Your Hair Color Just Got Better—And Here’s Why
The battle to keep your color fresh can be grueling. For double-processed hair, it goes beyond simply sticking to color-safe shampoos and conditioners, demanding such maintenance that many who dream of pastel lengths have been put off entirely. Fortunately, there’s a new generation of high-tech products that promise to keep your hair strong and healthy, no matter what you throw at it.
According to Aura Friedman, who, in the past month alone, took models Charlotte Carey to pure platinum and Ashley Smith to tropical pink, it’s bond builders, in particular, that have transformed colored hair—by protecting and strengthening the strands from within throughout the process. “It’s a brand-new technology that’s changed the whole face of hair color,” she says. “I’m able to push color even further than I had in the past—and I’ve always pushed it pretty far!” Here, five game-changing products to consider, whether you’re booking your first single process, or you’re between doubles.
Photo: Courtesy of B3 Brazilian Bond Builder1/5A next-gen bond builder, Friedman mixes B3’s formula into each step of the coloring process—bleaches, shampoos, glosses—to reattach and build hair bonds, fusing them together to prevent breakage. “It strengthens and maintains the health of the hair,” she explains. “When you keep the hair healthy, it also helps lock in the color for longer.” An at-home restorative treatment keeps your strands soft between processes.
B3 Brazilian Bond Builder Instant Restore Protect Reconstructor, $36, buy it now
Photo: Courtesy of Color Wow2/5Expanding on their revelatory root cover-up powder, Color Wow launched a set of bond-building supplements this week. The three “bionic tonics” are chemically formulated to address common color concerns: There’s the Coconut Cocktail, packed with hydrating coconut oil to coat the hair and restore softness, while the sulfur-rich Kale Cocktail will strengthen strands with B vitamins and amino acids. The Carb Cocktail uses quinoa and keratin protein to thicken the hair, and each supplement dries on the hair like water, to be applied post-shower.
Color Wow Cocktails, $24, buy it now
Photo: Courtesy of Oribe3/5Last month, cult brand Oribe debuted a new glaze that creates a glossy topcoat to intensify any hair color. Housed in a sleek burgundy bottle, the conditioning formula contains watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower to protect the hair, and Luminescine to impart high shine. Use it in place of a conditioner once a week, letting it soak into your hair for three to five minutes.
Oribe Glaze For Beautiful Color, $58, buy it now
Photo: Courtesy of Nexxus4/5“You use it before you shampoo—it’s like an emollient,” Friedman explains of Nexxus’s pre-wash hair primer designed to seal in color and repel water. Apply a few pumps from root to end before hopping in the shower to prevent mineral buildup, which can leave an odd film on the hair and even turn blondes brassy or green. “It makes such a huge difference.”
Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, $5, buy it now
Photo: Courtesy of Olaplex5/5The bond multiplier that started it all, Olaplex is now a fixture at salons across the country and continues to push the limits—keeping dark hair, in particular, protected throughout the entire process by linking broken bonds. The Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 is a once-weekly at-home mask that, when used between treatments, renders bleached hair soft and strong once more.
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3, $23, buy it now
