Whether you’re getting to the salon less frequently these days, or just eager to hold onto your investment hair color for a few extra weeks, these make-it-last tips will help color stay put for the long(ish) haul. Read on to save your hair – and save $$’s
Show up for your appointment with “purified” hair
Starting a color service with strands that are free of product build-up will allow pigment to penetrate the cuticle and hang on longer. Two days before your appointment, wash hair with K-PAK Clarifying Shampoo; then give hair a rest until it’s time to color.
Wash hair less frequently
Kind of a no-brainer, but the more you wash, the faster color fades. Frankly, washing too frequently isn’t a great idea for all sorts of reasons — not the least of which is that it can sap hair of precious moisture; and the heat styling that follows leads to damage. A better option for those in-between days? Weekend Hair Dry Shampoo: the unparalleled oil-absorbing ingredients and volume boosters deliver a gorgeous, just-washed fullness, and the clean, velvety-soft feel, slip, and manageability that you get after a real blowout.
Wash hair in cool water
There’s a reason you wash colored clothes in cold water rather than hot – it prevents fading. In fact, cool water actually helps close the hair cuticle, so color gets locked in. (Yes, you can take a hot shower – just dial down the temperature when the water is directed at your hair.)
Use hair products specifically designed to prevent color fade
K-PAK Color Therapy Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner are formulated with African Manketti and Argan oils, which prevent 82% of color fade after 18 washes.
Get friendly with color-depositing shampoos and conditioners
These pigment-stocked formulas will become your savior. Use them every other shampoo to maintain rich, vibrant color between appointments:
Color Balance Blue Shampoo and Conditioner: Kick brass to the curb and keep rich brunette hair free of unwanted orangey tones with this collection that instantly neutralizes warmth.
Color Balance Purple Shampoo and Conditioner: This instant, corrective collection ditches unwanted yellow tones, preserves highlighted, icy-cool blondes, silvery grays, ombré, and balayage looks.
Blonde Life Violet Shampoo and Conditioner: Bring blonde hair back to that icy, fresh-out-of-the-salon shade with this sulfate-free collection that gives yellow tones the big freeze. Gentle on highlighted strands, it’s stocked with an exotic blend of rich Tamanu and Manoi oils to fight frizz, banish brass, and rehydrate hair.
Color Infuse Red Shampoo and Conditioner: Keep red hair fierce and fabulous with this collection designed to fight the fade of vibrant ginger shades; you’ll amp up those luscious red tones, adding vibrancy and shine through 12 washes.
Install a shower filter
Chlorine, minerals, and calcium are all present in hard water and can cause hair color to turn or develop “off” tones. If you live in a hard-water area (you’ll know, because skin feels tighter after showering), look into installing a filter to purify your H20.
Don’t shampoo freshly-colored hair for a couple of days
To prevent dye from washing out, hold off on the cleansing for about 48 hours – enough time for pigment to fully “soak” into the cuticle.
Protect your color from heat tools
Flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers can certainly damage your hair; but the extreme temps can also fade color like nobody’s business. Here’s the work-around:
Use them as infrequently as possible by only washing a couple of times a week, and/or letting hair dry naturally.
On no-blow-dry-days, use Zero Heat Air Dry Crème for Fine/Medium or Thick hair. This fullness-without frizz styler that allows you to wash your hair and walk out the door with perfectly air-dried style; delivering 24-hour humidity protection and major shine.
Always put a barrier between your hair and the heat of the blow-dryer, by applying K-PAK Color Therapy Luster Lock Multi-Perfect Daily Shine & Protect Spray or Defy Damage Protective Shield before hitting that on button.
