4 At-Home Hair Colour Maintenance Mistakes You’re Probably Making (& How to Fix Them)

Ever wanted to ask a beauty editor your burning beauty questions? Now you can with our monthly series Ask Amy!

Every month, Adore's Senior Editor Amy Clark will be answering a customer beauty question. From skincare myths and hair concerns to the best beauty tools and makeup buys, there's no such thing as a dumb beauty question.

Last month, we covered how to prep your skin before an event when you want your makeup to look flawless (you can catch up here).

This month's question? I'm colouring my hair again and it's hard work! How can I maintain the 'fresh out of the salon' shine and tone at home?

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Fact: colouring your hair is expensive.

No matter how incredible your colour looks after spending several hours on a Saturday sat in the salon chair, it's still always a bit of a rude shock when it's time to fix up the bill.

It begs the question... if you're paying upwards of $200 (or $500 if you're blonde) having your hair expertly coloured by a professional, why wouldn't you use salon quality hair products at home to help it last as long as humanly possible?

OK cool, but what are the best hair products for coloured hair? And what about the best purple shampoos for blondes?

If you're keen on keeping your gorgeous but pricey hair colour from fading at home between appointments (or are living in lockdown and won't be getting to a salon anytime soon), you're in luck.

We spoke to the king of colour, Edwards and Co founder Jaye Edwards, to find out everything you need to know.

You can listen to our full interview with celebrity hair stylist and colourist Jaye Edwards in this episode of the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast below!

Why Does Hair Colour Fade?

First, let's understand what actually makes hair colour fade.

According to Edwards, there are a heap of things that can make your colour fade faster, including:

• Seasonal changes, like a warm climate or being outside during summer.

• Swimming in the ocean or swimming in chlorinated pools.

• Excessive heat styling - "For brunettes, it'll make your brunette go warm, and for blondes, it will make them go brassy."

• Washing your hair too frequently - "We really only need to wash our hair every three days, max."

• Incorrect product prescription - "If you're using not-so-great quality products at home, that'll allow your favourite colour to fade faster."

FYI, we break down the best products for blondes in our YouTube video below!

At-Home Colour Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid.

Now, let's chat through four key mistakes you might be making when it comes to looking after your hair colour at home.

And how to fix them, of course.

1. Scrimping on your shampoo, conditioner and treatments at home.

We love a bargain beauty buy as much as anyone, but the cold, unflattering truth is - you might as well throw your money in the bin if you're using cheap shampoo and conditioner on your colour-treated hair in the shower.

Harsh, but true.

Salon-quality products don't have to be super expensive, NAK and ELEVEN Australia both make excellent products under $15 and $30.

But by maintaining your colour using the right products, you'll actually save money by not having to have it touched up at the salon as often. Winner.

2. Believing the myth about only using products from one brand.

We're telling you right now - it's 100% OK to use products from different brands together.

Maybe this myth about only using products from one brand or one range started when you were being sold something at the hairdresser's back in the day...

Absolutely, products within a range have been designed to work effectively together. But it's not a hard and fast rule.

Rather, you can mix and match your shampoos, conditioners, masks and treatments to personalise your routine to suit your hair AND budget concerns.

3. Using purple shampoo every time you wash your blonde hair.

Blondes, pay attention now. According to Edwards, you might be using your blonde shampoo too often.

"I do recommend purple shampoos to some people, but I would definitely not recommend you use one every time you wash your hair. I would use it every fourth or fifth wash."

4. Using products containing sulphates and silicones.

Sulphates and silicones aren't necessarily evil, but it's important to know how products containing them may affect your colour.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). That's a major one... Silicone also can impact the colour process when you go back to have your colour redone."

"If you imagine, it's a plastic, so when you keep using it again and again, it's wrapping and coating the hair in plastic."

Best Hair Products to Maintain Your Colour at Home.

Edwards said at-home colour protection hair products are an absolute must, especially if you're investing a lot in your hair colour at the salon.

"You can spend anywhere from $300 to $700 on your hair at the salon, so why would you then go and buy a $5 bottle of shampoo and put that on your $700 colour?"

The man has a point.

Now, onto Edwards' favourite at-home hair products to keep your colour from fading between appointments.

1. Christoph Robin Shade Variation Masks.

The Christoph Robin Shade Variation Mask comes in five shades - Baby Blonde, Golden Blonde, Chestnut Brown, Ash Brown and Copper.

Free from parabens, silicones, oxidants and ammonia, the treatments amplify tone, brighten pigment, knock out any warmth or brassiness, and evenly distribute pigment throughout the hair for a refreshed colour.

Edwards added, "These colour toning pots are just so nourishing and so beautiful on hair that I personally think that's all you really need [between colour appointments]."

Every five washes or as needed, apply to towel-dried hair from root to tip and leave in for up to 30 minutes. Voila!

2. The Olaplex Range.

Olaplex is a cult at-home hair colour maintenance brand for a reason.

The protein-packed products work to repair your hair from the inside out, and colour always looks best on healthy hair.

Choose from the No.6 Bond Smoother, the No.7 Bonding Oil, or the No.4 and No.5 Shampoo and Conditioner.

3. ELEVEN Australia Keep My Colour Blonde Shampoo and 4. Kevin Murphy Blonde Shampoo.

Behold, a celeb colourist's two favourite blonde shampoos.

"ELEVEN Keep My Colour Blonde Shampoo and the KEVIN.MURPHY Blonde.Angel.Wash are two personal favourites of mine."

"The ELEVEN one's a lot stronger than the Kevin Murphy one, so don't overuse it because these types of shampoos aren't nourishing and they'll dry your hair out."

5. VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner.

VIRTUE is one of Edwards' favourite brands because it contains the brand's patented, sustainable 60ku keratin complex.

Again, protein in hair care = strong hair that looks super healthy.

Using the VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo 240mland VIRTUE Recovery Conditioner at home will keep your hair in great shape, which means an even better looking colour.

6. VIRTUE Topical Scalp Supplement.

"The VIRTUE Topical Scalp Supplement is great for scalp health, but also for regrowing new hair..."

"My clients have had new hair growth after one month of using it daily, not a word of a lie," Edwards said.

7. Apotecari Mane Event.

Finally, Edwards is all about hair supplements for healthy hair that holds colour well.

His favourite? Apotecari Mane Event 1 Month Supply

"Genuinely, my beard has gotten thicker after six weeks of using it... I was having to trim my beard so often, it was kind of crazy."

And those are Jaye Edwards' picks for the best products to keep your hair and hair colour looking bloody good at home. Godspeed!

You can find more from Jaye Edwards on Instagram here and Edwards and Co here. Feature image: @_edwardsandco.

Want more helpful hair stories? Check out these posts from our Adore Beauty team below!

• Got Thin, Coloured Hair? Here's How to Mix n Match Products for Better Hair Days

• I Dyed My Hair at Home with L'Oreal Box Dye...

• Got Lockdown Regrowth? I'm in Awe of How Well This Root Touch-Up Spray Covers Mine

• I Tried a Keratin Treatment to See If It Could Tame My Frizzy Hagrid Hair

• Just 3 Restorative Shampoos That Are Bloody Great at Transforming Damaged Hair

This article was originally published in September, 2020.