It may come off as a lot, but whoever said colored hair is easy to maintain?

I love putting time and effort to care for my hair. I keep my appointments, but I don’t hesitate to visit the salon in between.

When it comes to home care, I also follow a routine based on my needs. I am very particular about my hair not turning brassy. I protect it from damage and keep current issues from getting worse. On top of that, I keep it healthy, thick and bouncy.

This is specially true when I’m out in the sun. These past few weeks, I’ve had an early start with the summer season with beach trips.

While this is my chance to take some great photos (which you may have seen on @riarecommends), that’s also when the sun seems to destroy my hair.

When your hair is colored, the sun becomes your worst enemy. It seems to have a particular liking to changing the hues on your mane.

So, my post-sun haircare routine starts with the scalp. On dry hair, I use the L’Occitane Aromachologie Soothing Scalp Oil. Created to soothe and hydrate dry and sensitive scalp, it has essentials oils from sweet almond, jojoba and grapeseed, but it won’t leave hair feeling greasy or heavy.

After massaging the L’Occitane oil into my scalp, I spritz it with water before applying Olaplex Hair Perfector on damp hair. It’s supposed to be left on for 20 minutes, but I leave it longer since I do other things in between, like write my articles.

Olaplex is an amazing product because it’s a bond builder. It relinks the broken or weak bonds in every type of hair, providing structural repair that works from within.

If you have brittle hair from coloring (like mine), Olaplex is the product you need.

I then brush my hair once with my Tangle Angel, created by celebrity and royal hairdresser Richard Ward, available at Beauty Bar. Only then do I proceed to rinse out the Olaplex.

Next is shampoo and conditioner. When it comes to these two products, I make sure they help my hair maintain its color.

I want to avoid brassiness, so I use the Lakme Teknia Ultra Clair Shampoo. It does three things for your hair: Keep the yellow tones away, prevent unwanted warm tones from appearing, and revive hair so it becomes shiny.

You’d be happy to know that this purple shampoo is paraben-and mineral-oil free. Its benefits come from natural wheat amino acids. These acids maximize the moisturizing power of your hair, so it doesn’t dry out and lose its color.

Purple conditioner

After rinsing out the shampoo, I follow it up with the Lakme Teknia Ultra Clair Treatment. This purple conditioner makes sure the blonde tones retain their true shade.

But before running the conditioner through my hair, I create my own deep conditioner by pumping in some Davines Absolute Beautifying Potion. This oil is good for all hair types, not just colored hair.

Its main ingredient is roucou oil, which helps avoid hair breakage, and defrizzes it. Through its detangling and restructuring qualities, it helps hair become softer.

Stepping out of the shower with hair still damp, I apply some My Amazing Repair & Shine Hair Secrets Fortifying Serum. This leave-on product has jojoba oil, cranberry and pear fruit extracts, along with natural proteins like keratin and creatine.

It keeps the hair roots rejuvenated after sun exposure and coloring, while also locking in all the good stuff from the other products I’ve used on my hair.

My hair regimen may come off as a lot, but whoever said colored hair was easy to maintain?

Anyway, it also serves as another routine to pamper myself, something whose benefits I can see while I go through my everyday tasks.

The payoff lasts long after I’ve left the shower, and keeps my colored hair looking fresh all the time.