Keeping my color-treated hair healthy and happy has taken sometime to perfect. I love trying out new products but when you find something that just works, you keep it around in your hair care arsenal.
I’ve been dabbling with hair color wayyyyy back to my middle school years when my mom would do my highlights at home using the cap that you would pull strands through and color. My oh my, what a difference a couple decades makes! I’m now very happy letting my girl Sharon work her magic on my locks.
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Getting your hair colored or getting highlights can be costly, especially with frequent maintenance. That is why it’s important that you protect your invested with products that will keep your hair looking like you just walked out of the salon.
Tips for Keeping Your Hair Healthy and Happy
Color-treated hair needs a ton of TLC and some designated beauty products to keep the color vibrant and keep it from fading. But you also want to make sure you are not compromising the integrity of your hair.
You’ll also want to stay away from any products that contain sulfates. Sulfates are cleansing agents and may be found in many shampoo products. Look for ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate and avoid them like the plague.
These ingredients are responsible for the sudsy, clean feel we get from many shampoos. However, they also strip the hair of essential oils needed for healthy strands. Sulfates may also irritate the scalp and cause dry, brittle hair.
Your hair may become brittle, be prone to breakage and suseptible to split ends. Conditioner and weekly mask treatments have become my new best friends. They help bring back moisture and keep my hair from getting frizzy and dry.
Another great tip for keeping your color-treated hair happy is shampooing less frequently. I was my hair 2-3 times a week. In the past, I used to wash it every day after the gym, but that left my hair really dry and frizzy.
I also finish off my conditioner with a shot of cold water. This reseals the hair and I’ve noticed my hair is less frizzy.
Best Shampoo and Conditioners for Color-Treated Hair
I have a couple different shampoos and conditioners that I like to use. Some of my shampoos I use weekly or bi-weekly. These are my purple shampoos which help remove any brassy color from my blonde highlights. I’m really loving the Kristin Ess purple shampoo because it gives my highlights the icy, blonde hue that I like. It’s great at keeping the brassy tone away between salon visits.
I also use a clarifying shampoo to help clean and clear our my hair of any dry shampoo residue. For conditioning hair products, I use a clarifying conditioner by Kristin Ess and if I want something a bit more hydrating, I like to use Love Beauty and Planet’s Blooming Color Conditioner.
Best Deep-Conditioning and Repair Treatments
Did I mention you need to condition?? Yep, very important. Once a week I like to do a deep conditioning treatment to give my hair some much needed deep moisture. I also use Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector. It’s not a conditioner but it helps repair any damage and breakage.
This is not just for color-treated hair either. This product is great for any one who is looking to reseal their strands and take care of any damage. I also use special micellar shampoo, which I use more of treatment. This helps clear out any gunk left behind from dry shampoo and keeps my scalp clean.
A clean scalp is crucial to healthy hair and I can’t wait to share more products and techniques that I use on a later post. Sign up for my newsletter here so you don’t miss it!
Best Styling Products for Color-Treated Hair
Colored hair will need specific styling products to help protect your color. If you’re the type to use hot tools, it is very important that you are using a heat protector BEFORE applying any heat to your strands. I’ve also been using a UV and pollution spray from DP Hue and finishing off my styles with a little Olaplex Bonding Oil.
I find these products help protect my hair when I do use hot tools. They’re also great at prolonging my style so that I don’t have to wash my hair too often; frequent washes may also fade your color faster.
This is an array of products on the market to keep your color-treated hair healthy. You could spend major dollars or keep it drugstore-friendly, your choice. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve ever tried any of these and what your thoughts were on these color-treated hair products.
