Summer is near and it is the perfect time for a change of look. So if you are considering colouring your hair to get ready for the summer, read along here, where we have gathered some of our expert knowledge about hair colouring. To share this knowledge with you, we have created this blog post containing our best tips on how to get the best result with home hair colours – including our new short video how-to-guide.
To guide you in the bes possible way, we have split this post into three main areas, namely what to do before, during and after you colour your hair.
HOW TO: BEFORE THE HAIR COLOURING
HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT COLOUR FOR YOUR SKIN TONE:
If you are looking for the right colour for you, one thing to consider for a perfect look is the tone of your skin. We have gathered some guidance on which shades to choose for particular skin tones. However, this is not to say, that going in another direction will give you a bad result.
Warm fair and medium skin:
If this resembles your skin tone, you should go for shades such as golden, copper or honey blonde, caramel brown or strawberry blonde.
Cool fair and medium skin:
Some argue that the lighter your skin tone, the paler you can go with your hair. Thus if you have a very cool skin tone, cool and blue-based colours like platinum, ivory and cool ash blonde would look great on you. If you want darker shades, you should go for walnut or ash brown or a dark red.
Olive skin:
This skin tone is great for rich brown or earthy colours. If you have cool and greenish undertones, chestnut, copper and auburn brown shades are suitable. Maybe add some subtle golden highlights to create depth. Does your skin have a warmer tone, violet-based colours, ebony and coffee brown colours look good on you.
Dark skin:
Essential here is to create a contrast between the colour of your hair and the complexion of your skin. If the two tones are too close to each other, your features won’t be visible. If you have blue-based undertones, go for deep dark and black tones. If you have warm skin, colours like copper, chocolate and maple brown will bring out these warm undertones.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HAIR FOR COLOURING:
One thing that we cannot stress enough is how important it is that you keep your hair healthy. Hair that is a good condition will take on the colour much better than frayed and dried out hair. That being said, here are a few specific tips you can follow before colouring your hair:
If it is the first time you colour your hair, if you haven’t coloured it for a while, or if you have tendency to allergic reactions, you should do a patch test of the product before applying it on your hair and scalp.
Oils are essential to your hair, so a good idea is to apply a hot oil hair treatment three-four days prior to the colouring. Moreover, the natural oils in your hair help the hair better receive the colour, why you really should avoid washing your hair one-two days before the colouring.
The last time you wash your hair before the colouring, it can be an advantage to use a detoxing or clarifying shampoo removing any build-up in your hair, this will make your hair the cleanest and ready for the colouring.
HOW TO: DURING THE HAIR COLOURING
HOW TO APPLY HOME HAIR COLOURS:
The best tip here is that you follow the exact instructions that come with the product. Commonly, home hair colours come with an instruction note describing how to use the product.
To see how we would advise you to use home hair colours, watch this video showing the process step by step.
HOW TO: AFTER THE HAIR COLOURING
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR AFTER COLOURING:
After leaving the colour on for as long as instructed, you should wash out the colour using water only. Using shampoo right after the colouring is likely to wash out more of the colour than desired, so it is a good idea to wait at least a day before applying shampoo.
Most dye-at-home colours come with a hair treatment or conditioner to apply after washing out the colour. Commonly, this treatment functions as a colour lock, and you will therefore get a better result if you apply it right after colouring the hair. You can also safe some of the treatment for the following day and apply it after you wash your hair with shampoo.
Generally, if you use dye-at-home colours with a high level of chemicals and parabens, it will damage your hair over time. And that is why it is crucial you do everything you can in your daily hair care routines to take care of your hair in the best possible way. Read more about this here. We strongly advise you to choose products that are as natural and organic as possible to look out for your hair, skin and health.
HOW TO MAKE THE COLOUR LAST:
Use shampoo and conditioner that are made for coloured hair to help retain your hair colour. There are certain products that are made to alternate and care for colour treated hair, and this can help you maintain the colour in an easy way.
One sinner of fading your hair colour is the sun. And since we are facing summer, it is a good idea to use hair products with added sunscreen or UV filters which will protect your hair, colour and scalp from getting damaged by the sun.
Commit yourself to colouring your hair regularly. If you are looking to maintain your hair colour, you need to this on a regular basis – how often depends on your specific hair, but approximately every second month. Again, hair colour can be damaging for your hair, why you should choose a brand with lowest possible levels of chemicals, sulphates and parabens. Another tip is to simply colour the roots and leave the long hair strands, as the colour is more likely to be more prominent here.