When it comes to hair colour, chances are you’re not rocking what Mother Nature gave you. You might not even remember what your natural hair colour is anymore, and if so – you’re not alone. One in three women don’t know their pre-dyed hue, and a whopping 85% of us colour our locks. Did you know that only 3% of the world’s population has naturally blonde hair? Or that only 2% are natural redheads? It’s safe to say that when it comes to hair colour, most of us aren’t going au naturel. 

So, whether you’ve transformed your hair with highlights, you’re booking your next balayage appointment, or you’re channelling your inner Kylie Jenner and switching up your colour on the weekly, it’s essential that you look after your locks to avoid damage and to keep your new hue fresh and vibrant. We tapped Aveda’s International Technical Capability Manager & Senior Colour Specialist, Joe Hill, and Aaron Firmstone – Bumble and bumble’s National Trainer – to uncover the ultimate do’s and don’ts of caring for coloured hair. You, and your hair, can thank us later.

DO Prep Your Hair Properly 

“To get your hair looking on point, it’s important to support your colourist and locks by treating your hair with masks a few weeks prior to your colouring service. This acts as insurance for your colour and gets your canvas prepped for whatever hue you choose!” – Hill

DO Choose Your Colourist Wisely

“Finding the right colour to suit your skin tone, eye colour, and complexion is key to not regretting any colour change. Seek out a colourist who does a friend’s hair that you love – word of mouth doesn’t use filters. When you first meet your colourist, have faith that the products they recommend will help you have great hair and lock in your colour. This will also make it easier for them to keep your hair exactly as you want, as healthy, strong hair is more agreeable to being lightened and tweaked to achieve your hair fantasy.” – Firmstone

DO Add a Bond Builder

“Ask your colourist for a bond-building additive in your hair colour. The Aveda ‘Botanical Repair’ professional in-salon treatment gets added to your normal colour formula and rebuilds the core building blocks of your hair structure from the inside out. After just one service this treatment is proven to leave your hair five times stronger. My clients love it!” – Hill

DON’T Wash Your Hair Right After

“We all want that fresh, just coloured look to last, right? As a colourist, my aim is to keep my salon guest’s colour looking tip-top from appointment to appointment. My advice is to wait 48-hours after your colour appointment before washing your hair. Depending on your colour service, this period can help your new pigment be absorbed into the hair shaft.” – Hill

DO Invest in Home Care

“You MUST have a home maintenance programme for your freshly coloured locks. I adore the new ‘Color Control’ system which contains naturally derived “magnets” that instantly neutralise colour-dulling particles to help protect hair when you wash.” = Hill

DON’T Use Clarifying Products

“If you want to maintain your colour for as long as possible, avoid anything that’s designed to be super clarifying. Although these are great for removing anything we don’t want from our hair – like chlorine and mineral deposits – they can also pull out some of the colour sitting closer to the cuticle and make hair lose its freshly coloured glow.” – Firmstone

DO Use a Dry Shampoo

“Adding a good dry shampoo to your hair care routine is a game changer for coloured hair. When hair is wet, we break the hydrogen bonds inside and open the cuticle. This can lead to damage from combing, pulling, and drying, and some of the colour molecules come out. By going at least an extra day between washes, you can massively impact the condition and longevity of coloured hair. The ‘Pret a Powder’ dry shampoo range is dry cleaning for hair and leaves locks feeling fresh and ready for work, a night out, or anything life throws at you!” – Firmstone

DON’T Speed up the Fade

“The four main contributors to colour fade are over processing your hair with lightening products, using heat (like hair tongs and straighteners), environmental factors like sun and pollution, and physically brushing your hair too much.” – Hill

DO Use a Heat Protector

“Heat and UV have the biggest impact on colour out of anything we do on the daily. When we have rich intense colours, vibrant shades, and delicate pastel washes, we need to make sure they are protected from heat to stay looking fresh. Never skimp on heat protection on hair wash day or whenever you’re reaching for your irons. Using products with UV protection, such as the Bumble and bumble ‘Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer’ and applying each day will help to safeguard your hair colour from the damaging effects of UV and keep your colour popping and lasting longer.” -Firmstone

DON’T Use Sulphates

“I recommend avoiding sulphate shampoos and products high in PH as this can raise the surface of your hair and literally strip your colour. Also try opting for a naturally derived colour line –Aveda’s ‘Full Spectrum Permanent Vegan Treatment Hair Colour’ is 96& naturally derived infused with beautiful ingredients like avocado oil, sacha-inchi oil and baobab oil to give shine, condition and manageability.” – Hill

DO Brave Going Blonde

“My speciality is blondes; I just love how many different shades of blonde you can create. You can literally contour someone’s blonde to enhance their face shape and skin tone. I love being a colourist and seeing these transformations! Some fun facts about blondes: being naturally blonde is super rare (only around 3% of the world’s population has blonde hair) and there are over 30 different shades of blonde!” – Hill

DO Use Boost Your Blonde 

“For blondes, especially living in big cities with heavy water and pollutants in the air, a weekly cleansing shampoo can be a game changer when it comes to keeping colour fresh, light, and bright. I like to use the Bumble and bumble ‘Illuminating Blonde Shampoo’ to keep blondes looking super fresh and clean.” – Firmstone

words by Frankie Rozwadowska