuard pre-swim hair defense to saturate your hair before swimming. Allow a few minutes for the product to absorb into the hair before entering the pool.

Use a swimmer’s shampoo like Ion Swimmer’s Shampoo to remove the chlorine residue and prevent chlorine damage to the hair.

Beautiful balayage color in a beauty salon

Fresh Prince/Princess: How to Refresh Balayage Hair between Touch Ups

  1. Applying hair glaze or hair gloss is the best way to refresh faded balayage. Glossing treatments also help reduce brassiness and impart gorgeous shine. Hair glossing or hair glaze treatment should be done every three to six weeks to add smoothness and shine and refresh faded ends. After doing a glossing treatment, wait at least two days before shampooing your hair.
  2. Alternatively, you can use shine spray when finished styling to add shine to your balayage hair. Good shine enhancers include TIGI Unisex Bed Head Headrush Shine Mist Hair Spray and Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray.
  3. There’s also a wide selection of balayage hair extensions that will seamlessly blend in for a temporary style refreshment and fuller-looking hair.

If I Could Turn Back Time: How Long does Balayage Last?  

Balayage can look great for a longer period, as there’s no visible root line. However, once you feel tired of them, it’s time to refresh your look.

It’s recommended to visit the salon every 3-4 months to retouch the dulled color and to add new subtle highlights to replenish the hair’s natural glow.

Discuss with your colorist about possibly adding a bond protector to the color for extra hair insurance.

If you are not able to visit the salon for a touch-up, purchase an at-home balayage kit as an alternative to expensive salon jobs.

elegant woman with balayage highlights

At-Home Hair Gloss Treatments for Smoother, Shinier Hair

What is Hair Gloss?

Hair Gloss is a color-enhancing and shine-boosting hair treatment. It can be applied as a final touch after coloring or can be performed as a stand-alone treatment to refresh dull, discolored hair.

The acidic nature of glossing products helps to seal the cuticle layer. This creates a smooth surface that reflects light, adding a beautiful sheen to your hair. The film around the hair strands keeps color molecules wrapped to lock in your favorite color shade.

There are two main types of hair glossing products:

1. A clear hair gloss contains hair-smoothing ingredients that coat and seal the cuticle to boost shine.

2. A tinted hair gloss is infused with color pigments to revive fading color or enhance your natural hue.

Hair before and after hair gloss treatment

How Long Does Hair Gloss Last?

Since glosses only coat the outside of the hair, they gradually wash out with shampooing. A salon gloss treatment lasts from four to six weeks on average. If you do the treatment yourself, it may last 2-3 weeks. In both cases, you will need to reapply the glossing product periodically to maintain the results.

However, if you just need to refresh your hair for a special event, hair gloss is a great option.

At-Home Hair Gloss vs Salon

Some formulas are meant to be used by professionals (such as Redken Shades EQ Color Gloss) because their application requires skilled hands to achieve the desired shade.

Fortunately, many glossing products are easy to apply at home and can be much more affordable than in-salon treatments.

So, if you want to save some money, give it a try, especially if you are planning to use a clear gloss. Make sure to wait two days before shampooing to allow your hair enough time to absorb the treatment.

fashion woman with hair gloss treatment

Benefits of Hair Glossing

1. Enhances Color Results

When applied after coloring, hair gloss enhances the tone of color-treated hair. When used between colorings, it revitalizes faded color and replenishes lost tones, making the color look fresh and vibrant.

2. Extends The Life Of Your Hair Color 

If your color fades too fast, apply hair gloss once a week to maintain the color and prolong the time between coloring sessions. Hair glosses are especially beneficial for overly porous hair that tends to lose color quickly.

3. Adds Smoothness and Shine to Your Hair

A gloss tightly closes the hair cuticle, which results in smooth and polished hair. Hair gloss adds vibrancy and shine to your dull hair and makes it look healthier.

4. Eliminates Unwanted Tones

The application of a hair gloss can cancel out unwanted yellow and brassy tones in blonde hair and neutralize red undertones in brunette hair.

5. Reduces Frizz

This treatment seals the hair cuticle, which helps to reduce frizz and tame flyaway hair. Your hair will look and feel softer, healthier, and shinier.

6. Repairs Summer Damage

If your hair has lost its color vibrancy due to exposure to the sun and seawater, hair gloss could fix the damage and make your overly stressed hair appear shiny and healthy again.

7. Non-Committal

Before opting for permanent hair color, consider getting a glossing treatment instead. This is an easy way to make a subtle color change without using harsh chemicals. You can experiment with different shades without over-drying or damaging your locks. The effects fade away within a month, so there’s no long-term commitment.

8. Fades without Visible Line of Demarcation

Unlike permanent hair color, a hair gloss fades gradually, without leaving a harsh line of demarcation in the hair. So, there is no unsightly contrast between the new growth and previously treated hair.

9. Blends Grays

If you don’t have a high percentage of gray hair, hair gloss will blend your grays nicely, making them less noticeable.

10. Gentle on Your Hair

Hair gloss enhances your hair’s natural beauty, without any unwanted side effects. The application is more comfortable than using permanent dyes, as there is no strong ammonia smell.

Best At-Home Hair Glosses

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1. John Frieda Color REFRESHING Gloss

The John Frieda gloss is available in six shades to match different hair colors. The biggest advantage of this product is that it is very easy to use. This in-shower treatment takes just five minutes to restore hair color and shine. The formula is free of ammonia and peroxide, so it is will not damage your hair.

What this glossing treatment can do for your hair:

  • Refreshes the vibrancy and tones of color-treated hair between color sessions.
  • Makes your hair feel healthy and gives it a glossy sheen
  • Extend the life of your color and prolong the time between salon visits
  • Make gray strands less noticeable
  • Leaves hair soft, silky, and manageable
  • Neutralizes brassiness in blonde, white, and gray hair

How to Use

  1. Make sure your hair is freshly shampooed.
  2. Put a quarter-sized amount of the product into the palm of your hand, then work it through your hair from root to tip to coat each strand.
  3. Leave the product on for at least 3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
  4. Wash your hands immediately after applying.

To keep your color looking fresh, apply this product once a week.

2. Oribe Glaze for Beautiful Color

This clear conditioning glaze is easy to use at home. The product adds a beautiful shine to colored hair and helps your color last longer. It can also be used to boost the shine of virgin hair. It conditions and softens damaged hair leaving it smooth, tangle-free, and healthy-looking.

How to use: Apply a small dime size to damp hair after shampooing, run through the hair, and leave it on for about five minutes. Use once a week in place of conditioner or whatever your hair needs refreshment.

3. Bumble and Bumble Color Gloss

This glossing product comes in five shades: Cool Blonde, Warm Blonde, Universal Red, Brunette, and Clear to match different hair colors. Your highlighted hair will love the Clear.

Attractive brunette with glossy hair

This hair color enhancer is used to magnify shine and revive any shade of color-treated hair. It also enhances natural hair color and gives instant shine to your locks.

Bumble and Bumble Color Gloss contains conditioning ingredients that leave your hair with more volume, frizz-free, full, and easy to style. The product is free of ammonia and peroxide.

Drawback: This product could be too pricey for regular use. One tube is sufficient for up to 2 applications if you have medium-length hair. If you are not comfortable with the price, you may want to use it only for special occasions.

How to use

This hair gloss is easy to apply, as it can be used straight from the tube.

  1. Divide your dry hair into four sections.
  2. Apply the product throughout each section, then use a comb to spread it more evenly.
  3. Leave the treatment on for 20 minutes, then rinse. The exception is the Cool Blonde, which only requires four minutes after application.
  4. Follow with shampoo and conditioner.

4. R+Co Gemstone Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment

If you prefer products that deliver immediate results without adding additional steps to your daily hair care routine, R+Co Gemstone Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment might be the right choice for you. All you need is to use it once a week in place of your regular conditioner and leave it on for about five minutes.

This vegan glossing cream seals the cuticle giving your hair shine and softness and protecting the color.

The company doesn’t test its products on animals and takes steps to reduce virgin plastic consumption in product packaging.

5. Clairol Professional Radiance Color Gloss

Clairol Radiance Color Gloss is a semi-permanent hair gloss that comes in 21 glamorous shades. This ammonia-free gloss is easy to work with and doesn’t damage your hair. You can apply it to a virgin, colored, permed, or relaxed hair.

This home glossing treatment gives smoothness and sheen to dry, color-treated hair. It revives the color, providing even and lasting coverage.

If you need something to improve your lifeless and dull hair between salon appointments, Clairol Professional Radiance Color Gloss is a great color enhancer. It also leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier, and helps to define your curls.

This gloss keeps your hair shiny for approximately four to six weeks, and will slowly fade away with each wash.

How to Use

The product should be applied to damp, freshly washed hair. Make sure to also purchase the Clairol Professional Radiance Color Infuser. Use latex gloves during the preparation and application stages.

  1. Mix 2 oz. of the Clairol Professional Radiance Color Gloss with the Clairol Professional Radiance Color Infuser in an applicator bottle.
  2. Shake hard for about one minute.
  3. Apply the solution to your hair and distribute it evenly to coat every strand.
  4. Leave the mixture on your hair for 20 minutes.
  5. Cover your hair with a plastic cap and use a hairdryer for 15 minutes. The heat helps the product to penetrate better. However, using heat is not recommended if you apply the gloss immediately after a relaxer.
  6. Rinse your hair with warm water and apply a deep conditioner.
  7. Rinse the conditioner and then dry and style your hair as desired.
a stunning model with glossy hair

Purple Hair Masks: The Royal Treatment for Blonde Hair

Why do Blondes Need Purple Toning Products?

After a few weeks of color appointments, you typically notice that your gorgeous blonde hair starts to turn brassy or yellowish. Light-colored hair is prone to discoloration because the bleaching process leaves hair incredibly porous. Chemical processing opens up the cuticle, which allows the controlling pigment to wash out from the hair. Don’t worry, though. You don’t have to reside in Windsor or Buckingham Palace to treat give your hair the royal treatment today using purple hair masks for bright and nourished blonde hair!

Mute the Band: While brass is super cool in a band, it’s hellish in your hair. Porous hair soaks up environmental elements, minerals in the water, and chemicals in hair care products. The brassy tones in blonde hair can also be caused due to using harsh shampoos, overusing heat-styling tools, and long-term sunlight exposure. Let purple masks mute the band and make your hair color march with pride and power!

Blonde woman after treated her hair with a purple mask

To ensure that your hair won’t turn brassy, you need some purple toning products in your bathroom cabinet. These products are infused with violet pigments, which temporarily remove the brassy tones, making blonde hair look brighter and more attractive.

If you have blonde, white, or highlighted hair that tends to turn brassy, purple toning products are a lifesaver. Purple products can also be used on naturally blonde hair to banish yellow and brassy tones that may develop over time.

Purple Princesses or Princes: Purple Toning Masks

Purple masks enable you to give yourself royal treatment as far as hair color maintenance. These special purple masks are formulated with violet pigments to remove unwanted yellow and brassy tones while nurturing your gorgeous blonde hair. Be a purple princess or prince as you pamper your blonde colors!

Spin the Wheel: The violet pigments help cancel out the yellow, like any other color that counteracts the directly opposite color on the color wheel. Spin and win with purple masks!

What’s Great About Using a Purple Mask?

  • Salon Spawned: Reduces the brassiness in blonde hair, making the color appear bright and fresh as if you’ve just come out of the salon.
  • Cool Cat: Enhances cool tones and keeps your highlights looking fresh and beautiful. That’s something to purr about!
  • If I Could Turn Back Time: Stretch out the time between color appointments by using purple masks. Pay homage to that iconic Cher song when you turn back time!

Why Masks, You May Ask: Advantages Over Purple Shampoos

1. Heal and Feel Luxurious: Purple masks have significant conditioning properties that you won’t find in a purple shampoo. Thanks to their nourishing ingredients, these masks leave your hair feeling incredibly soft, which makes them suitable for over-processed and damaged hair.

2. Girl (or Guy) Power: Most purple shampoos tend to dry out the hair, while purple masks moisten hair and leave it nourished. A purple mask also leaves your hair soft, unlike a purple shampoo, which can be too harsh on bleached hair. In addition to toning your hair, a purple mask revitalizes your hair, making it healthier and stronger. Grab some girl or guy power for your blonde hair!

3. Go Green: Most purple shampoos use sulfate-based cleansing agents that are harsh on colored or chemically straightened hair. Purple masks don’t contain sulfates, so they’re gentle on colored and keratin-treated hair.

4. Mega Multitasker: If you have very coarse hair, a purple mask will make it softer and more manageable while toning it, too. Talk about a mega multitasker, eh?

Brand Fans: What are the Best Purple Hair Masks?

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1. Peaceful Hues: Pravana The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Masque promises to instantly neutralize unwanted brassy and yellow tones. This nourishing purple masque is specifically formulated to help maintain blonde hair color and blonde highlights. Give your blonde hue some peace and love!

Benefits

  • Effectively maintains the brightness of platinum blonde locks.
  • When used regularly, it ensures that your hair keeps a cool tone between color sessions.
  • Can diminish a good amount of the brassiness after just one use.
  • When used with good-quality water, can tone down the brassy look and exude a cool blonde color.
  • Leaves your hair feeling soft, nourished, and manageable.

How to use: Apply once a week to freshly shampooed hair. Leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse it out. Don’t leave it on the hair for longer than 10 minutes, as your hair might take on a purple tint.

three women with platinum hair

2. Silver Ahead: Purple Hair Mask for Blonde, Platinum & Silver Hair by Bold Uniq

This purple mask promises to neutralize yellowish, golden, or brassy tones in natural and colored blonde hair. The violet pigments work to enhance blonde, white, platinum, silver, and grey color.

BOLD UNIQ Mask is enriched with Vitamin B5, natural oils, and soy protein to nourish your hair in the process and improve softness and elasticity.

If you use a lot of styling products, wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo before using this mask. Apply the mask to clean, towel-dried hair and leave it to sit in the hair for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. To achieve more silver shade, leave it in for 10 minutes or even longer.

The results wash out gradually within 4-6 shampoos. Use once a week to keep the brass away.

The violet pigments in this mask are less intense than the pigments in the purple shampoo from the same company.

3. Project Runway: TIGI Catwalk Fashionista Violet Mask is developed to reduce brassy tones and add a lustrous shine to blonde, grey, or highlighted hair. It’s formulated with a brightening complex, conditioning agents, and violet toners to create a smooth and shiny finish and keep the blonde color looking fresh.

This great-smelling mask also helps to repair damage from bleaching while simultaneously defending against future damage from heat and environmental factors.

Use weekly on clean, towel-dried hair, and work it into the mid-lengths and ends. Leave on your hair for 3 to 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. You’ll be runway-ready as a result!

4. Sci-Fi Sensation: Matrix Total Results Brass Off Mask is a treatment mask formulated to bring out cool tones in blonde hair. This mask uses intense violet pigments to neutralize brassy undertones and reveal clean blonde hair.

In addition to toning, this nourishing formula moisturizes your hair and protects fragile strands from heat damage and breakages.

Apply to wet hair while avoiding your scalp. Leave on the hair for 5 minutes.  To tone down stubborn brassy tones, leave it for up to 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Like the Matrix movie, this one is a Sci-Fi sensation!

(Available at Walmart).

Imperfectly Perfect?: Less Perfect Features of Violet Masks

If you leave the purple mask on longer than needed, your hair may take on a bit of the lavender color, especially if you’re a lighter blonde. If this happens, just rewash your hair using non-tinted shampoo, and the color should fade away.

Extremely porous hair is prone to fast pigment absorption and is more likely to turn purple than normal or low-porosity hair. On the other hand, some people intentionally leave the mask on their locks for a little extra time to get a slight lilac hue.

Mask Mania: How Often to Use a Purple Mask?

Although you can often see the difference in the tone of your hair after just one use, one single application won’t keep your color from getting brassy again. To enable your color to look fresh and to prevent brassiness from developing, aim to use a purple mask once a week. To ensure that you use your product correctly, thoroughly read the directions, or ask your hairdresser how to use it.

Blonde woman with hair toned by purple mask wearing a hat

Purple Conditioners for Blonde and Silver Hair, How to Use, and Products

Blonde hair coloring tends to lose brightness over time, revealing yellow or brassy undertones. This can be escalated by prolonged sun exposure, swimming in chlorinated pools, and using hard water while washing your hair.

In response to this problem, purple shampoos and conditioners have been formulated to tone down the brassiness and maintain the salon-fresh color of blonde and silver hair. These products also help to brighten gray hair and prevent natural blonde hair from turning yellow.

How Do Purple Conditioners Work?

Purple shampoos and conditioners use violet pigments to help neutralize brassiness and achieve a cleaner, whiter tone. Purple is the opposite color of yellow on the color wheel, so if your hair starts turning brassy, purple shampoo and conditioner will help cancel out warm undertones.

A cute girl with blonde hair treated with purple conditioner

Purple conditioners contain the same yellow-reducing ingredients that you can find in purple shampoos, but with added emollients and moisturizers to condition and hydrate your hair.

A purple conditioner can be used with the corresponding purple shampoo or after your regular shampoo. Most purple shampoos can leave hair dry, while purple conditioners add moisture and leave your hair soft and manageable. If your hair feels dry after using a purple shampoo, try to use a purple conditioner in combination with your regular shampoo. You can also use a purple mask as a milder alternative to purple shampoos.

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5 Purple Hued Conditioners that will Brighten your Locks

1. ORIBE Bright Blonde Conditioner for Beautiful Color

This conditioner contains special violet pigments to eliminate brassy and yellow tones while restoring the softness and shine of blonde hair. A blend of Lemon, Chamomile Extract, and Ginger Root work to lighten your hair gradually. This formula contains special ingredients to nourish porous, color-damaged hair.

Oribe Signature Complex (Watermelon, Lychee, and Edelweiss Flower Extracts) helps preserve natural keratin and reduce hair porosity while protecting your hair from oxidative stress and color fading. Shea butter and plant oils help hydrate your hair and enhance sheen. Sunscreens are included to protect the hair from over-drying and color fading.

Unlike other purple conditioners that are supposed to be used once a week, this conditioner is advertised to be safe for daily use.

2. Oribe Silverati Conditioner

This conditioner is specially developed to brighten gray and silver strands while restoring youthfulness, elasticity, and shine to the hair.

a woman with icy blonde hair nourished with purple conditioner

3. Theorie Purple Sage Brightening Conditioner

This purple conditioner is designed to keep brassiness at bay and to restore beautiful blonde and silver hair tones. Sage herb in its formula helps regulate sebum production, combats hair loss, and stimulates hair growth. Grape seed extract moisturizes hair, prevents frizz, and promotes hair growth. Helichrysum extract detangles and hydrates hair, treats dandruff, and imparts shine. Hyaluronic Acid moisturizes hair and stimulates keratin production to strengthen the hair fiber.

This conditioning formula is infused with keratin to reverse the damage and reduce porosity.

Other natural ingredients include Salvia Officinalis Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, and Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil.

4. Loma Hair Care Violet Conditioner

This innovative blue-violet pigmented conditioner is formulated to brighten blonde and grey hair. It is infused with Aloemoist Complex to prevent drying out your hair while removing brassy or orange tones.

This conditioner keeps blonde hair vibrant between color appointments and also embraces natural grey tones and prevents white hair from turning yellow.

5. Joico Color Balance Purple Conditioner

Joico conditioner is formulated to banish yellow tones in blonde, gray, and highlighted hair. It uses Smartrelease technology that continuously releases rosehip oil, arginine, and keratin to improve the condition of chemically processed hair. Violet pigments attach to the hair and instantly neutralize unwanted warm tones.

When combined with Color Balance Purple Shampoo it will keep your hair brass-free for up to 12 washes.

How to Use a Purple Conditioner

As previously mentioned, you can use a purple conditioner in conjunction with the matching shampoo or after your regular shampoo. It is not supposed to be used every time you wash your hair. To prevent developing a bluish tinge, limit the use of a purple conditioner to about once a week.

Shake the bottle well before use. Work the product through your hair and make sure to allow it time to work. If left longer than recommended, purple conditioner can leave a purple hue in your hair, especially if your hair is light blonde, over-processed, or overly porous. To get rid of the purple hue, just wash your hair again.

If you notice your hair feels dry, apply a deep conditioner to moisturize your strands from the inside out.

fashion blonde girl spending a night out