The Best Products for Maintaining Bright Blonde Hair
Blonde hair is iconic, timeless and generally the most desired choice of hair colour. However, maintaining beautiful, bright blonde hair is another matter. There’s no denying that blonde hair requires a lot of upkeep, yet that hasn’t stopped our obsession with achieving the perfect shade of platinum or any other shade of blonde. Luckily for those of us with blonde ambition, there are a number of excellent hair care products on the market that will help to maintain the colour and the condition of your locks!
Through my own experiences of wearing blonde hair, I’ve arrived at the understanding that you need to have in mind the shade you want to achieve. The products that will work best for you depend largely on your personal blonde hair goals. If your goal is to achieve a platinum blonde result then you should choose products to condition hair and reduce brassy tones. On the other hand, if your goal is a well-maintained ombre style then you’d be better suited to products designed for highlighted hair. They say that there is a shade of blonde to suit everyone and I fully agree. However, so many people make mistakes when going blonde and I believe that it’s much to do with not having a fixed result in mind. The concept of blonde hair is incredibly vague. Blonde can be anything from subtle highlights, dark ash blonde, platinum blonde or champagne blonde to name a few. Once you have an idea of what shade of blonde you’re after and which tone will best suit your skin tone, you will be better equipped to select the right products for your preferred shade of blonde.
Purple shampoo is a highly pigmented shampoo that is used to reduce brassy tones in blonde hair. Purple shampoo can be used to tone down orange and yellow tones after you've dyed your hair, as well as in between visits to the salon. It's not recommended that you replace your normal shampoo with a purple shampoo, as it's not intended to be used every time you wash your hair. On platinum blonde hair, using purple shampoo once a week is enough to keep brassy tones at bay and revive the white, icy tones in your hair. You can also use purple shampoo on highlights in dark hair and on ombre hair. Depending on your natural hair colour and the effect you wish you achieve, you can also apply purple shampoo onto dry hair or use it to make a DIY hair toner.
Purple shampoo will actively enhance white, silver tones in your hair by reducing unwanted brassy tones. You will be amazed how well this shampoo performs, with visible results after just one wash. If you prefer an icy shade of cool blonde then it is well worth incorporating purple shampoo into your hair care routine. The more pigmented the shampoo, the more effective the results. That being said, if you have very light or porous hair then be careful that the shampoo doesn't turn your hair purple temporarily. When working with purple shampoo, the amount of time you need to leave it on for will vary depending on the intensity of your blonde. If your hair has been dyed very light, the best way to work out how long to leave the shampoo on for is to start by leaving it on for one minute. You can then gradually increase the development process by a minute each time until you establish how long is best. Always use a good hair conditioner or mask after washing your hair with purple shampoo.
Redken and Loreal purple shampoo are two very popular brands but they are not cruelty-free. See below for a full list of high quality cruelty-free purple shampoos.
Fudge Original Clean Blonde Shampoo
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo
Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde Shampoo
In between using purple shampoo, I use a normal shampoo for coloured hair. If you have an all over colour then I'd recommend using a shampoo to enhance and protect coloured hair. I personally recommend Aussie's Colour Mate shampoo. For ombre hair or highlighted hair, I'd recommend a highlight enhancing shampoo. I used to love the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Brightening Shampoo but after I discovered that it wasn't cruelty-free, I switched to Fudge Professional Luminizer Strengthening and Smoothing Shampoo.
Blonde hair can be strikingly stylish but not if it looks dry and damaged. If you want to keep your hair in good condition then you need to use a good mask. Hair masks have been a major part of my hair care routine since I first dyed my hair blonde again almost a year ago. And I can certainly tell you that they really do make all the difference! To be completely honest, I had never noticed any benefits from using hair masks before which is why I rarely used them. However, my hairdresser kept telling me that using a hair mask was essential for me to keep my hair in good condition and so that I wouldn't need to cut off my long locks because of all the colouring. Allowing the extra time to apply and leave on my hair mask took some getting used to but now I do it without thinking. I couldn't be without a quality hair mask now and it's the reason why my long hair is in excellent condition, especially considering all of the colouring and processes it's endured. If you don't think your hair mask is working well for you, you might need to invest in a better quality hair mask or you might simply need to leave it on longer. My colourist recommended the Revlon UniqONE Professional Super10r Hair Mask to me, which you only have to leave on for a minute or so because it's very oily. Although my hair has been bleached a lot, I don't think my hair is dry enough for this conditioner and my hair always looked greasy after using it. I prefer to use lighter conditioners and hair masks and leave them on for about 10 minutes before washing off. Here are some of my favourite cruelty-free hair masks:
To finish off, I use a hair serum after blow drying my hair. The Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum is fantastic, but modest Argan Oil works just as well too. I always blow dry my hair after washing it but other than that, I don't use a lot of heat tools on my hair. My reason for doing so isn't actually to prevent damage, although this is one advantage for not using heated appliances on my hair, but because I tend to prefer low-key hairstyles unless I'm attending a glamorous event.
And that's it! I would love to know what you think and if you can recommend any different products that you adore? Follow me on Instagram and let me know. These are the products that have completely transformed and improved the condition of my hair, as well as maintaining my colour too! I hope you love them as much as I do!
How to Choose the Best Blonde Hair Care Products for Your Hair Type
Through my own experiences of wearing blonde hair, I’ve arrived at the understanding that you need to have in mind the shade you want to achieve. The products that will work best for you depend largely on your personal blonde hair goals. If your goal is to achieve a platinum blonde result then you should choose products to condition hair and reduce brassy tones. On the other hand, if your goal is a well-maintained ombre style then you’d be better suited to products designed for highlighted hair. They say that there is a shade of blonde to suit everyone and I fully agree. However, so many people make mistakes when going blonde and I believe that it’s much to do with not having a fixed result in mind. The concept of blonde hair is incredibly vague. Blonde can be anything from subtle highlights, dark ash blonde, platinum blonde or champagne blonde to name a few. Once you have an idea of what shade of blonde you’re after and which tone will best suit your skin tone, you will be better equipped to select the right products for your preferred shade of blonde.
Purple Shampoo
Purple shampoo is a highly pigmented shampoo that is used to reduce brassy tones in blonde hair. Purple shampoo can be used to tone down orange and yellow tones after you've dyed your hair, as well as in between visits to the salon. It's not recommended that you replace your normal shampoo with a purple shampoo, as it's not intended to be used every time you wash your hair. On platinum blonde hair, using purple shampoo once a week is enough to keep brassy tones at bay and revive the white, icy tones in your hair. You can also use purple shampoo on highlights in dark hair and on ombre hair. Depending on your natural hair colour and the effect you wish you achieve, you can also apply purple shampoo onto dry hair or use it to make a DIY hair toner.
Purple shampoo will actively enhance white, silver tones in your hair by reducing unwanted brassy tones. You will be amazed how well this shampoo performs, with visible results after just one wash. If you prefer an icy shade of cool blonde then it is well worth incorporating purple shampoo into your hair care routine. The more pigmented the shampoo, the more effective the results. That being said, if you have very light or porous hair then be careful that the shampoo doesn't turn your hair purple temporarily. When working with purple shampoo, the amount of time you need to leave it on for will vary depending on the intensity of your blonde. If your hair has been dyed very light, the best way to work out how long to leave the shampoo on for is to start by leaving it on for one minute. You can then gradually increase the development process by a minute each time until you establish how long is best. Always use a good hair conditioner or mask after washing your hair with purple shampoo.
Redken and Loreal purple shampoo are two very popular brands but they are not cruelty-free. See below for a full list of high quality cruelty-free purple shampoos.
Fudge Original Clean Blonde Shampoo
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo
Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel Wash
Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde Shampoo
AVEDA by Aveda: Blue Malva Color Shampoo
Pravana The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Hair Shampoo
Drybar Blonde Ale Brightening Shampoo
amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo
R+Co Sunset Blvd Blonde Shampoo
Shampoos for Coloured Hair
In between using purple shampoo, I use a normal shampoo for coloured hair. If you have an all over colour then I'd recommend using a shampoo to enhance and protect coloured hair. I personally recommend Aussie's Colour Mate shampoo. For ombre hair or highlighted hair, I'd recommend a highlight enhancing shampoo. I used to love the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Brightening Shampoo but after I discovered that it wasn't cruelty-free, I switched to Fudge Professional Luminizer Strengthening and Smoothing Shampoo.
Here are some other recommendations for blonde and highlighted hair that I love:
Infuse My. Colour Gold Shampoo
PRO:VOKE ILLUMINEX Touch of Blonde Lightening Blonde SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER
Organic Shampoo - Chamomile & Lemon - Blonde Hair
Hair Masks
Blonde hair can be strikingly stylish but not if it looks dry and damaged. If you want to keep your hair in good condition then you need to use a good mask. Hair masks have been a major part of my hair care routine since I first dyed my hair blonde again almost a year ago. And I can certainly tell you that they really do make all the difference! To be completely honest, I had never noticed any benefits from using hair masks before which is why I rarely used them. However, my hairdresser kept telling me that using a hair mask was essential for me to keep my hair in good condition and so that I wouldn't need to cut off my long locks because of all the colouring. Allowing the extra time to apply and leave on my hair mask took some getting used to but now I do it without thinking. I couldn't be without a quality hair mask now and it's the reason why my long hair is in excellent condition, especially considering all of the colouring and processes it's endured. If you don't think your hair mask is working well for you, you might need to invest in a better quality hair mask or you might simply need to leave it on longer. My colourist recommended the Revlon UniqONE Professional Super10r Hair Mask to me, which you only have to leave on for a minute or so because it's very oily. Although my hair has been bleached a lot, I don't think my hair is dry enough for this conditioner and my hair always looked greasy after using it. I prefer to use lighter conditioners and hair masks and leave them on for about 10 minutes before washing off. Here are some of my favourite cruelty-free hair masks:
Agave Healing Oil Restorative Hydrating Mask
Vitamins Keratin Hair Mask Deep Conditioner
Shea Moisture Superfruit 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque
Nature Nut Hair Mask for Dry & Damaged Hair - Hypoallergenic Deep Conditioner
PAUL MITCHELL ULTIMATE COLOUR REPAIR MASK
Paul Mitchell Super Charged Moisturizer Conditioner
Aussie Minute Miracle Reconstructor Intensive Care for Damaged Hair
Hair Serum
To finish off, I use a hair serum after blow drying my hair. The Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum is fantastic, but modest Argan Oil works just as well too. I always blow dry my hair after washing it but other than that, I don't use a lot of heat tools on my hair. My reason for doing so isn't actually to prevent damage, although this is one advantage for not using heated appliances on my hair, but because I tend to prefer low-key hairstyles unless I'm attending a glamorous event.
And that's it! I would love to know what you think and if you can recommend any different products that you adore? Follow me on Instagram and let me know. These are the products that have completely transformed and improved the condition of my hair, as well as maintaining my colour too! I hope you love them as much as I do!
