As you might already know, I have had a blonde balayage since early April. Needless to say, I’m loving the blonde life, but I wanted to get my color-treated hair back to health quickly. And I didn’t just want to use any products — I wanted to use affordable hair products that actually had good ingredients. If you’ve ever searched for products like these before, you’ll already know that it’s no easy task. Affordable hair products tend to be filled with harsh sulfates and parabens that actually do more damage to your hair than good. But because I wanted good quality hair care for an affordable price, I did my research. Lots and lots of research. And at the end of my research, I’ve found some really awesome hair products that can certainly hold a candle to some pricey haircare brands.
Purple Shampoo: Kristen Ess The One Purple
All you blondes out there know a purple shampoo is an absolute must. When I dyed my hair blonde back in high school, I just bought the cheapest purple shampoo I could find to keep the brassiness away. Well, grown-up Nena still doesn’t want to spend too much money but is willing to spend a few extra dollars to get a much better purple shampoo. Enter the Kristen Ess The One Purple shampoo. Exclusively sold at Target and kristeness.com, the Kristen Ess hair care range is amazing. It brings all of the same lovely ingredients in pricey salon products to the Target shelves for half the price. This shampoo is sulfate-free (something very hard to find!) and can be used every time you shower depending on how ashy you like your hair. For me, I use it once a week and get the perfect blonde shade.
Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Blondes: L’Oreal Ever Pure Blonde Shampoo
L’Oreal’s Ever Pure range has been out for a few years now and I’m surprised it doesn’t get more hype than it does. It’s one of the only ranges from a drugstore hair care brand that is sulfate, salt, and surfactant free. It’s one of the only shampoos that I’ve ever used that actually makes my hair feel hydrated even before I apply conditioner. It doesn’t strip the hair, but it cleans it beautifully. It has a slight purple tone that can help keep brassiness at bay but I still recommend using a purple shampoo to really keep any brassiness out.
Sulfate-Free Conditioner: L’Oreal Ever Pure Moisturizing Conditioner
I went for the L’OreaL Ever Pure Moisturizing Conditioner for many reasons but primarily because I wanted to get my hair as moisturized as possible. Hair that has been recently color-treated can get tangled and feel fried. After just a few weeks of using this conditioner, my hair was feeling soft and healthy again. This isn’t specifically formulated for blondes but I can really help your hair get back in tip-top shape if you’ve color treated your hair recently. And rest assured that icky ingredients that might strip your hair or cause product build-up are nowhere to be found in this conditioner.
The Leave-In Conditioner Every Blonde Needs: Not Your Mothers Blonde Moment Leave-In
After color treating your hair, do anything to keep it hydrated! That’s why I went on the hunt and found the Not Your Mothers Blonde Moment Leave-In Conditioner. Each time I get done washing my hair, I’ll pump 8-10 pumps of this into my hands and apply it throughout my strands. 8-10 pumps might sound like a lot, but I have thicker hair and it’s just the right amount! I love this product because it smells amazing, makes my hair feel super soft and moisturized once it dries, and it doesn’t leave an icky film of product buildup on my hair. It’s specially formulated with violet pigments to further help keep the brassiness at bay.
For An Extra Dose of Hydration: Cantu Shea Butter Hydrating Leave-In Conditioning Mist
If you’re on the hunt for lightweight hydration for your hair, look no further than the Cantu Shea Butter Hydrating Leave-In Conditioning Mist. It’s the perfect addition when I want to amp up the shine and silkiness of my hair after adding the Blonde Moment Leave-In. It really helps with any flyaways or frizz, too. Overall, it’s great for just a little extra moisture for your dry locks!
For Styling & Protecting: Not Your Mothers All Eyes On Me 10-in-1 Hair Perfector
If you style your hair with hot tools and don’t use a heat protectant, please stop what you’re doing and go pick up this 10-in-1 hair perfector. One because it helps protect your hair from the damage curling irons or straighteners can do to your hair. But also, it helps with SO many other things. It helps detangle, defrizz, strengthen, and so many other things…well, 7 other things. It smells like a beach, which I am always into, and it doesn’t leave your hair looking greasy. And better yet, all Not Your Mothers products are cruelty-free and include top-notch ingredients.
What hair care products or brands do you love? Let me know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for more fun beauty content, head over to our beauty page!
XO –
Annena
