They say blondes have more fun, but let's be real here - caring for blonde hair can be a real hassle. Not only can natural elements (such as water, the sun, and air pollution) make your tresses brassy, but over styling and processing your hair can also leave your locks dry and prone to breakage! Not to worry our blonde haired friends, we are here to share with you 10 great ways to keep your blonde locks looking like you've just stepped out of the salon! Let's get started!
Tip 1: Keep it Hydrated
For many of us striving to achieve that perfect shade of blonde, we put our hair through the wringer. Bleaching/lifting a dark shade from our strands can be a very harsh process that strips our hair of the many oils and nutrients our cuticle has sealed within it. This leaves us with dry, stretchy, brittle hair. Processed hair needs a lot of TLC, especially when restoring the damage done. To help bring dry brittle hair back to life, we recommend investing in a good leave-in conditioner and/or deep repair mask.
Deep treatments/hair masks are a great way to restore the moisture stripped from your hair during the coloring process. Although you cannot undo the damage done in one step (wouldn't that be great though?!) deep conditioning treatments are vital for colour treated hair, and are a great way to help prevent breakage. Try these at-home DIY hair masks for a potent punch of nutrients.
Tip 2: Protect it from the heat
That's right, back away from the blow dryer! We're going to keep this tip short and sweet. The less heat styling, the better! As you now know, lifting your hair color to achieve a lighter blonde shade requires for your hair cuticle to be stripped. Once the cuticle has been stripped, it makes it difficult for your hair to hold onto the nutrients your scalp produces; leaving your hair dry and brittle. Adding an excessive amount of heat styling to your hair, on top of the chemical process, can really damage and dull your shine. It is always a great idea to give your hair a little vacation from heat styling, every once in awhile, by styling your hair in a cute bun, updo, or braid.
If you are addicted to heat (like many of us are) be sure to always use a heat protectant spray when styling your hair, and never ever ever skip on a deep conditioning treatment!
Tip 3: Keep it out of the sun
We know this sounds unfortunate - I mean who doesn't love some sun! Sadly, overexposure to the sun is not only damaging for your skin, but also for your blonde hair. Harmful UV rays can dry out your locks, and turn your beautiful blonde shade a brassy shade of orange. If you are planning a fun day in the sun, we recommend bringing a cute hat along to protect your hair, and your skin, from the sun. If hats aren't your thing, then opt for a UV/heat protectant. One of our favourites is the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer!
Tip 4: Make your color last with a purple shampoo
Over time, even natural elements can cause your cool tresses to become brassy. Unless this is the look you are going for, let's face it, it's hard to love your locks when the tone is completely off. To help make your color last, we recommend investing in a purple shampoo. This specially formulated shampoo is a great way to combat these brassy tones and leave your locks the cool ashy tone you paid big bucks to achieve.
As many have learned in school, the shade purple is directly opposite of the shade yellow on the color wheel. This means that when the purple pigments within the shampoo are absorbed by your hair follicle, it then covers and cancels out any warm yellow tones within your hair.
Please beware, choosing the perfect purple shampoo can be a little difficult, as some brands may be too drying, or too pigmented for your hair. When shopping for the perfect shampoo, we recommend consulting with your hairstylist to ensure you choose the perfect shampoo for your hair color! It also helps if the shampoo is sulfate-free, to help prevent it from drying out your already processed hair.
To keep your blonde tresses sparkling, we recommend washing your hair with purple shampoo at least once a week, and alternating shampoos throughout the week. If you find that your hair is super brassy, or becomes yellow fairly quickly, try increasing your usage. If you find that your hair is becoming too ashy, try decreasing how frequent you use this shampoo. You can also adjust how much you tone your hair by how long you leave your shampoo in for. For example: if your hair is really brassy: try leaving the shampoo in your hair for 5 minutes; for very little brass: 2 minutes should do the trick!
Keep in mind, purple shampoos are not really designed for cleaning your hair, so feel free to follow up with a cleansing shampoo if you find that your hair gets oily quickly.
Tip 5: Finish off cold
Washing your hair less frequently is good whether you’re a blonde, brunette, or redhead. This habit makes sure you’re not stripping your hair of its natural oils that help keep it nourished. One step you can add to this routine is making sure to finish off with a cold rinse each time you wash your hair. This will help keep your hair lustrous and shiny.
Tip 6: Read the labels
Sulfates are a big no-no when it comes to picking a shampoo. The most common of these are SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) that are used in a lot of shampoos to help you get that big lather you see in all those ads—but turns out, those big lathers are only doing you harm, no good. So, make sure you’re reading your labels closely whenever you pick out your shampoo.
Tip 7: Conditioning and Deep Conditioning
We love a good hair care routine, especially one that includes deep conditioning. It helps replenish the moisture in your hair and keeps it from looking stringy and gives it a fresh, and shiny look and feel. Your conditioner, as well as the once-a-week deep conditioner, is an essential part of this process—so make sure you’re not skipping out on that!
Tip 8: Be careful with oils
Oils are said to be one of the best ways to nourish your hair—this might be partially true but not when it comes to blonde hair. Oils do have a tendency to make your hair look weighed down and greasy, when not used in the right proportion. You have to be careful with oils that have a yellow tint as it can catch on to your hair and stain your hair easily, especially if you have white or platinum blonde hair.
Oils are good for you, however, it all comes down to the formulation. For blondes any oil that isn’t water-soluble should be avoided.
Tip 9: Dry Shampoo
Our long time BFF dry shampoo! Dry shampoo is now formulated for all hair colors and types, some are dark and some have a light color to them (which is perfect for blondes!) So make sure to pick the right shade of dry shampoo to successfully skip greasy third-day hair.
Tip 10: Invest in a shower head filter
Where you live can determine the level of minerals, chlorine, fluorides, and iron content in the water. This can contribute to how quickly your blonde hair turns brassy. Investing in a good shower head filter can help neutralize the flow of these elements that will in turn, cause less damage to your blonde hair.
In conclusion, follow these ten tips to make sure you're keeping your blonde hair happy and healthy!
- Keep it hydrated
- Protect it from heat
- Keep it out of the sun
- Make your color last
- Finish your hair wash with cold water
- Read the labels and avoid sulfates
- Don't skip conditioning and deep conditioning your hair
- Be careful with oils
- Pick the right dry shampoo
- Invest in a shower head filter
There you have it! These tips will help restore that luster to your locks, and keep your hair looking refresh and healthy! What are some tips or tricks you have on maintaining your hair color? Comment below to let us know, we would love to hear from you!
