My Hair Routine For Bleached Blonde Hair

This is my hair care routine on how I keep my bleached blonde hair looking ashy and fresh…

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My hair journey is one that I feel like I have documented across the course of my time blogging. I mean when I started out blogging I had very dark hair, and four and a half years on I now have bleached blonde hair. Albeit with dark roots as corona has meant us blondes have had to deal with the whole roots situ… no coverup spray will stop mine! In fairness, whenever I get mine dyed I always get a root shadow done as my hair grows way too quick to maintain blonde roots!

But since I have had this hair progression journey (which is forever changing – my boyfriend calls me Hannah Montana as my hair is always changing) I have collated some good tips and products that have helped me keep my blonde hair looking fresh. Especially during lockdown!

However for reference, everyone’s hair is different. I know for some people these products might not work like they do on me. I have got very thick hair naturally, hence why I am able to bleach it as much as I have done and not have any major issues. But bleach is damaging no matter how much Olaplex or hair masks you put on it. I also find, like I said above, that naturally my hair grows really quick. Because of this I don’t need to wear extensions etc but if you do, I can’t vouch for how these products will work. Just a little disclaimer!

When I got my hair last dyed back in December, I found that because I had a lot of dark hair growing through, I had more warmer patches than I wanted. It actually made me feel so self conscious about my hair so it was really important that I found a good purple shampoo. I also straighten my hair and blow dry it so making sure I had products that would replace the moisture was a priority. But I will stop keeping you waiting and here is my hair care routine…

Wash 1

I do this in a sort of three part event as so to say. I tend to wash my hair every 4/5 days depending on what I am doing. Lockdown has meant I can obviously spend a lot of duvet days not caring about how greasy or bad my hair is looking. Hasn’t lockdown been a blessing for that? I know that a lot of people have been trying to train their hair not to wash it as often. On my first wash of the routine I will tone my hair.

Toning my hair is so important, as I am naturally really dark, so if I don’t tone it, it will look very gingery! I swear by the Bleach London Silver Shampoo for this. This is a really strong purple shampoo, so strong it literally leaves my hands purple after using it. However I find it really works in getting rid of the brassy tones and making my hair more ashy. I have always been a lover of the ashy blonde look, I have even been silver at one point. So as a silverhead (if that’s a thing) this is the one I recommend. I tend to leave it on for about 3-4 mins if that. Any longer and my hair will genuinely turn purple.

However you have to judge it for your own hair. If you have never used it before then leave it on for a minute and judge how it worked. If you feel like it needed more toning then leave it on for another minute and work it up.

But I find that I also prefer to give my hair a double wash to make sure that if my hair is clean. The toning shampoo doesn’t lather as well as some. So I will always pre-wash it with the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Brilliantly Brighter Shampoo and Sheer Blonde Conditioner. I always used to be quite skeptical of double washing, as I read that it could strip your hair of its natural oils, making it greasier more quickly. However I feel like when toning my hair it just needs that extra tlc and wash before toning it.

Wash 2

One thing I found is that my hair can get really dry if I don’t use the right products or after toning it. But whenever I went to the hairdressers, my hair would come out feeling softer than ever before. I was obsessed with how good it felt so I asked Jess my hairdresser what she used on it. So for my second wash I use the Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner. This is one of the best moisturising shampoos and conditioners I have ever used, and no product has ever left my hair that soft. I use it once every three washes because it is slightly more expensive that some typical supermarket product. But it’s so worth it. Also smells super good, and leaves you feeling like you have had a trip to the hair dressers.

Wash 3

So the last wash of my hair care routine will start with a hair mask. I use the Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer mask. I have read on blog posts before how this is one of the top related hair masks and I can tell why. Hmmm hair always feels so soft, and just healthier after using it. I lather it on wet hair and leave it for up to 5 hours before washing it out. I will wash it out with the Phillip Kingsley Pure Blonde Shampoo and Pure Blonde Conditioner. This isn’t like the Bleach London silver shampoo. This is a softer purple shampoo that is refreshing, revitalizing and softening.

Despite being a higher end brand it has made more aware of how in the future spending more on products will actually benefit the health of my hair. This has helped me combat that stereotype of having dry and bleached hair, to it actually feeling soft and healthy.

Other Products

After each wash I will use a series of products before I dry my hair to make sure that it’s heated protected, damage free and also as soft as possible. First I will pour some of the Phillip Kingsley Scalp Toner into my roots to ensure the new hair growth is strong and healthy. At first I was skeptical that it would cause my hair to go greasy, however its so easy to use. I pour it on, rub it in with my fingers before blow drying it. It has genuinely made my hair look so conditioned and its been quite noticeable.

I will apply a few drops of argan oil (something you can pick up in any super market) just on the tips of my hair. This is something I have done for years and swear by! Especially in the hotter weather. I then use the Percy and Reed Wonder Balm which helps control any frizz. And then I will use the TRESemmé Blow Dry Cream to give my hair protection against the heat when drying my hair.

Further Tips

I have a few more tips that I have learnt for looking after my bleached hair. I always think it’s really important to have regular trims to make sure any split ends are a no show and it makes your hair feel a lot healthier! Blow drying my hair is essential too. I never leave my hair to air dry. I know most people prefer to however I did a little bit of research into this.

Whenever I left my hair to air dry I found it left my hair feeling really knotty and dry. It never did anything for me and found it wasn’t helping the health of my hair. However I read an article online suggesting how thicker hair, absorbs more moisture. So leaving it to air dry means it absorbs that water more and leaves it feeling dryer. This made sense to me and my hair, as I have thick hair. So I always blow dry my hair and the ends feel soft and refreshed.

Finally, I get asked about how I get my hair dyed, whether my roots are dyed or naturally dark. No shock here but they are naturally dark, and I get the blonde dyed on. However like mentioned above, I tend to ask for a root shadow, which basically blends your roots to your colour.

Let me know if you have any more questions about looking after bleached blonde hair and I will answer them below in the comments!

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