How To Prevent Your Blonde Hair From Turning Yellow

Whether you’ve been bleaching your hair since high school or are a newly minted member of the blonde clan, you know that maintaining the sunny shade is brutal. Lucky for you, we’re here to help you avoid that telltale bottle-blonde yellow hue. Aside from keeping your strands moisturized, these three simple and unexpected tricks are guaranteed to prolong and maintain your color, especially during BBQ and pool-party season. Because looking like Barbie shouldn’t actually be the goal.

Blondes Have More Fun When Their Hair Color Looks Good

Use A Shower Filter

Hard water contains rust, chlorine and iron which is horrible for hair, all of which affect the color of your hair. The best thing you can do to keep hair from turning brassy or yellow is to invest in a shower head with a built-in filter. It's basically like showering in mineral-free bottled water.

Wash With Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo is a godsend for toning blonde hair, but if used incorrectly it can ruin your color. Once you've applied your shampoo, use a comb to distribute the product and ensure that your color stays even in tone. Also, the purple in the shampoo can actually tint your hair if you leave it on too long. Wash it off after 3 or 4 minutes and don't follow with a purple conditioner.

Wear Your Sunscreen

You already apply sunscreen on your face and body every day (we hope), but you should be doing the same for your hair. UV rays penetrate your strands and break down your dye job. Even the slightest discoloration can make your hair look brassy or yellow, so make sure you load up on the SPF.

Protect It From Chlorine

Silicone-based products and oils–like coconut and castor–create a barrier on your strands and protect hair from chlorine. If you're headed to the pool this weekend, apply a generous amount of product on wet hair and style into a bun or braid before taking a dip to limit the contact of chemicals.