How to keep cool blonde looking cool for more than two weeks

Tap water does more damage than summer

Warsaw water is hard, and the iron and copper compounds it carries settle on lightened hair. That is what gives you the orange cast after three weeks - not the sun, which usually gets the blame. A shower filter for around 120 PLN buys you more time than the most expensive conditioner on the shelf.

If a filter is not an option, do the final rinse with bottled or boiled and cooled water. It sounds absurd, but the difference shows within a month.

Purple shampoo is not a daily product

Once every 7 to 10 days, three minutes, on damp hair. Daily use does the opposite of what you want: the pigment builds up in porous ends and the blonde turns grey and flat. Removing it is another salon process on hair that is already fragile.

If your fingers are stained purple after the first use, dilute the shampoo with conditioner, one to one.

Heat settings

A straightener above 180 degrees opens the cuticle and the toner rinses out at the first wash. On lightened hair 160 degrees is plenty, as long as you use heat protection and move the plates in one pass instead of going over the same section five times.

When to come back

With decent home care, a toner holds for six to eight weeks. If you are back every three, something in your routine is eating the colour. Bring photos of your products to the appointment - we usually spot the culprit in the first two minutes.