This $25 Shampoo Keeps My Blue Black Hair Looking Shiny & Healthy All Winter Long

At the end of each season, I love finding subtle new ways to update my look to get excited for the new season. Perhaps it's an internal mechanism to motivate myself for months where most don't have the desire to even get dressed, but for me, I enjoy this task — finding inspiration, researching how to best implement this look, and establishing a new beauty routine. I've dyed my hair all colors of the rainbow and have bleached it way too many times than I would like to remember — but I decided that dyeing my hair blue black is a look I can easily upkeep while keeping it shiny and healthy for the upcoming season.

My natural hair color is not much of a departure from this new shade, but the effect of a saturated color with a tint of blue makes for a vibrant, glossy head of hair. But it is not all so linear. As Jon Reyman, founder of Spoke & Weal Salon in New York City points out to me, "the chemical damage [such as] color services starts to [show]." He also notes that "water damage is a thing [and] every time you get your hair wet, the hair swells and then it shrinks; that will actually compromise it" and make it fragile. Reyman recommends using a disulfide bond replicator which repairs the hair at the molecular cortex level, such as K18's Biomimetic Hairscience Repair Mask, versus simply moisturizing at the outer layer cuticle level — a temporary fix.

As Reyman points out, "Wet hair is the weakest hair, and it's super elastic but it breaks easily." As a preventative measure, I spread out my wash days to a minimum of two and opt to air dry my hair overnight. By foregoing the exposure to both heat and water, I am preserving the integrity of each strand and preventing breakage. But these are optimal conditions and as life often happens, I can't keep always keep up this routine.

When that is the case, which is more often than not, I use the 10 products below to protect my blue black color and the strength of my hair. Shop them below.

We only include products that have been independently selected by The Zoe Report's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Color Shampoo

Not all color shampoos are created equal. Aveda's Color Conserve Shampoo contains sunflower oil, macadamia oil, and plant-derived lycopene, which contains antioxidants and prevents the color from fading.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Color Conditioner

Rita Hazan's True Color Conditioner is lightweight and contains Japanese camellia oil along with a blend of antioxidants that guard against breakage and fading from the sun.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Blow Dryer

The Dyson Supersonic is an investment, but one that's definitely worth it. It measures the air temperature over 40 times a second and regulates the heat, which prevents extreme heat damage by never allowing it to past a certain temperature.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Hydrating Hair Mask

This hair mask contains ceramides to moisturize the hair while detangling and softening hair. Your hair feels silky after each use, and the fragrance is simply divine.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Color Protectant Hair Mask

Christophe Robin's Color Shield Mask contains macadamia oil, natural antioxidant vitamins, and acidic PH to protect and preserve the color intensity and shine over time. You'll notice it after first use, too.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Shine Spray

I tend to air dry my hair year round and love how this spray adds that beach wave look and hold without the brittleness caused by the salt. When my hair is damp I spray it on and twist a few strands to create a piece-y look.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Nourishing Oil

The lightweight formula of this Shu Uemura bestseller softens the strands without weighing it down. Your hair looks instantly healthier and shinier without the heaviness of typical hair oils.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Boar Bristle Brush

Mason Pearson's boar bristle brush, a cult-favorite, evenly spreads the oils from your hair at each stroke, creating luster and eliminating frizz.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Scalp Serum

Nothing's worse than putting forth efforts to keeping your hair healthy and strong while your scalp is dry and irritated. Lernberfer Stafsing's Scalp Serum contains aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to soothe and moisturize the scalp, reducing dandruff, and maintaining the scalp's microflora.

Blue Black Hair Maintenance: Heat Protection Spray

It's always a good idea to apply some sort of heat protectant before styling. It acts as a barrier to minimize heat damage, while some even hydrate the cuticles as well.