Exactly How I Keep My Hair Soft, Shiny & Healthy After Years of Bleaching

Fact: My hair has survived more than five years of constant bleaching.

I’ve accumulated quite a few handy tips and product recommendations over that time, and I’m finally ready to share them with the world (aka you, dear reader).

Now, when I say my hair has been through a lot, I mean ‘a lot.’ 

Not only do I get it professionally coloured every few months, but I’ve been known to dye it four different hair colours within a 72-hour time period. I know. 

Why do I put my hair through so much, you ask?

Partly because I’m impulsive, but I also feel the need to change my hair colour every time I’m in a new life chapter.

So, if you want to know how to fix damaged bleached hair, this article is for you.

After some trial and error, I've found a bleached hair routine that's keeping my hair super soft, shiny and healthy.

Watch the video below, or read on for all the juicy details.

Best Products For Bleached Hair.

If you’re reading this and wondering how the heck my hair is still intact, I’m not surprised.

Bleaching and hair colouring can cause hair to become drier, frizzier, more prone to breakage (and stringy when wet - I’ve been there) over time if not properly cared for.

When you’re spending hundreds or thousands each year having your hair coloured, it’s so important to take care of your hairdresser’s hard work and maintain your hair’s integrity if you want to continue getting it coloured.

From bargain to bougie hair products, this is what keeps my bleached hair looking healthy… and enables my impulsive hair changes.

1. Best Bargain Shampoo For Coloured Hair (Under $30).

NAK Hair Nourish Shampoo is made for dry, damaged and coloured hair.

As the name states, it works to help nourish and protect the hair health and colour.

And all that for less than $30!

This bargain shampoo has quite a thin consistency and comes in an easy squeeze bottle. The fragrance is very subtle - I usually like more fragrance in my shampoos, but the value price tag caught my eye and I haven’t looked back since.

I use this as my first shampoo, which is an essential step for me. If I don’t shampoo twice, I could deep fry a batch of chicken nuggets with the amount of oil my scalp produces in a day. 

Shop NAK Hair Nourish Shampoo here:

2. The Best Shampoo for Bleached Hair.

Imma let you finish, but VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo 240ml is the greatest bond repair shampoo of all time.

After hearing everyone in the AB office go on about Virtue Labs, I had to give it a go. 

Considering the exxy price tag, I expected ELITE and let me tell you, I got nothing less. 

What makes this shampoo so good for dyed hair is the patented Alpha Keratin 60ku™ protein technology that seeks out, binds to and repairs damage. 

The thicker consistency is golden in colour and smells like a freshly-baked caramel cake with a hint of coconut and citrus.

And the way the tiniest amount of this shampoo lathers up in the hair is incredible, like you’re massaging a fluffy, thick blanket of fine little bubbles into your hair.

I use this as my second shampoo after NAK Nourish for a beautiful cleanse that leaves my hair lush, airy and fluffy.

Shop VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo here:

3. The Best Hair Masks for Bleached Hair.

Colour-damaged hair needs all the moisture and hydration it can get. 

I’m yet to find a conditioner that gives the hydration I need, which is why I use a rinse-out deep conditioning mask instead.

I have two favourite hair masks - one bargain and one a little bougier, but still excellent value.

Eleven Miracle Hair Mask 200ml is a hydrating mask that adds strength and softness to all hair types.

After reading Senior Editor Amy’s ELEVEN Miracle Mask review, I was convinced. It has quite a thick texture, and smells like coconuts.

The pouch packaging is also very easy to use (and cute) - for me, a mask in a tub you have to twist and scoop out is way too much effort in the shower.

I alternate this mask with the Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask - you can read resident AB hair guru Millie’s Olaplex no. 8 review here.

At $50ml for a 100ml airless pump, this intense hydration mask made for dry, damaged hair is excellent value. 

It contains the signature Olaplex bond repairing ingredient bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate to leave hair feeling strong and soft, and looking super healthy.

Plus, Olaplex No.8 smells fruity like the cult original Olaplex No. 3 treatment.

Shop these hair masks here:

4. The Ultimate Leave-In Treatment (On Damp Hair).

Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother is a repairing leave-in styling cream that fights frizz, flyaways, and breakage.

I’m the kind of person who likes to do the bare minimum where possible, so when I found out the OG Olaplex No.3 treatment came in a leave-in version, I couldn’t add it to cart fast enough.

The hydrating texture is quite thick - and too heavy on my dry hair - so you only need the tiniest amount on damp hair.

Shop Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother here:

5. The Best Hair Oil for Damaged Hair.

Kérastase Elixir Ultime Beautifying Hair Oil smells amazing, gives heat protection, and leaves hair feeling incredibly hydrated and looking shiny.

This was my first ever Kerastase product, and I can see why it’s a bestseller.

The lightweight oil has a subtle floral scent and absorbs into the hair really quickly.

A big pump bottle of this will last you a long time, too.

Personally, I love to create a little concoction of this and Olaplex No.6 and apply to damp towel-dried hair from the mid-length to ends.

Shop Kérastase Elixir Ultime Beautifying Hair Oil here:

6. The All-In-One Heat Protectant & Detangler.

Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray does literally everything, and for less than $50!

The weightless mist is a leave-in conditioner, heat protectant, split end product, detangler and overall protector of coloured hair.

I spray this into my damp hair after the leave-in products for EXTRA heat protection and a quick detangle. 

I really enjoy how it prepares my hair for a faster, safer blow dry. Plus, it has a lovely subtle perfume-y scent.

Shop Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray here:

7. The K18 Hair Treatment Everyone’s Raving About.

I actually wrote a whole K18 review article dedicated to this miracle product, but to sum it up, it's a lazy person’s dream.

Containing patented bioactive peptides to treat all types of damage, K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask 50ml repairs damaged hair in just 4 minutes.

You can apply the leave-in treatment on damp hair or wash it out after 4 minutes.

Just like magic, your hair is nourished and so hydrated.

The results are cumulative, too, so the more you use it, the better your hair!

Shop K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask here:

8. The Best Hair Dryer, Ever.

Salon quality. Precision technology. 5 attachments. 4 heat settings. 3 speed settings. 

Dyson Supersonic Iron Fuchsia 605C is bougie at $599, but if you spend a tonne of money on your hair colour, you gotta invest in your heat tools.

You can read my honest review of the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer here, but the short version? 

The seriously lightweight hair dryer uses smart technology to dry your hair faster while monitoring the heat 40 times per second for less risk of damage.

Shop Dyson Supersonic here:

Now, I know these products may seem a bit (or a lot) over the top.

But if you want to continue colouring your hair without ending up with a bleach mullet, you really need to take care of it with quality bond repair products.

And a silk pillowcase (you can thank me later).

Oh, and find yourself a hairdresser who will put your hair health first. Then, take care of their hard work at home!

Find more product recommendations to help treat damaged hair in these articles below...

• We've Rounded Up the 10 Best Products for Hair Breakage and Loss

• This New K18 Treatment Transformed My Bleached Hair in Just 4 Minutes

• These Are Our Top 10 Best-Selling Haircare Products of All Time...

• Kérastase Hair Care Routine for Bleached and Damaged Hair