Colour Coded

When you invest time and money in your hair colour (be it unicorn hair, fiery red, icy blond or hyper-glossy brunette), the last thing you want is to see it slip down the drain. To prevent it from fading, follow these tips and stock up on must-have products to help keep your hair looking its best between colour sessions.

Shampoo smarts

Fighting the fade starts with the right lather-and-rinse routine. A moisturizing, gentle and sulphate-free shampoo (in other words, no harsh salts or surfactants that can strip, dull and damage hair) like L’Oréal Paris EverPure Moisture Shampoo helps to lock in colour. Whenever possible, limit suds sessions to once or twice a week. (Even the water in your shower contains minerals that can deposit on your hair when you rinse.) This will help maintain your true hue for longer. Washing too frequently is one of the biggest no-nos. Your own natural scalp oils will help your colour stay put and boost shine. So how long should you wait to wash your hair after you dye it? For best results, wait two or three days to let colour settle. Greasy roots and just can’t wait? Use L’Oréal Paris Magic Invisible Dry Shampoo to skip a suds session.

Ban brassiness

Even hair that has been treated like silk will eventually get brassy. (Blame the sun, your shower, your shampoo—you name it.) To correct brassy or orange undertones, a purple treatment can come to the rescue once a week. Leave it on for five minutes and then rinse fully so no accidental purple patches remain. A treatment like L’Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shade Reviving Treatment is even more beneficial than a purple shampoo because it adds moisture to parched, bleached strands. (Read “Hair will be extra-soft.”) Of course, it’s great to nix the brassy bits if you have blond hair, but did you know that purple shampoo and/or a purple treatment can balance out warm tones in any hair colour? It can get rid of orange undertones in brown hair—and grey hair, too.

Safeguard colour from the sun

The number one culprit for brassy hair is oxidation from the sun. To keep hair on point, UV filters help to minimize sun damage. They act like a shield on the hair to fend off discoloration and damage. Apply a UV protectant mask like L’Oréal Paris Color Radiance Mask in the shower to protect vulnerable strands. Hitting the pool? A genius hack is to comb in a leave-in spray or hair mask like L’Oréal Paris EverPure 100% Sulfate-Free 10-in-1 Color Miracle. This will “fill in” hair bits that are super-fragile and porous and protect them from further absorbing damaging chlorine and UV rays. Voila! At the end of your pool day, hair is extra-glossy with zero damage. Colour that’s been protected and super-hydrated is bound to look salon-fresh.

Heat protect

Fried ends and spotty-looking colour can happen from colour processing, daily wear and tear from brushing and the biggest culprit—heat styling. L’Oréal Paris Stylista Blow Dry #BlowDry Heat Protective Primer guards against excessive heat and keeps hair looking salon-fresh. When blow-drying your hair, don’t use the hottest setting and keep the nozzle facing down the hair shaft. This keeps the cuticle closed, and it’s less likely to split and look rough. When it comes to flat irons, you need to keep them moving to avoid singed strands. If you stop, you’ll end up with a “hair burn”!

Revive and shine

Colour-treated hair often sabotages shine. To bring glass-like brilliance to red, brown and blond hair, make a radiance-reviving treatment part of your colour-maintenance plan. L’Oréal Paris Total Repair 5 can not only bring vibrancy back to dull hair but also smooth hair texture so that frizz and flyaways are minimized, and a smooth cuticle will reflect way more light. Tip: Blond hair usually needs an extra boost of shine (it reflects less light), so use a shine spray whenever you style and get ready for hair compliments!