Picture this: you're at the party of a lifetime, dancing the night away with your friends, feeling like you're on top of the world. The music is pumping, the lights are flashing, and you're having the time of your life. But what happens when the party ends and you have to go home? Sure, you'll have the memories of the amazing night, but what about the leftover glitter on your clothes, the stains on your shoes, and the smeared makeup on your face? It's not a great look, right?

Well, the same goes for your hair color. When you first get it done, it's like you're starting a party that never has to end. It makes you feel like the best version of yourself, and you can't help but show it off to everyone you know. But over time, that vibrant color you fell in love with can start to fade away, leaving you with a lackluster look that's not nearly as fun and exciting as it once was. And just like those stained shoes and smeared makeup, it's not a great look.

That's where proper color care comes in. Just like you wouldn't want to leave 'color on the dancefloor' by not properly taking care of your party clothes, you don't want to leave your hair color to fade away prematurely due to poor care. By taking the time to properly care for your hair color, you can make sure that your party never has to end, and you can keep feeling like the best version of yourself for as long as possible.

Whether you're a natural blonde, a fiery redhead, or anything in between, hair color can be a fun and exciting way to express yourself and make a statement. But it's important to remember that it's not just about the initial color - it's about how long you can make it last. By investing in color-safe and color-protecting products, and by taking steps to care for your hair after a color service, you can ensure that your color stays vibrant, healthy, and beautiful for as long as possible.

So, the next time you get your hair colored, think of it as your own personal party that you never want to end. With the right care and attention, you can keep the party going for as long as possible, and make sure that you never have to leave 'color on the dancefloor'.

A word on color safe products vs color protecting products from director of education David Groupe:

Protecting your hair color after an expensive salon service or even protecting your natural color whether it be white, black, or anywhere in between is a common concern from clients. But many people, wonder what color protection even means. Let me break down common problems in hair color retention and give you some tips on how to get the greatest longevity out of your hair color.

Generally, if you are buying a professional hair care product these days you can guarantee that the formula is likely not going to strip your hair color. Not always true of drugstore brands. But then some bottles say “color protection” on them. What does this mean? If all the products are color-safe then why would I need a color protection regimen? Well, there is a big difference between color safety and color protection.

Color-safe formulas are shampoos that are generally sulfate-free. This means the molecular size of the detergent is too large to penetrate the hair’s protective cuticle layer and break down hair dye bonds or erode our natural melanin over time. Meaning that these formulas will not have the same stripping effect on the hair color over time that more aggressive cleansers can cause.

Color protection formulas on the other hand are color-safe but they provide an added layer of protection to your hair color against environmental factors. Color protection formulas are generally balanced to the ideal, slightly acidic pH where the hair thrives. When the hair is slightly acidic the cuticle layer, if undamaged, will lay in a closed flat position. This allows for the hair to have natural reflectivity as well as allowing the color on the inside to project out with clarity and without dullness.

This pH is also ideal for people who naturally are prone to color fading because it helps compact their naturally raised cuticle and reduces the porosity of their hair. Having less porosity in the hair protects your hair color from erosion from hard mineral content in your water and environmental oxidation from pollution. Color protection formulas also often contain protective ingredients that shield the hair from erosion from sun UVA/UVB exposure and strong antioxidants that protect it from free radicals in the environment.

Hair that is naturally gray or white, or hair that has been bleached can benefit from color protection shampoo as well. The reason is that white hair is hair that has stopped producing melanin granules. Melanin provides the most effective natural protection from sun and element exposure. Without the melanin there to protect the hair, the exposure can lead to small cracks forming in the proteins of the hair that turn them from clear to yellow. Color protection shampoo can help prevent this as well.

How you treat your hair after a color service can have a big impact on your hair color longevity. Using a post-color treatment in the salon can help reestablish the hair status quo which in turn will remove unwanted chemical and dye residue from the hair as well as return the hair to its ideal pH. It’s also important not to wash your hair at home for around 48 hours after your service which allows your hair to rebalance its natural oils and biome as well as giving the new chemical bonds in the hair color to become more solid.

For at-home color protection we recommend SACHAJUAN Colour Protect Shampoo and Conditioner paired with Previa S. & F. Acid Water Leave-In Treatment Spray.

SAYN’s top picks for color preservation include items from SACHAJUAN, Previa, pH Laboratories, and Dr. Barbara Sturm. Be sure to read more about each product on saynbeauty.com and saynbeautypro.com, and enjoy savings on select products in this category during March and April.

SACHAJUAN: Colour Protect Shampoo + Conditioner, Protective Hair Perfume Fruity Fresh + Bois Noir, Silver Shampoo + Conditioner

Previa Italia: Keeping Shampoo, Conditioner + Treatment, Silver Shampoo, Conditioner + BiPhasic Leave-In Conditioner, S. & F. Acid Water Leave-In Treatment Spray

Dr. Barbara Sturm Molecular Hair & Scalp: Super Anti-Aging Shampoo + Serum, Hydrating Conditioner, Repair Hair Mask

pH Laboratories: Argan & Keratin Shampoo, Mask, Elixir + Nectar, Ice Blonde Shampoo + Leave-In Detangler