After seven years of dying my hair, I’ve learned a thing or two about hair dye and hair products, and what to do to keep your hair healthy, colorful, and bright. I’ve gone through just about every color in the rainbow, and I’ve loved having colored hair as my “calling card”. A lot of what I’ve learned has been through trial and error. Scrolling through forums of hair dyers and beauticians to find out the secrets to gorgeous hair.
Below I’d like to share with you some of my all time favorite hair products and dyes. These have been tested and tried on both healthy and damaged hair, and I’ve kept coming back to these because over and over they prove to be my favorites. I’d also add, that these products aren’t only for colored hair. Keeping your healthy is important no matter what the color. These products are great for everyone!
Not Your Mother’s Naturals: Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner
Let’s start out with the obvious: shampoo and condition. Quite a few companies have transitioned over to sulfate free shampoos and conditioners since it can cause a lot of stripping of the hair folicle, thus causing your color to fade out faster. I already love the Not Your Mother’s brand, so when they came out with shampoo and conditioner that was sulfate free, I pounced on it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the conditioner, but I absolutely love their shampoo. My favorite is the Royal Honey & Kalahari Desert Melon scent that has a formula to repair and protect.
Aveeno Scalp Soothing Shampoo and Conditioner
Right now I can only speak to the conditioner, since that’s what I’ve tried, but Aveeno hit the nail on the head with this one! I have the Fresh Greens Blend – a combination of oat, rosemary, peppermint, and cucumber. It smells heavenly and makes my hair super soft. As an added bonus, it contains no sulfates, dyes, or parabens, which can be huge color strippers.
Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner
Aussie is one of my favorite brands, so you’ll see it pop up again in this list. I love the Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner because it adds in moisture to damaged hair. If you’re bleaching, like I do, you’re going to need just a little bit extra when it comes to conditioner. The key is shiny, healthy, bouncy hair. No one wants thirsty hair folicles.
Hi-Pro-Pac Intense Protein Treatment
Think of this magical little pouch as the antidote to the virus of damaged hair. Whenever I bleach my hair, I immediately use this hair mask afterwards to provide the moisture my poor hair needs. No matter how careful you are, bleach is always going to cause damage. The key to healthy hair is to stay one step away from split ends and bald spots. This stuff will do wonders.
Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Mask
This Garnier mask is my second choice when looking for a hair mask for the normal days. Not as high duty, but still leaves my hair really silky and soft. Great for use on bath & book nights.
Aussie Hair Insurance: Heat Protectant Spray
No matter if you have dyed hair, or are sporting all natural, you should always use a heat protectant any time against…well….heat. That includes hair dryers, curling irons and wands, and straighteners. If you have dyed hair, this is an especially important step, since heat tool can absolutely fry the ends of your hair. Once again I’m suggesting Aussie because I love them (totally not sponsored, I just think they’re great).
Ion Swimmer’s Leave in Conditioner
Now, normally, I’m absolutely against the Ion brand. I’ve had bad experiences with their dyes in the past, and their color remover is the absolute worst. But when it comes to this Swimmer’s Leave in Conditioner, I have to give Ion a thumbs up. Since chlorine strips away your color, and since I swim a LOT in the summer, this is a great added layer of protection against the harsh pool chemicals. If you’re a natural blonde, this is also great at keeping your hair from turning that gross pool green.
Renpure Dry Shampoo (Coconut Argan)
The biggest key to bright hair that LASTS, is dry shampoo. Every time you wash your hair, your color is going to fade. But no one wants greasy hair, so if you don’t use dry shampoo already, you might want to hop on that bandwagon. Dry shampoo is a great way to keep your hair looking grease-free between washes. I spray some on my roots and scalp, and that holds me over until my next shampoo. I’ve tried a couple different brands, and so far, Renpure has topped them all. The bottles are nice and big, have a high powered spray, and smell amazing! My fave is the coconut, but it also comes in lavender mint and sea minerals.
Well that’s pretty much it! I tried to keep the list relatively compact, but since I’m constantly discovering new products, I’ll probably be doing an updated list sometime in the future.
Hannarchy 