Dedicating time and money to salon color services is an investment in yourself. When you love your color, the goal is to keep that color looking fresh as long as possible, which means maintaining the vibrancy and keeping your hair healthy.
The products you use at home can enhance and prolong permanent hair color, as well as the in salon treatments to rebalance the hair’s ph level and keep your color from oxidizing. There are also many products that can strip the color making it look dull and dry. The Pixie team wants to share some tips for maintaining color-treated hair at home, making that color shine and last longer.
Shampoo and Conditioner for Color Treated Hair
At home, make sure the products you’re using are high quality and made for color-treated hair. The simple fact is that you won’t find salon quality products at a drugstore. Your best option is to buy products recommended by your stylist because we know it’s reliable and works.
At Pixie, the Unite shampoos and conditioners are made for color-treated hair, they are Sulfate, Sodium, and Paraben Free. Unite uses a blend of sulfate free, coconut derived mild cleansing agents. Our Wella Color Motion Shampoo is a color-protecting shampoo for maintaining vibrancy of brunette, red or blonde locks. ColorMotion+ is also enriched with WellaPlex+ bonding agent that strengthens the hair by reconstructing the hair bonds after dyeing.
Our best color protection shampoo helps lock in color while preserving hair’s smoothness and shine. It’s formulated with additional antioxidants that improve protection against free radicals.
Reduce Washing and Temperature of Water
Even though you have salon approved shampoo and conditioner, this doesn’t mean you should wash your hair every single day. Washing your hair too often can actually do damage. Washing too often fades color faster especially if you have a Semipermanet or Demipermanent color, like a gloss. Letting the natural oils from your scalp condition your hair is a good way to keep the hair healthy.
If you feel like your hair becomes oily too quickly, try a dry shampoo. Dry shampoo’s are not actual shampoo like you would use in the shower. They are powder based sprays that absorb oil and smell fresh. Unite has three dry shampoo options. Unite’s U:Dry Clear Shampoo is for light oil and acts as a quick refresher. On the other hand, Unite’s U:Dry Plus+ is for second day hair when there is more sweat and oil. Need more fullness for that second day hair? Turn the volume on high with a volumizing, translucent dry shampoo. Quickly absorbing oils plus adds instant volume & texture. Perfect for fine oily hair, or lifeless dirty hair. U:DRY High has got you and your oil covered.
These dry shampoos will instantly absorb oil and refresh your hair — no wash needed!
Wella Color Fresh
Covering up gray hair and maintaining color in between salon visits? Wella’s Color Fresh is definitely something to consider picking up. This product is a gentle conditioning color enhancer. After you shampoo and towel dry your hair, grab some gloves and apply Color Fresh evenly, combing through length to ends. Color fresh will give you up to 30% coverage and lasts up to 10 shampoos.
Color Fresh works because it has acidic pH and an enriched vitamin complex leaving the hair incredibly shiny. It’s great for maintaining ashy blondes and vibrant reds.
Wella Insta Recharge
Wella Insta Recharge is a root concealer that you apply to any regrowth, eyebrows, and highlights. You apply as much as you need until reaching the desired coverage. It is lightweight and will not transfer. It fades after washing your hair, and will last you up to sixty applications.
Reduce Heat Styling Time
Heat styling can damage your hair, and it can also tamper with your hair color. It is best to reduce the amount of time you spend heat styling. In addition, don’t crank up your straightener or curler to the highest temperature. When heat styling, be sure to use a product that will protect your hair.
Unite has a few products for heat styling. 7 Seconds Glossing Spray, 7 Seconds Detangler, 7 Seconds BlowOut Creme, and Boosta Volumizing Spray can all be used as protectants, depending on if you prefer applying product on wet or dry hair. Some of our shampoos and conditioners can also act as heat protectors.
Add a Gloss
When you book your service, consider adding on a gloss. A gloss can seal in color a little longer. It is a quick and easy step, so you don’t have to worry about adding too much extra time onto your appointment. A gloss adds shine, tone or can enhance your existing hair color.
Luxe Lights
Being able to maintain your hair color is important, and having a more natural color treatment can help keep the look manageable. Luxe Lights, which is a new service at Pixie, is perfect for this.
Luxe Lights adds subtle lights and soft shadows to keep your hair looking incredibly natural, while also covering grays. This is a three step process. First, we add a few highlights that will frame the face, then touch up your roots, and, finally, seal everything with a gloss.
Hopefully these tips help you maintain your color at home and give you a peace of mind, if need be, to allow you to stretch out your appointments.
Also, keep in mind, that you should not use a box dye at home because that can make your transition back to the salon more difficult and time consuming, as your stylist will have to try to undo the results of box dye.
Have you used any of the products mentioned in this article? Are you looking forward to trying our Luxe Lights service? We’d love to hear from you in the comments and on social media.