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Anyone who dyes their hair knows that, unless you’re confident enough to take the matter into your own hands, maintaining your colour is a huge investment of time and money. There’s no better feeling than walking out of the salon with a fresh set of glossy highlights or a trendy new caramel brunette ‘do, but keeping your hair healthy and your colour vibrant is a challenge when seemingly everything, from hard water to hot tools to the products you’re using, works against it.
As Hollywood’s most in-demand hair colourist and Moroccanoil’s global celebrity colour ambassador, Matt Rez knows a thing or two about how to care for colour-treated locks. He’s the man behind the enviably shiny mane of a long list of trendsetting A-listers, including Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Dua Lipa, Florence Pugh, Adele, Sofia Vergara, Penelope Cruz and Natalie Portman, to name just a few. We asked Rez to share his expertise on how to keep colour-treated hair looking fresh between salon appointments.
It may be surprising given that he works with Hollywood royalty, but Rez’s approach to his craft is surprisingly pared-back. He considers hair health to be the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to great, long-lasting colour. Over-processed, chemically treated hair that’s gone stretchy from damage is best left alone, and a good colourist will tell you as much. “If you don't have healthy hair, you're not going to have that beautiful reflection and shine,” he says. “It's like a wall—if you have a jagged, crooked wall and you paint the most beautiful artwork on it, it's not going to look good.”
When it comes to painting and foiling, Rez aims for the most natural results possible. He pioneered the “midlight” technique, which blends a client’s base colour to their highlights seamlessly to create a multidimensional, highly reflective look that’s low-maintenance and grows out in a way that allows people to go longer between appointments. (See what we mean about pared-back?) His advice is to work with your natural or base colour, rather than against it. “I always recommend to keep your base color incorporated in the final look—once that's lost, the line of demarcation is more visible when your roots come in and it’s harder to blend.”
If you haven’t seen your natural hair colour in years, don’t worry—ask for a softer version of the hair colour you had as a child. “That’s what typically looks best on people.” (And if you’ve fully embraced your greys but have a change of heart, there are ways to work that in as a base, too.)
The most important thing is to have an open conversation with your colourist about your budget, expectations and how often you want to come in for touch-ups.
Heat doesn’t just weaken and damage hair, it also wreaks havoc on colour. Styling tools and excessively hot showers cause the hair cuticle to open up, which allows moisture and dye to leak out and colour to fade faster. “I’ve seen colour change right in front of my eyes from extreme heat,” Rez says.
Ditching hot tools altogether is the best way to preserve colour, but learning how to use them properly can go a long way in keeping hair vibrant. One of the most common styling mistakes Rez sees is holding the nozzle of the hair dryer against the brush, which traps the heat close to the hair shaft and amplifies the potential for damage and unwanted changes in colour. There should be enough space between the nozzle and the brush for air to circulate freely.
If you use hot tools, especially ones that touch the hair directly, like a curling iron or a straightener, using a heat protectant is non-negotiable. The key is finding one that works for you—and actually using it. “There are different viscosities which you can use, depending on your hair type,” Rez says. “You don’t want to weigh your hair down.” A mist works well to coat fine hair without adding weight, a milky consistency is ideal for medium hair textures and a heat protectant in cream or oil form is best for coarse hair.
When the hair cuticle is exposed to heat and opens up, moisture escapes and causes strands to turn dry and brittle. To counteract this, Rez likes to use an oil—such as Morocannoil’s OG treatment—which penetrates deep within the open cuticle to replenish moisture as you style. “It acts as a shield and makes the heat less intense,” he says.
Most people don’t need to—and shouldn’t—wash their hair daily, and that’s especially true for those with colour-treated hair. Sudsing up too frequently strips oils (and therefore moisture) from the hair and speeds up the fading process.
How often you should wash colour-treated hair varies depending on factors like hair texture and lifestyle. People who work out a lot may not be able to get away with a few spritzes of dry shampoo between once-weekly washes, for example. As a rule, Rez suggests aiming to wash your hair twice a week, if possible.
While you should aim to wash your hair less frequently, you also want to make sure you’ve got the right products for the job. Look for shampoos, conditioners and treatments formulated specifically for colour-treated hair as they tend to contain little-to-no dye-stripping sulfates and are packed with repairing ingredients.
For blondes, a good purple shampoo is a game-changer for getting rid of unwanted brassiness.
At least once a week, incorporate a hydrating mask into your shower routine, says Rez. It counteracts dryness, helps prevent breakage and boost shine. Use bond-building formulas sparingly, warns Rez—an overload of proteins (which is the component these products use to repair the structure of the hair) can cause dryness and lead to more breakage.
Going on vacation? Sun, saltwater and chlorine will put you on the fast track to dull, dry, faded hair. Pack haircare infused with UV protection, a hat and a clarifying shampoo to get rid of colour-altering build-up. “Use a gentle clarifying shampoo right after a swim, especially if you’re blonde as your hair is more porous.”
Rez also recommends using coconut oil as protection. “It creates a barrier between the water and your hair—just warm a little bit of it in your hands and work it through your hair,” he says.
After exposing your hair to drying elements all day, add hair oil to your routine to rehydrate.
The first sign that your hair is in serious need of some TLC? Dry, dull strands. “Healthy hair has some form of sheen to it,” says Rez. If you notice your hair is looking flat and doesn’t reflect light, it’s time to pump it full of moisture. Rez also recommends booking a consultation with your stylist or colourist to see if they can recommend in-salon treatments to boost health and shine, like a gloss.
It’s also a good time to bring up your colouring schedule to see if there are ways to achieve your desired results while cutting down on salon visits—less bleaching and dyeing means less damage over time.
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