If you've ever dyed your hair/gotten highlights, you've probably experienced that brassy orange color your hair can take on even a couple of weeks after coloring it. We don't know about you, but this is definitely on our list for one of our biggest hair pet peeves. Let's get down to business and talk about why this tragic color transition occurs - and how to stop it in its tracks.
The What and Why
That irritatingly warm brassiness usually happens to those who have naturally dark hair and then dye their hair lighter, whether that's highlighters or even as blonde as platinum. To lift the natural dark color to go lighter, you usually have to utilize a mix of peroxide and ammonia to bleach the hair follicles. During the bleaching process, the removal of the natural color, known as melanin, is almost fully removed through oxidation - emphasis on "almost". Most of the time when the hair is bleached, there is still some underlying melanin leftover that's just waiting to pop back out, and this leftover melanin is where the brassiness stems from.
So, who is the culprit? Who's to blame for this brassy series of unfortunate events? Brasiness can result from a number of things:
- Too much sun exposure
- Exposing it to chemicals like chlorine (a.k.a. jumping in the pool) that strip the color
- Using hair products with harsh ingredients: sulfates, silicones, parabens
How to Win the Brassy Battle
The battle between our hair and brassiness is personal. We spend so much time and money trying to attain the perfect color, so it needs to be protected. We must do all we can to protect what we love.
Now that we're done being dramatic, here are our anti-brassy solutions for our Briogeo Babes!:
- Our Color Me Brilliant collection is your new best friend. This collection includes: Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Shampoo, Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Conditioner and the Color Me Brilliant Mushroom + Bamboo Color Protect Primer. This plant-based complex blends turkey tail mushroom, a vegan keratin protein alternative, and bamboo to protect and strengthen the hair. It adds shine, coats, and defends against color fade. It's basically heaven for color-treated locks.
- Deep condition. You should always make sure to treat your hair to a deep conditioner once in a while, especially if your hair is color-treated. The healthier and more nourished the hair, the less likely the color will fade! Our Don't Despair, Repair! deep conditioning mask works to restore essential hydration and natural vibrancy to dry, brittle or over-processed hair. Fun Fact: This formula has been proven to reduce breakage by up to 75% after just 3 uses!
- Toner. Toner. Toner. Toner is a semi-permanent hair product used at salons that essentially neutralizes the warm and brassy colors. If you do get your hair toned it's absolutely vital that you do not use any products with harsh sulfates, silicones, parabens and all the rest of those harsh chemicals that can strip your hair of color. P.S. ALL Briogeo products are 6-Free: meaning they do not contain ANY harsh sulfates, phthalates, silicones, parabens, DEA and artificial dyes. ;)
- Cover the hair. If you're going to expose yourself to that harsh summer sun, make sure to either cover your colored locks with either a hat or hair sunscreen.
