Preventing Hair Color Fade

Adore Paprika dye used here

There are few things in the world that catch my eye like bright freshly colored hair (especially when it's orange). Shiny, vibrant, beautiful... until you wash it then it's a drab murky mess...

WASHING:
Washing is hair color enemy number 1! There is no way to wash your hair with out leaching out some color but there are methods that will make a huge difference.

• Shampoo, especially shampoo with sulfates will take out the most color. Handy for when you want to fade but the worst thing you can use when you want to preserve your color. Chelating and dandruff shampoos will also pull out a ton of color.
• Even plain water pulls some color out, cooler water is supposed to be better than hot water but I can't stand freezing my arse off in the shower. I haven't noticed a difference between hot and cold water but some people do.
• Washing with conditioner instead of shampoo does wonders. You can use any conditioner but silicone free is best to prevent build up. There are also cleansing conditioners like L'oreal EverCreme and As I Am Coconut COwash made specifically to remove product build up and give more cleansing power than regular conditioners.
• Don't rub and scrub and rough up your hair while washing it. The more you work in your cleanser the more color it will pull out.
• Rinse only long enough to get the product out, don't stand with your hair under the running water while you day dream in the shower.
• Wash ONLY when you really, really need to. You might be surprised how long you can go with out washing. I typically do 5-7 days between washes but some people go even longer.  
• If you have multiple colors and want to prevent the colors mixing you'll have to wash each section separately. Have someone help you do it over the sink if you can.
• Rinse with vinegar. Take a teeny bit of white or apple cider vinegar and dilute it with water. Pour in on your head, work it into your hair, wring out the excess but don't rinse. Use too much vinegar and it will pull out some color so you may have to play around with ratios. I use like a cap full to about a cup of water (very accurate, I know). The low pH helps close the cuticle and makes your hair SO soft and shiny.

STYLING PRODUCTS:

• If your hair gets greasy quickly invest in dry shampoo (my favorites are Batiste, Not Your Mother's, Oscar Blandi).
• Avoid hair spray, it can cause fading and it also needs to be washed out.
• Avoid using anything that will require serious scrubbing to get out (like my beloved volumizing powder).

ENVIRONMENTAL HAIR COLOR KILLERS:

• Bright wonderful sunshine will fade your dye, grab a big hat or a parasol or just stay in the shade as much as possible. Don't have to tell my pasty ass twice. Pass the sunscreen!
•  The lovely ocean also wants to take your dye. Salt water pulls out color like crazy so wear a swimming cap.
• Chlorinated water in swimming pools is also a color killer.