“Don’t go blonde, the bleach will ruin your hair!” That’s what some people said to me when I decided to take the plunge and go from a brunette to a platinum blonde. Did I listen to them? Hell no! Did I quickly realize that my hair was now super dry and damaged? You bet I did! There was no way I was going back to brunette so that lead me on a mission to find the best products to use on my hair without having to spend a fortune every month. It took a while but I’ve finally found the best products to use on bleached hair, as well as some small lifestyle changes I had to make. If you’re interested, keep reading!
Hair products for bleached hair
Let’s start with the best products to use on your bleached hair. Some of these are a little more expensive than your drug store brands, but I promise you’ll see the difference they make! You’ll also only need to buy these every few months.
Go to a professional
The first thing I make sure I do is to go to a professional. Bleaching your hair can lead to major damage and doing it yourself can result in some severe breakage. If you’re a pro at bleaching your hair, by all means, go ahead, but if you’re brand new to anything hair related, PLEASE go to a professional! It can be really expensive, but I’m sure you can find someone within your budget.
Olaplex No#3
Olaplex No.3 has changed the game when it comes to strengthening bleached hair. This bond booster is easy to use and has amazing benefits. Use it once a week or once a month, before shampooing, and leave it in for as long as you need. It strengthens the bonds of the hair and keeps it from breaking. I use it once a month, but if I’ve been heat styling my hair a lot, I’ll use it once a week.
A Good Shampoo & Conditioner
The shampoo and conditioner you choose to use affect the integrity of your hair as well. I used to use a very popular drugstore brand, which I will not name, and my hair just kept breaking! I was kindly sent the Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo and conditioner and loved it! My hair felt soft days after washing it and my hair had its shine back! I ran out and went back to my old drugstore shampoo and after a week, my hair was brittle and breaking again. So I was thrilled to have my Pureology shampoo and conditioner back.
The Ouai Hair Mask
This was another product that I was kindly gifted and ended up repurchasing. The Ouai Hair Mask (I used fine to medium) adds so much moisture to the hair. A little goes a long way and not only does it add the extra boost of moisture, but it does it without weighing the hair down and making it greasy. Somedays I’ll use it without shampooing my hair and it still feels super clean after!
Fanola Purple Shampoo
When it comes to taking care of bleached hair, toning it and fighting brassy tones is something you’re going to deal with if you’re looking for a nice cool blonde. Fanola No Yellow Shampoo is AMAZING for that! It’s incredibly strong, so unless you want purple toned hair (can look really cool though), I suggest only leaving it in for a minute before rinsing. If your hair is on the brassier side, I suggest upping the leave-in time gradually. If purple is what you’re looking for, leave it in for at least five minutes.
Heat protectant
If you’re going to style your hair with heat tools, you need to be using a heat protectant. I really like the Pureology Strength Cure Best Blonde Miracle Filler. It fills the cuticle while also protecting against heat damage. It’s good stuff!
Lifestyle changes I made
Now that we’ve talked about the products to use, let’s talk about the minor changes you should be making in your everyday life.
Limiting the amount I wash my hair
This might sound totally gross to some of you, but I only wash my hair every 3-4 days. It took a while for my scalp to get used to, but I’ve seen a huge change in the strength of my hair and the dryness of my scalp. Here’s how I make it work:
Day 1: Wash, style, use dry shampoo. Yes, even on day one. Think about it, you don’t put deodorant on AFTER you start to stink, you put it on before! Dry shampoo works the same way!
Day 2: Style, small amount of dry shampoo, maybe add some hair oil to the ends. A small amount of dry shampoo at night.
Day 3-4: Dry shampoo and put it in a bun or pony.
Letting my hair air dry when I can
This is a luxury because it involves time. I like to wash my hair in the morning, so sometimes the time to air dry isn’t available. However, if I have the time, I’ll use it to air dry. When your hair is bleached, it’s important to cut back on heat styling.
Silk/ satin pillow cases
Silk/Satin pillowcases are not only good for your hair, but they’re good for your skin as well! Regular pillowcases cause friction, resulting in dryness, wrinkles, and knots.
Silky scrunchies
Another reason your hair breaks off is because of the way you tie your hair up. I get it, sometimes you need it out of your face, but using regular hair ties is actually leading to more breakage. Try using a silk scrunchie!
SHOP THIS POST
I hope you found this helpful. Click the links below to shop the products and items I just talked about. Do you have bleached hair? Are you thinking about it? What are your favorite products to use? Let me know in the comments! If you like these beauty posts, be sure to check out the others and my new winter skincare faves.
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xo Little J
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