In between salon visits? Kate Reid, Color.Me by Kevin.Murphy Director of Education, shares 10 daily habits to educate clients on to save their hair color.
1. Suds Up Sans Sulphates
Lathering up with sulphates is a surefire way to expedite the fading process, leaving you with dull, lackluster color. Swap out your shampoo for a gentle, color-safe formula. I recommend Kevin.Murphy Balancing.Wash to strengthen hair and protect against colour fade.
2. Put Color on Lockdown
Mildly acidic products seal the hair cuticle, locking in color – resulting in smoother, shinier hair and longer lasting color. Kevin.Murphy Staying.Alive leave-in conditioner, with a low pH between 4.5 and 5.5, seals and protects the hair while healing and repairing the scalp.
3. Prep Hair Prior to Swimming
Salt water and chlorine are some the the biggest culprits when it comes to hair color fading, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your daily dip. To keep colour fresh and to avoid mineral buildup, apply a deep conditioning masque (like Kevin.Murphy Young.Again.Masque) to protect hair prior to swimming.
4. Undo Damage
Dry, damaged hair is more porous, and hence, more vulnerable to colour loss. To boost your hair’s health and maximize color longevity, treat brittle, damaged, over-processed hair with a weekly at-home hair treatment, or ask your stylist about in-salon options to bolster hair’s health during your next visit. I suggest Kevin.Murphy Born.Again.
5. Shine On
Smooth, shiny hair is the perfect canvas for showing off beautiful color. Maximize your hair’s light-reflecting abilities with a shine-enhancing product like Kevin.Murphy Shimmer.Shine to repair hair while adding shine with zero oily residue.
6. Boost Your Blonde
Not born blonde? Adding a toner is great for salon visits but maintaining your clean blonde at home can be as simple as incorporating a violet-based wash and rinse into your hair care routine. These formulas brighten and tone, keeping warmth and brassiness at bay for a clean, shiny and natural-looking (i.e. not yellow) result. Try Kevin.Murphy Blonde.Angel.
7. Lather Up Less Frequently
Skipping your daily shampoo is one of the best tricks in the book for prolonging your color. To keep second (or third) day hair feeling fresh while avoiding washing your color down the drain, mist roots with a dry shampoo like Kevin.Murphy Fresh.Hair to absorb excess oils and deodorize hair for an instantly refreshed ‘do.
8. Get Savvy with Styling
Hot tools like your flat iron or curling wand pull moisture and colour from your hair. Protect your tresses against thermal damage and color fading by spritzing a heat protection spray prior to styling and choose a heat setting accordingly. Look for Kevin.Murphy styling products containing Extreme Heat Protection (X-HP™) Complex like Damage.Manager.
9. Be Sun Smart
Seems ironic, but one of the best ways to maintain those just-got-home-from-vacation sun-kissed highlights is to avoid the sun. Exposure to the sun’s harsh UV rays leaves hair looking warmer, brassier and bleached. Keep your color undercover as much as possible by wearing a hat when spending long periods of time in direct sunlight.
10. Keep Close to Your Natural Shade
For maximum color impact for the minimum amount of maintenance, stay within one to two depths of your natural color. This will provide a more forgiving fade and the least noticeable new growth.