Extending the Life of Your Colour

If you’re like us, you’re probably thinking the redder, blonder or browner (or pinker, or bluer, or ombre-er), the better. We’re obsessed with colour, which is why it’s so hard to see the colour fade once we’ve achieved the perfect shade of awesome. To truly understand how to protect hair from colour, let’s put our lab coats on and explore what colouring actually does to the hair.

What Hair Coloring Does to Your Hair

Hair coloring is an oxidative process that changes hair’s structure. In order to deposit the color pigments inside of the hair, chemicals make the hair swell, making the hair more porous and able to absorb the color. Color=good. Water=bad! When your hair is more porous, water can also get into the hair, rinsing away your gorgeous color. In fact, up to 80% of color fade is due to water alone.

Protecting Against Shade Fade

When it comes to maintaining enviable colour, it’s all about taking care of your hair. Since the colouring process roughens the hair cuticle, causing damage and potentially dullness, it’s important to use a gentle colour-preserving shampoo and conditioner. The right hair products can help smooth the hair cuticle and boost shine.

Rinse with Caution

Rinsing with super hot water can make the colour fade faster. Try sticking with cooler water and using only enough water to rinse out the shampoo and conditioner to help your colour last longer.

Beat Dryness

Colouring makes it harder for hair to benefit from the conditioner it so badly needs. Thankfully for us colour addicts, there are certain shampoo and conditioner pairs designed especially for us. For example, shampoo specifically meant for colour-treated hair has a distinct technology that will allow the matching conditioner to work on your hair strands, helping to restore and protect the hair’s surface. Bottom line? If you colour, make sure you’re using the right shampoo and conditioner designed for colour-treated hair.