Finding a hair color that you absolutely love is a magical thing. Whether you’re loving your highlights, having more fun as a blonde, or wanting to keep your crazy colors vibrant, it’s important that you make your hair color last for as long as possible. Not only do you get more bang for your buck, but it also helps keep your hair healthy and looking its best. Here are the 5 easiest things you can do to maintain your hair color.

Say Bye-Bye to Sulfates!

Sulfates are the mortal enemy of hair color and it’s also damaging to the hair in general. Sulfates are a harsh detergent that is super effective at cleansing the hair thoroughly but it’s just a little too effective. Your hair still needs some natural moisture and oils to be nourished. Sulfates strip all of this away and dry out both the scalp and hair. It also fades hair color really quickly because of its cleansing properties. If you want to keep your hair color vibrant, switch to a gentle sulfate-free shampoo that will still cleanse your scalp and roots of impurities but retain the natural, essential oils that your scalp produces.

Wash Your Hair Less

We know that washing hair a little too thoroughly can strip away color too fast and this is the same for washing too frequently as well. Washing your hair less will significantly increase the longevity of your hair color. Keep in mind that each wash can fade color. If you’re hair and scalp are not used to infrequent washing, there will be an adjustment period. But infrequent washing will be much healthier for your hair in the long run as well. Try out first washing your hair only thrice or two times a week and go from there.

Don’t Take the Heat!

The harsh truth is that your hair just does not like heat. It not only fades your color super quick but it also damages the hair like no other. This goes for heat styling, hot showers, and even just going out in the sun. As much as possible, try and wash your hair with cool water. You’ll have shinier and stronger hair for it. Make sure to always use heat protectants when styling hair and going out to preserve your color and keep your hair healthy.

Moisturizing, Color-Safe Products

Colored hair loves moisture! Keep your hair moisturized by conditioning it regularly, applying moisturizing treatments,hair oiling, and doing hair masks. This will make your hair smooth, shiny, and it lays a protective layer on the cuticle that will seal in your color for longer. However, make sure to look for color-safe products formulated specifically for colored hair as there are moisturizing products that can fade your color out faster.

Go Au Naturel

For a lot of people, hair styling is just a part of their daily routine. However, going au naturel once in a while and giving your hair a break does a world of good for it. You will be giving your hair time to repair itself and you’ll be keeping your color vibrant for longer. As much as you can, try out no-heat styling options that will give your hair a much-needed break from heat.

Color Me Surprised!

We told you it was going to be easy! These are simple steps that you can incorporate in your routine that can make a huge difference when it comes to color longevity. Try out these tricks and see how long you can make your hair color last.