Walking out of the salon with a fresh cut and color is one of the best and most confident feelings in the world. But as soon as you get home, especially if you have some unique colored hair, your first thought is – how do I maintain this? Goodhousekeeping.com says “Your latest dye job doesn’t simply end once you leave the salon — using a top-rated shampoo that’s intended for color-treated hair is key to keeping your shade fresh and vibrant, whether it’s brunette, black, blonde, red, or an even bolder hue (hello, purple and rose gold!).”
No one wants to waste money on cool hair colors and styles when they are bound to fade. Luckily, people with all hair colors and styles are worried about the same thing, and tons of products have been made to lend a helping hand to a universal issue. Here’s our list of the best products and treatments to help keep your hair the color you want – and paid for!
Shampoo and conditioner sets fall in many price ranges that all do the same job – protecting your color from washing out. Yes, you want your shampoo to wash your hair, but not the valuable color!
If you’re looking to start with the basics, one of the top-rated shampoo and conditioner sets you can get at any drugstore is Tresemme.
Across the board, this set gets incredible reviews, and goodhousekeeping.com put it to the test and gave it their shining review – “This Tresemmé shampoo and its matching conditioner helped retain color the best in the GH Beauty Lab’s most recent test — and the pair was also the consumer tester favorite. Hair samples showed the least color change after 20 washes and 10 hours of UV exposure in Lab evaluations. Plus, this color-safe drugstore duo was the most affordable option we tested. “The formulas felt creamy and rich like expensive salon-quality products,” said one tester.
If you’re looking to step a level up and protect with salon/professional products, one of the top sets that Good Housekeeping also reviewed are the Minerals of Eden Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner, their only cons being the price. “Master hairstylist Daniel Reboh raves that this Minerals of Eden shampoo and conditioner are his “absolute favorite” for colored hair: They were created to also purify and boost volume, great for fine strands. The formulas are “enriched with minerals from the Dead Sea, as well as ginseng,” he says. “The shampoo removes the buildup of daily pollution without removing color, leaving the hair silky, shiny and moisturized.”
Whatever choice you make, whether it be from the salon or drug store, it’s important that you are taking care of your color-treated hair and keeping it the most vibrant it can be!
Shampoos and conditioners are not the only way to do that. Next step – treatments, hair masks, and anything else you can get your hands on! One of the most popular treatments, not only for vibrant hair but for hair character and health in general, is Olaplex.
Olaplex is used to repair your hair and is most frequently used to repair light hair that has bleached and dyed blonde to restore the strands broken by the bleach, making it perfect for people with freshly colored hair. Olaplex is also for people who frequently use high-heat products on their hair, like curling irons, blow dryers, and straighteners. According to byrdie.com, The best hair professionals in the world all swear by Olaplex because it works like nothing else to strengthen hair from the inside out. Olaplex allows impossible transformations to take place without damaging the hair irreparably.”
If Olaplex isn’t your speed or isn’t in your price range, hair masks can be the next best option. Today.com revealed their favorite products for color-treated hair, and the Amika Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask came up at the top of their list. “”This mask helps strengthen and moisturize, which helps prevent color from fading quickly,” said Stephanie Brown, Master Colorist at New York City’s Eddie Arthur Salon. “You should do a mask at least once every two weeks, or more if your hair is dry and damaged. Leave the mask on for at least 10 to 20 minutes to get the full benefits.”
Whatever method you choose to protect your newly colored hair, do your research, and make sure it’s the right product for you. And if you’re unsure, ask a professional!
