Preserving Hair Color
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free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:25 am

I went back to my hometown for a visit last week and my high school pal runs a salon and she gave me the most beautiful red highlights on blonde hair...

I know red haircolor is fragile - how to make it last as long as possible? (other than less frequent shampoos).

Thanks, BFG

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:09 am

Don't shampoo very often, use cool water to rinse, wear a hat when you are outside all day, and use a color preserving shampoo and conditioner.

I have "red" hair also and it does fade. My hair gal suggested Joico color saver shampoo and conditioner. Where we work sells Aveda and Bumble&Bumble - both have color conserve products. I like she suggested something we don't sell, so I am off to the beauty supply store for it this week!

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:49 am

My hair was dyed permanent red for nine years and I tried numerous 'red hair' and 'colour save' products including salon and hairdresser brands, all with disappointing results. The healthier your hair the more it will hold the red molecules and the less the brown colour molecules will build up when dying is repeated.

IMO don't shampoo at all because it opens the cuticle and lets colour molecules escape, also strips away the fatty f-layer which is our hair's natural waterproofing. Conditioner-only wash instead; if you must shampoo use the surfactant cocoamidopropyl betaine in an acidic formula (hair is pH ~4.5). Use cool water because hot open the cuticle and let the colour escape. Use a dry shampoo to stretch washes and a leave-in rather than a wash-out conditioner so you use less water on your hair. Limit hot intensive treatments which open the cuticle, and avoid heat styling which damages hair making it more porous.

Consider deep conditioning with coconut oil: the lauric acid molecules are small enough to penetrate the hair shaft. To some extent this 'seals in' the colour molecules and structural proteins, reduces porosity and 'seals out' water molecules, protects against UV damage and peroxide damage. Agree with LauraLizzie use physical methods to protect your hair from UV fading such as closely woven hats and bandanas such as the UV Buff. I haven't found any published research that conditioners which claim UV protection are actually effective.
http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf

HTH! Wink

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:29 am

For those who color at home, I swear by a adding No Gray to your color to keep the color from fading, especially gray hair. My sister used to color her hair dark brown, and within a week the gray that was colored in the front would start to come back. When she added No Gray to the color before applying, it kept the color longer and no fading on the gray hairs. We love it!

Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:55 am

LauraLizzie wrote:

Don't shampoo very often, use cool water to rinse, wear a hat when you are outside all day, and use a color preserving shampoo and conditioner.

I have "red" hair also and it does fade. My hair gal suggested Joico color saver shampoo and conditioner. Where we work sells Aveda and Bumble&Bumble - both have color conserve products. I like she suggested something we don't sell, so I am off to the beauty supply store for it this week!

I dyed sections of my hair bright red for a little bit in college - Aveda shampoo is what I used to preserve the color. It worked pretty well. Did you strip the color and bleach it bright red, or is it more subtle?

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:05 pm

My natural hair is light brown with red tones so I just had an all over red tint plus highlights.

Aveda is fine, I am just sick of it since I have been working at Aveda salons/spas for 2+ years!

Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:51 pm

After using lots of products, I think the best thing for colored hair is Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Shampoo. It cleanses and nourishes hair, restores damaged strands back to health and provides color protection, plus it leaves my hair soft, silky and shiny.

I use this shampoo about 3 times a week along with the conditioner and when my hair is damp I use the argan oil on its own. It's VERY beneficial for hair and this oil isn't greasy at all. Plus it also works as a heat protectant, so double benefits Smile

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:35 pm

This problem with fading is the only thing stopping me from dyeing my hair. I think I may get a Raquel Welch red wig at some point. Cheaper in the long run.

Whoever invents a red dye that lasts will make a bloody fortune.

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:41 pm

SoftSkin wrote:

This problem with fading is the only thing stopping me from dyeing my hair. I think I may get a Raquel Welch red wig at some point. Cheaper in the long run.

Whoever invents a red dye that lasts will make a bloody fortune.

I agree with sandooch,

Gray-Away or No Gray, I have been using red based color for ages and mine grows out way before even thinking about fading! Those additives work like a charm for me. Smile

free skin care · Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:15 pm

SoftSkin wrote:

This problem with fading is the only thing stopping me from dyeing my hair. I think I may get a Raquel Welch red wig at some point. Cheaper in the long run.

Whoever invents a red dye that lasts will make a bloody fortune.

If you want a full head red, choose a pigment dense semi permanent slightly lighter than you want and leave it on far longer than the instructions. With some of the bright, fashion colours some leave it on overnight, but I did hour hours the first time which was too dark initially so only two hours for my roots.

I know it sounds ridiculous but with this method the colour actually lasts longer than permanent red! Just did my roots and didn't have to bother coating the lengths, despite them last being dyed two and a half months ago. Always had to touch up the lengths when I was permanent red or would have had a tidemark.

The other option if you like a marmalade to auburn red is body art quality henna but that is REALLY permanent.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:43 am

SoftSkin wrote:

Whoever invents a red dye that lasts will make a bloody fortune.

As I get older, I find that red hair is just crazy sexy, but not too much. I like it blended.

BFG

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:34 am

My sister is a hair dresser and ph balanced, sulfate free shampoos do NOT have to be avoided if your hair is coloured. Use a line made for coloured hair, avoid coconut oil or any other penetrating oils as they are actually used to strip colour. A UV spray is optional if you live in a hot country.

It really depends on the colour you use to be honest. It will fade fast if it is cheap. No denying.

I agree with Firefox about everything but coconut oil and co washing. Co washing just isnt needed and unless you have afro/curly hair your hair will probably become worse.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:27 am

nuttymadam wrote:

My sister is a hair dresser and ph balanced, sulfate free shampoos do NOT have to be avoided if your hair is coloured. Use a line made for coloured hair, avoid coconut oil or any other penetrating oils as they are actually used to strip colour. A UV spray is optional if you live in a hot country.

It really depends on the colour you use to be honest. It will fade fast if it is cheap. No denying.

I agree with Firefox about everything but coconut oil and co washing. Co washing just isnt needed and unless you have afro/curly hair your hair will probably become worse.

Firstly I didn't say they have to be avoided in coloured hair, I advocated not shampooing in the context of best red colour retention. 'pH balanced' often denotes neutral (pH 7) - bearing in mind the pH scale is logarithmic this is a long way from the hair's isoelectric point of ~4.5. The more alkaline the product in comparison with hair, the more likely the cuticle will open. This principle is harnessed in traditional perms and permanent dye products. I have read and posted on various hair care forums - long, healthy, ones aimed at dye enthusiasts NOT just those for curlies, people using cheap products and people using high end ones. I am far from the only person who has learned from experience that cationic surfactants give better colour retention than other classes of surfactant. If you read up on the underlying chemistry the anecdotal evidence makes total sense.

Research demonstrates lauric acid has an affinity for structural proteins in hair, reduces porosity and therefore water ingress and egress. Oils can only strip colour if the fatty acids enter the shaft, picks up colour molecules and then leave the hair shaft. Using oils the right way means you maximise entry of lauric acid and minimise exit. Perhaps your sister is accustomed to using natural oils alongside products or techniques that open the cuticle, which is exactly what one avoids with conditioner only washing in cool water.

No offence but I've heard many examples of stuff taught to to aestheticians or hairdresses that flies in the face of the research or underlying chemistry. Ditto my own field: fitness instructors are STILL being taught techniques that were debunked years ago. IMO some research gets buried because it's damaging to the mainstream hairdressing/ aesthetics products industry. Having said that products like L'Oreal Evercreme and WEN cleansing conditioners are now available, so CO-washing may one day become mainstream! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:58 am

Obviously you are the type who wishes to win every debate, Im not here for that

From MY experience, coconut oil does fade hair colour & red especially

Fyi Loreal are one of the worst companies going, testing on animals... buying out better companies and stripping down the ingredients to sell at a higher price... they are the procter & gamble of haircare. Also everyones hair is different, the majority of the public will not tolerate 'cowashing', there just isn't enough surfactant to cleanse off the remaining debris from the previous nights 'cowashing'... Never mind the fact you are meant to clarify weekly...

You wouldnt put moisturiser on your skin and then cleanse with moisturiser, would you? If you do... greasy coated skin & zits.

Everyone has different opinions but coconut oil fades hair colour just like sulphur... fact. Cowashing is best suited for curly and afro types, I havent said anything that isnt true.

There is a difference between using a non foaming shampoo (wen) and using a reg conditioner to clean your hair.. the chemists have formulated them for that very purpose

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:14 pm

nuttymadam wrote:

Also everyones hair is different, the majority of the public will not tolerate 'cowashing', there just isn't enough surfactant to cleanse off the remaining debris from the previous nights 'cowashing'... Never mind the fact you are meant to clarify weekly...

You wouldnt put moisturiser on your skin and then cleanse with moisturiser, would you? If you do... greasy coated skin & zits.

Everyone has different opinions but coconut oil fades hair colour just like sulphur... fact. Cowashing is best suited for curly and afro types, I havent said anything that isnt true.

There is a difference between using a non foaming shampoo (wen) and using a reg conditioner to clean your hair.. the chemists have formulated them for that very purpose

With respect you and I seem to be talking at cross purposes, and this seems to be based on lack of knowledge or understanding on your part of what CO-washing actually is. It's more involved than picking up any old conditioner - product choice, ingredients and technique are highly relevant. You only need to clarify IF you use products and ingredients that are prone to building up, again avoiding or limiting these is part and parcel of switching to CO-washing. Some CO-wash most of the time but use a clarifying/ chelating shampoo once fortnight, others find their six weekly home hair dye deep cleanses, others CO-wash full time and never use shampoo. Personal choice.

CO-washing done correctly is not the same as using a moisturiser at all, it's the equivalent of using a light cleansing lotion instead of a foaming wash to clean your face. Both cleansing lotions and CO-wash conditioners incorporate plenty of emulsifiers to ensure the product rinses clean, and are low on oils, silicones and waxes. A surfactant is a surfactant regardless of whether it is cationic or anionic, surfactants help lipids mix with water. We don't use our regular conditioner as shampoo because you are spot on: most don't have enough cationic surfactants to cleanse hair. Simply put a GREAT CO-wash product is invariably a TERRIBLE conditioning product! Many girls successfully CO-wash out heavy oilings, I've also washed hair to bouncy and glossy from plastered to my head with sweat and sebum, truly disgusting (week in bed ill). My hair actually 'squeaks' when it is clean, no tacky or coated feel. CO-washers don't walk around with stinking greasy rats tails, I for one would have been sacked from work or evicted from my sibling's posh wedding!! Laughing

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:21 pm

Hello FF,

I am familiar with Wen and Evercreme, but it seems that many also use the Alberto VO5, cheapie conditioners for co-washing? does this make sense?

BFG

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:47 pm

Barefootgirl wrote:

Hello FF,

I am familiar with Wen and Evercreme, but it seems that many also use the Alberto VO5, cheapie conditioners for co-washing? does this make sense?

BFG

In the US V05 and Suave seem to be the most often recommended CO-wash conditioners. Always a bonus if they are cheap enough to use plenty and to give up on if your first choice is not your holy grail, plus nore money left in the kitty to spend on lovely skincare products! Laughing

I was not recommending WEN or Evercreme, simply using them as an example of the concept starting to come into the mainstream.

HTH!

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:23 am

Firefox- thank you for a perfect definition of conditioner washing!! I do this- I would hardly consider my hair and skin oily, in fact, its the only thing that gets the oil out. Which makes complete sense, because oil desolves oil (think OCM as my CO Wash has a bunch of oil in it). The method really helps keep color in. I am not a redhead, but I have 80% white hair and keep it dyed a coffee brown color, and I find I can even get away with a demi-permanent formula if I take measures to preserve it.

Ditch the sulfates as soon as possible, I don't care what those bottles say about "color-safe", science AND myself say they aren't worth the plastic bottle they come in. I feel so strongly against sulfates in beauty products I feel pretty comfortable in labeling it as a poison- its job is to strip the hair, of oil, color, and protein bonds.

Scientists out there- have you ever smelled sulfates in its pure form before dilution?? I don't care how diluted it is, I'm not putting that on my skin or hair.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:30 am

Hmmm...re: coconut oil: I use about 1 tsp. of it mixed into my perm. hair color, I use a red brown/brown Pravanna mix. Plus I comb about the same amount into my dry hair before applying my color. I've never had a problem with my color fading. I also use sulfate free shampoos, though.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:09 pm

Gayle wrote:

Hmmm...re: coconut oil: I use about 1 tsp. of it mixed into my perm. hair color, I use a red brown/brown Pravanna mix. Plus I comb about the same amount into my dry hair before applying my color. I've never had a problem with my color fading. I also use sulfate free shampoos, though.

Isnt Pravana a semi permanent line? Using oils in your hair dye is a great method, a lot of the big brands are incorporating them into their colour too. I think if its semi permanent the fading issue doesn't apply the same way since the molecules are only partially penetrating or coating the strand

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:25 pm

nuttymadam wrote:

Gayle wrote:

Hmmm...re: coconut oil: I use about 1 tsp. of it mixed into my perm. hair color, I use a red brown/brown Pravanna mix. Plus I comb about the same amount into my dry hair before applying my color. I've never had a problem with my color fading. I also use sulfate free shampoos, though.

Isnt Pravana a semi permanent line? Using oils in your hair dye is a great method, a lot of the big brands are incorporating them into their colour too. I think if its semi permanent the fading issue doesn't apply the same way since the molecules are only partially penetrating or coating the strand

No, the Pravanna ChromaSilk is a permanent tube color.

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