Did you know the hair color market is expected to reach approximately $28 billion by 2025?

The popularity of hair coloring among people is not new: it has been in existence for numerous centuries.

In the Roman era, for example, hair coloring was one of the ways people used to exhibit extravagance. Men and women preferred having light-colored hair to mimic foreigners and to distinguish themselves as exotic. Black and red were other favorite colors.

In ancient Greece, people preferred golden hues and red-gold shades in hair color. These colors were associated with the Greek god Aphrodite who represented health, youth, and love.  

Earlier, hair color was believed to be a tool for heightening an individual’s visual worth and as a means to fit in. Later, coloring was used to mask aging. With time, these perspectives got shattered.

Today, individuals use hair coloring as a fashion statement or to proclaim a personal perspective to the world.

The concept of hair coloring, as well as the ingredients for coloring, have undergone drastic changes with time. At one time, animal and plant ingredients such as flowers, saffron, and calf kidneys, were used. Later, some dangerous substances such as sulfuric acid and lead took center stage.

Today, there is a wide range of hair coloring products from across the world to attract hair-coloring aficionados. From Sombre and Ombre highlights to dip-dyed baby highlights and balayage, there are numerous techniques to color your hair for maximum style.

Follow up your hair coloring technique with an efficient haircare routine. Include a shampoo and conditioner for cleaning and moisturizing. After all, color styling can be perfect only when your hair is strong!

Brands such as WOW Skin Science use only natural products such as plant actives to make their haircare products. These products are vegan, dermatologically tested, and sulfate- and paraben-free.

Table of Contents:

• How Does Hair Coloring Work?
• Why Do Salons Wash Hair After Coloring?
• Protect Your Hair With the Right After-Color Haircare
• Limit Hair Washes
• Include Healthy Hair Care Practices in Your Routine
• Space Your Next Coloring Treatment

How Does Hair Coloring Work?

To understand the mechanics of hair coloring, it is important to understand the anatomy of hair. It is made up of keratin, a protein that is the building block of healthy hair.

The main parts of hair are the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The cuticle forms the outer layer of a strand. It is the softest part one feels when one touches the hair.

Next to the cuticle, on the inside, is the cortex. Keratin is found in the cortex layer. The protein is seen in a twisted overlapping form in this layer, imparting structure and strength to the hair. The medulla is the most internal part of the hair.

A hair coloring product contains a tint, color developer, and conditioner. Tint contains chemicals and di-molecules. Chemicals facilitate the entry of di-molecules into the hair by causing the strands to enlarge.

The developer contains hydrogen peroxide, which lightens natural hair color, making it ready for the customized new color.

Hair coloring starts with the process of tint mixing with the developer. This combination triggers a chemical reaction that pushes the di-molecules into hair strands. Inside the strands, tiny and uncolored molecules combine to form larger molecules.

The formation gets bigger and bigger, indicating the spread of the new color across the hair. When the large molecule group becomes the biggest, the coloration is complete.

Why Do Salons Wash Hair After Coloring?

If you have noticed, salon experts wash your hair once it is colored. Ever wondered about the reason behind the after-color wash?

When rinsed, the cuticles, which are enlarged to allow the color to seep in, get closed. This closure traps the di-molecules within the hair, giving hair the new desired color.

Also, any excess color on the hair gets drained with a rinse after coloring. The color also spreads evenly across strands, giving your hair a stylish look.

Protect Your Hair With the Right After-Color Haircare

Coloring is brilliant. But the process also alters your natural hair structure. This alteration makes your hair vulnerable to damage. The after-color haircare you follow is crucial in maintaining the strength of your hair.

Use sulfate-free shampoos to clean your hair after a coloring treatment. Ensure that these products are also color-safe.

You may want to try the Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Mask for Color-Treated Hair for excellent aftercare.

Apply this mask on slightly wet hair after a shower. Apply it along the length of the hair, from the tip to the ear. Using the mask above this stretch can cause greasiness. Leave the mask for 10 to 15 minutes.

Rinse the mask away with warm water. Follow it up with a cold-water rinse, which helps lock the cuticles with the mask’s nourishing properties. Air dry your hair.

Regular application of the mask not only protects your hair but also preserves your new hair color longer. Regular use also imparts natural strength and softness to the strands.

This formulation is 100% natural, containing plant extracts and essential oils.

The Black Spruce Bark Extract contains plenty of resveratrol antioxidants. These are powerful antioxidants known to protect the body. Research shows that antioxidants from natural sources reduce hair damage and preserve hair color and shine.

This formulation, with its natural bark extract, minimizes the risks of hair damage and color-fading caused by UV light.

Hydrolyzed wheat proteins protect strands from damage and promote strand thickness. Vitamin B5 provides excellent moisturization to the hair and scalp, keeping them soft and strong.

Argan oil, a deep natural moisturizer, imparts more hydration to your hair. In addition, the oil contains omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid, which nourish hair and maintain softness.

Power up your after-color haircare kit with the invaluable natural ingredients in this mask!

• Limit Hair Washes

Coloring dries your hair as strands tend to lose their natural moisture after a coloring process. Washing your hair often can make it further dry. Dry hair is vulnerable to breakage and other damage.

If you want to wash your hair, do so twice or thrice a week with a color-safe shampoo. Use only cold or lukewarm water. You may want to explore the range of natural shampoos by WOW Skin Science to find the one that best suits your hair.

• Include Healthy Hair Care Practices in Your Routine

A haircare routine ensures that your hair receives all essential nutrition and moisturization after coloring. Without a routine in place, especially after a hair coloring treatment, hair tends to get weaker and prone to damage. A deep conditioning treatment can restore essential moisture to your hair, from root to tip.

It is also recommended that you limit your exposure to the sun to avoid hair and color damage. Stay away from frequent use of heating tools such as blow driers and straighteners as they can damage hair cuticles.

• Space Your Next Coloring Treatment Farther

Coloring your hair frequently may seem the best way to keep transforming your hair. But overcoloring can weaken hair roots and strands. Ensure that your next coloring is six weeks from your last one for the health of your hair.

Hair coloring gives you a unique style. Complement your hair coloring treatment with a proper haircare routine for the best results.