How to save your blond hair from summer damage

When it comes to my hair, my colourist knows better than I do. The first time I went to see him, we had a consultation and he told me frankly what he thought would work best. He was right. Each time I go back, he’ll tweak things a little. This time (much to my delight), he declared emphatically that I needed “more blond!” Greater brightness around my face was called for, he’d decided, and he wasn’t wrong. I was looking a bit dull, and more brightness is always especially appealing in summer. The trendy “money piece” (two bright panels of highlights at the front of your parting) is beloved for good reason. Done well, it takes sleepless nights off a face and lifts skin tone.

Blond has its drawbacks, though, especially at this time of year, and I was conscious of this when embarking on a blonder style. Sun can damage it and skew the tone you sat so long (and paid so much) to achieve. Saltwater dries and tangles blond lengths, while chlorine (as we all know) can transform you from salon-fresh to algae-green in five laps. But with proper care and smart products, you can save your blond through the summer months and keep your hair in good condition.

Wandering tone is a major issue for blond hair. You may leave the salon with a light, bright blond, but after a few weeks of hard life and harder water, it will develop a brassy, orange cast which gives your hair a slightly grubby look. A purple shampoo will help to counteract that (and will also banish yellowish hues from grey and white hair). Andrew Fitzsimons Amethyst Blonde Purple Shampoo (€12 at Boots) is lovely, more affordable than salon brands, and adds brighter tones to the hair without making it feel dry — a common unwanted effect of purple shampoos. Condition richly with your usual go-to.

Then, to ensure the shampoo’s hard work is preserved, spritz Andrew Fitzsimons Purple Leave-In Spray (€17 at Boots) through the mid-lengths and ends. If you have more minimal highlights, this step alone will help to keep them at their cleanest possible blond through the summer.

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Hair Stylist Adam Reed recommends applying oil to your scalp and brushing it through dry hair. It’s his poolside holiday hack to protect and nourish the hair and will make porous, colour-treated blond less permeable to chlorine or other holiday hazards. If you’re swimming, do put your oiled hair in a cap to minimise the impact further. The Good Habit Hybrid Oil (€18 at Boots) is a portable fix-all for humidity-induced fuzz and helps protect against UV damage.

After every wash, I use JVN Complete Instant Recovery Serum (€28 at Space NK). It smells delectably of something that evokes lemon curd, but is also a heat protectant and smoothing cream my hair just drinks in. I credit it (along with the labours of my colourist) with miraculously adding shine to my blond highlights. Anyone with highlighted hair will know that shine on blond is the holy grail of hair colour.