This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RethinkColour #CollectiveBias

While I used to be a natural blonde when I was really little, this hair color now is thanks to my hair stylist and some careful maintenance on my part. Without it I would be a brunette with some early sprinklings of white mixed in. While I prefer being a blonde, I don’t have the money or time to visit the salon every three weeks. Instead I go every 6-8 months to have the highlights added and the overall color fixed. Maintaining the blonde while putting off the salon for six moths at a time, isn’t just about not making an appointment. Here’s how I do it…

How To Maintain Blonde Hair Between Salon Visits:

Moisturize Continuously. Whether you dye it frequently, blow dry it, style it, or subject it to heat or chemicals in any way, your hair will dry out, making it look brittle and unhealthy. The dry winter months make it even worse. Conditioner is your best friend. Yes, I say that all the time. But it’s true. Condition. Condition. And then condition some more.

Only Color Your Roots. It can be really tempting to color your whole head of hair in order to maintain a uniform color throughout. Don’t do it. Find out from your stylist what exact color to use on your roots in between visits. Usually they will suggest where to find the ideal color and how to apply it. This will keep your hair color crisp and clean looking from one visit to the next, without weighting the ends down with lots of extra unnecessary dye.

Give Your Hair a Blonde Boost. Often in between salon visits the blonde shade can begin to fade and look more dirty blonde than vibrant. I like to use the John Frieda Sheer Blonde® Go Blonder In-Shower Lightening Treatment. It’s simple and easy to apply. Just open to the tube and massage all of the contents into your hair. Let it sit for 5 minutes in the shower and then rinse it out. Condition immediately afterwards to maintain moisture. You don’t need to shampoo your hair as the lightening treatment already took care of that for you. This product instantly softens dark roots and boosts your blonde by 1 shade. Pretty great.

Use Purple Shampoo. I only discovered the greatness of purple shampoo about a year ago. Since I am usually a no-poo kind of girl I was hesitant to use this, but it helps tone down the brassiness of blonde hair that often happens after several weeks of washing or when coloring the roots yourself. I’ll use a dose of purple shampoo once every other months to make sure my blonde locks stay shiny and gorgeous.

Wash As Infrequently as Possible. Just like with your favorite pair of denim, continuous washes will begin to wear away at the color until it is muted and half of its once glorious shade. Your hair can usually handle to be cleansed less often than you think. Consider going two or three days between washes in order to maintain color integrity. It might take a little training for your hair to be okay with less than daily washing, but your hair and hair color will thank you for it in the long run.

Wondering where to get the John Freida Sheer Blonde® Go Blonder In-Shower Lightening Treatment and other John Freida products? I picked mine up at Target, where I go for nearly all my beauty and haircare needs Plus the products are now easily located on an end-cap in the cosmetics section and will be there until 3/5. Bonus: Buy 3 John Frieda products get a $5 Target gift card. Not bad, huh?

Do you have dyed hair? What are your tips, tricks and suggestions on how to maintain blonde hair after the salon? Would you try the Go Blonder In-Shower Lightening Treatment?