The Zoe Report: 10 Blonde Hair Maintenance Products That Help When I Can’t See My Coloris
You hear about those people who move across the country and fly back and forth for appointments with their longtime hair stylists, but I always thought that kind of thing was reserved for celebrities or the really, really rich, and also kind of ridiculous... until I was put in a similar situation. A year ago, I moved a couple hundred miles — or about a three-hour drive — away from my colorist; and yes, I still schedule in weekend trips to see him about twice a year for my blonde hair maintenance. Is that over-the-top? A little. But to make up for the indulgence, I’ve become really vigilant about keeping my balayage highlights looking fresh between appointments.
For starters, I don’t use the typical purple shampoos and conditioners that supposedly tone brassy blonde. “Violet shampoos are meant to balance out yellow, but the more toning shampoos people begin to use, the more it builds up in the hair and makes it look muddy with product,” Dell Miller, the Master Colorist at Spoke & Weal salon in West Hollywood (who does my hair — and Kate Bosworth’s), tells The Zoe Report. Instead, I focus on keeping my blonde from getting brassy in the first place by using a vitamin C-infused shower head filter from Vitaclean. The vitamin C essentially grabs onto minerals in the water — like chlorine and copper, which can make hair look dull — before they can infiltrate the hair cuticle.
The rest of my routine is all about protection, since damage is often more noticeable on bright, blonde strands. “I always tell my blonde clients to put down the flat iron,” Ryan Sanger, a colorist at Salon Kazumi in Beverly Hills, tells me. “The extreme heat and repeated use on lightened blonde hair is guaranteed to result in damage over time.” For this reason, OUAI’s Air Dry Foam has become my new best friend — it magically transforms my freshly-showered hair into low-key waves, sans heat tools. I mix in a bit of Oribe Power Drops Color Preservation Booster for good measure. “This is an extra step to preserving your color, and also protects from UV damage, which is a necessary daily ritual here in California,” Caitlin Richardson, the owner of Los Angeles’ Blonde/Blond salon, tells TZR.
Ahead, the 10 products I swear by to protect my color between appointments — with nary a purple shampoo in sight.