With the summer sun finally showing itself, do yourself (and me!) a favor and keep your gorgeous, fresh hair color looking its best all season long. Here are my tips!

Protect it from the sun

UV protection is HUGE when it comes to hair color, whether you’re blonde or brunette! Did you know that color fade-age happens as soon as your hair is exposed to the sun, but can also continue after the exposure? Just like a sunburn doesn’t develop right away, the lasting impact of UV rays can oxidize darker hair color or excess minerals in blonde hair, turning your fresh color bright orange or yellow.

The best way to protect your hair fro the sun is to wear a sunhat. Beat the UV rays by shading your hair completely (and an added bonus keeping your skin away from the sun, too!!) But if you can’t stay in the shade and don’t want to don a floppy hat all day, there are lots of products out there that provide UV protection! My go-to for brunettes is Davines MINU Hair Serum, a lightweight shine mist that give colored hair a glossy finish. The UV protection is just an added bonus! For blondes, try Davines Heart of Glass Sheer Glaze to soften, hydrate, protect from heat and UV exposure, and balance warm tones!

Don’t wash it down the drain

Water can be the enemy of anyone with colored hair, but the power of using salon-grade shampoo and conditioner can really make a difference if you’re trying to make it last. The MINU family was formulated to preserve even the boldest of colors and will give colored hair (any shade of brunette or red) a surge of moisture and shine by sealing down the cuticle and preserving your color as long as you need! Blondes can maintain their color best by clarifying weekly with SOLU Shampoo to remove dulling product and mineral buildup followed by a toning shampoo or conditioner, I love these from Oligo!

I know salon grade shampoo and conditioner is a commitment and not everyone wants to spend $60 on shampoo and conditioner, but does it make sense to maintain your $200 hair color with $8 shampoo? Invest in quality haircare if you haven’t before. I KNOW you’ll feel the difference!

Turn down the Temp

Temperature effects the health of our hair and the happier our hair stays, the better our color lasts! Using roller water in the shower when washing will not only help preserve tone and depth, but its healthier for your skin too! Now I’m not talking cold here, just don’t shower in boiling hot! If your skin is overly red when you get out of the shower, it’s too hot! There other place you should turn down your temp is on your hot tools! Keep your blowdryer on medium to cool, your curling iron on 325 of lower, and your flat iron as low as it can go! Excessive heat will open the cuticle of your hair strand making color release alarmingly fast! Cooler is ALWAYS better when it comes to your hair!

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There you have it! I hope you’ll take these 3 easy tips and use them to preserve the color you pay good money for that I work so hard on! Just making little changes can have a big impact. It doesn’t have to be hard! Remember, caring for your hair is easy when you have the right tools.