Confession – I went twenty two years before coloring my hair the first time. Before I used the Shea Moisture* Color System, the only time I played with permanent color was when I got highlights in the middle of last summer.
I was always too scared to experiment with coloring my hair because I always thought that it would make my hair fall out (dramatic right?).
The truth is that coloring natural hair can be a fun way to switch things up, especially if you’re looking for a change. However, it’s important to be careful when coloring your hair and adjusting your hair regimen to fit the new changes.
Once hair has been colored, it can become drier and weaker if it isn’t cared for properly. And as we all know, dry hair is more susceptible to breakage and damage.
If you’re considering coloring your natural hair, or if you’ve already colored your hair and don’t have any idea how to maintain it, here are 5 tips for keeping colored hair moisturized:
Skip harsh shampoo and cleansers
Harsh shampoos dry out natural hair normally, so they can definitely dry out colored hair as well. The other problem with using harsh cleansers on colored hair is that the color will begin to fade over time.
To keep your hair from fading, try to avoid products with ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate.
Those ingredients are responsible for the squeaky clean feeling we have after washing, but they can strip our hair of its natural oils*. Instead, look for moisturizing shampoos and shampoo alternatives (like black soap or bentonite clay*) to cleanse hair without stripping or fading.
Also, add cowashing into your regimen more. Cowashing simply means skipping shampoo, and using conditioner to cleanse hair of excess product buildup. Cowashes have less harsh ingredients than shampoos, and cowashing twice a week will keep hair soft and moisturized.
Moisturize hair daily
Depending on the health of your hair, you should increase the amount of times you moisture during the week. Colored hair can dry out fast, so if you normally moisturize twice a week, switching to every day can make the difference.
You can purchase a leave in conditioning spray or curl refresher spray to use consistently. Otherwise, invest in a cheap spray bottle and fill it with water and conditioner to instantly hydrate your strands. You don’t have to drench your hair everyday, but at least mist it with water to keep it moisturized.
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