Hair care for bleached babes

So I just wanted to do a little post recommending some products for all those bleached babes out there. I know the agg it is to maintain fabulous bleached hair, but it is possible with a bit of love and commitment. If you've got any product recommendations then holla at me on twitter @kateaharv

Let's start with the basics. Tangle Teezer. I mean pretty much everyone I know has a Tangle Teezer already, and if you don't then you definitely need one. It's basically just better for your hair than using a regular hairbrush. It causes much less breakage, it just removes tangles without putting as much strain on your hair. If you don't have one it's time to invest.

As many of you know, I've always enjoyed using temporary colours on my hair myself. I like to change it up, and a brand I regularly purchase is Bleach London which is available at selected Boots stores and on their website. Now I haven't used all the colours but I have used a good selection. On my hair previously I have used Rose, The Big Pink, Awkward Peach, Washed Out Orange, Violet Skies, Bruised Violet... and I think that's it. Awkward Peach may possibly be my favourite, although I did enjoy being The Big Pink for a while. The great thing about these is how easy they are to use. Sometimes I like to buy white conditioner and dilute the darker colours to pastel tones or even mix colours together to create a different colour. They're fun to play with and don't damage your hair, I haven't found much staining either, my hair usually goes totally back to blonde and then I can try a new colour. I've also tried some of the La Riche Directions colours which are worth a go. For next time though, a brand called Arctic Fox has caught my eye on some YouTubers channels, check it out! If I give it a try I'll let you know.

Now crazy colours aren't for everyone, some of us prefer to maintain those icy platinum tones, and for that, a good toning shampoo is essential. My absolute favourite is the Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning shampoo. I actually came across this product on YouTube when I was watching hair tutorials and the like, and I'm so glad I did. After hearing great things I purchased it on Amazon for a reasonable price and it's just the best brand I've used for a similar product. It's definitely the most pigmented and is best for banishing those yellow brassy tones. But if you can't get hold of that one, Bleach London also do a good one!

Obviously bleach can really fry your hair, leaving it dry, damaged and vulnerable, so we all need some products to help mend and condition our poor hair. The first product I'd recommend for this is the Palmers Coconut Oil Formula Deep Conditioning Protein Pack. It's just a really good hair mask, you can pick it up at Superdrug or on the Feel Unique website, and it definitely improved the condition of my hair when I got into using it a couple of times a week. I always leave deep conditioner on for as long as possible, I would usually dump a towel over my pillow and sleep in it to be honest, I just like to give it as long as possible to sink in.

I would also recommend Umberto Giannini Mend My Hair Damage Repair Protein Spray. This product claims to "Repair the damage and protect against further breakage from colour, heat and dehydration." I mean I don't think it's some kind of miracle but it definitely helps, and it also has heat protectors in which are essential if you're putting heat on bleached hair. I do try not to use heat on my hair personally, most of the time I'll let it dry naturally, but I do always put product in my hair while its wet just to give it added moisture and tame any frizz so this is great for that.

We're moving up in the world a bit now, these products are more professional quality. To be honest I'd highly recommend them and think they are worth the extra money, because at the end of the day if you are relentlessly bleaching your hair you need to buy the products that are going to take the best care of it. They're from the Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum range, and the range claims to "Help fragile, highlighted and highly lifted hair retain its fresh-from-the-salon vibrancy with ZeroSulfate® shampoos containing the exclusive AntiFadeComplex®" and to be fair that's exactly what it does. I started using this brand after my appointment at Not Another Salon, because this is what they used on my hair and I purchased the Perfect 4 Platinum Reconstruct Repair Masque from the salon at the recommendation of the colourist. Following this, I purchased the Perfect 4 Platinum Miracle Filler Treatment after reading great reviews online, and I love both products. They make my hair look and feel great. You can get them from Amazon, which I imagine is going to be cheaper than any salon, so if you can afford to just give them a go!

But if you want beautiful mermaid hair after sitting and relaxing in a chair for a few hours... Go to Not Another Salon! It has to be said, my hair is in the best condition it has ever been in whilst it has been bleached and the colour is still looking beautiful. There's plenty you can do at home, but if you're not an effort kind of person (I get that), go to a salon where they'll treat you like the princess you are.

Stay sassy x