Color-Treated Hair: Which Care Routine to Follow?
Color-treated hair needs a tailored care routine to stay vibrant and healthy: a pre-shampoo treatment and one or two shampoos a week, conditioner at every wash, and a few extra treatments depending on your needs. Here's the breakdown, week by week.
Why color-treated hair needs more care
For color to penetrate the hair, coloring opens the cuticle with chemical agents. With repeated coloring, hair becomes weaker: the cuticle doesn't close as well, and the fiber thins, gets damaged and breaks. Regular care prevents that straw-like feel and having to cut your lengths.
Your weekly routine
Pre-shampoo treatment, once a week
Apply a plant-oil treatment before shampooing. It penetrates the fiber and nourishes it in depth. The best oils to use:
- argan oil, which strengthens, hydrates, revives shine and soothes an irritated scalp;
- castor oil, ideal for brittle, weakened hair, and adds lots of shine;
- sweet almond oil, which naturally hydrates, nourishes and repairs.
Shampoo, once or twice a week
Use a shampoo made for color-treated hair. Ideally, shampoo twice in a row:
- first with a neutral-pH shampoo, which clears the scalp of mineral buildup, dandruff and excess oil;
- then with one suited to your hair or its current needs (dry hair, dandruff, oily roots), left on for 2 to 3 minutes for deeper care.
Conditioner, at every wash
Conditioner, balm or mask: it detangles, hydrates, limits breakage when detangling and protects hair during drying. Apply it to towel-dried hair, on the lengths only so it doesn't weigh down the roots, and leave it on for the recommended time. For fine hair, choose a conditioner, lighter than a mask.
Extra treatments
Leave-in treatment
Applied to towel-dried hair, it extends the hydrating effect of the previous steps. Choose it based on your hair:
- a cream, rich in nutrients, for dry, textured or thick hair, on the lengths and ends;
- a two-phase spray, lighter, for fine, short or oily hair.
Heat protectant
If you use a blow-dryer or flat iron, always apply a heat-protecting product. It coats the fiber and protects it from drying out. Some also protect color pigments and keep the color from fading too quickly.
Color-depositing care
Color-depositing shampoos and conditioners replace the pigment lost when washing. They revive your color, slow down visible regrowth and let you space out color appointments.
When should you redo your color?
Generally every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how much gray hair you have. After that, color loses its vibrancy, and regrowth shows gray hair or a contrast with your natural color.
Trust your hair color to a professional: your Au 2e stylist will recommend the shade that suits your skin tone and the care to follow.
