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How to Make Hair Color Brighter

By Tiffany Moore

If you are a beauty chameleon who love a dash of color to spruce up self image, chances are you change your hair color as often as you change lipsticks. Coloring your hair is one brilliantly simple way to breathe some life into boring locks and get a fabulously glam new look without emptying the wallet.

Warm shades like bordeaux, burgundy and caramel brown can really add a subtle rosy glow to pale complexion, resulting in a more radiant you. For women looking to peel years off their face naturally, getting gray roots colored with good quality henna dye will leave gray hair unbelievably soft and vibrant too. And if you hate being a “roundie”, highlights (or lowlights for blondes) can work wonders to slim down a chubby round face and give the illusion of a longer, thinner face.

Whether you dye your own hair at home with store-bought color kits, or have it done professionally at a salon for hundreds of dollars, you want to preserve the vibrancy of your new hair color and keep it looking salon fresh for as long as possible.

There are a bunch of things that will pull color out and fade hair color really quickly. Harsh UV rays and chlorine in swimming pools plus over-washing and under-conditioning are among the biggest offenders, taking your newly colored hair from ultra shiny to lifelessly flat. In addition, tanning bed light bulbs and hot tubs are also notorious for fading color treated hair so make sure you wrap your tresses in a towel or wear a shower cap to prevent hair color fade-out.

One very important thing you should do after a fresh color process is, wait 3-4 days before shampooing, or at least 48 hours if you can’t stand having unclean hair. So if you colored your locks on Monday, wait until Thursday or Friday to wash it again. Why? This allows color and shine to lock in and maintain your hair color vibrant.

I would also strongly advise against daily shampoos because it will strip your hair’s natural oils and dry hair out. And not to mention, a bit of hair dye will also get washed out each time you shampoo, leading to less bright and less shiny hair color. Wash your chemically-processed hair every second day instead. And, use sulphate-free, color-safe shampoos and conditioners that are specially formulated for color-treated hair to preserve hair color. Try Purelogy or Redken. Loreal and Herbal Essence are great options if you have a shoestring beauty budget that is stretched to the max. Also, check out TIGI’S Bed Head Brunette Goddess Shine Spray, a totally affordable, super amazing lightweight spray that give instant shine and keep colored hair gorgeously vibrant.

Another simple “make hair color brighter and last longer” tip is to always finish with cool water. The reason behind this is, hot or warm water opens up the hair cuticles, stripping away hair color. In addition, hard water, due to its high mineral content (magnesium and sodium), can also make hair dye fade faster so consider investing in a water softener, if hard water is a problem in where you live.

If you want your newly colored hair to last longer with “just stepped out of the salon” vibrancy, pampering it with a highly nourishing hair mask such as avocado and banana, or deep-conditioning hot oil treatment once a week is an absolute must do. They smooth rough hair follicles, keeping your locks fully hydrated and well moisturized, which will go a long way to restoring vitality on chemically treated hair while preserving dye color.

If you the type of girl who won’t pay 20 bucks or more for some over hyped hair brightening products that promise to magically revive lifeless locks, here’s an exceedingly easy-to-make at-home hair remedy that is sure to brighten up dull and lack-luster hair color for pennies on the dollar.

So when your colored-treated hair or even your own natural hair color starts to look a little off color, go to your local produce store or your garden and grab these super cheap herbs and vegetables. You won’t believe how quickly they make hair color brighter and come alive once again.

Make Hair Color Brighter Home Remedy

1. Begin your recipe by boiling one liter of water in a saucepan. In a piece of doubled cheesecloth, add the following ingredients according to your hair color.

Brunettes – a few fresh rosemary sprigs (bruise by crushing lightly in your hand)

Blonds – a few dried chamomile (you can use a chamomile tea bag)

Redheads – a minced carrot for orange toned or a minced beet for berry toned

2. Put your ingredients in cheesecloth and toss into the boiling water for a minute. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes.

3. Remove cheesecloth from water. Shampoo and condition your hair the usual way. Then, pour the warm concocted rinse over your hair. For final rinsing, use cold water to lock in color.

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