The Best Products For Bleached, Damaged Hair

If you’ve ever bleached your hair, you’ll know the pain of trying to maintain it. It’s easy to think that preserving the colour is the hardest part, but actually it’s the general upkeep that takes the most effort. Seriously, it feels like any little action can cause a tremendous amount of damage! Brushing, straightening, and even washing your hair become onerous tasks and you’re constantly worrying about the slightest amount of force you’re applying to it. Luckily, there are things we can do to improve the quality of our hair. And in this post I’m going to introduce you to what I think are some of the best products for bleached, damaged hair.

But first, let’s learn a little about the bleaching process and how it affects our hair…

How does bleach work?

We know that bleach chemically lightens hair, but how exactly does it do it? Well, first of all an alkaline agent opens up the hair cuticle, causing it to swell. Once it has expanded, the oxidative agent penetrates the hair cortex (the middle layer of the hair shaft) and dissolves its natural melanin. This essentially strips the pigment from your hair and the longer you leave this agent on, the lighter your hair will become.

What does bleach do to your hair?

Bleaching is an irreversible reaction that causes a serious loss of moisture from your strands. It is known to increase hair porosity, reduce elasticity and produce split ends. This generally weakens our hair making it more susceptible to further damage and breakage.

Signs of damaged, over-processed hair:

While there are many factors that can cause your hair to become damaged, bleaching is certainly a main contributor. Here are some of the things you should look out for if you’re worried about the health of your hair:

• Brittleness
• Frizziness
• Dullness
• Roughness
• Gumminess
• Split ends
• Tangles easily

Shampoos

1. Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo

Disclaimer: You’re going to see a lot of Olaplex products in this post. It’s the OG hair repair range so it just has to be featured!

The No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is described as a ‘one-stop shop’ for any and all hair concerns. It contains Olaplex’s patented ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which helps reform disulphide bonds in damaged hair. It’s pH balanced, vegan, paraben-free and is also packed full of hydrating ingredients like panthenol, sunflower seed oil and fermented argan oil. It’s crazy that such a little bottle can hold so many good things!

2. TIGI Bed Head by Tigi Urban Antidotes Resurrection Shampoo

This TIGI Bed Head Shampoo is targeted specifically at dry, damaged hair. It claims to moisturise, hydrate and thicken hair in just one use – pretty impressive! Not only does it preserve colour, but it also offers thermal protection which is a must for fragile bleached hair.

It is worth noting, however, that the formula does contain sulphates and silicones. If these are ingredients you generally avoid, you might want to steer clear of this one.

3. Redken Extreme Bleach Recovery Shampoo

As the name implies, the Redken Extreme Bleach Recovery Shampoo is for those who are desperately trying to bring back some life to their fried hair. This shampoo was inspired by Korean skincare and, for this reason, contains Centella Asiatica Extract (i.e. Cica) which is known for its healing properties. It also counts Lamellar Water as one of its main ingredients, which you might recognise if you’ve used L’Oréal’s 8 Second Wonder Water. Lamellar Water is a lightweight, liquid hair treatment that coats the hair in moisturising agents.

4. Biolage Advanced Keratindose Damaged Hair Shampoo

Biolage’s Advanced Keratindose Shampoo reinforces over-processed hair in order to prevent future breakage. It’s formulated with Pro-Keratin and silk, meaning that your hair will feel not only stronger, but softer and less frizzy too.

Perhaps one of the best things about this shampoo is that it contains no sulphates, parabens or silicones. You won’t find any artificial colourants or mineral oils here either!

5. L’Oréal Professionnel Serié Expert Absolut Repair Gold Shampoo

The L’Oréal Professionnel Serié Expert Absolut Repair Gold Shampoo is designed to bring shine back to your dull, brittle locks. It’s enriched with Gold Quinoa Bran extract and Wheat Protein, ingredients which reduce surface damage and leave your hair feeling soft and healthy. So, if your bleached hair needs nourishment, this shampoo is a great budget option.

Conditioners

1. Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner

You guessed it, first on the list is Olaplex’s No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner. Like the shampoo, this product is designed to strengthen the hair and repair any damage caused by bleaching or styling. It contains loads of nutrient-dense ingredients, such as red marine algae and avocado oil, which intensely moisturise the hair and help it retain its colour.

2. Dizziak Deep Conditioner

The Dizziak Deep Conditioner is suitable for all hair textures and claims to be the ‘ultimate shine-enhancer’. It relies on naturally nourishing ingredients, like Quinoa Protein, and plant oils (Coconut, Castor and Argan) to provide lasting hydration.

I also love that this conditioner is vegan and cruelty-free, as well as being free from sulphates, parabens and silicones.

3. Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner

Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner is formulated to treat dry, under-nourished hair. It’s powered by Avocado Oil, Lemon Extract, and Olive Fruit Oil which provide much needed moisture and keep locks feeling supple and silky smooth. These ingredients are meant to mimic the natural oils that healthy hair produces, in turn improving its strength and elasticity.

4. L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Long Hair Conditioner

If you’re looking for a detangling conditioner that won’t cost an arm and a leg, the L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Long Hair Conditioner is an incredible choice. It’s formulated with Keratin, Vitamins and Castor Oil which help to prevent breakage and defend against split ends.

It does say it’s for ‘long, damaged hair’ but in all honesty I don’t think the length really matters. Just as long as you’re not massaging this into your roots, you should be fine!

5. Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Conditioner

This Briogeo Super Moisture Conditioner has been blowing up on social media recently … and for good reason, it’s suuuuper nourishing! This product contains 95% naturally derived ingredients – algae extract, aloe, argan oil and sweet almond oil to name a few. These all help to boost shine and strengthen the hair.

Like Olaplex and Dizziak, the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! line is completely cruelty-free and contains no sulphates, parabens or phthalates.

Hair masks and treatments

1. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector

By this point I think everyone must have heard of Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector – it’s a miracle worker! As with the other Olaplex products on this list, the hair perfector is a bond builder. This means it doesn’t just coat the hair, it actually works on a molecular level to repair damage and revitalise your locks.

The recommended usage is once per week. However, for extremely damaged hair, the brand suggests bumping this up to 2-3x a week.

2. Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask

Moroccanoil has an amazing selection of hair masks, but the Restorative one just beats the rest to the top spot. This product is specifically designed for weakened and damaged hair, its protein-rich formula helping to restore elasticity and rebuild strength. It’s also full of really rich, moisturising ingredients like Argan Oil, Shea Butter and Pequi Oil.

3. Sol de Janeiro Triple Brazilian Butter Hair Repair Treatment

The Sol de Janeiro Triple Brazilian Butter Hair Repair Treatment, as the name suggests, contains three different butters (Brazilian Cupuaçu, Murumuru and Tucumã) which strengthen strands and reduce frizz. It also utilises the brand’s patented SOL Seal Technology, a plant-based keratin that ionically bonds split ends. In fact, the company claims that this repair treatment mends 96% of split ends after just one use!

4. Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner

The Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner is blended with omega-rich Jamaican Black Castor Oil and organic Shea Butter which promote growth and help detangle hair. It’s extremely thick and nourishing, making it the ultimate saviour for coloured or bleached hair.

5. Bleach London Reincarnation Mask

Last, but certainly not least, on this list of best products for bleached, damaged hair is the Bleach London Reincarnation Mask. This mask contains sunflower seed extract and micro wheat proteins which improve elasticity and intensely rehydrate the hair. And, for extra plus points, this product is also vegan and paraben-free. What more could you ask for?!

Which products do you think are best for bleached, damaged hair? Let me know down below.

And check out my article on 10 Ways To Get Fuller, Healthier Hair for more haircare tips.