As the saying goes, blondes have more fun—and we couldn’t agree more! If we had to pick a hair color everyone should try at least once, it would definitely be blonde. As much as we love champagne colored locks, we feel the need to be as transparent as possible about the beloved hue: It’s a lot of work to maintain blonde hair.
Sometimes it seems as though blondes are more prone to dealing with dry hair, breakage, and brassiness than any other shade. While those hair woes are intimidating, they shouldn’t stop you from achieving your blonde ambition. Sean Godard, global Redken artist and brand ambassador, is here to spill his secrets to help keep your blonde hair in tip-top shape.
Good blonde hair starts at the salon.
First thing’s first: If you want the blonde hair of your dreams, head to the salon—not the drug store. Opting for an at-home coloring kit may save you time and money now, but you might have to shell out some major cash to fix a botched dye job. An experienced colorist will make sure you get the color you’re coveting—and ensure it lasts as long as possible.
If you’re not a natural blonde, it will take quite a bit of lifting to achieve your desired hue. It’s important to note that bleach will always damage your strands, but a professional will work to leave you with hair that looks and feels beautiful. Godard says the key to long-lasting blonde color is protecting the integrity of the hair during the color service.
Great blonde hair is maintained at home.
After sitting in the salon chair for hours, you finally emerge with a killer blonde ’do—but your work is far from over. To make sure your blonde locks continue to look as amazing as the day your stylist colored them, you’ll need to invest in salon quality color-protecting hair products.
First, swap out your regular shampoo and conditioner for a color-protecting system formulated specifically for blondes. Godard recommends his clients use a purple shampoo and conditioner like the formulas found in the Redken Color Extend Blondage range. The system is formulated with a triple acid protein complex of amino, citric, and maleic acids along with wheat protein to strengthen your strands and a purple tint to help tone correct.
“The Redken Color Extend Blondage Shampoo and Conditioner help keep blonde from going brassy by using pure violet pigments to minimize unwanted brassy and yellow undertones in clients’ hair that tend to happen between salon visits,” Godard explains.
Picking up the right shampoo and conditioner is just half of the battle. Unfortunately, there is no way around the damaging effects of bleach, but a trusted stylist can recommend products that will help your hair look and feel as healthy as possible.
Bleach has a tendency to make hair look and feel drier than usual. Help combat parched strands with Redken’s All Soft Tissue Mask Cap. This weekly one-time use mask offers an intensive at-home treatment to revive, nourish, replenish, strengthen and soften severely dry, coarse hair.
If you’ve slacked off on your hair care routine or your strands are having a hard time recovering from the bleach, it may be time to add a heavier duty product to your hair care arsenal. Godard recommends Redken’s Extreme CAT Protein Reconstructing Hair Treatment Spray to his clients with severely damaged strands. The protein-restructuring treatment reconditions distressed hair and provides compatibility, body, and shine to prevent further damage.
Armed with Godard’s recommended products and tips, your blonde hair will look flawless for weeks to come.
Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Shampoo for Blonde Hair
A purple toning shampoo to prevent brass in blonde hair.
Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Conditioner for Blonde Hair
A purple, brass-busting conditioner for fragile blonde hair.
