How to keep your salon hair colour looking better for longer
If you’re a regular in the colourist’s chair, you’ll know that there’s nothing quite like that freshly tinted feeling. Is it sad to admit that I even plan events around when I’ve had my balayage redone? Probably. But it’s true. So how do you keep a salon colour looking as good at week six as day one?
Anita Rice, from the Buller and Rice salons in London, tells me that after you have your colour done, you should avoid washing your hair for a minimum of 48 hours. ‘This gives the colour molecules time to settle,’ she says. ‘Then, create a routine and stick to it with weekly treatments to keep the condition of your hair healthy, which will help your colour to last.’
There are a few noteworthy new products on the market. The first is by Virtue. For the uninitiated, this American brand has a bit of a cult following. I’m fully converted and yet to try a product in the range that I don’t like. Its latest launch is ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo, which knocks out any yellowy or orange tinges from the hair, bringing back a cooler tone and colour. Use it once a week as a treatment product.
Color Wow is a great option for dyed hair, too. Its Dream Filter Pre-Shampoo Mineral Remover is pretty amazing. It acts like a filter for minerals found in water, such as copper, iron and calcium, which over time can make your hair look dull and brassy. Spray it through dry hair a few minutes before shampooing. The brand’s Color Security shampoo and conditioner are both really good, too.
For blondes specifically, Rice suggests investing in a low-sulfate specialist blonde shampoo. ‘Used weekly, this will keep unwanted brassy tones to a cooler level. If you feel like you need an extra kick of ashiness, leave the shampoo on for five minutes, which will cool it right down.’ She loves the Alchemic Shampoo Silver by Davines.
Five of the best
From left to right: Elvive Colour Protect More Than Shampoo, £6.99, L’Oréal Paris; Dream Filter treatment, from £12.50, Color Wow; Alchemic Shampoo Silver, £19.50, Davines; ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo, £40, Virtue; Reincarnation Mask, £7, Bleach London
