I think we can all agree that brassy hair is not the dream. Keeping your salon color in tip-top shape can be a task. Hopefully, we can make it a smidge easier for you with our guide to toning hair products, designed for maintaining the perfect blonde or getting rid of those pesky warm tones.
What’s happening in between salon visits is oxidation and pigment erosion. Both are completely normal process that occurs as your hair colour ages.
Oxidation is the process we use to color hair. We use H2o2 to oxidise the natural pigment and lift it from the hair before we put back in the shade we want. All semi-permanent or permanent hair colouring requires some level of oxidation.
As this is happening during a color process the natural underlying pigments in hair become exposed and that is when you see yellow and orange tones appear, TMI? Just the facts, all colouring will expose warmth in hair and hairstylists counteract that warmth with cool tones like violet and blue to achieve a natural result.
Pigment erosion is a side effect of hair washing. Obvs we’re not suggesting that you stop washing your hair.
Most hair colours will hold their own for up to 30 washes but if your hair is highlighted blonde and/or porous this is going to be more like 5-10 washes. That’s about 2-4 weeks for the average Jolene.
A pigmented Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment can give your hair the top-up that it needs to maintain a balanced colour. This isn’t a one-and-done scenario or a permanent fix, as toning haircare works by temporarily adding pigment to the outer layer (cuticle) and reflecting cooler tones back at ya. The idea is to replenish the pigment loss during your wash routine, a kind of quid pro quo, you lose some you gain some sitch.
Using a sulphate-free shampoo can also help to slow pigment erosion down as can reducing the number of times you wash your hair each week, or you could alternate your shampoo with a co-wash, which tends to be much gentler on colour than regular foaming shampoos.
Oxidation can accelerate when hair is exposed to Chlorine, Copper, Sulphates, Hard Water, Bromine and wait for it…wind, sun and air.
BRASSY TONES
Use these products to remove unwanted brassy tones from your hair.
YELLOW TONES
Use these products to remove unwanted yellow tones from your hair.
ORANGE TONES
Use these products to remove unwanted orange tones from your hair.
RED TONES
Use these products to remove unwanted red tones from your hair.
