When I decided I wanted to try and get silver/gray hair, I googled and googled and really didn’t find much on how to care for my hair after I achieved the color I wanted, i.e. what to wash with, what NOT to wash with, what to style with, etc. Of course, you can find oodles of information on caring for natural silver/gray hair, but trying to find care essentials for hair colored to silver/gray were few and far between. After I took the plunge and got my hair done a few months back, I quickly found out that my hair care routine was going to change drastically.

(Been hitting the selfies hard lately.)

The biggest and most important thing for maintaining silver hair= try to wash your hair never. I’m not kidding. The color will fade quickly with each wash, so the less you wash, the longer your color will last between toning it. Washing your hair strips out the natural oils, and results in drier, frizzy hair. Add that to the damage from bleaching, and your hair will look horrible. Letting those oils hang out on your hair will made a HUGE difference in the condition of your hair. Yes, I know it’s gross at first and hard to get into, but it gets easier with the right products and routine. Here’s the products that I use to maintain my color (and an essential brow product):

 

 

1. IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil – Okay so this isn’t a hair care product but it is an ESSENTIAL. I quickly realized after going from dark brown hair to silver hair, that my regular brow pomade that I would’ve taken a bullet for was not going to match, at all, and 100% made me look like a crazy person. Coincidentally, amid sheer brow panic, an Ipsy bag arrived containing this brow pencil and my friend who is also an Ipsy subscriber raved about it. The “universal” color threw me off but it actually mentioned in the description that it would work for silver hair and when I tried it I was immediately sold on it. It has a spooly on one end, and the pencil itself is a taupe shade that with varying pressure, really would work for any hair color. I will probably pick up my go-to pomade in taupe for days when I want a more intense brow, but this has been the perfect product for everyday wear.

 

2. The Original Wet Brush– it took 2 rounds of lightening before my hair could be colored to silver and it resulted in my hair being pretty brittle and dry, even with using Olaplex. My hairdresser recommended this brush and it has made my life so much easier. I’ve always had very easily tangled hair and hated brushing it out (I’m probably just a baby, but…) this brush glides through wet hair without pulling and causing breakage. It’s also great for dry hair as well. I keep a mini version with me all the time and use it anytime I need to.

 

3. Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo– When you’re trying to avoid shampooing, dry shampoo will be your best friend. My routine is to generally wash my hair on day 1, do nothing but style on day 2, use dry shampoo just on the roots on day 3, wear braids or an updo on day 4 (using a little more dry shampoo if necessary, and then generally wash on day 5. Depending on what styling products I use, I can sometimes extend this to 6 or 7 days, which keeps the color looking fresh forever. The Not Your Mother’s in my favorite at the moment, but I am on a hunt for a dry shampoo that doesn’t leave a white cast and chokes you a little less when you spray it. Please give me some recommendations in the comments below if you have any!

 

4. Kardashian Beauty Dry Seed Oil– My mom and  I are both gigantic fans of the Kardashians. We don’t even try to hide it. When the Kardashian Beauty line launched at Ulta, my mom was all over ordering the products. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I should expect much from the products, but I started with their hairspray and was instantly obsessed with it. So, when I went hunting for an oil to use after washing and when my hair felt dry in between washes, I came across the Kardashian Beauty Black Seed Oil and figured it was worth a shot, and again, pretty obsessed. It’s a great, lightweight oil that I like to use a tiny bit of on in-between wash days after styling, on damp hair after washing, and on ends and roots to control frizz. It gives your hair a great shine too, and as long as it’s used sparingly, it doesn’t add any greasy feel or weight to your hair.

 

5. Herbal Essences Naked Cleansing Conditioner– Traditional shampoos, even those that are sulfate free, will noticeably strip silver color out of your hair, and also, as I touched on before, remove the natural oils from your hair and result in dry/frizzy hair. Cleansing conditioners don’t strip the oils out of your hair like shampoo does but still leave your hair feeling fresh and soft. I use this one and I love it (and it’s CHEAP) usually, and then every 4th wash or so, I use a gentle, sulfate free shampoo and it definitely seems to help extend the life of my color.

 

6.  Beyond the Zone Smooth Criminal Masque– Every couple weeks or so, I like to use a masque on my hair, since it’s pretty damaged from all the lightening that had to be done to get to silver. I like this one from Sally Beauty because it’s affordable and works well. I like to cover my hair in a generous amount of it, throw on a shower cap, and let it sit for an hour or so before rinsing out. My hair always feels great after.

 

Hopefully, this is helpful for anyone that’s colored their hair silver/gray or is thinking about it.

 

(This post was not sponsored by any of the listed companies, but does include affiliate links from which I may make a commission should you click on them and purchase an item.)