Spent a lot of time and/or money getting the hair of your dreams, just for the shade to fade after a few washes or for the brassiness to come quickly creeping back in? 

How fast colour fades can depend on a lot of things, from the intensity of your dye or toner to how you treat your hair to your hair’s condition. These care and colour tips from the Bleach experts will cover all of the above so you can keep your hue stronger for longer!

Whats the best wash routine for longer lasting colour?

Don’t let the dye in your mane go straight down the drain! 

1. Wash your hair less often and with cooler water. Colour will always fade slightly with every wash, but warmer water opens up the hair cuticles and lets out colour. (An extra benefit – washing bleached and dyed hair, which is usually drier, less often will also better preserve your natural oils.)

2. Use a colour toning shampoo and conditioner every other wash, or if you’ve used a Super Cool Colour that doesn’t have a matching shampoo and conditioner, mix a dollop of dye with Reincarnation Mask once a week. This concoction does double duty – colour top-up and nourishment! 

3. On the wash days when you aren’t using a colour toning set, use Reincarnation Shampoo and Conditioner. Not only is this duo extremely effective for dry hair (we’ll get into that in a sec), we’ve formulated it to be kind to colour. 

Other tips for caring for dyed hair

If your hair is super porous or damaged, it may not hold onto your dye as well as healthy hair.

Make sure your hair is in the best condition with a bond-repairing wash routine like our Reincarnation Routine, which builds multiple types of bonds in the hair for hair that looks and feels smoother and healthier*. The conditioner in the routine also helps smooth your cuticle, reducing the chances of colour pigments washing out super quickly. Read more on how this easy three-step routine works in our article on bond building. 

If your colour’s fading especially fast in summer, it might be because you’re not giving it the extra protection it needs from sun, salt or chlorine. Check out our article on holiday hair to see exactly why this is happening and how to prevent it!

And lastly, if you just really don’t like reapplying colour very often, you might want to go for a darker or more intense colour that’ll give you a range of gorgeous shades as it fades. You can experience a range of pinks with our bright Gobby Pink or The Big Pink Super Cool Colours if you don’t top up, and Copper Toner washes out to a strawberry blonde and then golden blonde. 

*N=20, results based on a study of 20 people.

My pastel pink fades after one wash, what can I do to make it last longer?

You’ve come to the right place! Our Rosé Shampoo and Conditioner should be your best friends when it comes to preserving pink hair. Use it every wash to keep the pastel going. Reach for Rosé Shampoo Bar for a plastic free option, also great for travel! Rosé Shampoo Bar has a stronger pink finish, which can keep your pink going for longer especially in the summer when your hair is exposed to the sun, salt and chlorine.

Does heat make the colour fade faster?

Yes. Heat opens up the cuticle on the outer layer of your hair making the colour fade faster. Avoid heat styling where you can and use cool to lukewarm instead of hot water when rinsing.