Keep Your Hair Color Fresher, Longer

Don't let expensive dye-jobs fade fast! We put together the best products for extending the life of every hair color-from rich mocha and spicy copper, to dynamic golden highlights. Keep reading to see how to protect

Wear a hat. Protecting your hair from the elements helps prevent the formation of free radicals, atoms or molecules that contribute to fading when they snatch electrons from pigment molecules. Wear a sun hat when you're outdoors for a long time, or look for leave-in treatments with UV absorbers that filter some of the color-ruining rays -- like benzophenone-3 or -4, polyquaternium-59,  and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane.

Suds up less frequently. The more you wash your hair, the faster your color will fade. Shampooing causes the hair strands to swell, and the color then washes out little by little. If you need to shampoo often, invest in products such as John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Shampoo or A Color Conditioner for brunettes that deposit dye onto your hair, essentially re-coloring it a little each time you wash. !

Keep it cool. Steaming hot water definitely has an effect on strands. Wet hair has more stretch than dry hair, and the "stretchiness" of hair increases with the water temperature. This indicates the hair structure is more relaxed, which can allow more pigment to escape. 

Pool rule. Chlorine is a major culprit in fading hair dye. Apply a little deep conditioner to your locks before you dive in to protect and moisturize the hair. Then add a swim cap over the conditioner for an extra layer of protection.