Coloured Hair Care

HOW TO CARE FOR COLOURED HAIR

1. AFTER COLOURING, WAIT 72 HRS BEFORE SHAMPOOING

When colouring hair, your cuticle layer is opened, making it easy for colour to penetrate the hair shaft. When you wash your hair too soon after your appointment, the cuticle layer could still be open which then leads to your colour being washed down the drain. It takes up to three days for the cuticle layer to fully close, so the longer you wait to shampoo your hair after you colour your hair, the more time the colour pigment will have to soak into the hair cuticle – which will help your colour last longer in between salon visits.

2. USE SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER

Sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium laureth ether sulfate, is a type of anionic detergent that is found in many personal care products. This ingredient is used to help produce a foaming effect to your shampoos and conditioners. By using sulfates, you run the risk of stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can then lead to stripping your beautiful colour treated hair (which you just spent hours and dollars at the hair salon to achieve).

Try using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair colour from fading. Ebony Empire has great options for all hair types, so whether you have frizzy, curly, straight, or even thin hair, there is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner option for all!

OUR GUESTS LOVE THESE SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOOS

3. GRAB A CUSTOM COLOURED CONDITIONER

If you’re rocking a brighter look like pink, purple, or even blue, Ebony Empire have custom colour Treatment Conditioners that will add extra colour pigment to your hair every time you condition to keep it looking fresh until you are due for your next salon visit. We recommend EVO Fab Pro direct dyes custom made in a Colour maintenance conditioning treatment! Maintain any permanent, demi and semi-permanent colour in-between salon visits.

OUR GUESTS LOVE

4. TURN DOWN WATER TEMPERATURE WHEN SHAMPOOING

Though hot showers feel amazing to some, it isn’t so great for your hair color. When washing hair with hot water, your hair’s cuticle is opened, allowing your color to wash out while shampooing and conditioning.

To prevent seeing colour go down the drain, try shampooing with warm water and then rinse with cold water after conditioning. The warm water will allow the shampoo and conditioner to penetrate and cleanse, while the cold water will help seal in the moisture from your conditioner while preventing color from fading by sealing the hair’s cuticle.

5. SHAMPOO LESS OFTEN

Shampooing your hair every day is something you want to avoid if you are wanting your hair colour to last longer. Not only are you washing away the natural oils that moisturize and keep your hair colour looking fresh, you also wash away a little bit of your hair colour pigment every time you wash your hair. Try washing your hair every other day or even 2-3 times a week to keep your colour on lock.

6. USE DRY SHAMPOO

Our long time BFF dry shampoo!

Washing your hair less frequently is good whether you’re a blonde, brunette, or redhead. This habit makes sure you’re not stripping your hair of its natural oils that help keep it nourished. The trick to getting the most out of your dry shampoo is applying it to your scalp the day before you think that you will need it! This allows the dry shampoo to soak up the excess oils as they naturally generate. Successfully skip greasy third-day hair!

OUR GUESTS LOVE THESE DRY SHAMPOOS

7. USE LEAVE-IN TREATMENTS TO PROTECT HAIR COLOUR WHEN STYLING

Coloured and chemically treated hair needs extra hydration and protection from the sun to prevent damage and loss of nutrients to the hair. Leave-in treatments will help keep your hair smooth and hydrated, and it’s important to find one with UV protection so that the sun won’t fade your hair colour.

OUR GUESTS ALSO LOVE THESE LEAVE IN TREATMENTS

8. USE A HEAT PROTECTANT PRODUCT BEFORE USING HOT TOOLS

Heat will strip away colour and hydration and lead to damaged hair. To help prevent these problems from happening while using hot tools, try using a heat protectant product before blow drying or styling. Heat protectant products will help reduce moisture loss from inside the hair, smooth the outside of the hair, and protect your hair from humidity after heat styling which, in all, will help maintain your colour. We love and highly recommend Kevin Murphy’s Heated Defense foam! Heated Defense reduces damage while conditioning and smoothing creating a protective barrier with essential moisturising agents. 

OUR GUESTS ALSO LOVE THESE HEAT PROTECTION PRODUCTS

9. PREPARE YOUR HAIR FOR YOUR NEXT COLOUR PROCESS

Use a clarifying shampoo the day before your next colour treatment at the hair salon. This will strip your hair of any oils that could block your colour from penetrating the cuticle at a deeper level. Our favourite Kevin Murphy - Maxi Wash designed to deliver a much-needed detox, MAXI.WASH removes the build-up of unwanted products and chemicals from the hair. Our gentle detoxifying shampoo helps to purify for a clean, clear and refreshed scalp, and our soothing blend of essential oils brightens the hair while purifying and balancing the scalp. Its deep cleansing action provides a thorough cleanse.

KEVIN MURPHY

MAXI.WASH

10. AVOID CHLORINE

Chlorine is a chemical bleaching agent that cleans pools and will definitely strip colour from your hair when enjoying a sunny pool day. Blonde hair is susceptible to turning a greenish tint, while darker shades may become dull, dry out, and lose its shine. So, if you find yourself wanting to go to the pool, try a swimmer’s cap! Or, try getting your hair wet in the shower, use conditioner, and then don’t rinse it out. This will create a barrier on the hair shaft so that the chlorine won’t penetrate.

11. KEEP UP WITH TRIMS

Dead ends won’t hold colour and will fade even faster, so make sure you are cutting off those dead ends every 6-8 weeks so your colour looks fresh from root to tips!