How to keep blonde bright between appointments

Blonde is the most rewarding colour to wear and the easiest to let slide. The toner that gives it that cool, expensive finish sits on the surface of the hair, and it lifts a little with every wash. Within a fortnight the tone you left the salon with has started to shift. The good news is that a few small habits at home hold it for far longer.

Why blonde fades first

Unlike permanent colour, toner is a semi-permanent layer. Hot water, harsh shampoos and daily sun all speed up how quickly it rinses away. As the tone goes, the warmth underneath is free to show through, and that is when blonde starts to look brassy rather than bright.

Toner is the finish, not the foundation. Protect it, and your colour reads fresh for weeks longer.

Your at-home routine

You do not need a bathroom full of products. Three or four considered choices, used consistently, do more than the occasional deep treatment ever will.

• Wash less often, and always in cooler water. Heat opens the cuticle and flushes tone away.
• Use a purple shampoo once a week to neutralise warmth. Any more than that and it can leave blonde looking flat.
• Add a bond treatment to keep lightened hair strong, elastic and reflective.
• Finish with a heat protectant before styling, especially through summer.

When to come back in

A gloss or toner refresh every four to five weeks tops up your tone long before a full colour is due. It is a quick appointment that keeps blonde looking freshly done, and it makes the colour you have already paid for last considerably longer.

If you are ever unsure what your hair needs, bring it to your next visit and we will build a plan around it. Bright blonde is mostly about maintenance, and the routine is simpler than it looks.